24. The Necessity of the Michuhol Hypothesis
I am proposing a theory that a country called Michuhol existed in the southern part of Baekje in the 4th century.
I would like to briefly explain why this hypothesis is necessary.
First, regarding its necessity, there is a discrepancy between the history of Wa in the 4th century, which is primarily centered on kofun (tumuli), and the activities of Wa on the peninsula as seen on the Gwanggaeto Stele. Looking at 4th-century kofun, a military state image does not emerge. There are almost no weapons, and only items like needles and farming tools, which might be cherished in a farmer's shed, are found. On the other hand, the Wa seen on the Gwanggaeto Stele is a military state that advanced into the peninsula. The Michuhol hypothesis is necessary to resolve this discrepancy.
Next, I will state the grounds for this.
(1) According to the Nihon Shoki, Emperor Yuryaku granted Ungjin (present-day Gongju) to King Munju of Baekje, who had fled from Hanseong in 475. This means that until that time, Ungjin was Wa territory.
(2) In 512 and 513, during the era of Great King Keitai, Wa ceded the eastern region of the current South and North Jeolla Provinces in response to Baekje's request. This is the so-called cession of the four districts. In fact, in 513, the year after the four districts were ceded, two nearby counties were also ceded.
(3) Kani no O-e, the older brother of Great King Keitai, criticized the cession of the four districts, saying that the imperial granaries (miyake) dating back to the time of Ojin had been let go. Furthermore, detailed records remain of military clashes between the Wa army and the Gaya states, especially Daegaya, during the time these four districts were ceded, so it cannot be considered a desk-written fabrication.
(4) The country name Mizuho remains in Wa, and there is a record that a country called Michuhol once existed as a brother country to Baekje in Korea, but it collapsed. It is possible that it did not collapse, but rather advanced into the former Mahan region south of Baekje. Incidentally, taking the names of their respective founding kings, the so-called Baekje is sometimes called Onjo Baekje, and Michuhol is called Biryu Baekje.
(5) According to the Nihon Shoki, Great King Ojin is said to have been a great king from the time he was in the womb of his mother, Empress Jingu, and he is also said to have been born in Kyushu. Rationally thinking, one can consider that he appeared in Kyushu as a great king. Moreover, there is an article stating that this Ojin, together with his mother Empress Jingu, advanced eastward through the Seto Inland Sea and destroyed Prince Kagosaka, the successor to the kingship in the Kinai region. Traditions remain in places like Kasaoka in Okayama Prefecture and Shodoshima that Ojin came to the Seto Inland Sea, and the Nihon Shoki also has an article stating that he came to Ashimori in Okayama. It is certain that he attacked the Kinai region from the east.
(6) According to the research of Dr. Shinsaku Tanaka, kofun from the end of the 4th century to the beginning of the 5th century exist in a nearly oppositional manner between those containing triangular-rimmed mirrors with deities and beasts and those containing armor. As a result of investigating 193 kofun in the Kinai region, it was confirmed that 7 kofun contained both, 50 contained triangular-rimmed mirrors with deities and beasts, and 103 contained armor. It seems there were 40 kofun that contained neither. Kofun containing triangular-rimmed mirrors with deities and beasts appeared around the end of the 3rd century and are seen throughout the 4th century, but they suddenly disappear at the end of the 4th century. This indicates that the power of the kofun containing triangular-rimmed mirrors with deities and beasts was driven out by the power of the kofun containing armor.
The power of the kofun containing triangular-rimmed mirrors with deities and beasts is the so-called Sujin dynasty kingship around Mt. Miwa and Makimuku. That Sujin dynasty kingship expanded its power throughout the 4th century, but suddenly disappeared at the end of the 4th century. It must have been defeated by the power of the kofun containing armor.
This is an archaeological fact that corresponds well to the speculation mentioned in (5) above that the Ojin forces destroyed the kingship in the Kinai region.
Based on the knowledge above, I speculated that the Michuhol dynasty, which is said to have collapsed, actually moved from around Incheon to south of Ungjin, for example, from around 340 to 380, pacified the area, and invaded the Japanese archipelago around 385, destroying the so-called Sujin dynasty kingship around Mt. Miwa and Makimuku. As a result, I think many Wa people crossed over to the peninsula and came to live in the south of Baekje.
As a result, Michuhol in the south of Baekje came to take on the appearance of "Wa." The fact that the Gwanggaeto Stele writes in 391 that Wa crossed the sea and made Baekje and Silla its subjects refers to the situation where this Michuhol expanded its power and began to interfere with Baekje and Silla. In other words, Michuhol became the Wa kingdom as a result of invading Wa and destroying the Kinai kingship.
