4~5세기 백제 ‘이주귀족(移住貴族)’의 정착과 활동

Abstract

Examined in this article are the settlement and activities of foreign noble figures who migrated to the Baekje dynasty on the Korean peninsula in the 4SUPth/SUP and 5SUPth/SUP centuries. At the beginning of this study their existence had to be verified, so the tomb epitaph of the Ye family was examined. Inside the epitaphs for the members of this house, we can fine their ancestors’ origin and past actions. These past figures and their descendants, while trying to settle down on the Korean peninsula, fabricated their own (and from the descendants’ standpoint, their ancestors’) past history. Yet factual details that would have come from their time in the Dang society are also included in the epitaphs, so the contents of these epitaphs do not seem entirely fictional or false. It is possible that at least depiction of the lives of the first generation -which moved over to Baekje- are relatively true.BR The Ye figure epitaph(“Yegun Myoji”) is a noteworthy example. This Ye Gun figure’s ancestor moved to Baekje at the end of the Yeong’ga(永嘉) period. When the Era of Five major barbaric forces(五胡) and 16 individual polities(十六國) began, there were major population moves occurring all around East Asia, and apparently Baekje was also the recipient of some population groups. In the early half of the 4SUPth/SUP century, as Nakrang and Daebang were dismantled members of those regions’ leadership moved over to Baekje and formed Immigrant nobility houses. Most of them lived inside the capital, and grew close with the king and the royal family. Of course, some of them lived in local regions (as mentioned in various epitaphs), but those local regions were usually important ones where Central authorities were interested to reinforce their control.BR Many of the migrated nobility figures who settled down in Baekje served in the area of document-based administration or operated as educators. Based upon such expertise they also excelled in foreign diplomacy. Their actions were particularly welcomed in Baekje’s diplomatic negotiations with Japan and China. Those who joined the government’s Chinese negotiations earned ranks like Janggun, Taesu and Bu-gwan. Such bestowal of esteemed titles was to reinforce the authority of the Baekje king as well, as the immigrant nobility had less stable footing inside Baekje and had to rely upon hospitality and protection of the Baekje king, who in turn used that condition to reinforce its own authority.