13세기 몽골제국의 高麗觀

초록

This paper examines the outlook of Mongolians on Goryeo in the 13th century. During the war between Goryeo and Mongolia, the outlook of Mongolians toward Goryeo was based on ‘cognition in disbelief’. From the Mongolian perspective, this cognition derived from the suspicious behavior of Goryeo’s and broken promises, yet the more fundamental cause was indeed rooted in the strong distrust of the original residents of this conquered land. Such distrust remained even after Goryeo was subjected. Although, of course, people in the colony obedient to the Khan’s rule were called general subjects(屬民) and definitely treated better from the disobedient(逆民) who refused to pay homage, the original residents’ distrust did still exist. For the Mongolians’ such distrust faced a turning point in a dramatic meeting with Khubilai. Goryeo, once a target of disbelief, became ‘a testifier of Heaven’s order(天命)’ showing that Khubilai would be an emperor. Though the deeply-rooted distrust did not disappear entirely, the Mongolians changed their attitude and viewed Goryeo civilization in a more positive way, which was very different from the showing off of a conqueror’s power in the beginning. Meanwhile, the ‘cultural inferiority’ complex which they revealed on occasion, seemed to be based the unique behavioral characteristics of nomads who had a strong belief in ‘universal nomadic rule approved by Heaven’ and the realization of the overwhelming superiority of their physical power. That is, their theory of Cheonmyeongron(天命論), the theory that Heaven granted them their rule of the universe, and their overwhelming physical power allowed them flexibility to lower themselves and raise up others. The idea that Mongolians had a cultural inferiority complex and treated Goryeo as a civilized nation implied a cultural prejudice on the part of the original inhabitants and the perspective of the Mongolians’ own self-affirmative theory regarding Goryeo civilization(文明論). Mongolians did not consider themselves inferior, nor did they think others had a far more advanced culture than theirs. Believing in their own power and heavenly destiny, they were always confident that they led the relationship with others, which was historically true as well. Surely, Mongolia held the leadership in its relationship with Goryeo, and thus the relation between the two nations depended heavily on the Mongolian outlook toward Goryeo.

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