Chosŏn I

Early Chosŏn

Keywords:

Yi Sŏnggye, Chŏng Tojŏn,

Yi Pangwŏn, King Sejong

King Kongmin’s Anti-Yuan policy

– In 1368, the Ming China established => drove out Yuan from Beijing

– Destroyed pro-Mongol faction from the government.

– Kongmin was assassinated.– The Ming were suspicious of the new

administration– Ming asked Koryo excessive taxes and tributes

Late Koryo • Ming asked land of Koryo

that King Kongmin recovered.

• Mobilized the country for an attack on the Ming => General Yi Sŏnggye was sent to the north for the war

King T’aejo (Yi Sŏnggye)

Presentation

The U-turn that Founded a Dynasty

• Yi stops at Wihwa Island – Submits 4-point memorial

against the campaign – Memorial ignored

• Yi turns back at Wihwa island and strikes Kaesông

• Yi declares the new dynasty of Chosôn in 1392

Kaesông

Wihwa-do

Ming

Koryo

Koryo Korea

Q: What sorts of problems that Yi Songgye could face?

Q: How would Yi Songgye justify the

revolution and emphasize the legitimacy of the new dynasty?

Resistance of Koryo loyalists

“Tansim ka” by Chŏng Mongju (Koryo loyalist)

If I were to die and die one hundred times over

White bones turned to dust, with or without trace of soul,

How can my loyalty to my lord possibly fade away?

이몸이 죽고죽어 일백번 고쳐죽어 백골이 진토되어 넋이라고 있고없고

임향한 일편단심이야 가실줄이 있으랴

Chŏng Tojŏn: Political adviser of Yi Sŏnggye

• Presentation

Founding of Chosŏn (1392-1910)

•Policy of Yi Sŏnggye (1335-1408, the founder)

– Justification: Mandate of Heaven => the ruler must be a person of integrity and virtue (Confucian belief)

– Many koryo officials in Kaesong => New capital at Hanyang (Seoul)

– Land Reform: land survey => destroyed old registrars of public and private land

– Confiscated the huge holding of the Buddhist temples => weakened institutional Buddhism

– “Chosôn”

Two capitals of Koryo:Kaesŏng & P’yŏngyang

Yongbi ŏch’ŏn ka (1445-7; Songs of Flying Dragons)

• One of the first works written in the new native script.

• The aims of composing Yongbi ŏch’ŏn ka 1) To justify the revolution and emphasize the legitimacy of the new dynasty.

2) To praise the moral and kingly virtues of its founder.

To justify the revolution“Mong Kŭmchŏk” (“Dream of the Golden Ruler)

He (Yi Songgye) was to map the norms with a ruler;

So wishing to charge him with a good government,

Heaven went down

A gold ruler.

78From the start he [Yi Sŏnggye] treated them with a true heart,

To the end his heart was true.Who would not

Adore him?

79He was consistent from beginning to end,

Meritorious subjects were truly loyal to him.He secured the throne for myriad years.

Would his royal work ever cease?

To praises the Moral and Kingly Virtues of its founder

– Change in the family, role of women, the conduct of yangban, and art and literature

Rituals for Ancestors

Changes in Women’s Status

• In earlier times, women had equal inheritance rights and equal responsibilities toward elders, ancestors

• In earlier times, women lived with natal families after marriage [initially or always]

- Succession crisis involving T’aejo’s sons led to Yi Pangwŏn eventually killing 2 brothers

- T’aejo abdicated and King Chŏngjong (Yi Panggwa) enthroned (r. 1398-1400)

- Yi Pangwŏn became King T’aejong (r. 1400-1418)

Succession Crisis

Yi Pangwŏn (King T’aejong)

– Strengthening the kingship

– Ban the private army

– Weakening the State Councils

– 8 provinces => magistrates => direct control

of locals

– Hop’ae (identification tag): 16 or older male

=>taxation purpose

Social Structure

Importance of bloodlines and kinship• Yangban• Chungin (middle people):

– illegitimate sons, – technicians and professionals such as

interpreters, accountants, physicians– Local clerks

• Commoners– Farmers– Artisans– Merchants

• Mean People: slaves, butchers, monks, shamans, female entertainers

King Sejong (1418 – 1450)

Presentation

King Sejong: Video

King Sejong (1418 – 1450)

– State governing based on people – Kingship and officials => balanced– Political stability– Economic development– Extend the state border– Invented Hunmin chôngûm:

