조선후기 남한산성의 조영과 승군의 활용

Abstract

Examined in this article is how the construction of the Namhan Sanseong(南漢山城) fortress was discussed and proceeded since the war with the Japanese in the 1590s. Apparently the Buddhist army(Seung’gun, 僧軍) were mobilized in the construction and building of the fortress and the monastery, so also examined here is the organization of the Buddhist army for defense reasons, as well as the appointment of the Paldo Do-Chongseob(八道都摠攝, Supreme Leader of the entire Buddhist community) Commander. The Joseon government’s Buddhist policy, and the role of the Buddhist army in the latter half period of the dynasty, are importantly dealt with in this article. Because the Buddhist priests and believers hugely contributed to the war efforts during both the war with the Japanese in the 1590s and the war with the Jurchen Qing in the 1630s, which was also a time of change for the sino-centric East Asian order, the Joseon government changed its original stance to become quite tolerant and accommodating to the Buddhist order, and even incorporated the Buddhist population into the dynastic mobilization system(Seung’yeok, 僧役). The righteous Buddhist army, along with its actions during the war with the Japanese, was considerably instrumental in elevating the image of Buddhism and the society’s perception of it. It also later opened ways for the public usage of Buddhist people’s labor force, creating a new economic burden for the Buddhist community, but the licences and activities of the Buddhist priests were newly preserved and allowed, so it was a double-edged sword which also created a platform upon which the Buddhist population could enlarge and recreate itself. The mobilization of Buddhist labor force was also necessary as the government was experiencing workforce shortage in the aftermath of the two wars. The Buddhist army deployment, and the increased mobilization of Buddhist workforce in the Joseon dynasty’s latter half period, were more institutionalized during King Injo’s reign, as the Namhan Sanseong fortress being reconstructed, the Buddhist army personnel enlisted in its protection details, and also a renowned Buddhist priest known as Byeog’am Gakseong(碧巖覺性) was named as the Paldo Do-Chongseob figure. Since the war with the Japanese, Namhan Sanseong was considered to be very important as a barrier protecting the Han’yang capital, and from 1624 to 1626, the fortress was reinforced to defend the capital from the Hu-Geum(後金) threat. A lot of Buddhist army personnel were employed for the effort, and under the leadership of the Paldo Do-Chongseob commander, Buddhist troops remained residing at the Buddhist monastery inside the fortress, for security duties. This posture later served as a model for the Bukhan Sanseong(北漢山城) fortress. As we can see, the Buddhist army stationed and employed at Namhan Sanseong was indeed a symbol as well as an origin of the Joseon dynasty’s Buddhist policy that came about in its latter half, and began to use Buddhist army personnel while also acknowledging the Buddhist priests’ status.