고려말 太古 普愚의 사회·경제적 연계망과 그 기반 = The Socio-Economic Network of Taego Bowoo in Late Goryeo and Its Foundations

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This article examines the political stance and socio-economic foundations of Taego Bowoo during King Gongmin’s reign from a political-historical perspective. Moving beyond earlier studies that emphasized his kanhwa meditation, Dharma lineage theory, or symbolic role in reform politics, it analyzes his family background, economic base, and personal networks to situate him within the structural problems of late Goryeo Buddhism.
Born into a prominent local gentry family in Yanggeun, Bowoo established his own economic base through direct management of an agricultural estate after returning from Yuan. In this respect, his social and economic position closely resembled that of the entrenched aristocratic elites (gwŏnmun sejok). Throughout his life, he maintained close ties with leading members of this group, and the donor lists in his posthumous epitaphs are largely associated with Yi In-im’s faction. By contrast, he had little connection with the emerging scholar-official class.
Although King Gongmin appointed Bowoo as Royal Preceptor—likely to secure Buddhist support and ease relations with Yuan—Bowoo’s socio-economic base and networks were ill-suited to advancing the king’s structural reforms, including land and population rectification. Ultimately, his political position was not fundamentally different from that of the entrenched elites, illustrating both his limitations and the broader structural constraints facing late Goryeo Buddhism.