(Correct Sounds to Instruct the People)

나라말씀이중국과 달라한자와 서로 통하지 않으니…

The sounds of our language

differ from those of Chinese

and are not easily

communicated by using

Chinese graphs…

Hunmin chôngûm: Correct Sounds to Instruct the People

(1446)

– Invented Korean alphabet (hangŭl): 1443• King Sejong & Scholars• Correct sound to instruct the people (hunmin

chŏngŭm): invented for the people– Ch’oe Malli: disapproval => it’s an act of barbarians

– Development of technology: rain gauges, multi-barreled cannon

Cosmological Principle of Inventing Korean Alphabet

“Round Sky and Square Earth”

Coins in Choson Korea

3 Basic components

Heaven/Sun Earth Human being

Bright/Dark Vowels

Bright VowelsㅏㅗDark Vowelsㅓㅜ

Consonants Position of Mouth and Tongue

ㄱ ㅋ

/k, g/

ㄲ

/k’/

/kk/

Tongue back /k, g/

Tongue tip /n/

ㄴ ㄷ

ㅌ

/n/

ㄸ

/t,d/ /t’/

/tt/

ㄹ

/r/l/

Lip sound /m/

ㅁ ㅂ

ㅍ

/m/

ㅃ

/p,b/

/p’/

/pp/

Extend the state border: Hwach’a

Civil Service Examination

Civil Service Examination

=> Way of achieving status and power– Village schools and private tutors: Confucians classics & Literature

– Passing lower-level examinations: enter Sŏnggyungwan (National Confucian Academy)

– The higher- level examinations => real gateway to the public office holdings:

classics and literary exams– The Exam was opened to everyone except the

mean people => in practice, for yangban

Civil Service Examination

K10 Midterm Study Guide

• The midterm exam will be during class time on Thursday, April 3. You will not get additional time even if you are late, so please arrive promptly. This is a closed--note, closed--book exam.

• You are welcome to use 한글 to write some proper nouns (ex: 단군 ) but do not write entire sentences in Korean. You are not expected to adhere strictly to McCune-- Reischauer Romanization, but I should be ‐able to figure out what you mean. (Ex: Koguryŏ should be distinguishable from Koryŏ.)

• These key terms may appear in questions. If you formulate your short answer so as to answer who, what, where, when for each term, and why it is significant, you should be covering the key points.

• Exact dates are not necessary; you can just give the century for the purpose of the midterm exam.

• You will be given 12 terms on the midterm, and you will choose 10 to answer. If you answer more than 10, only the first 10 will be graded.

• Tan’gun/Old Chosŏn• Koguryŏ (37 BCE-- 668 CE)‐• Silla (57 BCE-- 935 CE)‐• Bone-- Rank System: Hallowed Bones, True Bones, Head Ranks‐• Parhae/P’ohai (698-- 926)‐• Kungye (r. 901-- 918)‐• Koryŏ (918-- 1392)‐• Wang Kŏn (King T’aejo, r. 918-- 943)‐• Ten Injunctions• Myoch’ong• Koryo Tripitaka• King Kongmin• Civil Service Examination (958)• Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1271-- 1368)/Tribute Demands‐• Chosŏn (1392-- 1910)‐• Yi Sŏnggye (King T’aejo, r. 1392-- 1398)‐• King Sejong (r. 1418-- 1450)‐• Hunmin chŏngŭm (1446)• Korean Neo-Confucianism• Imjin Wars/Hideyoshi Invasions (1592-- 1598)‐• Yangban• Policy of Impartiality• In law government (‐ sedo chŏngch’i, 19th c)• Practical Learning (Sirhak), Northern Learning’s “Utility for the greater good”• Hong Kyŏngnae Rebellion (1811-- 12) 32. King Kojong (1852-- 1919; r. 1864-- 1907)‐ ‐ ‐• Taewŏn’gun (regent 1864-- 1873)‐

Tan’gun/Old Chosŏn

• Who: Tan’gun was mythical founder of Old Chosŏn, said to have been the child of Hwanung and a bear that became a woman.

• What: Old Chosŏn is believed to have been the first proto-state in Korean civilization.

• Where: Old Chosŏn occupied the northern part of the Korean peninsula and present-day Manchuria. Its heartland is present-day P’yongyang

• When: The Tan’gun myth claims that Old Chosŏn was founded in 2333 BC

• Why: The myth of Tan’gun and the establishment of Old Chosŏn remains known as the beginning point of Korean

Shaman Rituals