CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Gwanchang

silla hwarang (645–660)

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 3, 2026
Entity authorityQ12584950
Source-derived summary

Gwanchang (Korean: 관창; Hanja: 官昌; 645–660), also known as Gwanjang, was a Silla hwarang known for his actions during the Battle of Hwangsanbeol in 660, where he was killed after repeatedly charging the Baekje forces.

Career

Gwanchang was born in the year 645, and his father was Pumil, a Silla general. He became a hwarang at a young age, and got along easily with other people.

Battle of Hwangsanbeol

At sixteen, he was a good horseman and archer. An official recommended him to Taejong of Silla (r. 654–661). In 660, when Silla marched out to attack Baekje together with the Tang Dynasty, he went out as a deputy commander under his father.

Gwanchang immediately charged into the enemy lines to fight but was captured. However, Gyebaek, impressed by Gwanchang's youth and bravery, did not kill him but sent him back. Yet, Gwanchang, resentful that he had failed to kill the enemy commander and seize the enemy flag, charged into the enemy lines again to fight and was captured once more. This time, Gyebaek beheaded him, hung his head from a horse's saddle, and sent him back.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Gwanchang” as silla hwarang (645–660). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Gwanchang, silla and hwarang.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current 186-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 0645-01-01. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Gwanchang, silla and hwarang providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Gwanchang”, the useful work is to connect “silla hwarang (645–660)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q12584950. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Gwanchang”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Gwanchang primary sources, Gwanchang archive and Gwanchang research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gwanchang”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Gwanchang” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.