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Zhenfan Commandery

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Zhenfan Commandery
Chinese name
Chinese真番郡
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhēnfān Jùn
Korean name
Hangul진번군
Hanja真番郡
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationJinbeon-gun
McCune–ReischauerChinpŏn-kun
Four Commanderies of Han with Jin in 106 BC. Zhenfan is colored as purple in this map.
Zhenfan Commandery

Zhenfan Commandery (Korean: 진번군; Hanja: 真番郡) was an one of the remnants of the Four Commanderies, which was a colony set in the northern Korean Peninsula by the Han China between 108 BC and 82 BC.

Name

In Weilüe, a brief history of Wei, Wiman Joseon is described as a dependency (Hanja:朝鮮貢蕃). There are two stories about this name. The one means Joseon’s dependency (The country which subject to Joseon). And the other is that two name of places are written together (Joseon and Gongfan Hanja:貢蕃). In latter story, further stories have been discussed. There is story that Gong (Hanja:貢) is the wrong way of writing Zhen (Hanja:真). And also Gongfan (Hanja:貢蕃) is the correct way of writing and Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) is wrong. In analysis of Records of the Grand Historian, there is a description of Zhenfan (Hanja:真藩) and Chinese character of Fan (Hanja:番) was originally Fan (Hanja:藩). In interpretation of records of the Grand Historian (Hanja:史記集解), it is known that Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) is written as Zhenmo (Hanja:真莫). According to Sanjiro Ichimura (ja:市村瓚次郎: Professor at Tokyo University), a historian of Asia, Zhen (Hanja:真) is same as Chen (Hanja:辰) and the pronunciation of Fan (Hanja:番) is close to Bang (Hanja:邦), so in his opinion, Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) is same to Chenbang (Hanja:辰邦), therefore it is same as Jin. However, according to Shin Chaeho, Korean nationalist historian, put the theory of Zhenmo (Hanja:真莫) forward. According to his theory, it originally come from Zhenfanmo (Hanja:真番莫) or Zhenmofan (Hanja:真莫番) and Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) was shortened description. In his theory, Zhen (Hanja:真)・Fan (Hanja:番)・Mo (Hanja:莫) refers to Jinhan, Byeonhan and Mahan.

History

In BC 108, Zhenfan Commandery was established under Youzhou by Han dynasty. This Commandery was formed by 15 prefectures and Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture, the main office of Zhenfan Commandery, was 30,000 km far from Chang’an.[1] Its territorial jurisdiction is still unknown since there are some stories for this. In BC82, Zhenfan Commandery was abolished.

Controversy

There are two theories for location of Zhenfan Commandery. The one is north and the other is south. In the academic community, the theory of south is advantageous. However, there are also some stories such as Zhenfan Commandery was in Gyeongsang Province, Chungcheong Province or south part of Korea which include Gyeongsang Province and Jeolla Province. Yukio Takeda (ja:武田幸男: Professor at Tokyo University), a Japanese historian quoted name of fish from Shuowen Jiezi. According to his theory, there is a description that those fishes were caught in country of Lelangpang (Hanja:楽浪潘) which is same to Zhenfan. He insists this description indicate that Zhenfan was home of fishing industry. Therefore, the theory of south is natural because it is a coastal area close to Lelang. In this theory, there are also discussion of whether the west or east coast. However, there is not an exact historical evidence to prove it.[2]

