Munheonbigo (文獻備考 Compilation of Documents on Korea) is a compilation of culture and history from Dan-gun Joseon period up to the time, which were arranged according to branches by King Yeongjo in 1740. It can be said that it was the combined encyclopedic history of culture as to nature and administration that unified and arranged the historical contents of successive dynasties, while collecting and arranging official and private records according to branches. This compilation was enlarged and revised three times afterwards. Until the publication of Jeungbomunheonbigo(增補文獻備考 Enlarged and Revised Compilation of Documents on Korea) in 1908, it had been supplemented and revised for 160 years. It can be said that it was a systematic arrangement of Korean studies arranged according to 16 branches. This paper reveal of what direction they were revised while they were added and reviewed to explore the meaning of what enlargement and revision meant. Originally, one hundred-volume compiled as forty books published during the period of King Yeongjo was arranged by various scholars. The second supplementary work was done by the order of King Jeongjo. An erudite scholar, Yi Man-un (李萬運 1724-1797) added seven branches, which newly supplemented the existing articles. A study on royal Palaces and a study on clans were added in this book. It can be said that the culture of sarim (Neo- Confucian literati) during this time was absorbed by the state. This paper particularly reveal the last edition arranged by the Great Korean Empire in the early 20th century carrying a meaning trying to preserve the conservative royal culture while introducing a new civilization.
본 논문은 『동국문헌비고』로부터 『증보문헌비고』까지의 네 차례의 편찬과정과 그 각 본의 성격, 역사적 의미, 특히 사학사적 성격을 추적하였다. 종래 한국사 연구가 모두 긍정적으로 평가하는 경향에서 벗어나 본고에서는 비판적 시각으로 살펴보았다.