File:Corea, the hermit nation - I. Ancient and mediaeval history. II. Political and social Corea. III. Modern and recent history (1897) (14781368551).jpg

Identifier: coreahermitnation00grif (find matches)
Title: Corea, the hermit nation : I. Ancient and mediaeval history. II. Political and social Corea. III. Modern and recent history
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Griffis, William Elliot, 1843-1928
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Publisher: New York : C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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fect Mirror, or Complete View Province. 2. Kang-wen, or Ko-gen do. Bay Meadow Province. 8. Kiung-sang, or Kei-sho do. Eespectful Congratulation Province. 4. Julia, or Zen-ra do. Completed Network Province. 5. Chung-chong, or Chiu-sei do. Serene Loyalty Province. (). Kiiing-kei, or Kei-ki do. The Capital Circuit, or Home Province. 7. Whang-hai, or Ko-kai dG. Yellow Sea Province. 8. Ping-an, or Hei-an do Peace and Quiet Province. In this table we have given the names in English which approximate thesounds of the Chinese characters, with which names of the provinces are writ-ten, and as they are heard to-day in Cho-sen. The modern Coreans use themodern Chinese sounds of the characters, while the Japanese cling to the an-cient Chinese pronunciation of the same characters as they received themthrough Hiaksai and Shinra, eleven or twelve centuries ago. The old pureCorean sounds were Teru-ra tai for Zen-ra do, Tsiku-shaku tai for Chiu-sei do,Keku-shaku tai for Kei-ki do, etc. NEW CHO-SEN. 81
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Magistrate and Servant. S2 COREA. Whatever may have been the motive for supplanting Buddh.ism, whether from sincere conviction of the paramount truth ofthe ancient ethics, or a desii*e to closely imitate the Middle King-dom in everything, even in religion, or to obtain easy and greatwealth by confiscating the monastery and temple lands, it is certainthat the change was sweeping, radical, and thorough. All observ-ers testify that the cult of Shaka in Corea is almost a shadow. Onthe other hand, in many cities thioughout the land, are buildingsand halls erected and maintained by the government, in which sitin honor the statues of Confucius and his greatest disciples. One great measure that tended to strengthen and make popu-lar the new religious establishment, to weaken the old faith, togive strength and unity to the new government, to foster educa-tion and make the Corean literaiy classes what they are to-day—•critical scholars in Chinese—was what Americans would caU civilservice

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