The purpose of this study was to analyze the acceptance of Dayi Juemi Lu and the interpretive patterns of the intellectuals of the time in the process of the influx of knowledge and information in late Joseon Dynasty. Dayi Juemi Lu was a book publishe...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the acceptance of Dayi Juemi Lu and the interpretive patterns of the intellectuals of the time in the process of the influx of knowledge and information in late Joseon Dynasty. Dayi Juemi Lu was a book published in order to justify the Qing Dynasty's control over Joseon by criticizing the Hwaigwan system of the ethnic Hans. It was written as a response to the rebellion of Zeng Jing, an intellectual of the Han descent, which occurred in 1728 (the 6th year of the Yongzheng reign). In 1730 (the 8th year of the Yongzheng reign), Dayi Juemi Lu was brought into Joseon by the envoy who visited the Qing Dynasty.
The attention of Joseon's intellectuals towards Dayi Juemi Lu was largely influenced by a figure named Lü Liuliang. Lü Liuliang was an intellectual of the Han descent known for adhering to the loyalty to the Ming Dynasty after the downfall of the Ming Dynasty, without serving under the Qing Dynasty. Intellectuals in late Joseon, who sought to discover aspects related to the loyalty to the Ming Dynasty within the new knowledge and information coming from the Qing Dynasty, paid attention to Lü Liuliang. It was within this context of attention that intellectuals in late Joseon showed interest in Dayi Juemi Lu.
In this regard, the current study examined the perception of Dayi Juemi Lu by Joseon intellectuals from two aspects: royal authority and sovereign-and-subject relations, and loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and Lü Liuliang, focusing on two key figures: Yeongjo and Yi Ik. Yeongjo understood Dayi Juemi Lu in the context of loyalty, which was hugely influenced by the Mushin Rebellion that occurred during the early years of his reign. Yi Ik, on the other hand, read and cited the book in the context of the monarch's Confucian rule. According to him, Dayi Juemi Lu was important evidence that showcased the Qing Dynasty's Confucian rule.
A significant number of readers approached Dayi Juemi Lu from the perspective of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. Yi Deok-mu and Hong Dae-yong showed interest in Lü Liuliang's background and made efforts to obtain information about him. However, both individuals were ultimately unable to read Dayi Juemi Lu. Therefore, they could only perceive Lü Liuliang as anti-Qing intellectuals emphasizing loyalty to the Ming Dynasty and as prominent figures of the late Ming and early Qing scholars. They concluded that Lü Liuliang symbolized loyalty to the Ming Dynasty.
On the other hand, Han Won-jin and Seong Hae-eung were able to grasp the content of Dayi Juemi Lu. Although they also paid attention to Lü Liuliang's loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, their perception of Lü Liuliang, based on the actual reading the content of Dayi Juemi Lu, had clear differences from that of Yi Deok-mu and Hong Dae-yong. Dayi Juemi Lu contained information that Lü Liuliang lost his integrity by participating in an imperial examination organized by the Qing Dynasty when he was young. Han Won-jin and Seong Hae-eung encountered a problem where their perception of Lü Liuliang's loyalty to the Ming Dynasty conflicted with the content of Dayi Juemi Lu. Ultimately, the solution they chose was to acknowledge the fact that Lü Liuliang lost his integrity but still emphasize him as a symbol of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. This strategic interpretation was their response to the external variable introduced by Dayi Juemi Lu, which was added to their existing perception.
This study explored the external variable of Dayi Juemi Lu that emerged in the process of Joseon intellectuals accepting new knowledge and information from the Qing Dynasty and how they interpreted it. In doing so, this study elucidated the strategic nature of the interpretation of Dayi Juemi Lu by Joseon intellectuals, which has not been addressed in previous studies. The study shed light on the diverse characteristics of knowledge and information acceptance by Joseon intellectuals in the late period.