Yuanchao yu Gaoli guanxi yanjiu (A study of the Yuan-Koryŏ relationship) by Oyungġuu-a (Wuyuan Gaowa) (review)

In the history of Sino-Korean relations there is something rather unique about the relationship between the Mongol Empire and the Koryŏ dynasty. On one hand, the Yuan was established as a united dynasty by the northern nomadic nationalities of the central plain, its foreign policy was not constrained by perceptions of hwa-yi 華夷 (Chinese vs. Barbarians), and its situational relations with other nations was more open. On the other hand, the continuous royal marriages between the Yuan princesses and the royal families of Korea from the time of Koryŏ’s King Ch’ungnyŏl (r. 1274–1308), unions that were always requested by the Korean royal families and admitted by the Yuan (see pp. 136 ff. regarding this assertion), added a new dimension to the relationship between Yuan and Korea.

The Mongol-Koryŏ relationship lasted for over one hundred years, starting in 1218 when Genghis Khan’s troops invaded the Korean peninsula in pursuit of Khitan rebels, and ended in 1368 with the downfall of the Yuan dynasty. Due to a lack of related historical research data and the singularity of the period, Chinese historians have paid scant attention to the subject relative to the work done in Japanese and Korean academic circles. Thus, the Chinese historian Oyungġuu-a’s book “A study of the Yuan-Koryŏ relationship” may mark the beginnings of a change in this situation.

The book is divided into seven chapters. Chapter one introduces the purpose and methodology of the study. Chapter two, “The early mutual relationship between the Mongols and Koryŏ,” first describes the background to the initial Mongol invasion of Koryŏ in Genghis’ sending troops in pursuit of Khitan rebels, then traces the historical progress of the Mongol-Koryŏ relationship to one of “brotherly” allies (Ch. xiongdi mengyue 兄弟盟約) in 1219, and finally to the breakdown of the relationship in 1225. It also shows the important roles that the Khitan and Dongxia kingdom (東夏國) played in the early mutual relationship between the Mongols and Koryŏ.

Chapter three, “The wars between the Mongols and Koryŏ,” describes the seven wars of conquest launched against Koryŏ by the successors of Genghis Khan between 1231 and 1259, and the transfer of the Koryŏ capital to Kanghwa Island by the Koryŏ king as a defensive tactic in the face of the Mongol armies. Thus, the chapter details the events leading to the development of the antagonistic relationship between the Koryŏ and the Mongols.

Chapter four, “The withdrawal of Mongols troops and the return of the Koryŏ capital from Kanghwa Island by the Koryŏ king,” analyzes the improvement and development of Mongol-Koryŏ relations after the enthronement of Kublai Khan. It also explores Kublai’s conciliatory policies (Ch. huairou zhengce 懷柔政策) and the relevant measures of Koryŏ. It then proceeds to describe in detail the return of the Koryŏ capital from Kanghwa Island, as well as how joint Yuan-Koryŏ troops pacified the Koryŏ rebels who were opposing Mongol rule. Thus, it reveals the turning point of Yuan-Koryŏ relations and their steady development thereafter.

Chapter five, “The wars between Yuan and Japan and the position of Koryŏ,” explores Kublai’s intention of establishing diplomatic relations with Japan and the role that Koryŏ played in this. Six times between 1266 and 1273 Mongol emissaries, guided by men of Koryŏ, carried Kublai’s decrees to Japan requesting Japan pay tribute to the Yuan. However, receiving no response from Japan, Kublai launched invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281, but both attempts failed. The author analyzes the situation and the position of Koryŏ during the process of the Yuan’s attempt to establish a diplomatic relationship with Japan as well as during the period of the Yuan-Japan wars.

Chapter six is entitled, “Marriages between Yuan princesses and the Koryŏ royal families.” These Yuan-Koryŏ marriages served to strengthen the relationship between Yuan and Koryŏ, as they enhanced Koryŏ’s position in...