崔致遠의 北方認識

Choe Chi-Won's Understanding of A Northern Races - Centering Around some Views of Balhae(渤海) -

This paper is to examine Choe Chi-Won's historical view, centering around his view of Balhae. It seemed that he got his view of a Northern Race during his stay in Dang, for he went abroad for study to Dang in his early days. Thus, his view of a Northern Race was described centering knowledge which was gain of Northern Race during his stay in Dang as student. I think that his historical view changed into one centering around Silla in his position to support absolute monarchy after he returned home. Emphasizing Silla's superiority and legitimacy, he tried to put Silla on a predominant position over neighbor countries. To understand how Choe Chi-Won set a boundary of his own country' history, his historical view of Three Han(三韓) was examined. He agreed to idea that Goguryeo succeeded to Mahan(馬韓), Silla to Jinhan(辰韓), and Baekje to Byeonhan(弁韓) in order to emphasize Silla' legitimacy. But he considered that Balhae didn't fall under the category of Three Han, Three Country(三國). To understand Choe Chi-Won's view of Balhae, some diplomatic documents was examined. He regarded Balhae as succeeded to Goguryeo at first, but as succeeded to Malgal(靺鞨) at last. He maintained that Balhae couldn't succeeded to Mahan because of the fall of Goguryeo. And He emphasized that there was the difference between Balhae and Silla in culture and religion, for the ancestor of Balhae was Malgal tribe. In short, he understanded “Northen Country(北國)” in geographical and territorial aspects. His historical view laid stress on the subject, history and cultural legitimancy of Haedong(海東).