A Study On The Event Of Gwanghaegun’s Jarlig-requesting In Joseon Dynasty

The fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty Gwanghaegun Li Hun,as the second concubine’s son of King Seonjo Li Yan, was appointed as the crown prince in the Twentieth Year of the Wanli. But because it did not comply with the patriarchal clan system,Ming Dynasty denied its identity.Even in the Thirty-sixth Year of the Wanli, after the death of King Seonjo,Ming Dynasty also refused to officially confer title of king on Gwanghaegun on one occasion.To request Ming Dynasty for conferring Gwanghaegun, Joseon had sent envoys to Ming Dynasty for seven times in sixteen years before they succeeded. This paper will explore the impact of Ming Dynasty’s interior on its diplomacy,Ming Dynasty’s highly thinking of Joseon, the following changes in Northeast Asia situation and Ming Dynasty’s expansion of cultural influence in the foreign as an important means of maintaining the entire East tributary system by detailing process of this event.The full paper is divided into four chapters except the preface:The first chapter,the first stage of Joseon’s requesting Ming Dynasty for confer title of crown prince on Gwanghaegun.Brief introduce the political situation of that time, and the process how Gwanghaegun was established as the crown prince in Joseon.Deal with background of the event. Twenty-second Year of the Wanli to Wanli Twenty-fourth Year was the first stage of the jarlig—requesting,then describe the process of negotiation in three times’ envoys sending successively during the three years. Joseon claimed that compared with his mediocre brother who had been feared to disease, Gwanghaegun,intelligent and talented, with numerous feats, was more qualified as a crown prince. But influenced by the” Competition for the crown prince”, Ming Dynasty adhered to the” respect for seniority”principle, refusing Joseon’s request.The second chapter, the first stage of Joseon’s requesting Ming Dynasty for confer title of crown prince on Gwanghaegun.The Thirty-first Year of the Wanli to the Thirty-second Year of the Wanli was the second stage of the jarlig—requesting.This chapter describes the process of negotiation in two times’ envoys sending successively. Although Joseon’s situation had been changed and Ming Dynasty was landed into party struggles, in consequence,both sides still adhere to the original point and position.As a result, Joseon’s requesting Ming Dynasty for confer title of crown was defeated.The Chapter third, Joseon requested Ming Dynasty for confer title of king on Gwanghaegun.In the Thirty-sixth Year of the Wanli,the King Seonjo died,and Gwanghaegun succeeded to the throne. Then he sent envoys to request Ming Dynasty for king- jarlig immediately. But Ming Dynasty was dissatisfied with Joseon’s act without authorization and contradictory statements, so that officials was sent to Joseon to investigate the details of the fact. On one hand, Joseon did its utmost to cope with Ming Dynasty’s fact- finding mission;on the other hand, more envoys was sent to Beijing for negotiation.Finally,Ming Dynasty agreed.In the Thirty-seventh Year of the Wanli, two envoys was sent to Joseon successively to gift a posthumous title to King Seonjo and conferred titles of king on Gwanghaegunking. The event of Gwanghaegun’s jarlig—requesting resulted in success.The fourth chapter, from the Event of Gwanghaegun’s jarlig—requesting to see the factors that influenced the relationship between Ming Dynasty and Joseon.The internal affairs that “Competition for the crown prince” and party struggles both caused a significant impact on the Gwanghaegun’s jarlig—requesting event.Turning down Joseon can be regarded as Ming Dynasty’s interior policies had extended to its diplomacy.Because of the jarlig—requesting, Gwanghaegun resented and feared Ming Dynasty.It directly affected the future policy of Joseon to deal with and later Jin and Ming Dynasty.In a sense, the Event of Gwanghaegun’s jarlig is the turning point to change the situation in Northeast Asia. Ming Dynasty’s repeatedly refused to confer title of crown prince on Gwanghaegun, the deeper reason is that Joseon had established a high level imitation of Ming Dynasty culture, so that the Ming Dynasty increased requirements on Joseon both in the aspects of politics and moral rite.The promotion of culture is actually an important means for Ming Dynasty to maintain the East Asian Tributary System.