1516세기 水田農法의 발달과 慶尙道의 위상

Abstract

It is the late 13th century when the method of ever-cultivated lands(常耕農法) had begun to spread out gradually and rice farming had developed in Korean History. Kyeongsang Province(慶尙道) led these trends in agricultural economy. The superiority of Kyeongsang Prov. was shown very well through dynamic agricultural policies of Choseon Dynasty such as construction of irrigation systems, cultivation of uncultivated lands for farming, application of the advanced rice farming technologies to real peasant’s society since the early 15th century. Kyeongsang Prov. got a bit success for building reservoirs, most of policies in the rest areas were failed, though. King Sejong concentrated his efforts to institute Kongbeop(貢法), the tax system. It should improve agricultural productivity evenly through the whole country in order to establish Kongbeop system successfully. Nongsa Jikseol(農事直說) was published by the government as a agricultural manual to achieve these purposes. But the advanced agricultural technologies including direct seeding to wet paddy fields(水耕直播法; wet direct seeding) for the earliest rice species(早稻) were merely adapted to a few areas even in Kyeongsang Prov. Nongsa Jikseol seemed as a kind of ideal type agricultural manual to achieve the government’s goal. As long as the irrigation system could not be improved revolutionary, the policy for spreading out the advanced technologies throughout the whole country would not get success. As a matter of fact the reigns of King Taejong and Sejong failed to find out the gates breaking through its technological obstacles. But Kyeongsang Prov. began to establish many reservoirs in many areas since the 1430～40s. Reservoirs were entirely owed wet direct seeding in order to build throughout whole Kyeosang areas. After Kyeongsang prov.’s success, many other provinces such as Jeonra Prov(全羅道)., Chungcheong Prov(忠淸道)., and Kyeonggi Prov(京畿道). tried to adapt the advanced technologies including wet direct seeding and reservoir system to its land. It was the 1450, 60s, or the reigns of King Munjong and Sejo when lots of reservoirs were built throughout the whole country by government’s initiatives. Wet direct seeding was reached at Chungcheong Prov. in the 1450s and at last reached at the southern Kyeonggi Prov. in the 1470s. Kongbeop system was carried out in the 1490s by owing to these agricultural successes as well. King Sejong’s longing dreams achieving the improved agricultural productivities and carrying out evenly Kongbeop system in the entire country level came true in almost 50 years after he passed away. Kyeongsang Prov. as the advanced areas for agricultural economy tried to experiment another agricultural method, i.e the method of transplantation of rice farming(移秧法; method of transplantation) in the 1440～70s at the same time wet direct seeding was spreading out to the whole country. The method of transplantation was originally developed at undeveloped valleys and mountain ranges in terms of Korean climatic and geographic circumstances. Mountain ranges and valleys had been developed gradually since the 1440s when the population grew slowly and the direction of local development were moved toward high lands. The method of transplantation could be spread out when the high lands were reevaluated as emerging economic values. The method of transplantation needed the new irrigation system because the reservoirs were generally built at the lower lands or plains. The dammed pools for irrigation(川防) was the only way to solve the problems to develop the method of transplantation in the valleys and mountain ranges because the dammed pool used to establish between the valleys blocking the creeks or streams to irrigate rice farming fields located at the both sides of valleys. The method of transplantation was spread out to the whole Kyeongsang Prov. after the problem of irrigation was solved out by building the dammed pools. The method of transplantation in the 16th century of Kyeongsang Prov. became more developed and delicately than the previous times. At this time the axis of agricultural structure was changed from dry field farming to rice farming. The system of rice farming centered by the method of transplantation of rice farming was settled firmly in the 16th century in Kyeongsang Prov. Afterward, the method of transplantation was spread out very rapidly to Jeonra Prov. until the mid-late 16th century, to Chungcheong Prov. until the early 17th century, and to Kyeonggi prov. until the mid-late 17th century. The method of transplantation was enlarged with maximum areas as long as geographic and climatic circumstances were allowed. The method of transplantation was sit very firmly in the center of agricultural structure until the mid-late 17th century from Kyeongsang Prov. to Kyeonggi Prov. Nongga Jipseong(農家集成) and Sallim Kyeongje(山林經濟) were the general agricultural manual book published to meet the needs of the times by the intellectuals in Kyeonggi Prov. in the mid-late 17th century.