Queen’s Tombs Made Earlier than King’s and Changes of the Royal Tomb System in the Joseon Dynasty

Abstract

The Joseon royal tombs exhibit remarkable consistencies as they were modeled on precedents stipulated by the convention of “upholding the achievements of the forefathers” (<i>gye ji sul sa</i> 繼志述事). That said, the stone figures erected around the royal tombs underwent constant changes, of which the turning point was the construction of the eleven tombs of the queen consorts who died before the kings (Jeongneung, Yeongneung, Sulleung, Huireung, Mongneung, Jangneung, Ingneung, Myeongneung, Hongneung 弘陵, Gyeongneung, Hongneung 洪陵). This article argues that those changes resulted from the Joseon rulers’ exercise of <i>quandao</i> 權道, or political expediency, to resolve practical challenges in observance of traditions and inherited norms.</br>In general, the notion of filial piety (<i>xiao</i> 孝) lay at the heart of the funerary procedures for the kings and queens. In comparison, however, when the queen died before the king, the funerary procedures were dictated by the notion of righteousness (<i>yi</i> 義) toward the royal spouse. When the heir to the throne, either the prince regent or the newly crowned, presided over the funeral, the notion of filial piety was still the principal guideline for arranging the funeral. Yet, since the funeral of the queen consort was officiated by the king as her spouse, fidelity between husband and wife was of paramount importance. When the queen consort died after the king had already built experience in dealing with state affairs, the king intended to have the system of stone figures, as part of the decorative scheme of the tomb, reflect circumstantial factors. In particular, when the tomb of the royal consort was prearranged before her demise, the king carried out quandao by involving himself in decision-making for the tomb construction and brought about changes in the arrangement of stone figures. Thereafter, the newly instated decorative system was deemed as an invariable norm to be followed (<i>changjing</i> 常經), serving as a paradigm for later construction of royal tombs. The political philosophy of <i>changjing</i> and <i>quandao</i> underpinned the changes in the otherwise conservative construction of royal tombs. The stone figures in the Joseon royal tombs, therefore, attest that the concept of <i>quandao</i> was exercised in managing actual state affairs beyond the theoretical level of political discourse.