The Study Of The Envoys Communication Between Ming Dynasty And Chosun Dynasty From Perspective Of Tributary

This thesis is a study under the perspective of Tributary. It takes the Ming dynasty and Chosun Dynasty envoy groups as object, based on the historical documents and materials of China and Korea, puts the envoy communication into the tributary diplomacy context, constructs and analysis the tributary through the envoy communication practice. It makes the tributary mode have both empirical and theoretical foundation. Envoy is the one who fulfills and maintain the tributary. The envoy’s speech and behavior of both sides is the most direct way which can show the tributary. Through the comparison of envoy’s identity, ranks, speech, education level, the thesis try to explain the“envoy culture”concept of Ming dynasty. Take the cultural recognition as link, they establish the tributary which lasts for 277 years, and extends great impact on the later generations. Especially the code of conduct, etiquette, cultural, and reception system, which are established in the envoys contacts are inherited and continued. The meaning of the study of the envoy communication not only can we get a general overview of the envoys of this period of time, but also hope to through the inquiry of the diplomatic method, diplomatic activities, and diplomatic concept, which are associated with their visiting, they provide experience and inspiration for today’s international exchanges and the exchanges among East Asian countries. The thesis is made of three parts: introduction, body, conclusion, and the body consist of six chapters:Chapter one: the establishment of tributary and envoys contacts. First, it introduces the conflicts between Ming, Gaoli and Chosun dynasty during the process of the establishment of tributary. It is after the establishment of Ming dynasty. Ming recognizes the Li Chenggui regime after the establishment of Chaosun dynasty, but do not confer a title upon him. Under such background, they started the envoy contacts. The Chosun dynasty sends envoys with the purpose of paying oblation and asking for conference. Until the third year of Jianwen, Ming confers title upon the King of Chosun, and then they set up the formal tributary.Chapter two: the envoy’s identity and the standard of selection. It will discuss the envoy identity and standard of selection of both sides. From documents and materials, we can conclude that envoy identity of Ming dynasty mainly are xingren(行人),Jishizhong (给事中),Hanlin(翰林),Eunuch(宦官). The envoy’s identity of Chosun dynasty mainly are officials above the third grade, royal clan, hero, officials from the six government administration, central government officials, and the officials who borrow titles from government. Concerning the standard of selection, Ming dynasty is mainly focus on the officials who are knowledgeable, familiar with Chosun custom and etiquette, with good personal image, and the officials who can well perform emperor’s order; while Chosun are mainly focus on knowledgeable, familiar with Chinese language, and officials with high rank.Chapter three: type and composition of envoys. The envoys of Ming are mainly of conference, imperial decree. Besides, there are envoys of largess, condolence, etc. The mission are made up of commissioner, vice commissioner, interpreter and other followers. The envoys of Chosun are classified as regular, irregular, and mixed. The mission are made of commissioner, vice commissioner, secretary, interpreter, military official and servants, etc.Chapter four: the preparation and route of the mission. It mainly introduces the preparation before their departure. Ming envoys should accept emperor summon. The emperor will issue the pragmatic sanction, authorize the mission, ask them to well perform the mission. While sending lower rank officials as the envoys, they should meet the demand through the way of“borrow title”. Besides, the envoys should prepare accompanying belongs, which include Datong(大统)Calendar, seals, crown costume, and documents that can prove envoy’s identity etc. Before the departure, Chosun envoys also need to be summoned by the king, get the largess, accept the diplomatic documents, hold an report ceremony, and pack the seals etc. The envoys contacts are mainly by land and sea. During and after Ming dynasty, they mainly focus on sea, while in other time, they went by land.Chapter five: the reception system for envoys. Ming receives the envoys mainly in Beijing. As soon as the Chosun envoys arrive east Liao(辽东), the administration will send officials to protect them until they arrive Beijing Huitong Hote(l会同馆). Then the officials from Board of Rites and Ceremonies will admit the envoys, and there will be a welcoming feast in the Huitong Hotel (when they get back, there will be another feast for farewell). They will check the seals, receive the documents from Chosun. At the same time, they should provide the schedule for the envoys, and supervise the marketing and exchanges in the Huitong Hotel. Honglusi(鸿胪寺) bunch will teach the ceremony about how to behave in front of emperor. Then they will take the largess from Ming and get back to Chosun. The reception ceremony procedure can be divided into abroad, internal, external and other kinds when Chosun welcoming the Ming envoys. Before Ming envoys arrive at Yizhou(义州), Chosun will send ambassadors to Yizhou and prepare for the coming of Ming mission. When the Ming envoys get Yizhou, Chosun will continue to send ambassadors to welcome them until they are on the Chosun territory. Before Ming envoys get capital, there will be grand ceremonies in five cities, which are held separately. Administration officials, local governors, army, and the general citizens will all be involved in the ceremony. When they arrive at the suburb, the king himself will come out of town to welcome them, and hold the grand ceremony for welcoming the edict. Then the Ming envoys live in Taiping Hotel(太平 馆), and during their stay in Chosun, they will receive the king’s summon, and take part in the feast activities of government and administrations. During the process of welcoming, reward gifts to the king, and accept the gifts and other things from Chosun. When they finish the mission, the king will arrange the feast in Taiping Hotel, and then the envoys get back.Chapter six: envoys’communication activities. Chosun envoys come to Ming are mainly for trade, cultural exchange, and tourist etc. About the marketing activities, it will introduce this unfamiliar forbidding trade form which the Chosun envoys involved in. It will discuss the forbidding trade from the perspective of definition, the participants, and the bans. Then it analysis the profound reasons about why it is so popular in the Chosun mission activities in Ming dynasty. When Ming envoys go to Chosun, the activities involve eununch’s private trade and importunity, official cultural exchange, tourist etc. It comments the two totally different types of communication between eunuch and officials. Then it points out that the sending of different types of envoys reflects the change and direction of China-Korea relationship. And from the expression of political opinion, we can also see these two envoy groups represent two types of envoy culture. In the part of tourist, it introduces the Ming envoy’s visiting place, Chosun’s arrangement, and the cultural communication during the tour.The last part is the conclusion. After the study of the above chapters, we can get a clearer recognition about the tributary between China and Korea, and then we can analysis the profound reason of the maintenance of this relationship. The traditional impact, centralism, and the attractiveness of the Han culture of the empirical China are the historical traditional factors why Chosun wants to set up the tributary with Ming. The measurement of profit is the realistic reason why Chosun sends envoys to ask for and at last set up the tributary. Chosun likes to take himself as“mini-China”, and this priority feeling is also an important factor for the establishment of tributary. Besides, the tributary in Ming and the later Qing dynasty has distinctive characteristic of eastern Asia. Based on the analysis of envoy groups’diplomatic experience, concept, moral and behavior standard, inspiration, value, this thesis try to construct of“Envoy Culture”of Ming dynasty. Under the vision of envoy communication, this thesis tries to clarify the“Three-dimensional Diplomacy”mode between China and Korea.