The Yangban Family and Patriarchy - Essay Example

The Yangban Family and Patriarchy Every history is unique because of the uniqueness of each culture that creates it. However, since all humans share some common characteristics and desires, there exists a sense of belongingness despite the differences. Knowing one’s history is like opening and discovering things that would either surprise you and be proud of it or be ashamed of it. Whatever discoveries there will be, it is always the best decision to face the truth about our past in order to understand the present and be able to be guided to the right direction that our country should follow. An interesting part of the Korean history is a group of people who adhere to moral and spiritual standards called the Yangban. These people did not only get themselves involved in the religious affairs of the society but were also able to put into practice their beliefs by getting involved in political matters, particularly in leadership. It is worthwhile to study this group and learn from their experience. There are a number of important things we can gain from knowing how they came to be and how they eventually lose control of themselves and their ideals. The New World Encyclopedia gives a brief yet concise definition of the Yangban.1 The Yangban were a well-educated scholarly class of male Confucian scholars who were part of the ruling elite in Korea prior to 1945 and during the Republic period of Korean history. Yangban literally means "both classes." It refers to the two classes that consist of: munban or the literary class, and muban or the martial class. The yangban were the ones responsible for maintaining Confucian standards and elevating the morality of the society.2 According to sources, the yangban tradition of a close network based on education, teachers, family background, and city of origin, had been a major part of the Korean ruling class of both the North and the South Korea. Contrary to the way things used to be, at present, the yangban no longer enjoy nor possess the same advantage and privilege in the government. However, until the present time many Koreans still boast of having a yangban ancestor.3 Being associated with this class brings a sense of pride and belongingness that seems to elevate one’s self-image amid the devastating effects of current trends and practices. This ancestry can be traced through the Chokbo, the Korean equivalent of a family tree which is passed down in each family through the eldest son. This is passed on from generation to generation. Yangban connotes a high and dignified class status, even in the absence of wealth, comparable with the Sangnom class rather than with the educated middle and servant classes. Today, descendants of members of the yangban are still proud of their connection to the yangban class of the past.4 Belonging to this class makes a person above the others despite material wealth. They are higher than the others because they are educated and they hold a high standard of morality. Family and relational factors are shown to be important in the Korean culture as seen in this part of their history. With the coming of inevitable change, the term “yangban” has eventually evolved to a general term and a title of honor. This must be one of the very reasons why individuals and families that have descendants of this type take pride in it.5 So what are the ethical standards that the yangban is anchored to? What makes this group so unique and highly honored in their time? It was Zhu Xi’s philosophy that man should partake of both knowledge and its practice that has become the guiding principle of the Yangban. This same philosophy even influenced Japanese scholars and the basic educational principles of Japan in the Meiji era.6 This belief in the present-day term could be synonymous to “Practice what you preach.” It is to do what you learn and put into action what you believe in. The Yangban were then perceived as political conservatives. Along with Confucian ethics and morality that apply directly to the secular world, the Yangban thrived. Virtue, power and fortune are regarded as an inseparable trinity, and a combination of these three was considered the ideal state of the yangban. There is an inherent conflict, however, between the possession of virtue and the possession of wealth. Eventually a movement to regain virtue developed and expanded among the Confucian elite. For example, Yangban landlords who rendered distinguished services to King Sejo of Joseon at around 1455 fought against a group of sadaebu. However, when King Seonjo ruled Korea between 1567 and 1608, he included many sadaebu in his government.7 The yangban system was relatively free of corruption during the earlier part of the Dynasty. However, after the Seven-Year War, the system collapsed along with the economy. In addition to stipend granted to them from civil service duties, the yangban often received bribes and other illegal forms of payment in exchange for positions in the Royal Courts and the Military. Often, corrupt yangban also confiscated land from the peasants by imposing ridiculously large taxes on the land and then seizing the land when they could not pay.8 So what went wrong along the way? Where did the yangban fail to incorporate virtue in their