tribal confederation · Korea and Japan

Jinhan

100 BCE – 300 CE (approx.)

A confederacy of twelve statelets in southeastern Korea, one of which, Saro, grew into the kingdom of Silla.

Origins

Jinhan formed in the 1st century BCE in the Gyeongju and Daegu area east of the Nakdong river. Chinese records claim its founders were refugees fleeing forced labour under the Qin dynasty, which may reflect migration from the north after the fall of Gojoseon.

Rule and society

Twelve statelets, each with chiefs of graded rank, farmed rice, raised silkworms and rode horses and oxen. They produced iron like their Byeonhan neighbours and traded it widely. Early on they are said to have acknowledged the Jin king of Mahan as overlord, and their customs and language were close to Byeonhan's.

Decline and legacy

The statelet of Saro, centred on Gyeongju, gradually absorbed its neighbours from the 3rd century, and by the early 4th century Jinhan had given way to the kingdom of Silla.

Lineage

Jin (Korean state) 300 BCE – 100 BCEJinhanSilla 57 BCE – 935 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