THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF ENTRIES is a verbatim copy of parts of the introduction to below mentioned diary of 1636 by Na Man’gap, by the American George L. Kallender, Professor at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. He is an expert in premodern and early modern Korea and had translated the diary for the Asian Classics series of Columbia University Press ; it was published in 2020. His multi-page introduction is outstanding, very informative. I will only quote certain passages, which seem to be very relevant at this point in time for a viewing of « My Dearest » or serve as introduction to what this diary is and means. @kiara has quoted often from this book for her historical updates.
This is PART 1 OF 5
THE IMPORTANCE OF NA MAN’GAP’s DIARY AS REPORTING TOOL AND WHAT IS TELLS US TODAY
« The Diary of 1636 (Pyŏngjarok) is one of the best-known Korean accounts of the second Manchu assault (the invasion of the cyclical year 1636–1637). Written by a demoted member of the court who was living in exile and was a keen observer, Na Man’gap’s Diary details the unprecedented domestic and international crises faced by the Chosŏn dynasty. At roughly forty-three thousand characters, Na Man’gap’s work is the longest known nonofficial source on the Manchu invasion. Na wrote the first half of the diary during the attack, as a day-by-day narrative of events he witnessed directly. […]
In the second half of the diary, which he most likely composed and edited between 1641 and 1642 from oral stories and written documents collected after 1637, Na added political nuance and commentary, sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing those who fought on the battlefield or argued at the court over loyalty to the king. […]
Also included are stories of military campaigns along the northern and western regions of Chosŏn, the Manchu treatment of prisoners of war, and the post–invasion debates over Manchu collusion and the proper Confucian etiquette demanded of Koreans in times of war. The diary is of particular interest because of Na’s training and his detailed attention. At one point in his career, he served as a diarist for the Office of Royal Decrees (Kŏmyŏl), and he used his professional skills when writing the diary. […]
Chosŏn-era writers certainly accepted Na’s diary as an unofficial history. […] This makes it clear that the diary circulated among a handful of scholars, although the reception of the work immediately after Na’s death in 1642 is uncertain. As he was out of favor with the court when he wrote it, Na had the freedom to explore events without fear of political retribution and could thereby offer an alternative view from the official sources. […]
The Diary of 1636 can be read as a narration of the Manchu invasion of Korea and the political and social aftermath of a premodern society at war. However, much is happening below the surface of the text. As a deft writer, Na subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, critiques the contemporary politics of the Chosŏn dynasty through the structure, tone, and context of his stories. Na’s critiques range from the decision to go to war to the acrimonious environment of political retribution in which many officials were expelled from the center of power, including himself. Na Man’gap describes how the outcome of the attack redefined the relationship between the center and the periphery—those who held power in the court and those who resided in the countryside and did not. […]
The war disrupted ties between dynasties and fractured loyalties at all levels. Korea redirected relations to Mukden (K. Shimyang, C. Shenyang), the Manchu capital, and away from Beijing, challenging Chosŏn loyalty to the Ming. Ming Chinese soldiers switched sides and fought for the Qing. Mongols joined the invasion force. Chosŏn military men supported the Manchu. Korean officials split between pro- peace and pro-war, and even a handful of expatriate Japanese fought alongside Chosŏn. Loyalty was a fluid concept. »
I enjoyed reading his book, which provides a rare first-hand account of the Second Manchu Invasion. His daily records helped us keep track of the drama timeline.
Na Man’gap’s conversation at the end of the invasion with Crown Prince Sohyeon was touching. The crown prince was courteous and kind. He even inquired about Na’s mother and expressed gratitude for his service during the invasion.
“My Dearest” doesn’t do him justice. Most of his accomplishments in Qing are given to Jang Hyun in the drama. His wife, the crown princess, was business savvy. It was her idea to do farming. They earned a lot of money and bought as many Joseon hostages in Qing and sent them home. Some were paid to help at the farm.
He got along well with the Qing royals, and that didn’t sit well with Injo, who was paranoid that Qing would replace him with his son.
@kiara, yes thank you for adding this and your views. I feel that we have not seen everything of the Crown Prince yet in «My Dearest». However, I am not certain yet if the writer will, in the end, have portrayed him in a more conventional way or, as you say, as the really interesting person he seemed to have been in real life. He is in this K-Drama after all a side character, albeit an important one. — Why he got killed is clear from our vantage point. That was the former MBC head’s point, I should think. But will they touch this topic ? That’s a whole new film, and none which can be told from within the times I should think and possibly way too critical for a consensus television drama. Also the writer did say in her interview that she did not want to do Injo-bashing (my naming of her words) but portray him in a multi-dimensional way. — I would like to enter this additional information on the crown prince etc. from the diary into the conversations on «My Dearest» we are having here and on the recaps. I had so far deliberately not done a copy/paste job on this part of the diary … also because I ran out of time yesterday, and don’t have time the next several days until the new episodes come out
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angelshadows50
October 16, 2023 at 6:59 AM
THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF ENTRIES is a verbatim copy of parts of the introduction to below mentioned diary of 1636 by Na Man’gap, by the American George L. Kallender, Professor at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. He is an expert in premodern and early modern Korea and had translated the diary for the Asian Classics series of Columbia University Press ; it was published in 2020. His multi-page introduction is outstanding, very informative. I will only quote certain passages, which seem to be very relevant at this point in time for a viewing of « My Dearest » or serve as introduction to what this diary is and means. @kiara has quoted often from this book for her historical updates.
