Q.

Critically analyse the influence of Neo-Confucianism on the structure and nature of

Ans. Choson/Joseon (1392-1910) dynasty was established after the decline of Koryo dynasty,
under the military commander YI SONGGYE. The choson dynasty has been generally known as
the age of Confucianism in Korean history because Confucianism played a secondary role to
Buddhism and native modes of social and family organisation. This dynasty also known as YI
dynasty. After 1392 the Neo-Confucian thought of sung dynasty china became the basis not only
of the educational curriculum and the civil service examination system, but also of ritual
practice, family organisation and ethical values for an increasing percentage of Korean society.
Neo-Confucianism was not that famous in village life, village people mainly followed beliefs
like Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism and geomancy were preserved especially among the
uneducated peasants. Neo-Confucianism was not able to convert everyone.

The Neo-Confucian ideologues who participated in the founding of the choson dynasty in 1392
played an important role in carrying many features of the Confucian statecraft program into
effect. The early choson period represented the zenith of the influence of Confucian statecraft
ideas on practical administration. All active officials in the regular bureaucracy of the choson
dynasty were certified through civil service examination as orthodox believers in the Neo-
Confucian canon, there could be no clear accusation that the regime was failing to live up to its
obligation to respect Confucian principles of government. For the Neo-Confucian ethicist, good
government was simply a problem of the moral conversion of sinners to saints to borrow a
Christian phrase, not the manipulation of institutions, which was lift to active officials to work
out in practical affairs.

According to imperialist scholars Korea had not followed the proper ancient-medieval modern
path of historical development that had supposedly been taken by the ‘advanced countries’.
According to this group of scholars, the koryo-choson change of dynasties was a mere palace
coup of no real historical significance.

North Korean scholars does not assign great significance to the founding of the choson dynasty
because they see it as essentially a reconsolidation of feudal institutions within a lengthy
medieval period that began with the rise of the 3 kingdoms(Silla, Paekche, Koguryo) nearly
2000 years ago and ended in the 19th century.

South Korean scholars applied a periodization to Korean history that focused on such events as
the silla-oryo transition, the mid koryo ascendancy of great central official descent groups, the
military coup of 1170, the rise of rusticated literati in the 16th century and the advent of reform
Confucianism, commonly known as practical learning, in the late choson period and argued that
these phenomena reflected the rise of newsocio-economic forces.
‘Internal development theory’, according to the scholars of this theory the issue of change and
continuity in the koryo-choson was the consequence of the rise of a new class of scholar-officials
who were medium and small landowners of rural petty official background, whose ideology was
Cheng-Chu Neo- Confucianism and was advocated a pro-Ming policy.

Choson society was founded on a strict social hierarchy based on access to the official
examination system or Kwago. The gentry class of scholar officials known as yangban,
indicating that they had passed either the civil or military examination comprised 5-10% of the
population and dominated the political, economic and intellectual life of choson through their
access to the govt. posts. The Commoners manly farmers, merchants and artisans comprised 70-
80% of the population and 10% population comprised an outcaste group. Commoners were
disqualified from formal political participation because of their non-participation in education
system.

Elite and Commoners shared the same clan based agriculture village heartland with its complex
set of communal institutions and behavioural traits. Historians termed choson society as
“agrarian bureaucracy” and hence distinguished from classical feudalism. Another
important feature of choson society was the rich circulation of ideas, independent of state
ideological control. The local elite undertook the voluntary and autonomous activities such as
building and maintaining public works, maintaining public security, and the securing of
education, welfare and community betterment through fund raising and public levying.

Choson administration, administration authority was centralised in the 6 ministers and agencies
in capital and central control over every local district was expanded by replacing all local
magnates with members of the capital bureaucracy as district magistrates. The early choson
economy was primarily agrarian with most production coming from self-sufficient peasant
families who produced grain mainly for subsistence and wove their own clothes at home. There
was small number of professional artisans, who were elite “good” or “base” in status. These
artisans were employed primarily to produce the goods needed to maintain the prestige of the
ruling class.

Local economies were vibrant. Economic transactions with outsiders were not bound by strong,
reciprocal, ethical norms and therefore be quite predatory in nature. Theoretically all land
belonged to the king but for all practical purposes private ownership existed and thrived. Land
concentrated in the hands of few who were regarded as the traditional aristocrats. As a
consequence of the concentration of landed wealth in the hands of the aristocrats there were
always problems with state’s claim of taxes. The state’s taxing power was strong on paper, but
competent taxation required frequent surveys of the extent and value of property, which was
often blocked by the rural aristocracy.
Choson commerce was also marked by tight govt. control and limited to the licensed shops.
Foreign trade was subjected to a number of constraints in the choson dynasty, it also failed to
act as a major stimulus to economic development. Those constraints were the result of YI
SONGGYE’s decision to enrol as a tributary of the Ming emperor and accept the rules and
regulations of the tributary relationship. During choson period Korean education meant
socialisation into Confucian norms and virtues. Language of written discourse in court and in
formal education was classical Chinese. Examinations determined “preferment to office, a place
in the sun and never to be forgotten”.

