Seondeok (선덕여왕) ruled as the Queen of Silla, one of the three kingdoms of Korea, from 632-47. She was 27th ruler of Silla and the first of three queens to rule the kingdom. The last two were Jindeok, who was Seodeok's cousin (ruled 647-55) and Jinseong (ruled 887-95). She reigned near the end of the Three Kingdoms period, when there was constant fighting between the 3 kingdoms: Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje, as well as Tang China. Seondeok used wits, intuition and charm to run the country and to aid her people through wars with the other two kingdoms. During her reign Buddhism experienced a surge in popularity and seon (zen) Buddhism was first introduced to Korea. Philosophy, literature and the arts also advanced under her reign and it was only a few decades after the end of her reign that Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo, effectively uniting Korea.
King Jinpyeong, Seondeok's uncle, had a great dilemma in choosing an heir, he had ruled for 40 years but his only offspring were three daughters. He sent his queen to a nunnery and wed another queen but it was fruitless, his new wife also failed to give him a son. During the Silla dynasty, only people of pure Seonggol rank (with two parents of Seonggol rank) could become king. It became increasingly diffiuclt for Jinpyeong as the number of Seonggols dwindled. Jinpyeong's daughters and niece, Deokman, were the best Seonggol rank candidates left. The best male candidate was Kim Yongchun, a man of Jingol rank. Finally her rank and superior intelligence led to Jinpyeong and his advisors choosing Seondeok as his heir.
The law of Silla allowed women a measure of power, as advisors, dowager queens and regents, this was a highly unusual move. Silla women were heads of families because maternal lines of descent could be traced alongside paternal ones. Since the Confucian model, which placed women as inferior in the household, didn't take hold in Korea until centuries later in the Joseon dynasty, Silla women were able to enjoy a relatively high status. However this was the first time a female monarch had been selected and Jinpyeong and his advisors may have only chosen Seondeok as the heir as a last resort, after much debate.
Despite Seondeok's 14 year reign being so violent, invasions from neighboring Baekje occupied much of her time, she worked diligently to keep the country together and under Seondeok, Silla flourished. Like Wu Zetian in China, Seondeok was drawn to Buddhism and studied it tirelessly, supposedly becoming a bhikkuni or "ordained nun" herself. She also oversaw the construction of several Buddhist temples. Hwangnyongsa, Tongdosa, Punwhangsa and Namyang are a few examples. Two of Korea's most famous monks returned from studying in China during her reign as well, Jajang and Weongwang. On their return, they brought back numerous scriptures and played an active role in establishing Buddhism as a major religion in Silla. Jajang became a reknowned scholar who is credited with creating the sungha (monastic community) in Korea and petitioning for the installment of Buddhism as Korea's official relgion.
Apart from fascination with Buddhism, Seondeok is said to have been interested in other areas too, such as astronomy and Chinese culture. She introduced Chinese court dress and customs and sent scholars to China to study. This helped to strengthen ties with the Tang dynasty, which further aided in Silla's conquering and eventual unification of the three kingdoms. She also established the Hwarang, a group of young men who were expertly trained in the martial arts. The Hwarang also served to protect Silla from invasions by the Tang Chinese.
In Gyeongju, South Korea, Seondeok built the Cheomseongdae Observatory (Tower of the Moon and Stars) which is the oldest existing observatory in the far East. It was completed 634, it has 27 levels of stones (Seondeok was Silla's 27th ruler). The 12 stones that formed the base were arranged in a square, representing the four seasons and twelve months of each year.
Queen Seondeok died without an heir and passed the throne on to her cousin, Jindeok who reigned from 647-54.
Sidenotes:
Seonggol- or the sacred bone, were the people of highest rank in Silla
Jingol- or the true bone, were the second highest after the seonggol
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Queen_Seondeok_of_Silla
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