This article reviews the political changes, which took place at the time of King Mu and King Euija, by studying the engraved writing of the sarira casket in Mireuksa, which was recently discovered. To do so, it try to reexamine the sources, which has ...
This article reviews the political changes, which took place at the time of King Mu and King Euija, by studying the engraved writing of the sarira casket in Mireuksa, which was recently discovered. To do so, it try to reexamine the sources, which has been controversial. As a result, it become clear that Sataek was the Queen of Baekje about in 639, and it gives us a decisive clue to see the intention of the construction of Mireuksa that Queen Sataek was named as the main founder of the temple.
King Mu made Iksan the important place by emphasizing the great battle against Silla from the early days of his reign, because Iksan was the base of power of his mother, which helped him come to the throne. He pushed his policy excessively to make a plan to move the capital to Iksan. At the late days of his reign. he was forced to make a comprise with the family Sa. The comprise led to the advent of Queen Sataek and the installation of the crown prince of Euija. Instead of transferring the capital to Iksan, the building of a great temple also belonged to the outcome of the comprise. With the political support of the family Sa, King Mu gained a new force to implement his intentions, while the family Sa managed to have the initiative in the political arena.
However, the cooperation of the two forces was brought to a crisis when King Euija came to the throne, because Queen Sataek was not his real mother. As the force of the family Sa was split. King Euija reinforced his own political power, which gave a impetus to have friendly relations with Goguryeo. The advent of Queen Sataek and the rise of the family in the late reign of King Mu can be a good evidence to elucidate the political to a crl of that time.