In Koryo, there was put into operation various selection system of bureaucracy, the kernel of which is Guager and Umseo. Each of them prove the bureaucratic and aristocratic character of Koryo. The difference between the two is as following.
Firstly,...
In Koryo, there was put into operation various selection system of bureaucracy, the kernel of which is Guager and Umseo. Each of them prove the bureaucratic and aristocratic character of Koryo. The difference between the two is as following.
Firstly, being compared with each other, in Guager, real office of 8th or 9th class was awarded through the whole Koryo period. In Umseo, mostly wasteful office was awarded before the Revolt of Military Officers, but real office was awarded after the one.
Secondly, successors in Guager must get along in outer office during the first several years, but the appointed by Umseo was given a inner office. It takes ten years for the former to promote, through being given the inner office, started again wasteful office of 8th or 9th, the lowest one.
Thirdly, the promotion into Jong 1 Poom, the first grade of office is basically possible in these two systems. But the important in this case is that even the appointed by Umseo required individual ability and that even the successors in Guager required background of family. Therefore it is suggested that Guager has somewhat aristocratic character.
Fourthly, sword blood used Umseo as the ladder into pen family and pen blood did it as the road into office, without it the latter might fail in Guager. Therefore pen family succeeded office by the use of Umseo. But without ability, succession of office by Umseo is almost impossible because the promotion into office than 5th grade is required to use Umseo.
Fifthly, the special quality in the promotion by Umseo is that literary office of leisure could not be given without by Guager. Literary office of leisure was politically treated with hospitality by the people because it had something to do with the King. But literary office of leisure was not awarded to the appointed by Umseo. This enforced the appointed by Umseo to cling to Guager and many people became consider it beneath their dignity to receive office by Umseo. We can find many examples like this among the men of distinguished family in those day.
Sixthly, Koryo Dynasty held many festivities for successors in Guager and treated them with hospitality. Therefore people considered success in Guager as honor and glory of family.
As we have seen above, Koryo developed as the bureaucratic and aristocratic character coexist. So Guager was operated within aristocracy by literary nobility before the Revolt of Military Officers. But after the Revolt of Military Officers, as the distinction between pen blood and sword blood is disappeared, the pen and the sword became even and capable bureaucrat advanced into office by ability and background. After the Interruption of Won Dynasty, as the extent of election by Umseo is restricted, increasingly Guager was regarded as of great importance and bureaucratic society was formed.
Like this Koryo had changed greatly. So, we cannot conclude the character of Koryo society hastily. In Koryo, as the background of family and ability of individual was complemented, the authority was formed. But advance into office by Guager was treated with hospitality. In conclusion, We consider Koryo society as the period of transition from the aristocratic society, Silla the bureaucratic society, Chosun.