19世紀 中半 政局의 動向과 市廛政策 - 憲宗⋅哲宗代 貢市人詢瘼을 중심으로 -

Abstract

In the early days of King Heonjong’s reign, Queen Sun’weon was overseeing the government and its operations, and during that time, the “Jeong’yu-year Ruling,” issued in 1837(3rd year of King Heonjong’s reign) by the initiative of Right Minister Park Jong-hun (of the Soron faction) and with sponsorship of individuals who stood against the politically and economically superior Andong Kim House such as Jo In-yeong (from the Pung’yang Jo house) and Yi Ji-yeon (from the Noron faction), granted the Central Clothes Shop[衣廛] the authority to exclusively sell “Ju”-Silk clothes(紬衣). This order was to yet again expand certain stores’ prohibitive authority and exclusive rights, and at the same time was also an order that officialized domestic dealing of foreign merchandise. The government, as it had been issuing trade allowances, was also continuously looking after the six governmental markets and their interests. In the 9th year of king Heonjong’s reign, the “Gye’myo-year ruling[癸卯決處]” granted the request of the cotton merchants, but two years after the Gabjin-year purge[甲辰獄事] that occurred in Heonjong’s 10th year, the “Byeong’o-year Allowance[丙午通共]” was ordered in 1846. This order was supported by the Pung’yang Jo house, the Soron faction and Central Minister Gweon Sang-ha (who was from the Noron faction), and effectively rescinded the ever-continuing exclusive rights reinforcements. In appearance it was the resurrection of the Shin’hae-year Allowance which had been led by Southerner party’s Chae Je-gong during king Jeongjo’s days, but was in fact a reconfirmation of the Shin’yu-year Allowance of king Sunjo’s days. It was the latest order to inherit the spirit of “Tong’gong” Allowances from the Muja, Shin’hae, Gab’in and Shin’yu-years, which all intended to restore control over the ever expanding exclusive rights of stores other than the six governmental shops. During king Cheoljong’s reign, governmental offices, military bases and royal family members and other powerful figures continued to harass and pillage the marketplace, while the Capital merchants continued to violate the exclusive rights of other sellers(“都賈亂賣”). In the political arena, due to the controversy concerning the issue of how to proceed with Jinjong’s tablet inside the dynastic shrine(‘眞宗祧禮論’), the Anti-Andong Kim house front, comprised of the Pung’yang Jo house members and figures like Gweon Don-in and Kim Jeong-hi, was considerably weakened. With the “Gye’chuk-year Ruling[癸丑決處]” that was issued in the 4th year of king Cheoljong’s reign, Kim Jwa-geun from the Andong Kim house and Jeong Weon-yong of the Soron faction granted the request of the Ibjeon(立廛) store and the Shoe store[鞋廛] merchants, nullifying the spirit of the Byeong’o-year allowance, and instead inheriting the spirit of the Gabshin, Jeongmyo-year allowances(the so-called Mu’in-year Directive[戊寅節目=戊寅定式]) as well as the Jeong’yu-year ruling[丁酉決處=丁酉筵奏]. In king Cheoljong’s 5th year, Kim Jwa-geun argued that the discussion to take care of certain problems that were supposedly plaguing the Gong'in figures and Merchants(貢市人詢瘼) should commence with the Ministry of Finance, Senior[Dangsang] officials of the Seonhye-cheong office and representatives of other related offices gathered at the Bibyeon-sa chamber. This was a precursor to the later days’ launching of a policy to make royal inquiries to Proxy Taxpayers and Market merchants, which would be led by the Euijeong-bu office, instead of the Bibyeon-sa office that was rather marginalized during king Gojong’s reign. Due to the peasant revolt that broke out in the 13th year of king Cheoljong’s reign, the Office to Rectify Abuses in the Three Policy Areas [land, military and grain exchanges] (Samjeong Ih’jeong-cheong, 三政釐整廳) was established. Orders to address the Price problems that had arisen due to the Dogo merchants’ activities, rectify the abuses of the military bases, governmental offices and royal family members, divert taxes collected from coastline areas to the Gyun’yeok-cheong office, and resolve conflicts concerning lands, were all included in the “Directive of the Samjeong Ih’jeong-cheong office(三政釐整節目).” As examined above, the orders of “Allowance” were issued in two distinctively different directions, due to changes in the political climate and power dynamics during the reigns of kings Yeongjo, Jeongjo, Sunjo, Heonjong and Cheoljong. Various powers inside the Noron and Soron factions were politically attacking the royal family’s in-law House members, while also trying to address the situation in which foreign merchandises were flooding the Joseon market and prompting the Joseon merchants and customers and not to mention the government to either establish [or permit] exclusive rights, or distribute them in some manners.