Editing Samhan (section)

== Three Hans ==
{{main|Byeonhan confederacy|Jinhan confederacy|Mahan confederacy}}
{{History of Korea}}

The Samhan are generally considered loose confederations of walled-town states. Each appears to have had a ruling elite, whose power was a mix of politics and [[shamanism]]. Although each state appears to have had its own ruler, there is no evidence of [[Order of succession|systematic succession]].

The name of the poorly understood [[Jin (Korean state)|Jin state]] continued to be used in the name of the Jinhan confederacy and in the name "Byeonjin," an alternate term for Byeonhan. In addition, for some time the leader of Mahan continued to call himself the King of Jin, asserting nominal overlordship over all of the Samhan confederations.

[[Mahan confederacy|Mahan]] was the largest and earliest developed of the three confederacies. It consisted of 54 minor statelets, one of which conquered or absorbed the others and became the center of the [[Baekje]] Kingdom. Mahan is usually considered to have been located in the southwest of the Korean peninsula, covering [[Jeolla Province|Jeolla]], [[Chungcheong Province|Chungcheong]], and portions of [[Gyeonggi Province|Gyeonggi]].

[[Jinhan confederacy|Jinhan]] consisted of 12 statelets, one of which conquered or absorbed the others and became the center of the [[Silla]] Kingdom. It is usually considered to have been located to the east of the Nakdong River valley.

[[Byeonhan confederacy|Byeonhan]] consisted of 12 statelets, which later gave rise to the [[Gaya confederacy]], subsequently annexed by [[Silla]]. It is usually considered to have been located in the south and west of the [[Nakdong River]] valley.