"(Translation) 李濟開國功臣敎書"의 두 판 사이의 차이

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{{Primary Source Document3
 
{{Primary Source Document3
 
|Image = 이제개국공신교서1392.jpg
 
|Image = 이제개국공신교서1392.jpg
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|English =  
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|English = Royal Instruction to Yi Je the Meritorous Minister of Founding State
 
|Chinese = 李濟 開國功臣 敎書
 
|Chinese = 李濟 開國功臣 敎書
 
|Korean =  
 
|Korean =  
 
|Genre = [[Royal Documents]]
 
|Genre = [[Royal Documents]]
 
|Type =
 
|Type =
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|Author =   
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|Author =  朝鮮太祖 李成桂
 
|Year = 1392
 
|Year = 1392
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|Key Concepts=  
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|Key Concepts= Royal Instruction, Meritorous Minister, State Founding, Goryeo-Joseon Transition, Dynastic Change, Loyalty, Justification
 
|Translator = [[2018 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Advanced)#Participants | Participants of 2018 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)]]
 
|Translator = [[2018 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Advanced)#Participants | Participants of 2018 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)]]
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|Editor =  
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|Editor = Martin Gehlmann, Inho Choi, King Kwong Wong
 
|Translation Year = 2018
 
|Translation Year = 2018
  
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=='''Introduction'''==
 
=='''Introduction'''==
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In the tenth month of 1392, this document appointed Yi Je(李濟, Yi Je) as the First Rank Meritorious Minister of the Chosŏn Founding. Those who participated in Yi Sŏnggye's (Yi Seonggye, 李成桂, posthumously known as King T'aejo 太祖) overthrow of the Koryŏ (高麗,Goryeo) were recognized for their contributions with the honorable title, the Meritorious Minister of the Chosŏn founding. In the eighth month of the same year, Yi Sŏnggye installed the Directorate of Meritorious Ministers (功臣都監) for the registration of meritorious ministers. Due to political struggle, the list of meritorious ministers changed a few times; the final list included thirty-nine ministers. This is the only surviving document among King T'aejo's royal instructions issued to thirty-nine ministers. Interestingly, the royal seal of Koryŏ King was used in this document. At this point, the name of the newly founded state was still undetermined. King T'aejo's court was yet to be endorsed by the Ming court. For this reason, the newly founded state still used the royal seal of the Koryŏ dynasty it had just overthrown.
  
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1392年(太祖 1) 10月에 朝鮮을 開國하는데 功勳을 세운 李濟를 開國功臣 1等으로 錄勳하면서 發給한 功臣敎書이다. 開國功臣은 高麗 末期에 太祖 李成桂를 도와 朝鮮을 開國하는데 功을 세운 臣下에게 내린 功臣號이다. 1388年(禑王, 1365-1389)에 威化島 回軍을 通해 政權을 掌握한 李成桂는 1392年 7月에 朝鮮을 開國하고 卽位하였다. 李成桂는 1392年 8月 2日 功臣都監을 設置하였으며, 이후 功臣都監에서 朝鮮 開國에 功을 세운 臣下를 開國功臣으로 錄勳하였다. 그러나 朝鮮 初期에 政治的인 狀況으로 因하여 一部 開國功臣은 削勳되거나 復勳되었고, 最終的으로 <<國朝功臣錄>>에 39人이 수록되었다.
 
