Читать книгу Memory of the World: The treasures that record our history from 1700 BC to the present day - UNESCO - Страница 60
ОглавлениеInscribed 1997
What is it
This collection covers more than 470 years of the history of the Joeson dynasty, from the reign of King Taejo (1392–98), the founder, to the reign of King Cheoljong (1849–63).
Why was it inscribed
The Annals of the Joseon dynasty are among the most detailed and comprehensive dynastic historical records in the world, and cover the rule of a dynasty that had significant impact on Korean society.
Where are they
Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, Seoul National University and National Archives of Korea, History Archives, Busan, Republic of Korea
In the Joseon dynasty, the concept of history as a mirror, or exemplar, for government heightened the interest of the state in the compilation of histories. The tradition of preparing a history of each reign began with the Annals of King Taejo, completed in 1413. This tradition was continued throughout the dynasty, giving us the basic record known collectively as the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Joseon Wangjo Sillok.
The Annals of the Joseon dynasty cover more than 470 years to the reign of King Cheoljong (1849–63). With the kings as the central figures, the annals are daily records of the history and culture of the Joseon dynasty, covering politics, military affairs, diplomatic relations with China and Japan, the social system, law, economics, industry, transportation, communications, customary arts, crafts and religion. The annals of a given king were definitively compiled only when his successor ordered it. The materials were collected from official records, the most important being Sacho (Draft History) and Shijonggi (Daily Records). The main authors of the Draft History attended every national conference and kept records of the details of national affairs under discussion between the king and his officials. Sometimes they made character sketches of people who had done good or evil deeds. The Daily Records were placed in the custody of the Office for Annals Compilation (Chunchugwan). Nobody – not even the king was allowed to read the Draft History and the Daily Records except historiographers. Any historiographer who disclosed the contents of the annals was severely punished as a felon. The annals were printed and then preserved in the historical archives under rigorous management, and to ensure their safety, copies were placed in historical archives in different parts of the country. There are a total of 2077 books in the Annals of the Joseon dynasty.
These annals record historical facts about twenty-five kings, including information about their officials and their other subjects. Three of these kings were outstanding: King Taejo, who founded the dynasty after overcoming the Goryeo dynasty, King Sejong the Great, who invented the Korean alphabet, hang-gul, and devoted himself to the development of science, and King Jeongjo, who established the Kyujanggak, the royal library, which stimulated literature and arts. The annals for the first three reigns were in manuscript form in excellent calligraphy. Thereafter, they were printed using movable bronze and wooden type with the best quality paper and bindings. Every volume of the annals is a model of the Korean culture and technology of its time.
The book covers from the annals of three kings, Sunjo (1838), Heonjong (1851) and Cheoljong (1865).
Chapter 3 of The Annals of King Jeongjong, as reprinted in 1606.
