Baekje Damro, Traces of a Lost Maritime Empire

A historical voyage to trace the lost overseas territory ‘Damro’ of Baekje, the great maritime empire that once ruled the seas of East Asia.

• We delve into the reality of the ‘Yoseo Campaign Theory’ about Baekje’s continental expansion recorded in Chinese historical texts.
• We explore the special relationship between Baekje and Wa through artifacts found in the Japanese archipelago.
• We examine the driving force behind Baekje’s maritime empire and its legacy.

We are now aboard a Baekje ship. As the name Baekje (百濟) itself is said to derive from ‘Baekgajehae (百家濟海)’, meaning ‘a nation built by many groups crossing the sea’, their identity was deeply connected to the sea. How far did this great maritime power Baekje’s true territory extend? From now on, let us embark on a journey to uncover the reality of Baekje’s lost overseas territory, Baekje Damro (檐魯), submerged in history.

1. Footprints on the Continent: The Truth of the Yoseo Campaign Theory

Baekje Damro in Chinese Historical Records

In the dusty histories of the Southern Dynasties of China, we encounter the heated Korean historical debate known as the ‘Yoseo Campaign Theory (遼西經略說)’. The “Book of Song (宋書)” records, “When Goguryeo took Liaodong, Baekje took Yoseo,” while the “Book of Liang (梁書)” and “History of the Southern Dynasties (南史)” mention specific place names, calling the area governed by Baekje “Jinpyeong County, Jinpyeong Prefecture.”

Especially in the “Portraits of Tribute Officials of Liang (梁職貢圖)”, a depiction of diplomatic envoys, there is a clear note next to the Baekje envoy stating “Baekje Commandery (百濟郡) was established.” This means Baekje did not merely pass through the region but set up and governed an administrative unit bearing their own name.

Table 1: Major Chinese Sources on Baekje’s Expansion into Yoseo

Interestingly, these records appear only in the histories of the Southern Dynasties of China, which were friendly to Baekje. This suggests that Baekje’s forces in Yoseo served as a ‘strategic forward base’ to jointly counter northern threats in the East Asian geopolitical context. Rather than permanent territory, it was a military and commercial foothold established out of alliance necessity.

Archaeology’s Silence and Testimony

Historians estimate the location of ‘Jinpyeong County’ to be around present-day Changli County in Hebei Province or near Chaoyang City in Liaoning Province. However, the complete absence of any clear Baekje artifacts there is the biggest obstacle to the Yoseo Campaign Theory.

Does this mean all records are fictitious? Here, a shift in perspective is needed. If Baekje’s forces in Yoseo were military bases and trade hubs, then the discovery of Southern Dynasty artifacts as trade goods rather than Baekje products themselves paradoxically proves Baekje’s activity. It’s like finding more local trade goods than Korean products in a Korean trading company’s warehouse overseas.

2. Baekje Damro Planted in the Japanese Archipelago

22 Damro: A Network Binding the Empire

The key to understanding Baekje’s overseas activities is the ‘Damro (檐魯)’ system. The “Book of Liang” explains, “There were 22 Damro across the country, and the king’s relatives and clans were sent to govern them.” This was a strong centralized governance method by directly dispatching royal family members to control key points.

The ‘Jinpyeong County’ in Yoseo was likely also called an ‘overseas Damro’ by its Chinese-style name. Moreover, records that King Muryeong was born on an island in Kyushu strongly support the existence of Baekje Damro in the Japanese archipelago.

Echoes from the Earth: Proof from Twin Artifacts

The gilt-bronze crown excavated from the Funayama tumulus in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, closely matches in design and manufacturing technique the Baekje gilt-bronze crown from the Suchon-ri tumulus cluster in Gongju, Chungnam. They look like ‘twin’ artifacts made by the same craftsman. The bronze iron from the Takai Tayama tumulus in Osaka is also a near-identical match to items from King Muryeong’s tomb.

What does it mean that royal gilt-bronze crowns and household items like irons for the highest royal class were found identically across the sea? It strongly proves that the tomb owners were not local nobles merely favoring Baekje culture but ‘Baekje royalty’ with the same status as the Baekje homeland.

The Three Gifts That Shaped Japan: Sword, Writing, Buddha

Baekje gave Japan three gifts that changed its destiny.

1. Chiljido (Seven-Branched Sword): The inscription on the Chiljido preserved at Isonokami Shrine in Japan is interpreted as the Baekje king ‘bestowing’ the sword to the Wa king, a powerful proof of Baekje’s political superiority at the time.

2. Wang In (王仁) and Ajikki (阿直岐): The “Kojiki” and “Nihon Shoki” record that Baekje scholar Wang In taught the Japanese crown prince the “Analects” and “Thousand Character Classic,” marking Japan’s entry into the literate era.
3. Soga Clan and Buddhism: The Soga clan, which ruled Japan for a century, descended from Baekje immigrants. They actively embraced Buddhism, introduced by Baekje’s King Seong, as a political foundation, ushering in the golden age of ancient Japanese culture known as the ‘Asuka Culture.’

3. The Power of the Maritime Empire: The Sea

Baekje’s vast activities were powered by top-level shipbuilding and navigation skills. Ancient Japanese records called excellent ships ‘Baekje ships (百濟船),’ showing Baekje’s maritime strength was the best in East Asia.

Based on this maritime power, Baekje controlled the Yellow Sea trade network, and the Jinpyeong Commandery in Yoseo and Damro in Japan were key bases protecting and managing this vast trade network. This is strikingly similar to how the Phoenicians, who dominated the ancient Mediterranean, built trade bases along coasts to establish a maritime network. Both pursued network control through strategic bases rather than direct territorial conquest.

Comparison / Alternatives

How did Baekje’s overseas expansion differ from other ancient empires?

Conclusion

So far, we have followed the traces of Baekje’s lost overseas territory, Damro, through scattered records and artifacts.

• Baekje Damro was not a simple colony. In China’s Yoseo, it functioned as a military and commercial forward base; in the Japanese archipelago, it acted as a political partner in the birth of a new nation.
• Artifacts prove history. Especially the ‘twin artifacts’ found in Japan are strong archaeological evidence that Baekje royalty directly governed Japan’s Damro.
• Baekje was a ‘maritime network state.’ With outstanding maritime power, it built a vast network connecting China and Japan and dominated East Asia.

Much of Baekje’s history was lost with its fall, but the traces they left remain vivid across the seas. I hope this article serves as an opportunity to redraw the true image of Baekje, the great maritime empire built upon the waves. Why not visit a nearby museum to see Baekje artifacts firsthand and feel their breath?