조선 후기 宗簿寺 「提調」의 실태 및 운영체계 -장서각 소장 『宗簿寺提調先生案』을 중심으로-

Abstract

This paper analyzes the contents of Jongbusi jejo seonsaengan (Register of Commissioners at the Court of the Royal Clan, hereinafter “the Register”), which is kept at Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies, in order to examine the operation system of Jongbusi (Court of the Royal Clan) and the characteristics of its officials. During the early Joseon period, as the Court of the Royal Clan was in charge of monitoring any wrongful or illegal acts of the royal relatives, its dojejo (supreme commissioners) were appointed among the grand princes and princes, and jejo (assistant commissioners) were among the royal relatives and higher government officials. The requirements for these commissioners were not specified in the laws until the publication of Daejeon tongpyeon (Comprehensive National Code) during the reign of King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800). However, the Register shows that the commissioners were actually selected in accordance with the general practice agreed in the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418-1450), and this system continued until the late Joseon period. The family origin of the commissioners also shows several interesting aspects. First, some family clans monopolized the post of commissioners. Second, as the number of royal relatives sharply reduced in the late Joseon period, supreme commissioners were not appointed from the reign of King Sukjong (r. 1674-1720). Moreover, from the reign of King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776), assistant commissioners were appointed from general government officials, instead of from royal relatives. Third, there were considerable changes in the clans of commissioners between the early Joseon period and the late Joseon period. This transition is assumed to have been closely related to the reorganization of the Joseon society after the Imjin War in the late 16th century. Fourth, an increasing number of assistant commissioners were appointed from the relatives of queens, especially during the era of so-called in-law government. It was because the royal in-law families intended to gain the control over the Court of the Royal Clan, and consequently over the royal relatives, so that they could manipulate the political situation to their advantage. Lastly, the percentage of royal relatives who served assistant commissioners at the Court of the Royal Clan rapidly decreased in the late Joseon period, while most of the assistant commissioners were from the successful candidates of the higher civil service examinations. This change indicates that the authority and roles of the Court of the Royal Clan were reduced in the late Joseon period. Another important characteristic of assistant commissioners at the Court of the Royal Clan was that they were concurrently hold other official posts. The largest number of them were military officials. The second largest number of them were high-level officials of the Six Ministries – in particular, the officials on the promotional track. Most of them were from the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Punishment, probably due to the similarities between the duties. Last but not least, the Register recorded various reasons of dismissal along with the dismissal date. The largest number were disciplinary dismissals, and the majority of them were related to the factional strives during the reigns of King Yeongjo and Jeongjo.