Theory of North

This is the theory mainly discussed by quoting interpretation of Records of the Grand Historian and Chinese character Zhen (Hanja:真) have close relationship with Shen (Hanja:慎) from Sushen (Hanja:粛慎). In this theory, Zhenfan Commandery was not in south part of Korea, but in north part of it. If we discuss about this theory, almost all land of Samhan was not annexed to Han dynasty. During mid Joseon period, the movement of anti-Qing sentiment have raised and this theory have raised by Jeong Geuksun (Korean: 정극순; Hanja: 鄭克俊) and Ri Ik (Korean: 리익; Hanja: 李翼). They have briefly put those considerations into Prose of Eastern Literature (Hanja:東国文献備考) together. After that Japanese historian Michiyo Naka (fr:Naka Michiyo) and Kurakichi Shiratori (fr:Kurakichi Shiratori) deepened this theory and advocated that Zhenfan Commandery was located at Xuantu Commandery, where was a border area of China and Korea. In this theory, the location of Xuantu Commandery was only at the area beside Sea of Japan which was in Hamgyeong Province. In BC 82, Zhenfan Commandery was not abolished but renamed as Xuantu Commandery and former Xuantu Commandery was abolished. This theory is now completely denied and is not supported in either academic community of Japan, China, or South Korea.

Theory of South

Theory of Southwest

This theory is mainly advocated by Yang Shoujing (zh:楊守敬), Naitō Torajirō and Iwakichi Inaba (fr:Inaba Iwakichi) . In this theory Zhenfan Commandery was located at Chungcheong Province. In old days, this theory was discussed as an objection of theory of south in above. According to Sanjiro Ichikawa, Zhen (Hanja:真) is same as Chen (Hanja:辰) and pronunciation of Fan (Hanja:番) is close to Bang (Hanja:邦) therefore Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) is same as Chenbang (Hanja:辰邦). Chenbang (Hanja:辰邦) is Jin. Based on this discussion, Ryu Imanishi (ko:이마니시 류) picked few locations which has pronunciation of Xin or Zhen in its name and identified that Jin was located at Geum River area. Zhenfan Commandery covers Chungcheong Province Jeolla Province, more than that Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture was also located at Geum-gang area. This theory has become a common theory in Japan as it was adopted in the history book of high school for many years. In this theory, Gyeongsang Province was not annexed to Han dynasty.

Theory of Southeast

In this theory, Lintun Commandery is current Gangwon and Zhenfan Commandery was located at Gyeongsang Province. In this theory, it is said that Zhen (Hanja:真) of Zhenfan (Hanja:真番) is related to later Jinhan. Also Fan (Hanja:番) is related to Byeonhan. Main office Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture is in current Pohang city in North Gyeongsang Province. One of the strength of this theory is that the location of Zha (Hanja:霅) in Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture can be compared to old place name and it has similar pronunciation. There are two stories in this theory. According to Yi Pyong-do, there are many cases where the place name in Korea is extended to two characters by recursion method (Fanqie). In terms of estimated sound of Chinese character, in both Old Chinese and Middle Chinese Zhida (Hanja:只沓) which is Zhida (Hanja:只沓) prefecture in Silla is fanqie of Zha (Hanja:霅). Later on, Zhida (Hanja:只沓) renamed as Qili (Hanja:鬐立) prefecture and also as Zhangqi (Hanja:長鬐) prefecture. The location of Zhida (Hanja:只沓) is current Zhangqi (Hanja:長鬐), Nam-gu, Pohang, Pohang city, North Gyeongsang Province. In the other theory, the location was in Heunhaeap (Korean: 흔해압; Hanja: 興海邑), Buk-gu, Pohang, Pohang city, North Gyeongsang Province. In the period of Silla, this area was called Toehwa (Korean: 퇴화; Hanja: 退火) county, Chinese pronunciation of Tui (Hanja:退) and Zha (Hanja:霅) is not exactly the same, however there are some kind of similarities in Old Chinese and Middle Chinese. According to Noritake Ohara, the location of Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture was in Sinseongri (Korean: 신성리; Hanja: 新城里), Okgang (Korean: 옥강; Hanja: 玉江), Heunhaeap (Korean: 흔해압; Hanja: 興海邑). This assumption was based on the description of lands and location in Maolingshu (Hanja:茂陵書). He explains that pronunciation of Zha (Hanja:霅) as “Sab” and identify the location. Korean pronunciation of Sin (Korean: 신; Hanja: 新) from Sinsheongri (Korean: 신성리; Hanja: 新城里) and Sab (Korean: 삽; Hanja: 霅) is similar and if Sinseongri (Korean: 신성리; Hanja: 新城里) was originally Sinseongri (Korean: 신성리; Hanja: 薪城里), the pronunciation of Sin (Korean: 신; Hanja: 薪) should be same as Sab (Korean: 삽; Hanja: 霅). In this theory, some Mahan area such as Chungcheong Province and Jeolla Province are not included in Zhenhan Commandery. However, in Records of the Three Kingdoms, compared with Mahan which is told in a moral impression, Jinhan and Byeonhan has influence of urban civilization. And it explains those two lands were old land of Zhenhan Commandery. In this theory, land of Mahan was not annexed to Han Dynasty.

