kingdom · Korea and Japan

Daegaya

200 CE – 562 CE (approx.) · capital Goryeong

The leading Gaya kingdom of the 5th and 6th centuries, based at Goryeong, whose court produced the gayageum zither.

Origins

Daegaya grew from Banpa-guk, a Byeonhan statelet in the Goryeong valley. Its founding legend names Ijinashi as first king, brother of Suro of Geumgwan Gaya. It rose to lead the northern Gaya states after Goguryeo's campaign of 400 weakened Gimhae.

Rule and society

Daegaya's kings drew wealth from iron mines and controlled routes to the Seomjin river and the sea. In 479 King Haji sent an envoy to the Southern Qi court and received a title. Its royal cemetery at Jisan-dong includes tombs with dozens of sacrificed attendants. Under King Gasil the musician Ureuk composed twelve pieces for the newly devised gayageum.

Decline and legacy

A marriage alliance with Silla in 522 broke down, and in 562 Silla's general Isabu, with the young hwarang Sadaham, conquered Daegaya, ending the last Gaya state. Ureuk had already fled to Silla, preserving its music.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Daegaya. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/daegaya
MLA
“Daegaya.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/daegaya. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Daegaya.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/daegaya.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Daegaya’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/daegaya (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