Galmunwang
Encyclopedia
Galmunwang was a title used in the early period of the Korean kingdom of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...

. Its precise meaning and function are not known. From Korean sources, namely the Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...

, it would appear that the title of Galmunwang was granted to very high ranking personages
Bone rank system
The bone rank system was the system of aristocratic rank used in the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. It was used to segregate society, and particularly the layers of the aristocracy, on the basis of their hereditary proximity to the throne and the level of authority they were permitted to wield...

 in early Silla and was equivalent to the king but without right of succession. It seems to have been granted to the chiefs of lineages of the clans of the reigning king, queen, and royal mother. As Lee Kibaik pointed out, the granting of the title of Galmunwang reflected the close relationship between the monarch and the other high noble families in early Silla. The granting of the title Galmunwang was discontinued during the middle period of Silla following the accession of King Muyeol
Muyeol of Silla
King Taejong Muyeol , born Kim Chunchu, was the 29th monarch of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla and ruled from 654 to 661. He is credited for leading the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...

, reflecting the augmentation of royal authority at the expense of that of the nobility following Silla unification of the peninsula. During the late period of Silla, however, something akin to the Galmunwang was reinstituted.
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