遺民 墓誌를 통해 본 高句麗의 中裏小兄 - 중리소형의 역임자와 직임을 중심으로 -

Abstract

An official’s position in an epitaph was inscribed centering on official duties considered to be important in revealing the careers of the person buried in the tomb. Serving as Joongnisohyung was inscribed without exception in the epitaphs of Go Eul-duck(高乙德) and Chun Nam-saeng(泉男生), who were Koguryo refugees. Considering this selected way of description, that fact suggests that Joongnisohyung occupied an important position in the official system of the late Koguryo. This is especially so, now that Go Eul-deok’s epitaph especially describes that his grandfather, his father and he all served as Joongnisohyung. Judging from 『Jiu Tangshu (舊唐書)』 describing that Joongnisohyung was comparable to Yezhe(謁者, which means internuncio) which was a title of the Tang dynasty, Joongnisohyung was a position in charge of a specific assignment. This way of description is the way that 『Han Yuan (翰苑)』 revealed the specific assignment of a certain official position of the Koguryo by presenting the official position of the Tang dynasty corresponding to that of the Koguryo to be described. The persons who served as Joongnisohyung were selected from those who had been appointed as ‘Lang’(郞) for a beginner official. Chun Nam-saeng’s official position suggests that Lang and Joongnisohyung of the Koguryo were positioned on one career path. 『Han jiuyi (漢舊儀, a fragmentary collection of administrative rules and prescriptions of the Former Han period)』 describes that Yejhe was selected from Langs. This indicates a way of appointing Joongnisohyung. The position of Joongnisohyung required a person who was capable of performing the duties and tasks, as shown in Chun Nam-saeng’s epitaph describing that he was appointed as Joongnisohyung thanks to his outstanding capabilities as Lang. Two members of Go Eul-deok’s family including his grandfather, Go Gwa(高夸), served as Sangsa in charge of personal economic base of Koguryo’s king. Knowledge and practice experience needed to perform the duties were accumulated in this family. These were the background for this family members’ being appointed to an important position by winning the confidence of the king. Meanwhile, the office duties of Joongnisohyung were not limited to Sangsa(垧事, which means horse breeding). Considering that Joongnisohyung was comparable to Yejhe, it seems that Joongnisohyung was an official position not to perform a definite limited task but to support the king in anything. In light of these characteristics, Joongnisohyung was an official position with an enormous amount of power and a wide range of duties, for it served on both sides of the King in his confidence despite a low-ranking official position. Joongnisohyung having these special office duties and relations with the king was a powerful official guaranteed to be promoted to a high-ranking official. Go Eul-deok’s forefathers who served as Joongnisohyung held major official positions in the capital and provinces and had an edge rising to a high position. These persons who were appointed as Joongnisohyung could hold important official positions under the auspices of the king. Through this, the king could secure loyalists and protection forces. This career path through Joongnisohyung was essential to even Chun Nam-saeng, a son of Yeon Gaesomun(淵蓋蘇文), who was the ruler. In this sense, Joongnisohyung acted as a starting point of a channel that major noble families maintained power and handed it down to the next generation. The royal family together with high noble families ruled the country in the late Koguryo. The aspects of the political history in that era were wholly reflected in the operation of Joongnisohyung.