Theory of Central

Yi Pyong-do defines the area of Zhenhan Commandery was south part of Lelang Commandery and Gyeonggi Province. In his theory, Chaeryong river which north border touches Lelang Commandery, east touches to Lintun Commandery, south touches to Jinhan and west touches to Yellow Sea. Those areas are corresponding to current South Hwanghae Province, North Hwanghae Province and Gyeonggi Province. This theory might be interpreted as overlapping the land of south Lelang Commandery, but in Ri Byeongdo (Korean: 리병도; Hanja: 李丙燾)’s theory, he insists those 7 prefectures (Daifang Hanja:帯方, Liekou Hanja:列口, Zhangcen Hanja:長岑, Zhaoming Hanja:昭明, Hanzi Hanja:含資, Tixi Hanja:提奚, Haiming Hanja:海冥) in Lelang Commandery have been merged to Zhenhan Commandery even before BC 82. And rest of 8 prefectures of Zhenhan Commandery was merged to Jin or Mahan. In his theory, Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture should be in current Gyeonggi Province, or Seoul.

In this theory, almost all land of Samhan was not annexed to Han dynasty. Even though this theory is advocated by Korean people, in China, this theory is adopted to The Historical Atlas of China and commonly believed. In Japan, Hideo Inoue (ja:井上秀雄: Professor at Tohoku University) supports his theory. In the case of this theory, the location of Zhenfan Commandery is too far in the north and the distance does not match the description of the other historical evidence at all.

Theory of South

This theory insists the location of Zhenhan Commandery covers South part of Korean peninsula except for Lintun and Lelang Commandery. In this theory, Four Commandaries of Han covers all area of Korean peninsula. Based on the theory above such as Zhenhan was originally Zhenfanmo (Hanja:真番莫) or Zhenmofan (Hanja:真莫番), and Zhen is later Jinhan and Fan is Byeonhan, Mo will be later Mahan. It can be identified that Zhenhanmo County or Zhenmofan County covers all land of Samhan. Also, in Book of the Later Han, the land of Jin is same as Samhan and according to Sanjiro Ichimura, Jin = Chenban (Hanja:辰邦) = Zhenfan, same result can be lead even without using the theory of “Zhenfanmo (Hanja:真番莫)・Zhenmofan (Hanja:真莫番)”. In Hidehiro Okada’s (zh:岡田英弘) “Wakoku” and other books, he also mentions the location of Four Commandaries of Han. According to his books, Zhenhan Commandery reached to South coast of both Gyeongsang Province and Jeolla Province and the location of Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture was in Pusan, South Gyeongsang Province. According to analysis of Records of the Grand Historian (zh:史記索隱), there is an area called Yuzhang (Hanja:雲鄣) in Lelang County, in Jiyun, there is an area called Zhayangzhang (Hanja:霅陽鄣) and those two areas are regarded as the same area. Hidehiro Okada says that both name have same Chinese character Zha (Hanja:霅) and identified Nakdong River was used to called as Zhashui (Hanja:霅水). Zhayangzhang (Hanja:霅陽鄣) was in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. Zha (Hanja:霅) prefecture was in the downstream of Nakdong River (=Zhashui Hanja:霅水) which is current Pusan.