  
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<<國朝功臣錄>>에 收錄된 開國功臣은 1等 功臣에 益安大君 芳毅·裵克廉·趙浚 等 15人이고, 2等 功臣에 尹虎·李敏道·趙英珪 等 9人이며, 3等 功臣에 安景恭·金稇·柳爰廷 等 11人이었다. 이 가운데 이제 開國功臣敎書가 唯一하게 現傳하고 있다. 이제 開國功臣敎書는 高麗國王之印이 安寶되어 있다. 高麗國王之印은 1370年(恭愍王 19) 5月에 高麗가 明(1368-1644)으로부터 받은 寶印으로 󰡔高麗史󰡕의 記錄에 따르면 材質은 金이고, 形態는 龜紐이며, 크기는 方 3寸이었다.  
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In this document we find the idea of the heaven's mandate (tianming 天命), the long-standing Confucian theory of political legitimacy. In this regard, this document may be read in connection with Taejo's royal edict of accession. <ref>http://sillok.history.go.kr/id/kaa_10107028_003</ref> Both Taejo's royal edict of accession and this document legitimate the overthrow of the Koryŏ dynasty. The phrases such as "people rebelled and the relatives dissipated(衆叛親離)" and "the mandate of heaven return to the virtuous (天命歸於有德)" are cited from Zhuxi's commentary on Mencius 1B8 and 4A7 where Mencius explains the legitimacy of overthrowing a tyranny through political revolution.  
  
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實際로 이제 開國功臣敎書에 安寶된 高麗國王之印의 크기는 9.2×9.2㎝인 것을 확인할 수 있다. 李濟(?~1398)는 高麗 末·朝鮮 初의 文臣으로 本貫은 星州이다. 曾祖는 李兆年이고, 父親은 李仁立이며, 婦人은 李成桂의 셋째 딸 慶順公主이다. 李成桂를 도와 朝鮮을 開國하는데 공을 세워 開國功臣 1等에 錄勳되었다. 1392年 8月에 興安君에 封해졌고, 義興親軍衛節制使에 任命되었으며, 1393年(太祖 2) 10月에 右軍節制使에 任命되었다. 1398年(太祖 7) 第1次 王子의 亂 때에 죽임을 당했다. 이후 世宗 年間에 伸冤되었으며, 太祖의 廟庭에 配享되었다. 諡號는 景武이다.
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Yi Je hailed from Sŏngju (星州, Seongju). His great grandfather was Yi Chonyŏn(李兆年, Yi Jonyeon), and his father was Yi Inrip(李仁立, Yi Inrip). Her wife was the Princess Kyŏngsun (慶順公主) who was the third daughter of Yi Sŏnggye. He was recognized as the first rank Meritorious Minister of the dynastic founding for his aid for Yi Sŏnggye's takeover. He was enfeoffed as the Prince Hŭngan (興安君, Heungan) in the eighth month of 1392, was appointed as the Ŭihŭng Commander of Royal Guard (義興親軍衛節制使), and was again appointed as the Right Army Commander in 1393. He was killed during the first rebellion of the princes in 1398. Afterward, he was rehabilitated and enshrined in T'aejo's tempple. Yi Ji is posthumously known as Kyŏngmu (景武, Gyeongmu).
  
