The Bone Rank System (Golpum or Kolpum) of ancient Korea was used in the Silla kingdom (57 BCE – 935 CE) in order to signal a person's political rank and social status. Membership of a particular rank within the system was extremely important, permitting a person to apply for certain jobs and deciding how they lived their everyday lives. The rigidity of the system, based as it was on lineage, allowed for very little movement between the classes resulting in a stagnation of talent, which eventually cost the Silla dear.
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Definition
Timeline
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57 BCE - 668 CEThree Kingdoms Period in Korea (Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje).
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520 CESilla king Beopheung introduces the bone rank system (Golpum).
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668 CE - 935 CEUnified Silla Kingdom in Korea.
