『賓王録』にみる至元十年の遣元高麗使

Abstract

Embassies between the Koryo Dynasty on the Korean Peninsula and the Yuan Empire, which had political influence over Koryo, were exchanged with great frequency from the second half of the thirteenth century to the mid-fourteenth century. These embassies played a vital role in negotiating the establishment of a close political relationship between the two governments. For this reason, clarifying the actual state of the negotiations by the embassies is an important key to a concrete understanding of the relationship between Koryo and the Yuan. Although the limited number of sources is obviously a serious problem, the Binwangnok 賓王錄 is a good source for examining actual events. This work is an account of the experiences of Yi Seunghyu 李承休 (1224-1300), the author of an epic historical verse the jewangungi 帝王韻紀, who served as secretary of the embassy of Koryo to the court of the Yuan in the tenth year of the Zhiyuan 至元 era (1273). In exploring the contents of the Binwangnok, I have been able to trace the movements of the embassy, and indicate the circmnstances of the dispatch of the embassy in 1273, the personnel that comprised it, the route traveled back and forth between the Gaegyeong 開京. and Yanjing 燕京, the preparation for the welcome by the Yuan, the appearance of meeting with Qubilai qa'an and other important figures of the Yuan, and problems regarding the formal letters of gratitude or congratulation frequently presented by the embassy from Koryo. Finally, I have attempted to make some preliminary arguments on the various problems that came up in the negotiations concerning the relationship between the two governments.