 
=='''Original Script'''==
 
=='''Original Script'''==
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(translation)
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Instruction for Yi Je, the Faithful Left Honor Meritorious Minister of the Dynastic Founding , the Prince Hŭngan (興安 Heungan), the Ŭihŭng (義興 Uiheung) Commander of Royal Guard and the Preceptor of the Crown Prince.
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From the ancient times, a new ruler launched a political revolution [lit. shifted the heaven's mandate] just by responding to the heaven's [call] and following the people.<ref> This statement is from Tuan 彖 Commentary on the Ge 革 Hexagram in the Book of Change《易·革·彖辭》“湯武革命，順乎天而應乎人”</ref> At the time, among the people, there always were great persons who aided such a ruler. For example, when Kings Tang and Wu acted from above, Yi Yin (1649-1550 BC) and Lü Shang (Ca. 1156—1017 BC) responded from below.<ref>Yi Yin was one of the meritorious ministers who helped King Tang to found the Shang dynasty. Lü Shang (better known as Jiang Taigong 姜太公) was a military strategist and meritorious minister in the Zhou founding.</ref> (They) restored order in the world [lit. set aright heaven and earth]<ref> From the Song (960-1279) poet Wang Zao's stanza (宋·汪藻《退老堂》詩之一)：“心如金石氣如虹，整頓乾坤指顧中。”</ref> and supported the sun and the moon. Their heroic spirits and their great enterprises have shined forth ever so brightly throughout ages that they could not be hidden from view. 
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Minister, your heaven-endowed character is pure and balanced, and you have nurtured your mind with respect and prudence.<ref>"''bingxin''" is cited from the Book of Poetry(君子秉心《诗·小雅·小弁》)</ref> . You have nourished [the good human] heart with removing [the selfish] desires, and held on to the right so as to keep your integrity. In your childhood, you follow [the instructions on] the right ways of conduct. As an adult, you have never developed the habits of luxury and corruption.
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Minister, you have embodied the accumulated residues of good deeds, and your family has transmitted the magnificence of ten thousand ''seok'' of grain. As you marry your daughter to a house, the couple lived in conjugal harmony. As you are being filial to your parents, the greater family was without trouble.
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Although you are still young in age, you have already had the virtue of a consummated man. Although your title and position are high, you still have the mind of modesty and respectfulness.
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Your imposing appearance was sufficient to destroy the guts of enemy. Your confident speech was enough to facilitate the plans of the state. Your spirit of loyalty and righteousness competed with the height of the Autumn atmosphere. Truly it can be said you were born as the fate demands of the time and was of the type of Yi and Lu. As to the last descendants of the Wang family, the heaven hated their character and cut their mandate(life?), yet the false Xin usurped the throne for 16 years. I and several others (?) searched for the descendants to have them administer their ancestral rites.
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[However]Just by listening to Heaven, it will not regret what's passed. Just by listening to people, people will not return their mind. People turned their back, and the relatives of the Wang family scattered. The state at this moment fell, and the mandate of Heaven returned to those who have virtue, and people's mind faced toward those with the perfect virtue. Your honor by the exhaustive understanding carefully watched the subtle movement(beginning) of the Heavenly principle and people's desire. With the Left Grand Councilor of the Council of Palace(與門下左侍中) Paegŭngnyŏm(裵克廉, Baegeungnyeom), the Right Grand Councilor of the Council of Palace(門下右侍中) Chojun(趙浚, Jojun) and other ministers, you proclaimed the great righteousness and resolved the doubt in the moment of the royal heir's crisis. You fixed the plans right at the subtle beginning and promoted [the future crown] with loyalty. You edified the family and establish the state. You supported the hidden virtue and revealed the occluded light grasped auspicious fortune and established the great enterprise.
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When I arose to the throne, in the market, they did not shift the store.<ref>Mencius 1B11. ...孟子對曰：「臣聞七十里為政於天下者，湯是也。未聞以千里畏人者也。《書》曰：『湯一征，自葛始。』天下信之。『東面而征，西夷怨；南面而征，北狄怨。曰，奚為後我？』民望之，若大旱之望雲霓也。'''歸市者不止'''，耕者不變。誅其君而弔其民，若時雨降，民大悅。《書》曰：『徯我后，后來其蘇。』</ref> While having casual conversations, you put the state on Mountain Tai.<ref>stabilizing the state.</ref>. The greatness of Your achievement is incomparable, and people had no slandering words. We can indeed say that the merits carved on bronze vessels<ref>《文选·任昉》：“前郡尹温太真、 刘真长 ，或功铭鼎彝，或德标素尚。”李善注：“《礼记》曰：鼎有铭，铭者，论撰其先祖之德美、功烈、勋劳，而酌之祭器。《左氏传》：臧武仲曰：大伐小，取其所得，以作彝器，铭其功，以示子孙。</ref> do not disappear and that the pledge of the belt and whetstone<ref>史記, 高祖功臣侯者年表. 太史公曰：古者人臣功有五品，以德立宗廟定社稷曰勳，以言曰勞，用力曰功，明其等曰伐，積日曰閱。封爵之誓曰：「使河如帶，泰山若厲。國以永寧，爰及苗裔。」始未嘗不欲固其根本，而枝葉稍陵夷衰微也。</ref> is difficult to forget. Due to this, although I increase the number of titles and offices, yet it was not satisfying to the mind, and although I sent down the encouraging and instructing royal teaching, yet it was not enough to the heart. Then, I ordered the officials to register a few people as his dependents(slaves), to bestow fields as his inheritable benefice, to paint his portrait with the Dancheng(Tanch'ŏng) colors, and to show the merits to posterity.
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I entitle your honor's mother as Princess-Ordinary Hyeryeong(Hyeryŏng) and appoint honor's wife as Lady of the Palace Gyeongsun(Kyŏngsun). Titles will be given for three upper generations, and indulgences will be applied to the descendants. Now I send one strip of gold belt, two bolts of thick silk, and seven bolts of white silk, and you shall receive it. Ah! Heaven is called father, and Earth is called mother; Would lords and kings are born through a lineage? Wind follows tiger. Cloud follows dragon; the followers must have responded with the same voice. You further deepened the care for the lord and the parent, and did not take lightly the grace from maternal family. For these reasons, I thus proclaim and think all should be known. 10th Month ...., the 25th year of Emperor Hongwu(明太祖, Ming Taizu).
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=='''Discussion Questions'''==
 
