Miryang Samnangjinhujochangyuji Stele Group

At the foot of the hill in Habu village, Samnang-ri, Samnangjin-eup, Miryang, a cluster of steles stands together. All were erected to commemorate the successive magistrates and provincial governors who left notable achievements connected with the Hujochang (also called Samnangchang), a grain depot and shipping office that operated here in the late Joseon period, and with the local residents. They are introduced below. (1) Stele to Magistrate Kim In-dae. Erected by local residents in 1766, the forty-second year of King Yeongjo, to honour Kim In-dae, who as Magistrate of Miryang worked to establish the Hujochang when it was founded. It is of granite, with a capstone and base; the stele body measures 49 × 23 × 131 cm. (2) Stele to Magistrate Hong Yi-gan. Erected by shipowners of the Hujochang to commemorate Magistrate Hong Yi-gan, who during his term in 1812, the twelfth year of King Sunjo, donated his official stipend to benefit boatmen. It is of granite with a capstone and base; the stele body measures 41 × 10 × 120 cm. (3) Stele to Governor Jo In-yeong for reforming abuses in grain transport. Erected by the Office of Shipping in 1843, the ninth year of King Heonjong, to honour Governor Jo In-yeong. According to its commemorative inscription, during his term Jo drew up and promulgated regulations to eliminate the various abuses connected with operating the Hujochang; as a result the abuses disappeared, the grain ships were built to proper specifications, and there was even room to spare when loading the tax grain. It is an iron stele in which the capstone and body are cast as one piece; its dimensions are 37 × 3.5 × 135 cm. (4) Stele to Deputy Commissioner and Magistrate Jo Un-pyo. Erected by the Office of Shipping in 1839, the fifth year of King Heonjong, to honour Jo Un-pyo, Magistrate of Miryang, who donated part of his monthly stipend to relieve the hardships of the residents. It is an iron stele with the capstone and body cast as one piece; its dimensions are 35 × 3.5 × 119 cm. (5) Stele to the Good Governance of Magistrate Yi Jeong-jae. Erected by the residents of Samnang-ri in 1857, the eighth year of King Cheoljong, to honour the good governance of Magistrate Yi Jeong-jae. It is of granite, with only a stele body and base; the body measures 30 × 15 × 105 cm. Its sixteen-character commemorative inscription is badly worn and difficult to read. (6) Stele to Magistrate Yi Cheol-yeon. Erected by the residents of Samnang-ri in 1872, the ninth year of Emperor Gojong, to honour Magistrate Yi Cheol-yeon. According to its commemorative inscription, he reported the abuses of the salt tax to the provincial office so as to meet the residents' demands, and when houses in the village burned down he had the government office contribute part of the cost so that new houses could be built. It is of granite with a capstone and base; the stele body measures 42 × 15 × 114 cm. (7) Stele to Magistrate Yi Cheol-yeon. Erected by shipowners in 1872, the ninth year of Emperor Gojong, to honour Magistrate Yi Cheol-yeon, who donated his monthly stipend to reduce abuses connected with the miscellaneous expenses of the granary. It is of granite with a capstone and base; the stele body measures 48 × 16 × 116 cm. (8) Stele to Inspector Kim Se-ho. Erected by the residents of Samnang-ri in 1872, the ninth year of Emperor Gojong, to honour Governor Kim Se-ho. According to the inscription, Kim Se-ho's grandfather had served as Magistrate of Miryang some fifty years earlier and governed well; Kim Se-ho himself later served as provincial governor and, among other benefits he bestowed on Samnangjin, restored a transport surcharge of two jeon per seok that had lapsed. It is made of granite; the capstone has been lost and only the base remains. Its dimensions are 44 × 13 × 88 cm. In the late Joseon period, five years after the Jwajochang (Left Granary) and Ujochang (Right Granary) were established in 1760, the thirty-sixth year of King Yeongjo, at the ports of Masan in Changwon-bu and Gasan in Jinju-mok respectively, in Gyeongsang Province, the Hujochang (Rear Granary) was additionally established at Samnangjin in Miryang-bu in 1765, the forty-first year of King Yeongjo. Originally, the counties along the lower reaches of the Nakdonggang River, including Miryang, gathered their tax grain at particular ports within their own boundaries and shipped it upstream along the Nakdonggang, over the Mungyeong Saejae pass, and from Gyeongwonchang in Chungju down the Hangang River to Seoul. However, after the Hujochang was established at Samnangjin, the six counties of Miryang, Hyeonpung, Changnyeong, Yeongsan, Gimhae and Yangsan instead transported their tax grain here and sent it on to Seoul by sea. The Dochasawon, who had overall command of the grain transport, was the Magistrate of Miryang, while the Chasawon, who directed the actual shipping, was the naval commander of Jepo. As goods from the various counties concentrated at Samnangjin in this way, the area prospered, attracting merchants and shipowners of every kind, but various abuses also arose. In particular, the Magistrate of Miryang and the Jepo naval commander were repeatedly punished whenever grain ships were wrecked, and the residents too suffered great harm as a result. Local magistrates and provincial governors inevitably had to pay attention to this problem, and some of them must have taken particular care to benefit the residents and shipowners. These steles appear to have been erected in that context.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Miryang, Gyeongnam

Designation

Cultural Heritage Material · 문화유산자료