Other theories

During the period of Joseon, there are some other theories such as at current Pyongsan County or Chuncheon. The former theory is the oldest theory, but it is led by misreading of historical evidence. Latter theory is advocated by Han Maekgyeom (Korean: 한맥겸; Hanja: 韓百謙) and it was almost same time as the theory of North have been raised. Both of theory have been denied soon after the introduction of modern historical science.

Revisionism

In the North Korean academic community and some part of South Korean academic community, the fact of annexation of Korean peninsula by Han dynasty have been denied and they claimed that Four Commandaries of Han was actually existed outside of Korean peninsula. It is believed that Four Commandaries were in Liaodong Commandery. In this theory, the location of Zhenfan Commandery is almost same as the east part of Liaodong Commandery.

These denials are common theory in the academic community of North Korea and also supported by some historical academic community (amateur historical enthusiast), but this theory is not recognized at all in the academic community of the United States, China and Japan.[note 1]

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    • United States Congress (2016). North Korea: A Country Study. Nova Science Publishers. p. 6. ISBN 978-1590334430.
    "Han Chinese built four commanderies, or local military units, to rule the peninsula as far south as the Han River, with a core area at Lolang (Nangnang in Korean), near present-day P'yongyang. It is illustrative of the relentlessly different historiography practiced in North Korea and South Korea, as well as both countries' dubious projection backward of Korean nationalism, that North Korean historians denied that the Lolang district was centered in Korea and placed it northwest of the peninsula, possibly near Beijing."
    • Connor, Edgar V. (2003). Korea: Current Issues and Historical Background. Nova Science Publishers. p. 112. ISBN 978-1590334430.
    "They place it northwest of the peninsula, possibly near Beijing, in order to de- emphasize China's influence on ancient Korean history."
    "Immediately after destroying Wiman Chosŏn, the Han empire established administrative units to rule large territories in the northern Korean peninsula and southern Manchuria."
    "But when Emperor Wu conquered Choson, all the small barbarian tribes in the northeastern region were incorporated into the established Han commanderies because of the overwhelming military might of Han China."
    "Despite recent suggestions by North Korean scholars that Lelang was not a Chinese commandery, the traditional view will be adhered to here. Lelang was one of four commanderies newly instituted by the Han Dynasty in 108 BC in the former region of Chaoxian. Of these four commanderies, only two (Lelang and Xuantu) survived successive reorganizations; and it seems that even these had their headquarters relocated once or twice."
    • Ch'oe, Yŏng-ho (May 1981), "Reinterpreting Traditional History in North Korea", The Journal of Asian Studies, 40 (3): 509, doi:10.2307/2054553.
    "North Korean scholars, however, admit that a small number of items in these tombs resemble those found in the archaeological sites of Han China. These items, they insist, must have been introduced into Korea through trade or other international contacts and "should not by any means be construed as a basis to deny the Korean characteristics of the artifacts" found in the P'yongyang area."
    "Chinese forces subsequently conquered the eastern half of the peninsula and made lolang, near modern Pyongyang, the chief base for Chinese rule. Chinese sources recall how China used not only military force but also assassination and divide-and-conquer tactics to subdue Chosŏn and divide the territory into four commanderies."
    "The way of life maintained by the elite at the capital in the P'yongyang area, which is known from the tombs and scattered archaeological remains, evinces a prosperous, refined, and very Chinese culture."
