"(Translation) 成大中 靑城雜記 醒言"의 두 판 사이의 차이

2018년 7월 18일 (수) 11:21 판

Introduction

This short essay by Sŏngdaejung(成大中, Seongdaejung) provides a social background and justification for the policy of emancipating the slaves.

His status as a son of concubine(庶孼) seems to imply his personal connection with this rebellious groups of slaves described in the document. In the late Choson period, the capital suffered from the activities of many lawless gangs. With the increase of monetary economy and market, the number of people who were detached from the land and subsisted on their participation in the market economy has grown. At the same time, this new domain of social action opened up social places where people with grievances toward government can gather. The member of these gangs spanned all the classes of Choson society. In particular, one type of gang, called the compact of swords(劍契, Kŏmgye), consisted mainly of sons of concubine and Chungin(中人, the middle person).^[1] Although Sŏngdaejung went high up in the hierarchy of officialdom, he might have real connection through this widespread network of gangs.

Although the source of this story is unclear, the slave gang that appears in the story is likely to be one of these newly formed gangs in the late Choson period. In the wandering commoners and the run-away slaves often came to Seoul for living, and as a result the population of the capital increased fast. These people often resided outside the gates of the capital city.^[2] The geographical reference of the event in the document is also the outside of one of those gates(惠化門外).

The reference to firewood also indicates that these are the slaves or daily laborers who subsisted mainly by providing their manual labor. Also, the fact that they are identified by their work rather than their master's house might indicate the confusion between the categories of slaves as master's property and daily laborers.

The presence of the stature of Buddha is also interesting. According to a research, the gangs made a compact of swords and followers against the nobles based on its faith in Maitreya Buddha.

The reference to Kija also appears in the Royal instruction that proclaims the emancipation of the government slaves.^[3]. One of the Eight Regulations attributed to Kija says those convicted as thieves shall be punished by turning them into slavery. The royal instruction and this essay argues it was only a temporary measure and not to be inherited by the descendants of the punished slaves.

In connection with the Master-Slave compact document of the same period, this essay shows the social change surrounding the status of slaves in the late Choson. Ahn Seungjun, who discovered the Master-Slave compact document, argues that they are symptomatic of the growing social power and grievances of slaves which pressured the government to emancipate the government slaves.^[4]

Original Script

References

1. ↑ 송정란. 2017. "17~18세기 서울 ‘무뢰배’의 존재와 활동." 역사학보 제 236호. 238쪽.
2. ↑ 송정란. 2017. "17~18세기 서울 ‘무뢰배’의 존재와 활동." 231쪽
3. ↑ 순조실록 2권, 순조 1년 1월 28일 을사. http://sillok.history.go.kr/id/kwa_10101028_003
4. ↑ 안승준. 2018. "공노비 혁파, 76,067명의 노비문서를 불사르다." 장서각아카데미 왕실문화강좌. http://jsg.aks.ac.kr/cmm/fms/FileDown.do?fileSn=0&atchFileId=FILE_000000000008328

Discussion Questions

Further Readings

Translation

(sample) : Jaeyoon Song

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Student 5 : Inho Choi

• Translations:

Outside the Hyehwa gate, there is a stone wall on the east of the stream. it is covered by a stone roof and supported by two pillars, which are also made of stones. On the surface of the wall is carved a body of Buddha. They call it as slaves' Buddha and also names the stream Buddha's stream. One day, those firewood slaves on the east of the city wall gathered under this Buddha. Scolding it as they look up the Buddha, they said "that which made us become the slaves of others is this Buddha. With what eyes, does this Buddha see us?" Raising the sickle, they made holes into it, and the two eyes of Buddha wept. The resentment of cruel labor is moved to the Buddha; could it not be feared? Their vernacular says once there is no this Buddha, then there will be no slaves. Making slaves none is rather possible, as to this stone Buddha who would be able to make it none? When I was child, I still saw the high hill and the low stream. There was great rain each year. The hill got shaved, and the marsh got thick. After 10 years, the accumulated sand reached the eaves of the roof. The body of the Buddha was completely buried. There was no way to get rid of the sand. Truly, there was no this Buddha. In Shinhae(辛亥 Sinhae) year of King Yŏngjo(英宗, Yeongjo)'s reign, those who were born from the commoner women was ordered to follow the maternal status. The number of slaves began declining, and today there are numerous houses without slaves. In Shinyu(Sinyu) year of our King's reign, the slave register of the place temples was ordered to be burned, and the government slavery was abolished; Would the private slaves be willing to be worked? It will be led to being none in the end. In general, the slaves that is inherited(needs a better translation) was not a model from the Sagely era of the Central Efflorescence. Only our country has this; it was a momentary measure that was created when Kija(箕子, Gija) punished the thieves. How would he have made them to be worked for generations? The poison of resentment finally reached to that of digging out the eyes of the Buddha. The Buddha, as if it has a soul, wept and did not get angry as this is being done. The government is now burnt to ashed. When it comes to straightening eyebrows and praying the eternal life to Heaven, there has been nothing that is greater than this. The great flourishing of this period is enough to be hoped for years. The wealth returns to the state, and the benefits goes to the slaves. The house without slaves do not need the relief. Also, how the [benefits] will only be none of those that sells themselves. This law of the ancients is simply not-keeping succeeding slaves to later generations(not sure of this translation yet).

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Student 6 : Kanghun

• Discussion Questions: Would there be any accounts to show the influence of Buddhism's egalitarian doctrines on Choson's class system (or slavery)?

Student 7 : (Write your name)

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Student 8 : (Write your name)

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Student 9 : (Write your name)

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What kind of trend of the institutionalization changes of Korean slavery could we see in this document?

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Student 11 : Lee Goeun

• Discussion Questions: Why Buddha? Why did those slaves hold a religious belief that it was the Buddha who made them slaves and who could save them?

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