activities? What factors could have contributed to this decline? There may be a lot of things to consider. One is carelessness. When a person begins to be so used to the way things are; when one becomes complacent and unmindful of impending tests and possible harm, then things will eventually go downward. Another point is the lack of consistency in their practice as well as their philosophy. When one is unable to maintain a strict compliance to the standards of the group; when one entertains other beliefs aside from one’s own ethical teachings, then adulteration will enter. Moreover, when there is selfishness in place of group interest in mind, chaos will take place. There is always a conflict between self-interest and common good. Another point is intermarriages, a mixture of other beliefs and cultures may bring negative results. As history continues, yangban later on spread out through intermarriage. The Yi Dynasty had a strict hierarchical class system composed generally of four classes: Yangban, chungin (intermediate class), sangmin (ordinary people) and ch’onmin (lowest people). “Chunhyangga,” a popular traditional Korean legend which embodies Confucian ideals, tells the story of the love between Chunhyang, a woman of the lowest class whose mother was from the family of an officer (gisaeng), and Mongryong, the son of a yangban who was a governor in the region. They married secretly, but Mongryong, being the son of a governor, was obliged to go to Seoul when his father was transferred there, and to study to become a governmental officer. He promised to Chunhyang that he would come back to her. Unfortunately, a new governor in the region was attracted to Chunhyang, but she rejected him because of her love for Mongryoung. Chunhyang was then imprisoned and tortured because of the insult she made on the new governor’s proposal. Meanwhile in Seoul, Mongryoung passed the national civil service examinations and was appointed as a high-ranking officer and an undercover royal inspector. Upon hearing of Chunhyang’s plight, Mongryoung came back disguised as a mendicant. Just one day before Chunhyang’s execution, Mongryoung appeared as a mendicant at the birthday party of the new governor, and in his capacity as an official undercover inspector, exposed the wrongdoings of the new governor. Afterwards, he then married Chunhyang in spite of the difference in their social status.9 This event for sure is just one of the many intermarriages that followed. Pertaining to the cultural life of the Yangban, they were expected to hold public office, follow the Confucian tradition of study and self-cultivation, and help elevate the moral standards of Chosôn society. They enjoyed many privileges as an elite class, and sought to preserve their status and exclusivity; for example, by marrying only other members of the yangban class. Within the yangban there were also numerous hierarchical distinctions which were strictly observed. Toward the end of the Chosôn dynasty, yangban society began to disintegrate because of the grievances and complaints of large numbers of discontented or "fallen" yangban, especially those residing outside of the capital city of Hanyang (Seoul).10 The house has been divided into different pieces through these. Moreover, a defining characteristic of the Chosôn yangban was their knowledge of the Confucian classics and Neo-Confucian thought. Numerous writings by members of the yangban class, in classical Chinese, provide details about the ancient and contemporary texts they studied; the discussions which they carried on among themselves; their new ideas and the ways in which they developed government policies. In addition to the written documents, some of the objects most associated with the cultural life of the yangban are writing instruments, such as beautiful porcelain or wooden brush holders and porcelain water droppers, ink stones, brushes and paper. These were displayed, along with refined wooden furniture, in the sarangbang, which functioned as both a study and receiving room and was the most important room in the male quarters of the typical elite Confucian house, which was divided into male and female areas.11 Further, the yangban considered themselves custodians of proper Confucian morality, and practiced rigorous observance of Confucian rites, particularly the capping, weddings, funerals, and ancestor worship. Different degrees of ceremony were observed depending on social class and whether the rites were private or official. Objects such as ancestor portraits or porcelain ritual vessels which were used by the court of yangban in these rites are valued today both for their artistic beauty and for the principles they represent.12 Many yangban were accomplished artists, practicing calligraphy and ink painting, the disciplines which were traditionally considered most appropriate for Confucian scholars. The most popular were ink monochrome paintings of bamboo, orchid, plum blossom, and chrysanthemum, which were originally associated with the four seasons and came to represent the Confucian scholar. In the latter half of the Chosôn dynasty, new and innovative modes of painting developed, including the "true-view" (chingyông) landscape and works incorporating Western techniques. The leisure activities of the yangban were prominently captured in genre painting, which flourished during the eighteenth century.13 In addition, the yangban class, acting in concert, had the power to interfere with the monarchial administration and decision-making procedures.  