    "The Chinese, having conquered Choson, set up four administrative units called commanderies. The Lelang commandery was located along the Ch'ongch'on and Taedong rivers from the coast to the interior highlands. Three other commanderies were organized: Xuantu, Lintun, and Zhenfan. Lintun and originally Xuantu were centered on the east coast of northern Korea. Zhenfan was probably located in the region south of Lelang, although there is some uncertainty about this. After Emperor Wu's death in 87 BCE a retrenchment began under his successor, Emperor Chao (87-74 BCE). In 82 BCE Lintun was merged into Xuantu, and Zhenfan into Lelang. Around 75 BCE Xuantu was relocated most probably in the Tonghua region of Manchuria and parts of old Lintun merged into Lelang. Later a Daifang commandery was created south of Lelang in what was later Hwanghae Province in northern Korea. Lelang was the more populous and prosperous outpost of Chinese civilization."
    "Han China resumes its effort to subdue Korea, launching two military expeditions that bring much of the peninsula under Chinese control; it sets up four commanderies in conquered Korea."
    • Mark E Byington, Project Director of the Early Korea Project (2009). Early Korea 2: The Samhan Period in Korean History. Korea Institute, Harvard University. p. 172. ISBN 978-0979580031.
    "The latter, associated with Han China, are important, as their discovery permits us to infer the existence of relations between the Han commanderies and the Samhan societies."
    "The Wei Ji (compiled 233–97) places the Yemaek in the Korean peninsula at the time of the Han commanderies in the first century BC, giving them a specifically Korean identity at least by that time."
    "In 108 B.C. most of the Korean peninsula was divided into four Han commanderies, the most important of which was Lelang."
    "Northeastwards Emperor Wu's forces conquered northern Korea in 108 b.c. and established four command headquarters there."
    "Nangnang commandery centered around Pyeong'yang was established when Emperor Wu of Han China attacked Gojoseon in 108 BC and was under the rule of Wei from 238. Wei is the country that destroyed the Later Han dynasty."
    • Armstrong, Charles K. (1995), "Centering the Periphery: Manchurian Exile(s) and the North Korean State", Korean Studies, 19, University of Hawaii Press: 12, doi:10.1353/ks.1995.0017
    "North Korean historiography from the 1970s onward has stressed the unique, even sui generis, nature of Korean civilization going back to Old Chosön, whose capital, Wanggömsöng, is now located in the Liao River basin in Manchuria rather than near Pyongyang. Nangnang, then, was not a Chinese commandery but a Korean kingdom, based in the area of Pyongyang."
    "108 BC: Han armies invade Wiman Choson; Chinese commanderies are set up across the north of the peninsula"
    "The Chinese commanderies did not extend to the southern half of the peninsula, stretching perhaps as far south as the Han river at the greatest extent, but they did reach the northeast coast."
    "He then divided the country into military districts, of which the most important was that of Lolang, or Laklang, with headquarters near the modern Pyongyang. Tomb excavations in this area have produced much evidence of the influence of Han civilization in northern Korea."
    "Under Emperor Wu-ti, Han China extended her influence into Korea, and in 108 B.C., the peninsula became a part of the Chinese Empire, with four dependent provinces under the Chinese charge."
    "In southern Manchuria, and northern and central Korea, the Chinese established four commanderies, which were subdivided into prefectures."
    "The Han dynasty created four outposts in Korea to control that portion of its border."
    "In the corridor between the peninsula and northeast China, the Chinese Han dynasty established four “commanderies” that ruled over parts of the peninsula and Manchuria, much as modern imperial powers governed their colonies."
    • Eckert, Carter J. (1991). Korea Old and New: A History. Ilchokak Publishers. p. 13. ISBN 978-0962771309.
    "The territorial extent of the Four Chinese Commanderies seems to have been limited to the area north of the Han River."

References

  1. ^ 茂陵書 "真番郡治霅縣，去長安七千六百四十里，十五縣。"
  2. ^ Takeda, Yukio (1997), 世界の歴史6 [World History 6], Chuokoron-Shinsha p272 Template:Ja icon

Bibliography

  • 譚其驤等『中國歷史地圖集』北京・中国地图出版社、1974年
  • 周振鶴『西漢政區地理』北京・人民出版社、1987年
  • 李曉傑『東漢政區地理』濟南：山東教育出版社、1999年
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