=='''Discussion Questions'''==
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# How does Yi Seonggye justify his takeover? Why, according to Yi Seonggye, did the Goryeo dynasty have to collapse?
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# According to this document, what are the purposes of establishing a new dynasty?
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# What can we learn from this document about the actual relationships between the king and his ministers in the Joseon founding?
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# For what specific reasons did Yi Seonggyue award his meritorious ministers?
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# How is the notion of "heaven" used in the Instruction given by King Taejo?
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# What was Yi Je's involvement in the overthrow of the Koryo dynasty? Can we tell from the text?
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# How does this document explain Goryeo(Koryŏ)'s loss of the heaven's mandate?
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# How does the author use Confucian or Neo-Confucian rhetoric?
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# How does the author praise the personality of the receiver of this royal instruction? And what does that imply?
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# Who do you think actually wrote this document? and how would he choose that(those) scholar(s)?
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# Is he giving Yi Je a great position because he fears not to be able to convince him and his peers to support him?
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# Are the references he chooses enough to "impress" this person (e.g. quoting the king Wu of Zhou who only lasted 3 years before dying)?
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# How many royal instructions of that sort did the new king send, and for what kind of positions?
  
 
=='''Further Readings'''==
 
=='''Further Readings'''==
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* View together with '''~~'''.
 
* View together with '''~~'''.
 
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to steadfastly loyal and mandate assisting meritorious minister of the state founding, Lord of Heungan (Hŭngan) and concurrently Deputy commander of the Imperial Guard in Uiheung (Ŭihŭng) and Administrator in the Bureau of Explaining the Classics, Yi Chae.The king spoke: Since antiquity, the dynastic shifts of rulers were only the result of answering Heaven and following the people. At these times great people come forward among the people and are assisted in this, like when Tang#1 and Wu#2 took action from above, Yi#3 and Lü#4 responded below. They restored the order of heaven and earth and assisted the sun and moon. Their heroic conduct and great acts, shine brightly through the ages and cannot be obscured.
 
to steadfastly loyal and mandate assisting meritorious minister of the state founding, Lord of Heungan (Hŭngan) and concurrently Deputy commander of the Imperial Guard in Uiheung (Ŭihŭng) and Administrator in the Bureau of Explaining the Classics, Yi Chae.The king spoke: Since antiquity, the dynastic shifts of rulers were only the result of answering Heaven and following the people. At these times great people come forward among the people and are assisted in this, like when Tang#1 and Wu#2 took action from above, Yi#3 and Lü#4 responded below. They restored the order of heaven and earth and assisted the sun and moon. Their heroic conduct and great acts, shine brightly through the ages and cannot be obscured.
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My minister, naturally pure and balanced, carries a heart that is prudent and staunch. He diminishes his desires in order to nurture his mind and firmly holds on to what is proper in order to maintain his steadfast moral character. From childhood he carried with him the teachings of righteousness and in age he has not taken on the habits of donning undeserved robes. A superabundance of happiness and accumulated goodness is handed down in the family like the brilliance of Lord Wanshi
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My minister, naturally pure and balanced, carries a heart that is prudent and staunch. He diminishes his desires in order to nurture his mind (5#) and firmly holds on to what is proper in order to maintain his steadfast moral character. From childhood he carried with him the teachings of righteousness and in age he has not taken on the habits of donning undeserved robes. A superabundance of happiness and accumulated goodness (#6) is handed down in the family like the brilliance of Lord Wanshi (#7).
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I gave him my daughter as wife and they are in conjugal harmony like the lutes and harps. He is respectful towards his parents and conforms to his lineage.
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I gave him my daughter as wife and they are in conjugal harmony like the lutes and harps (#8). He is respectful towards his parents and conforms to his lineage.
  