Thinking in this way can solve many problems such as the following.
(1) In 396, the King of Baekje swore to King Gwanggaeto that he would become a servant from then on, but the following year he sent a prince as a hostage to Wa to seek military support. If one considers that Wa is located about 100 kilometers south of Seoul, this hostage-taking is easy to understand. Military support is very realistic. On the other hand, if Wa is in the far-off Kinai region, seeking military support from such a distant Wa becomes unrealistic.
(2) From 396 to 397, Baekje and Michuhol were weakened by attacks from Goguryeo. In 400, King Gwanggaeto received a request from the King of Silla to help because the country was full of Wa people and in a critical situation, so he sent an army of 50,000 to help Silla. At this time, the Wa people who filled Silla were likely not gathered from northern Kyushu or the Kinai region. It is thought that many Wa people headed to Silla from the south of Baekje. This is considered to have been a diversionary tactic to concentrate the Wa people of Michuhol in Silla and weaken the activities of the Goguryeo army within the Michuhol territory in southern Baekje.
(3) In 404, the Wa navy appeared off the coast of Daifang but was repelled by the Goguryeo army. It is thought that this Wa navy set sail from Michuhol in the south of Baekje. I think it lacks realism to say they set sail from northern Kyushu or Osaka Bay.
(4) In 407, Goguryeo sent out an army of 50,000 and achieved a great victory by annihilating the enemy, although it is unknown who the opponent was (due to the abrasion of the stele). Theories have been presented that this opponent country was Baekje or Northern Yan. However, because they annihilated the Wa navy in 404, I think the opponent country at this time was Michuhol. It is thought that from the perspective of Goguryeo, there was a recognition that Michuhol in the south of Baekje was Wa.
The problematic section is as follows.
In the 14th year, Jia-chen, the Wa, acting lawlessly, invaded the Daifang border... stone castle... connected ships... the King personally led... from Pyongyang... met the vanguard, the King's troops intercepted, attacked, and slashed, and the Wa invaders were crushed and defeated, with countless killed.
In 404, the Wa appeared at the Daifang border (Hwanghae Province), but the King personally led his troops out from Pyongyang and 'intercepted and slashed' the Wa invaders, meaning he 'laid an ambush and slashed them in every direction,' and the battle of 407 is written following that. I speculate that the years 404 and 407 describe consecutive battles against the Wa, that is, Michuhol.
Regarding the interpretation of 'In the 17th year, Ding-wei, [the King] ordered 50,000 infantry and cavalry to be sent... to engage in battle and kill. They wiped out all of them, capturing over 10,000 suits of armor, and countless military supplies and weapons. On the way back, they attacked and destroyed many castles such as Sha-gou Castle, Lou Castle, and... Castle,' in 407, the King (Gwanggaeto the Great) sent 50,000 infantry and cavalry to subdue (the Wa army). They slaughtered all of their opponents, capturing over 10,000 suits of armor and countless military supplies and weapons. On the return journey, they also attacked and destroyed many castles such as Sha-gou Castle, Lou Castle, and... Castle. Although the opponent cannot be confirmed as the Wa due to the abrasion of the stele, I presume that in the context of the series of events, the opponent was the Wa (Michuhol).
(5) It was conventionally thought vaguely that Baekje had extended its influence to the present-day Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do regions by around 475, for example. However, recent research suggests that Baekje's expansion into that area occurred around the time of King Dongseong, considered to be between 480 and 500. If that is the case, the question arises as to why Baekje did not move south until then, but if we adopt the Michuhol hypothesis, that becomes a matter of course. They could not move south because Michuhol was positioned in the south.
(6) The fact that a part of the Wa state called Michuhol existed in the southwestern part of the peninsula also allows for an easy resolution to the issue of the investiture of the Five Kings of Wa, including King Nintoku, in the 5th century. Conventionally, the investiture was understood as merely a 'facade' when they were granted the title of 'Envoy Extraordinary, Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs of the Six Countries of Wa, Silla, Imna, Gara, Jinhan, and Mahan, and Great General Who Pacifies the East, King of Wa.' However, it is understood without issue that they were able to obtain the title of Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs precisely because they had actually advanced into the peninsula. I believe they could not have obtained this title if they had no territory on the peninsula.
As described above, when looking at the 5th century as a whole and considering the reconstruction of the actual state of the Wa, the Michuhol hypothesis is attractive (I am praising myself, haha).