Under Confucian precepts, the bureaucracy was to act as the agent of the monarchs will, since the monarch had a vested interest in benevolent rule.  The monarch in turn had to heed the advice of the Confucian scholars.  In this connection, the Office of Royal Lecturers and the Office of State Councilors (Uijongbu) were of prime importance.  Below this were the six boards of administration - civil appointment, taxation, rites, military, punishment and public works - the principal government organizations in the capital.  In provincial areas administrative divisions and magistrates under provincial governors carried out local administration.14 The Censorate Offices submitted memorials and remonstrance to the monarch and had the authority to ratify and rectify the monarchs appointment of officials and his renovative decrees.  The court historians, who were to record daily happenings in the court and make verbatim records of the royal conversation, were empowered to criticize the monarch and keep him under close surveillance.15 To sum it all up, the Yangban is a class of people who are both experts in the literal and martial ways. Though intensive study and learning, they are able to master the intellectual and moral requirements of an ideal person and a leader. They succeeded for some time because they were faithful to their beliefs and practices. However, they eventually lost their grandeur and prestige because they have allowed negative things to subtly get incorporated in their midst. Instead of purity of motives and ethical morals, they have been carried away by self-interest leading to corruption. The main culprit here may be the war that brought in poverty and discontent. A loosening of the grips on the ideals of the group really brought in decline. They became enemies among themselves and destroyed each other in the process. What started to be an ideal leadership and way of life, ended in defeat of standards and values. In the overall picture however, it is interesting indeed. That Korea has this golden part of this history where ideal standards were the basis of leadership cannot be taken for granted. Had it not been for the weaknesses and human errors of some Yangban leaders that adulterated their initial standards, Korea could have risen above other countries in Asia and all over the world for a long period of time and could have extended to the present. There is wisdom in the knowledge that a country can achieve excellence and prosperity by merging Church and State together. The State must be ruled with wisdom and knowledge that is gained through intellectual development coupled with the moral values that guide the leaders to live pure and blameless lives free of corruption and self-interest. The Church serves as the watchdog against corrupt and scheming leaders. With the presence of this “Censorate,” the political leaders become more cautious and careful in the way they behave and in the way they administer their duties. The leaders should also be learned individuals who are trained in all aspects of human life. They should be intellectually mature and ready, emotionally stable and pure, morally upright and controlled, as well as physically fit and trained. This part of history gives the readers and students of culture and history a sense of an idea that this is a kind of leadership that every developing country should have. There should not be a clash between the Church and the State as what is usually happening in the present political systems but instead a symbiotic relationship that brings equilibrium and stability due to joint efforts of every sector of the society. This ideas presented in this paper may sound too idealistic but we can always learn from our past. We emulate their good deeds and decisions and we avoid their mistakes. Actually, the present generation is more fortunate because we have a lot to learn from our past. We can always have models to follow and we can present a better picture of what life should be and how things should become. A study of the Yangban has indeed broadened my knowledge and made me realize how important history is to students like me. Works Cited Deuchler, Martina. The Confucian Transformation of Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series). Harvard University Asia Center, 1995. Early Choson Period: State Structure. 30 March 2010. Eckert, Carter; Ki-Baik Lee, Young Lew, Michael Robinson, and Edward W. Wagner. Korea Old and New: A History. Harvard Korea Institute, 1991. History of Korea. Early Joseon Period – Monarchy Versus Yangban. 30March 2010. Koreas History/Background. 30 March 2010. Lee, Ki-Baik, Edward J. Schultz, and Edward W. Wagner (Trans.). A New History of Korea (Harvard-Yenching Institute Publications) Harvard University Press, 2005. Nahm, Andrew C. A Panorama of 5000 Years: Korean History. Hollym International Corporation; 2nd Rev edition, 1990. Ro, Young-Chan. The Korean Neo-Confucianism of Yi Yulgok (Suny Series in Philosophy). State University of New York Press, 1989. Yangban. New World Encyclopedia. 30 March 2010. Read More