 
1#: Tang 湯 the first ruler of the Shang dynasty overthrew Jie 桀 of the Xia
 
1#: Tang 湯 the first ruler of the Shang dynasty overthrew Jie 桀 of the Xia
286번째 줄: 318번째 줄:
 
4#: Lü Shang 呂尚 stands for Jiang Ziya 姜子牙, who helped Wen and Wu to overthrow the Shang dynasty
 
4#: Lü Shang 呂尚 stands for Jiang Ziya 姜子牙, who helped Wen and Wu to overthrow the Shang dynasty
  
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5#:  
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5#: reference to Mencius 7B:35
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6#: reference to Yijing, 2. Kun 10.
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7#: Shi Fen 石奋, also known as Lord Wanshi, was a high official under Liu Bang 刘邦, the founder and Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty 漢高祖.
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8#: reference to Zhongyong 15.
  
  
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[[Category:2018 Hanmun Summer Workshop]]
 
[[Category:2018 Hanmun Summer Workshop]]
 
[[Category:Advanced Translation Group]]
 
[[Category:Advanced Translation Group]]
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2022년 6월 14일 (화) 19:10 기준 최신판

Primary Source
이제개국공신교서1392.jpg Title
English Royal Instruction to Yi Je the Meritorous Minister of Founding State
Chinese 李濟 開國功臣 敎書
Korean(RR)
Text Details
Genre Royal Documents
Type
Author(s) 朝鮮太祖 李成桂
Year 1392
Source
Key Concepts Royal Instruction, Meritorous Minister, State Founding, Goryeo-Joseon Transition, Dynastic Change, Loyalty, Justification
Translation Info
Translator(s) Participants of 2018 Summer Hanmun Workshop (Advanced Translation Group)
Editor(s) Martin Gehlmann, Inho Choi, King Kwong Wong
Year 2018
Backward.png


Introduction

In the tenth month of 1392, this document appointed Yi Je(李濟, Yi Je) as the First Rank Meritorious Minister of the Chosŏn Founding. Those who participated in Yi Sŏnggye's (Yi Seonggye, 李成桂, posthumously known as King T'aejo 太祖) overthrow of the Koryŏ (高麗,Goryeo) were recognized for their contributions with the honorable title, the Meritorious Minister of the Chosŏn founding. In the eighth month of the same year, Yi Sŏnggye installed the Directorate of Meritorious Ministers (功臣都監) for the registration of meritorious ministers. Due to political struggle, the list of meritorious ministers changed a few times; the final list included thirty-nine ministers. This is the only surviving document among King T'aejo's royal instructions issued to thirty-nine ministers. Interestingly, the royal seal of Koryŏ King was used in this document. At this point, the name of the newly founded state was still undetermined. King T'aejo's court was yet to be endorsed by the Ming court. For this reason, the newly founded state still used the royal seal of the Koryŏ dynasty it had just overthrown.


In this document we find the idea of the heaven's mandate (tianming 天命), the long-standing Confucian theory of political legitimacy. In this regard, this document may be read in connection with Taejo's royal edict of accession. [1] Both Taejo's royal edict of accession and this document legitimate the overthrow of the Koryŏ dynasty. The phrases such as "people rebelled and the relatives dissipated(衆叛親離)" and "the mandate of heaven return to the virtuous (天命歸於有德)" are cited from Zhuxi's commentary on Mencius 1B8 and 4A7 where Mencius explains the legitimacy of overthrowing a tyranny through political revolution.


