Politicsc. 2nd century BCE – 494
Rise of Buyeo
Buyeo grew on the broad plains of the Songhua River, with the Horse, Cattle, Pig and Dog chiefs each ruling one of four outer districts under the king.
By the 1st century Buyeo had a king and relations with China, but it remained a confederation in which the chiefs (ga) ruled their own districts and could hold the king to blame for a bad harvest.
It held the Yeonggo sky festival in the twelfth month, punished theft with twelvefold restitution, buried attendants with dead kings and divined war with ox hooves. Goguryeo and Baekje both traced their origins to Buyeo, which surrendered to Goguryeo in 494.