공자 후예의 남종(南宗)과 북종(北宗), 그리고 지파(支派) = Namjong(南宗), Bukjong(北宗) and other Branches of Descendants of Confucius

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The family of Confucius is usually called the ‘First family in the world’ by Chinese people. The family tree of Confucius was admitted as the ‘Oldest Family Tree in the world’ in 2005. Guinness World Records in the UK, which has issued the Guinness Book, gave the certificate of world record to the cultural management committee of Gokbu, Shantung Province, which is known as the birthplace of Confucius.
And now the 86th generation descendants of Confucius have been born, after producing numerous descendants for 2,500years. Though the main residential areas of his descendant are centered around Gokbu, Shantung Province in China, many of the descendants live all across China and overseas, even in Korea.
In 1998, a plan for making a full list of his descendants, of which the number seemed to be several million, was established, which resulted in the completion of 80volumes of Gon/asegabo(gene2.logic2il record) in 2009，which is a detailed pedigree of the family of Confucius. Almost 1.9million descendants of Confucius have been included in these books. Especially, the works were recorded as the first compilation of pedigree in which the female descendants of Confucius were included for the first time in the compilation history.
In 1937, when the family tree of Confucius was prepared, it was found out that the number of descendants was about 560,000. Despite the great number of political storms in China, it has been a principle that the family tree of Confucius should be compiled in a large scale every 60years since the Ming Dynasty, including a small- scaled compilation every 30years.
The Gonjasegabo(genealogical record) is regarded as a good data for historical events, providing good resources for studies of genealogy. The family tree of Confucius includes all the branches and names of descendants which have been recorded for 4,500years since Whangje(Yellow Emperor). However, it is difficult to regard the records of ancient times as true. The title Gonjasegabo originated from ‘Gongjasega’ included in the Sagi(historical records). It is said that Gong Sang-im, a descendant of Confucius, formatted the pedigree on the basis of ‘Gongjasega’ from Sagihe was compiling the family history in l684(Gannghee 63, Ching Dynasty).
Confucius used to say, “I am a man from Eun Dynasty” The bird of ancestor in his mother country was a swallow. The forefathers of Confucius came from Eun, and the they prayed to a swallow for a son. The family name was created by combining the Chinese character
‘Eul(乙；bird)’ and ‘Ja(子；son)’. However, the family name began to be specified in the name of Gongbo(孔父)，which was the nickname of Gongboga(孔父嘉> who was a forefather of Confucius. The Gong family began to live in the ancient country named ‘No’，when Gongbangsuk(孔防叔)，a grandson of Gongboga, came to the country to settle down. Gonggeub(孔伋)，a descendant of Confucius, is known as a remarkable scholar, and in the next generation, Gonganguk(孔安國）and Gongyeongdal(孔穎達）are famous as well.
It is impossible to clearly identify the branches of descendants of Confucius during the period before the 34th generation, as they moved to various regions. Among his descendants, the 43th generation Gonginok(孔仁玉）played a major role in the family prosperity. During the 5th century, in the era of Song Dynasty among southern countries, a man named Yugyeong(劉景)’ took care of ancestral shrine and tomb of Gong family. He changed his own family name to Gong, his lord’s name, so he was called ‘Gonggyeong(孔景)’ One of his descendants, who was named ‘Gongmal(孔末)’，killed ‘Gonggwangsa(孔光嗣)’ the 42nd generation descendant of Confucius, and treid to kill every legitimate son of Confucius living in Gokbu at that time. At that time, Gonginok could escape death, so he could leave offspring.
The family trees of Confucius used to be roughly divided into to branches, Namjong(South branch, 南宗) and Bukjong(North branch, 北宗). When the governing class of Song Dynasty fled to the south due to the invasion of ‘Geum(金)’, Gongdanwoo(孔端友) followed the emperor and settled down in Guju(衢州), Jeolgang Province. The South descendant branch of Confucius maintained the noble title of Yeonseongong(衍聖公)’ for 6generations from Gongdanwoo to ‘Gongsu(孔洙)’.
The Khubilai, Sejo, of the Yiian Dynasty ordered his retainers to discuss as to who would be designated as the representative of descendants of Gong family. And Gongsu, a 53rd descendant generation, was called to be ennobled as ‘Yeonseongong’，however, he recommended ‘Gongchi(孔治)’ who lived in Gokbu at that time. When Gongsu went to the palace in 1282(Jiwon 19), he said to the emperor, “I wold rather stay with my parents rather than gain honor, so I want to go back to south, c And he recommended his younger cousin living in Gokbu at that time. The emperor praised him saying, “This man would rather exchange honor for his parents, so he must be a descent of a saint.”
Since Gongsahoi, the 56th descendant generation became a Yeonseongong', only the north descendant branch was ennobled as ‘Yeonseongong’, which lasted for the next 600years, so that the north branch was admitted as the head family of the descendants of Confucius. In this way, the tradition of north descendant branch began when ‘Gongsu’ offered the peerage title of ‘Yeonseongong’ to Gongchi, who was a descendant of Confucius. So, the head of north descendant branch was ennobled as Yeonseongong’，which lastedof Confucius. King Gongmin married Nogukdaejang Princess in 1349 in Beijing, which was the capital city of Yiian at that time. When King Chungjeong passed away in 1351，he came bak to Goryeo to ascend the throne. When coming home, he brought his wife Nogukdaejang Princess, who was accompanied by Gongso.
The original name of Gongso, who was a younger brother of Yeonseonggong Gongsahoi(孔思晦) was Gongsaso(孔思昭).He had to change the character in his name to So(紹) in order to use the same character in the name of King Gwangjong of Goryeo. King Gongmin enobled him as ‘Changwonbaek(昌原伯)’ after appoint in him ‘Munhasirangpyeongjangsa(vice-minister of the government)’. He had a son named Gongyeo(孔帑), and Gongyeo gave birth to two sons named Gongbu(孔俯) and Gongeun(孔㒚）respectively. The descendants of Gongbu are called Eochonho(漁村戶), and the descendants of Gongeun are called Qosanho(孤山戶). As of 2009, the population of Eochonho was 9,319, and the population of Gosanho is 18,796. At first, the Goryeo descendants branch of Confucius designated Changwon as their origin of clan, but King Jeongjo(in the 18th year of his regime) ordered them to designate Gokbu as their origin of clan.
In general, compilation of pedigree is aimed at identify the time sequence of family tree and treat well the members of the clan. Accordingly, a general pedigree is focused on the family tree, which is a tradition in compiling a pedigree. But, the special feature of the Gongjasegabo is that the records is focused on the succession of Confucianism, as well as the family tree. That is because their pedigree is a record of descendant of Confucius who laid the foundation of enlightenment. In a Confucianism nation, people thought that the rise and fall of a country depended on the enlightenment. Unlike other pedigree, the special feature of Gongjasegabo is focused on the succession of the enlightenment taught by Confucius. Even now, the descendants of Confucius are claiming to advocate the enlightenment of Confucius in terms of justification of the theory, though they are arranging the family tree at the bottom of their heart.