Yi Je hailed from Sŏngju (星州, Seongju). His great grandfather was Yi Chonyŏn(李兆年, Yi Jonyeon), and his father was Yi Inrip(李仁立, Yi Inrip). Her wife was the Princess Kyŏngsun (慶順公主) who was the third daughter of Yi Sŏnggye. He was recognized as the first rank Meritorious Minister of the dynastic founding for his aid for Yi Sŏnggye's takeover. He was enfeoffed as the Prince Hŭngan (興安君, Heungan) in the eighth month of 1392, was appointed as the Ŭihŭng Commander of Royal Guard (義興親軍衛節制使), and was again appointed as the Right Army Commander in 1393. He was killed during the first rebellion of the princes in 1398. Afterward, he was rehabilitated and enshrined in T'aejo's tempple. Yi Ji is posthumously known as Kyŏngmu (景武, Gyeongmu).

Original Script

Classical Chinese English

(01)　敎

(02)　　　　純忠佐命開國功臣·興安君·兼義興

(03)　　　　親軍衛節制使·知〔書〕筵事 李濟

(04)　王若曰: 自古王者之革命, 應乎天順乎

(05)　人而已. 時必有偉人間生, 爲之輔翼. 如

(06)　湯武作於上, 伊呂應於下. 整頓乾坤, 扶

(07)　翊日月. 其〔英〕風茂烈, 輝〔暎千古〕. 〔有不〕可

(08)　掩者矣. 卿稟性淑均, 秉心謹恪. 寡欲以

(09)　養其心, 持正以守〔其節〕. 〔幼佩〕義方〔之訓〕,

(10)　長無紈綺之習. 〔慶鍾〕積善之餘, 家傳〔萬〕

(11)　石之美. 妻之以女〔而〕琴瑟和, 孝於其親

(12)　而宗族順. 春秋尙富, 而有老成之德. 爵

(13)　位雖高, 而存謙恪之心. 凜凜風采, 可〔以〕

(14)　破奸雄之膽. 堂堂議論, 可以扶社稷之

(15)　計. 忠義之氣, 與秋色爭高. 眞可〔謂命世〕

(16)　而生, 伊呂之亞流也. 王氏之末, 天厭其

(17)　德. 勦節其命, 僞辛竊位. 十有六年, 予及

(18)　二三大臣. 尙求其裔, 俾主其祀. 以聽〔於〕

(19)　天, 而天不悔過. 以暴於民, 而民不歸心.

(20)　衆叛親離, 宗祀以〔墜〕. 天命歸於有德, 人

(21)　心懷于有仁. 卿以至誠之知, 察天人之

(22)　幾. 與門下左侍中裵克廉, 門下右侍中

(23)　趙浚等大臣, 首倡大義, 〔決疑於危〕貳之

(24)　間. 定策於幾微之際, 赤心〔推戴〕, 化家爲

(25)　國. 輔潛德而發幽光, 杖景運而創大業.

(26)　卽祚之初, 市不易肆. 談笑之間, 措國泰

(27)　山. 其功莫盛, 人無間言. 〔可謂鼎彛〕不泯,

(28)　帶礪難忘. 是以加爵命之〔數〕, 而不滿於

(29)　心. 下獎諭之綸, 而未足〔於〕懷. 乃命有司,

(30)　籍人口以爲厮養, 錫土田以爲世祿, 繪

(31)　形像於丹靑, 視功載於奕葉. 封卿之母,

(32)　爲惠寧翁主. 命卿之婦, 爲慶〔順宮〕主. 爵

(33)　贈三世, 宥及子孫. 今遣金帶壹腰, 段子

(34)　貳匹, 絹子柒匹, 至〔可領〕也. 於戱! 乾稱父

(35)　坤稱母, 侯王豈有種而生. 風從虎雲從

(36)　龍, 臣子必同聲而應. 益篤君親之念, 毋

(37)　輕甥舅之恩. 故玆敎〔示〕, 〔想〕宜〔知悉〕.

