"The Great Queen Seondeok" is roughly based on the Silla queen's life

Some historical figures have such compelling stories that they make great TV or movie characters. One such person is Queen Seondeok of the Silla Kingdom, who was Korea's first reigning queen.

The popular MBC drama "The Great Queen Seondeok" is roughly based on the Silla queen's life. [Readers in the US can watch full episodes of "The Great Queen Seondeok" on Hulu.com.] Seondeok is not the only Asian historical figure to warrant time on the silver screen. In addition to world-renowned people like Genghis Khan, such leaders as Korea's Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Qin Shi Huangdi of China, and both Chandragupta Maurya and Akbar the Great of India have all been featured in eponymous movies or TV shows.

If you watch "The Great Queen Seondeok," be sure to look for signs of the Silla Kingdom's elaborate bone rank caste system. The clues are subtle but present in the costumes, houses, palaquins, etc.