Korea during the choson (YI dynasty) period became in many ways a model Confucian society.
Confucian ideas shaped family and society in profound ways. The zeal and persistence by which
Koreans strove to reshape their society in accordance with Neo-Confucian ideals helped Asian
neighbours. Confucianization was a creative process of adopting the ideals that originated in
china to indigenous social practices. The basic ideals of Confucianism centred on proper social
relationship. Three cardinal principles(Samsang) guided these social relationships- loyalty
(Chung) of subjects to their ruler, filial piety(Hyo) towards one’s parents and maintaining
distinction(Yol) between men and women, distinction meant that women had to display chastity,
obedience and faithfulness.

Another Confucian formulation that defined the relationship that held society together was the 5
ethical norms- righteousness and justice(Ui), cordiality or closeness(Chin), distinction(Pyol),
order(So), trust(Sin). The ethical norms of Confucianism emphasized the importance of family
relations, the necessity for order and harmony, respect for elders and for authority, the
importance of a clear distinction between men and women, and the subordinate status of women.
Neo-Confucianists placed great importance on rituals and ceremonies. Korean society was
extremely hierarchical and rigid reflecting the Chinese social ordering.

Legally Korean society was divided into YANGMIN (good people) and CHONMIN (base
people), society divided into 4 fold system- 1. Yangaban, 2. Chonmin, 3. Chungin,
4. Sangmin.
The YANGBAN were different from the commoners, only those with prominent ancestors were
yangabn. It was the highest social class of choson dynasty of Korea. It consisted both Munban
or civilian officials and Muban or military officials, by the 16th century the term had come to
mean the entire elite class. The term yangban originated in the koryo dynasty (935-1392) when
civil service examination were held under two categories of Munkwa (civilian) and Mukwa
(military).

YANGBAN were different from earlier Korean aristocracy and from the bushi or samurai, in
that they were not a military group, they derived and maintained their status and power through
office holding. Yangban were also called Sadaebu, derived from the Chinese term Shidafu,
meaning ‘scholar official’ they were differed from the scholar bureaucrats of china in that there
was a greater importance attached to hereditary. Yangban status was also tied to tax privileges,
they were free from the household tax. They were also free from corvee and from military
service. They were permitted to have their slaves serve their own terms of punishment.

Yangban totally dominated choson. These wealthy, aristocratic landlords were residents in the
capital cities of Kaesong or Seoul. They manned the bureaucracy and served as the moral and
cultural leaders of the society. In countryside the yangban served as the local elite. The yangban
were segregated from commoners, yangban were identified with their hometowns, with which
they maintained ceremonial and political ties. The greatest goal of a yangban was to serve as a
high official, and the most ambitions were drown to the capital, but even officials in the capital
tended to return to their village. They held exclusive membership in the local agency, wealth
mostly came from landowning. Many yangban of the choson period did not have military
background and were contemptuous of the skills of warriors, some scholars see the military
weakness of the late YI dynasty Korea. Yangban were also forbidden to engage in the demeaning
profession of commerce.

The roles and rights of women were reduced compared to previous eras in Korean history.
Yangban women were completely hidden from the outer world and every woman had to conform
to Confucian ideas of purity, obedience, chastity and faithfulness. Women were subjects of male
dominance throughout their lives, obliged to listen their fathers, husbands, fathers-in-law and
firstborn sons. Homes were divided into male and female quarters to separate the sexes.

The yangban system, corrupted and deemed pernicious to social development, was discarded in
1894, when a series of modern reforms were affected.

CHUNGIN, they were the lower level clerks and government workers who lived in a segregated
zone in downtown Seoul. SANGMIN, were those who engaged in physical labour but regarded
as engaging in respectable professions such as agriculturists, fisher folk and labourers. They
were respectable because they worked the life giving land. They were heavily taxed and were
mostly subsistence farmers. Peasants were mostly tenants, required to give up at least half of
their crop to landlords as tax, and subject to various additional exactions.

CHONMIN, this was the class of workers and traders and technically the most lower class. This
class involved “unclean” professions such butchers, shamans, shoemakers, metal workers,
prostitutes, magicians, sorcerers, jail-keepers and performers. Slaves and servants who served the
yangban were also from this class. Slaves were the hand and feet of the yangban and no one was
considered a yangban if didn’t possess slaves. Possessing a slave was an expensive proposition
but necessary to determine the status of an individual. The paekchong or base born untouchables
were outside or the least in the social hierarchy.
To conclude we can say that during choson dynasty there was great influence of neo-
Confucianism and other beliefs as well, but on a large scale neo-Confucianism was most famous.
Neo-Confucianism can be seen in every sphere of life and administration. The yangban society
also greatly influenced by neo-Confucian ideologies and the life of women’s as well based on the
the neo-Confucian beliefs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:-

1. Origins of the Choson dynasty- JOHN B. DUNCAN

2. Confucian statecraft and Korean institutions- B. PALAIS

3. Making of modern Korea- ADRIAN BUZO

4. A history of Korea- MICHAEL J. SMITH

5. Korea’s 20th century odyssey: a short history- E. ROBINSON

6. Science, technology and religion in Choson Korea- DON BAKER

7. Britannica.com

8. class notes(PPT)