A study on Korean literature Sohyeon Simyang ilgi

Abstract

Before the 1930s, historians studying Ming-Qing history for the most part could only rely on Chinese historical materials to conduct their research. However, the texts of these Chinese historical materials were sometimes modified in accordance with the political needs of time, the prevailing political lines and even upon the orders of the emperors. Unsurprisingly, a number of historical facts were not recorded, nor presented in a balanced way. Historians were often constrained by the limitations of these Chinese historical materials and consequently their works might not fully reflect the history of the time. After the 1930s, when the Sohyeon Simyang Ilgi, a book compiled by the officials of Joseon Dynasty based on the diary of Crown Prince Sohyeon of Joseon Dynasty who was detained by Huang Taiji in Simyang as a hostage (hereinafter “Ilgi”), was made known to the researchers in China, it shed new light on the studies of the Ming-Qing history and China’s relations with Korea. The book as well provided a new path for tackling the related historical issues. Ilgi includes a large number of historical materials of Ming and Qing dynasties covering political, military and diplomatic domains. It offers substantial informative historical materials for the research in this field, corroborates the Chinese historical records, fills up gaps and clarifies some historical events in the history of Ming and Qing dynasties. My thesis focuses upon the historical materials provided by the Ilgi and relates them to the history of Ming and Qing dynasties. Through the use of these historical materials, the thesis examines the historical value of the Ilgi in the study of Ming-Qing history. Furthermore, an attempt will be made to compare these Korean materials with Chinese historical records, highlighting the similarities and differences between the source materials of the two countries, as well as their biases, different values and considerations affecting the construction of their historical records. It is hoped that the findings will contribute to the study of the history of Ming-Qing dynasties by providing a new perspective to Ming-Qing dynastic transition and the Sino-Korean relationship.