고려시대 주현 사직단 미설치와 지방 통치 전략: 지방 신앙과 의례를 통한 통치와 사회적 결속

Abstract

This study examines the reasons why the Goryeo dynasty did not establish state altars(Sajikdan) in provincial administrative regions(Juhyeon, 州縣), attributing it to the unique political and social environment of the period. Instead, the Goryeo dynasty adopted an alternative ritual system suited to local realities and maintained centralized control. While the Goryeo government implemented T`ang-style dynastic rituals practices, dynastic altars were limited to the capital and not extended to provincial regions. This approach aligned with the realities of the provincial administrative system represented by the Ju-Hyeon(主縣) and Sok-Hyeon(屬縣) structures, utilizing local beliefs such as mountain and river ritual (belief in Mautain and River), Seonghwang(城隍) Ritual, and Buddhist temples as ritual tools for governance. The Goryeo dynasty promoted social cohesion and governance in provincial communities by conducting rituals at provincial shrines(祀廟) and Buddhist temples(資福寺). The absence of dynastic altars was not merely a ritual omission but a deliberate governance strategy that connected central and local administration through ritual control based on autonomous local belief systems. In particular, local beliefs in revered mountains and rivers(名山大川) and Buddhist rituals compensated for the absence of state altars, serving significant political and social functions by stabilizing local societies and strengthening communal bonds. This study highlights how the interaction between local beliefs and the central governance system in Goryeo utilized T`ang-style dynastic rituals not simply as Confucian traditions but as instruments of statecraft. Future research should go beyond examining the absence of state altars to explore the concrete interactions between local beliefs and central governance. Further analysis is also needed on how provincial rituals contributed to dynastic unification and political identity. This will provide deeper insights into the unique characteristics and political significance of local society in the Goryeo dynasty.