(38) 〔洪武〕貳拾伍年〔拾月〕　日.

Instruction for Yi Je, the Faithful Left Honor Meritorious Minister of the Dynastic Founding , the Prince Hŭngan (興安 Heungan), the Ŭihŭng (義興 Uiheung) Commander of Royal Guard and the Preceptor of the Crown Prince.


From the ancient times, a new ruler launched a political revolution [lit. shifted the heaven's mandate] just by responding to the heaven's [call] and following the people.[2] At the time, among the people, there always were great persons who aided such a ruler. For example, when Kings Tang and Wu acted from above, Yi Yin (1649-1550 BC) and Lü Shang (Ca. 1156—1017 BC) responded from below.[3] (They) restored order in the world [lit. set aright heaven and earth][4] and supported the sun and the moon. Their heroic spirits and their great enterprises have shined forth ever so brightly throughout ages that they could not be hidden from view.


Minister, your heaven-endowed character is pure and balanced, and you have nurtured your mind with respect and prudence.[5] . You have nourished [the good human] heart with removing [the selfish] desires, and held on to the right so as to keep your integrity. In your childhood, you follow [the instructions on] the right ways of conduct. As an adult, you have never developed the habits of luxury and corruption.


Minister, you have embodied the accumulated residues of good deeds, and your family has transmitted the magnificence of ten thousand seok of grain. As you marry your daughter to a house, the couple lived in conjugal harmony. As you are being filial to your parents, the greater family was without trouble.


Although you are still young in age, you have already had the virtue of a consummated man. Although your title and position are high, you still have the mind of modesty and respectfulness.


Your imposing appearance was sufficient to destroy the guts of enemy. Your confident speech was enough to facilitate the plans of the state. Your spirit of loyalty and righteousness competed with the height of the Autumn atmosphere. Truly it can be said you were born as the fate demands of the time and was of the type of Yi and Lu. As to the last descendants of the Wang family, the heaven hated their character and cut their mandate(life?), yet the false Xin usurped the throne for 16 years. I and several others (?) searched for the descendants to have them administer their ancestral rites.

[However]Just by listening to Heaven, it will not regret what's passed. Just by listening to people, people will not return their mind. People turned their back, and the relatives of the Wang family scattered. The state at this moment fell, and the mandate of Heaven returned to those who have virtue, and people's mind faced toward those with the perfect virtue. Your honor by the exhaustive understanding carefully watched the subtle movement(beginning) of the Heavenly principle and people's desire. With the Left Grand Councilor of the Council of Palace(與門下左侍中) Paegŭngnyŏm(裵克廉, Baegeungnyeom), the Right Grand Councilor of the Council of Palace(門下右侍中) Chojun(趙浚, Jojun) and other ministers, you proclaimed the great righteousness and resolved the doubt in the moment of the royal heir's crisis. You fixed the plans right at the subtle beginning and promoted [the future crown] with loyalty. You edified the family and establish the state. You supported the hidden virtue and revealed the occluded light grasped auspicious fortune and established the great enterprise.

When I arose to the throne, in the market, they did not shift the store.[6] While having casual conversations, you put the state on Mountain Tai.[7]. The greatness of Your achievement is incomparable, and people had no slandering words. We can indeed say that the merits carved on bronze vessels[8] do not disappear and that the pledge of the belt and whetstone[9] is difficult to forget. Due to this, although I increase the number of titles and offices, yet it was not satisfying to the mind, and although I sent down the encouraging and instructing royal teaching, yet it was not enough to the heart. Then, I ordered the officials to register a few people as his dependents(slaves), to bestow fields as his inheritable benefice, to paint his portrait with the Dancheng(Tanch'ŏng) colors, and to show the merits to posterity.