This is PART 1 OF 5
THE IMPORTANCE OF NA MAN’GAP’s DIARY AS REPORTING TOOL AND WHAT IS TELLS US TODAY
« The Diary of 1636 (Pyŏngjarok) is one of the best-known Korean accounts of the second Manchu assault (the invasion of the cyclical year 1636–1637). Written by a demoted member of the court who was living in exile and was a keen observer, Na Man’gap’s Diary details the unprecedented domestic and international crises faced by the Chosŏn dynasty. At roughly forty-three thousand characters, Na Man’gap’s work is the longest known nonofficial source on the Manchu invasion. Na wrote the first half of the diary during the attack, as a day-by-day narrative of events he witnessed directly. […]
In the second half of the diary, which he most likely composed and edited between 1641 and 1642 from oral stories and written documents collected after 1637, Na added political nuance and commentary, sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing those who fought on the battlefield or argued at the court over loyalty to the king. […]
Also included are stories of military campaigns along the northern and western regions of Chosŏn, the Manchu treatment of prisoners of war, and the post–invasion debates over Manchu collusion and the proper Confucian etiquette demanded of Koreans in times of war. The diary is of particular interest because of Na’s training and his detailed attention. At one point in his career, he served as a diarist for the Office of Royal Decrees (Kŏmyŏl), and he used his professional skills when writing the diary. […]
Chosŏn-era writers certainly accepted Na’s diary as an unofficial history. […] This makes it clear that the diary circulated among a handful of scholars, although the reception of the work immediately after Na’s death in 1642 is uncertain. As he was out of favor with the court when he wrote it, Na had the freedom to explore events without fear of political retribution and could thereby offer an alternative view from the official sources. […]
The Diary of 1636 can be read as a narration of the Manchu invasion of Korea and the political and social aftermath of a premodern society at war. However, much is happening below the surface of the text. As a deft writer, Na subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, critiques the contemporary politics of the Chosŏn dynasty through the structure, tone, and context of his stories. Na’s critiques range from the decision to go to war to the acrimonious environment of political retribution in which many officials were expelled from the center of power, including himself. Na Man’gap describes how the outcome of the attack redefined the relationship between the center and the periphery—those who held power in the court and those who resided in the countryside and did not. […]
The war disrupted ties between dynasties and fractured loyalties at all levels. Korea redirected relations to Mukden (K. Shimyang, C. Shenyang), the Manchu capital, and away from Beijing, challenging Chosŏn loyalty to the Ming. Ming Chinese soldiers switched sides and fought for the Qing. Mongols joined the invasion force. Chosŏn military men supported the Manchu. Korean officials split between pro- peace and pro-war, and even a handful of expatriate Japanese fought alongside Chosŏn. Loyalty was a fluid concept. »
kiara
October 16, 2023 at 9:58 PM
I enjoyed reading his book, which provides a rare first-hand account of the Second Manchu Invasion. His daily records helped us keep track of the drama timeline.
Na Man’gap’s conversation at the end of the invasion with Crown Prince Sohyeon was touching. The crown prince was courteous and kind. He even inquired about Na’s mother and expressed gratitude for his service during the invasion.
“My Dearest” doesn’t do him justice. Most of his accomplishments in Qing are given to Jang Hyun in the drama. His wife, the crown princess, was business savvy. It was her idea to do farming. They earned a lot of money and bought as many Joseon hostages in Qing and sent them home. Some were paid to help at the farm.
He got along well with the Qing royals, and that didn’t sit well with Injo, who was paranoid that Qing would replace him with his son.
angelshadows50
October 16, 2023 at 11:44 PM
@kiara, yes thank you for adding this and your views. I feel that we have not seen everything of the Crown Prince yet in «My Dearest». However, I am not certain yet if the writer will, in the end, have portrayed him in a more conventional way or, as you say, as the really interesting person he seemed to have been in real life. He is in this K-Drama after all a side character, albeit an important one. — Why he got killed is clear from our vantage point. That was the former MBC head’s point, I should think. But will they touch this topic ? That’s a whole new film, and none which can be told from within the times I should think and possibly way too critical for a consensus television drama. Also the writer did say in her interview that she did not want to do Injo-bashing (my naming of her words) but portray him in a multi-dimensional way. — I would like to enter this additional information on the crown prince etc. from the diary into the conversations on «My Dearest» we are having here and on the recaps. I had so far deliberately not done a copy/paste job on this part of the diary … also because I ran out of time yesterday, and don’t have time the next several days until the new episodes come out