Research On North Korean Envoys In The Post-Jin Tiancong Period

Tiancong of Houjin is a special period for the development of the relationships between Jin Dynasty and Korea,Ming Dynasty and Korea when Korea was forced to sign an allied treaty with Houjin after being defeated in the “First Manchu Invasion of Korea” and had to fulfill the agreement and regularly send envoys to pay tribute to Houjin.Although Korea and Houjin agreed to be “brothers” apparently,their diplomatic relations were in fact unequal and half-belonging.Houjin also attempted to cut off the contact between Ming Dynasty and Korea through this battle and got free from worries.However,Korea was a vassal state of Ming Dynasty and it had a deep emotion for Ming Dynasty for Ming's assistance in the invasion of Korea.In addition,affected by the “debate on Hua-Hi”,Korea had also seen itself a “little state” all along and during the battle of Houjin and Ming Dynasty,it still kept into contact with Ming Dynasty by overcoming the dangers and hardships of sending envoys by sea even though inconvenient in sending envoys by land,and adhered to the “toadyism and good-neighbor policy” under the force of Houjin with force until it completely became a vassal state of Qing Dynasty after the “Second Manchu invasion of Korea”.During the period,the relationships between Houjin and Korea were unstable with changes.By studying Korea's sending envoys to Ming Dynasty and to Houjin,its different diplomatic policies are compared,which is of positive significance to the later research on the changes in the subsidiary relations between Ming Dynasty and Korea during the period.As is known to all,Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK)has occupied an important position in Northeast Asia,as well as one key target the two sides fought for in the late stage of Ming Dynasty and Later Jin.By exploring and comparing the analyses upon sent-to behaviors from DPRK envoys,this paper further explored how DPKR handled with the relationship with Ming Dynasty and Later Jin in this period,as well as separately expounded what their attitudes towards Ming Dynasty and Later Jin are.And the total paper is composed of 3 parts.The 1st part summarized the historical background of sent-to behaviors of envoys in the period of Tiancong Dynasty of Later Jin was summarized,as well as analyzed the formations of relationship between Mingxian and Jinxian in different stages for further setting forth the background in following content.In the 2nd part,with combination of the existing historical materials,the behaviors that DPRK envoys were sent to the palaces of Ming Dynasty and Later Jin in the period of Tiancong of Later Jin were separately discussed.And starting from the classification of envoys,as well as the routes of envoys and specific contents,it turns out that such changes in the original purposes,routes and contents are of great significance,which could reflect the change in relationship between Mingxian and Jinxian to some extent.And the3 rd part further discussed the role DPRK Envoys have played in remaining good relationship between Mingxian and Jinxian,as well as the influences incurred after that.