I entitle your honor's mother as Princess-Ordinary Hyeryeong(Hyeryŏng) and appoint honor's wife as Lady of the Palace Gyeongsun(Kyŏngsun). Titles will be given for three upper generations, and indulgences will be applied to the descendants. Now I send one strip of gold belt, two bolts of thick silk, and seven bolts of white silk, and you shall receive it. Ah! Heaven is called father, and Earth is called mother; Would lords and kings are born through a lineage? Wind follows tiger. Cloud follows dragon; the followers must have responded with the same voice. You further deepened the care for the lord and the parent, and did not take lightly the grace from maternal family. For these reasons, I thus proclaim and think all should be known. 10th Month ...., the 25th year of Emperor Hongwu(明太祖, Ming Taizu).

Discussion Questions

  1. How does Yi Seonggye justify his takeover? Why, according to Yi Seonggye, did the Goryeo dynasty have to collapse?
  2. According to this document, what are the purposes of establishing a new dynasty?
  3. What can we learn from this document about the actual relationships between the king and his ministers in the Joseon founding?
  4. For what specific reasons did Yi Seonggyue award his meritorious ministers?
  5. How is the notion of "heaven" used in the Instruction given by King Taejo?
  6. What was Yi Je's involvement in the overthrow of the Koryo dynasty? Can we tell from the text?
  7. How does this document explain Goryeo(Koryŏ)'s loss of the heaven's mandate?
  8. How does the author use Confucian or Neo-Confucian rhetoric?
  9. How does the author praise the personality of the receiver of this royal instruction? And what does that imply?
  10. Who do you think actually wrote this document? and how would he choose that(those) scholar(s)?
  11. Is he giving Yi Je a great position because he fears not to be able to convince him and his peers to support him?
  12. Are the references he chooses enough to "impress" this person (e.g. quoting the king Wu of Zhou who only lasted 3 years before dying)?
  13. How many royal instructions of that sort did the new king send, and for what kind of positions?

Further Readings

  1. ↑ http://sillok.history.go.kr/id/kaa_10107028_003
  2. ↑ This statement is from Tuan 彖 Commentary on the Ge 革 Hexagram in the Book of Change《易·革·彖辭》“湯武革命，順乎天而應乎人”
  3. ↑ Yi Yin was one of the meritorious ministers who helped King Tang to found the Shang dynasty. Lü Shang (better known as Jiang Taigong 姜太公) was a military strategist and meritorious minister in the Zhou founding.
  4. ↑ From the Song (960-1279) poet Wang Zao's stanza (宋·汪藻《退老堂》詩之一)：“心如金石氣如虹，整頓乾坤指顧中。”
  5. ↑ "bingxin" is cited from the Book of Poetry(君子秉心《诗·小雅·小弁》)
  6. ↑ Mencius 1B11. ...孟子對曰：「臣聞七十里為政於天下者，湯是也。未聞以千里畏人者也。《書》曰：『湯一征，自葛始。』天下信之。『東面而征，西夷怨；南面而征，北狄怨。曰，奚為後我？』民望之，若大旱之望雲霓也。歸市者不止，耕者不變。誅其君而弔其民，若時雨降，民大悅。《書》曰：『徯我后，后來其蘇。』
  7. ↑ stabilizing the state.
  8. ↑ 《文选·任昉》：“前郡尹温太真、 刘真长 ，或功铭鼎彝，或德标素尚。”李善注：“《礼记》曰：鼎有铭，铭者，论撰其先祖之德美、功烈、勋劳，而酌之祭器。《左氏传》：臧武仲曰：大伐小，取其所得，以作彝器，铭其功，以示子孙。
  9. ↑ 史記, 高祖功臣侯者年表. 太史公曰：古者人臣功有五品，以德立宗廟定社稷曰勳，以言曰勞，用力曰功，明其等曰伐，積日曰閱。封爵之誓曰：「使河如帶，泰山若厲。國以永寧，爰及苗裔。」始未嘗不欲固其根本，而枝葉稍陵夷衰微也。
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