Kangnido
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kangnido map (1402) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Korean Name | |
| Revised Romanization | Honilgangniyeokdaegukdojido |
| McCune-Reischauer (North Korean) |
Honilgangniryŏktaeguktojido |
| Hangul | 역대제왕혼일강리역대국도지도 |
| Chosŏn'gŭl (North Korean Hangul) | 혼일강리력대국도지도 |
| Hanja | 歷代帝王混一疆理歷代國都之圖 |
| Short Name | Gangnido (Kangnido; 강리도; 疆理圖) |
The Kangnido (the full Hanja name means "Historical Emperors and Kings Integrated Map of Countries and Cities") is a map of the world made in Korea in 1402, by Kim Sa-hyeong (김사형:金士衡), Yi Mu (이무:李茂) and Yi Hoe (이회:李撓). The map was created in the second year of the reign of Taejong of Joseon, preceding the first European voyages of exploration. It is 158.5 cm by 168.0 cm, painted on silk.
The map combined earlier Chinese, Korean, and Japanese maps, and depicts the general form of the Old World, from Europe and Africa in the west to Japan in the east. The proportions greatly exaggerate Korea and, to a lesser extent, China.
It is the best surviving example of a world map in Korea until Korea's contact with Matteo Ricci in the 17th century.
Contents |
[edit] Background
From its beginning, the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) court was very interested in cartography. At this time, Joseon needed comprehensive maps for the reform of administrative districts and a move of the capital. It was also pursuing a restoration of its northern border and relocation of its population, as well as responding to coastal raids by Japanese pirates. At least since Unified Silla and Goryeo periods, Korea was actively trading with Arab nations.
In addition to practical administrative concerns, mapmaking served to strengthen the national prestige and royal power. Joseon sent many missions to various nations to collect their maps. The highest levels of the bureaucracy participated in map production.
[edit] Contents
According to Kwon Kun's Yangchonjip, the map was made by combining and editing two earlier Chinese maps: 聲教廣被圖 by Li Tse-min (李澤民) produced around 1330 and 混一疆理圖 by Ch'ing Chün (清浚) produced around 1370, both maps now lost. These two maps came to Korea through the Korean ambassador Kim Sa-hyeong (1341-1407) in 1399.
Details of Korea were integrated from Yi Hoe's Paldo Jido. Some Japanese islands were added from a map brought from Japan in 1401 by Park Don-ji (박돈지:朴敦之).
The map depicts in great detail Korea and China, although relative sizes and positions are not exactly preserved. China and especially Korea are oversized, and Southeast Asia (with its protruding peninsula and profusion of islands) as well as India are rounded up into the global landmass.
In the West, the Arabian peninsula, Africa and Europe are quite clearly delineated, although the continents are shown smaller than their actual size. In particular, the Mediterranean is clearly depicted, as well as the Iberian and Italian peninsulas and the Adriatic. There are over 100 names for the European countries alone, including "Alumangia" for the Latin word Alemania (Germany).
There are about 35 African placenames. The knowledge of the contour of Africa predates the European explorations of Vasco da Gama. In particular, the southern tip of Africa is quite clearly depicted, as well as a river which may correspond to the Orange River in Southern Africa. To the north of the African continent, beyond the unexplored "black" central mass, a pagoda is represented for the lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Arab word "Misr" for Egypt is transliterated in hanja.
Most of the hanja transcriptions of place-names in southwest Asia, Africa, and Europe come from Persianized Arabic originals, indicating that the Kangnido may have relied for a large part on knowledge transmitted from the Middle-East. The description of the Nile River and other details may reflect Islamic knowledge within Korea, especially of Jamal ad-Din's globe imported in 1267.
[edit] Versions of the map
Only three copies of the Kangnido map are known, and all of them have been preserved in Japan. Two Kangnido maps were brought to Japan as part of the loot from Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea (1592-1598). The map currently in the Ryūkoku University (Jap: 龍谷大学) was originally given by Hideyoshi to the Honganji temple. Another map, today in the Honmyōji temple, was given by Katō Kiyomasa, also following the Korean campaigns. The third known version of the map is considered to be an adaptation of the Honganji map and is located at Tenri University.
[edit] Influences
The Kangnido displays many similarities with the Fra Mauro map, made in 1457 by the Venetian monk Fra Mauro, both in the correctness of their assertions (the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean), and in their mistakes (a huge river from the center of Africa going into the Red Sea, the flattened western coast of Africa, or the shoreline of South Asia). They share the same understanding of the Old World in its general structure, although the relative proportions of the countries and continents are inverted, with Europe and Africa enlarged on the Fra Mauro map, and China and especially Korea very largely represented in the Kangnido.
Both maps were made before the European voyages of exploration and the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 by the Europeans. It has been suggested that the geographical knowledge contained in the Kangnido map was created by Muslim, Indian or Chinese sailors (expedition of the Chinese Admiral Zheng He), and then transmitted to the West in some way or another, possibly through Indian or Muslim merchants, or through 15th century travelers to the East such as the Venetian Niccolò da Conti.
[edit] Chinese exploration
Some have used this map as evidence of early global exploration by China. China began to explore the territories to the west from the embassy of Zhang Qian in 126 BCE. Various countries were thus identified, such as K'ang-chü (Sogdiana), Ta-Yuan (in Ferghana), An-shih (파사:pa-sa:Parthia) and Daqin (대진:Daejin:the Roman empire). China also engaged in sea travel, especially following the expansion of Islam on the continent in the 8th century.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Joseph Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 3.
- "Circa 1492. Art in the age of exploration", Washington National Gallery of Art, Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-05167-0
