Capital Garrison
The Capital Garrison was one of the central military camps established during the reign of King Sukjong in the late Joseon dynasty. It was referred to as one of the "Five Army Camps" along with the Military Training Agency, Royal Guard Command, Command of the Northern Approaches, and the Royal Defence Command Sueocheong, which formed the core of the central military system in the late Joseon period. In terms of defending the capital city, it was also called the "Three Military Gates" along with the Military Training Agency and the Royal Guard Command. Capital Garrison was created by integrating the Jeongchocheong and Hullyeonbyeoldae in the early years of King Sukjong's reign. Its main responsibilities included the defense of Hanyang Fortress, the protection of palaces such as Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung, and providing security during the king's processions.
Background
During the Imjin War, the military system of the early Joseon period, known as the "Owi" system, collapsed. In its place, the Military Training Agency was established. Subsequently, the Royal Guard Command, Royal Defence Command, and the Command of the Northern Approaches were established, forming the central military in the late Joseon period. Capital Garrison was the last of these five military camps to be created. It was established in 1682, during the 8th year of King Sukjong's reign, by integrating Jeongchocheong and Hullyeonbyeoldae.Jeongchocheong was originally a unit created by selecting excellent cavalry from the Sokogun, a military unit in Gyeonggi Province, for the purpose of defending the capital city and guarding the royal family during King Injo's reign. It later evolved into an independent military camp called Jeongchocheong as the military expanded during the reign of Hyojong. Just before being integrated into Geumwiyeong in the early years of King Sukjong's reign, the number of economic supporters attached to Jeongchocheong, known as Bohin, who were economic supporters attached to the military, reached 12,474.
Hullyeonbyeoldae was a unit established in 1669. Among the central military camps, Hullyeongdogam was the only one operated as a standing army, which placed a heavy financial burden. The government demanded that Hullyeongdogam be operated as a standing army like other military camps. The standing army system involved rotating local farmers who served in Seoul, which did not incur significant costs. However, there was considerable opposition, and ultimately the Military Training Agency could not be abolished. Instead, a separate unit called Hullyeonbyeoldae, which operated under the jurisdiction of Hullyeongdogam was established and operated as a standing army.
Establishment
Capital Garrison was established in February 1682 by the proposal of Yeonguijeong Kim Su-hang and later submitted Kim Seok-ju, who served as the Commander of Training and the Minister of War. It was created by combining the Jungcho Army and the separate units of the Training Department, based on the "Military Reform and Adaptation Plan" promulgated in March 1682.The Jincho Army, which was part of the Byungjo under the command of the Training Division, and the Gyeongbeon Army, which was part of the Training Bureau, were merged to form a single military camp. In other words, Kim Seok-ju, transferred 707 out of the 5,707 soldiers of the Training Bureau to the Byungjo, thus reducing the number of soldiers in the Training Bureau. Simultaneously, the Jincho Army and the Training Division were combined to form one battalion, five companies, twenty platoons, and 105 squads. They were further divided into ten groups for rotation purposes, and a "protective unit" called "Geumwi" was established for their operation.
In 1682, Jeongchocheong and Hullyeonbyeoldae were integrated to formally establish Geumwiyeong as a military camp. The establishment of Geumwiyeong had complex reasons. The most important reason was the logic of cost reduction. From the reign of Hyojong to the early years of Sukjong, there were severe disasters, and central resources were scarce, and the people's lives were difficult. Amidst this, the military expenditure also increased due to the expansion of military preparations for northern expeditions from Hyojong's reign to Sukjong's reign. Therefore, the establishment of Geumwiyeong was a measure to reduce military expenses by integrating Jeongchocheong and Hullyeonbyeoldae, two military camps.
Firstly, it aimed to reduce military expenses by integrating Jeongchocheong and Hullyeonbyeoldae, as there were severe disasters and scarce resources during that time. Secondly, Geumwiyeong was established to strengthen the defense of the capital city. It had the same operational system and organizational structure as Hullyeongdogam and played a crucial role in the defense of the capital. Thirdly, there were political reasons for its establishment, driven by the influence of Kim Seok-ju, the Minister of War at the time. Kim Seok-ju wanted the Ministry of War to directly control the organized military forces, and Geumwiyeong allowed for that oversight.
Secondly, it was established due to the practical need to strengthen the defense of the capital city. Geumwiyeong had the same operational system and organizational structure as Military Training Agency, and together with Military Training Agency, it played a crucial role in the defense of the capital city. The Royal Defence Command and Command of the Northern Approaches were stationed in the outer regions for the defense of Gyeonggi Province, while Military Training Agency and Royal Guard Command guarded Hanyang Fortress. With the establishment of Capital Garrison, the "Three Military Gates" system was formed, which defended the capital city.
Thirdly, there were political reasons for the establishment of Capital Garrison. Kim Seok-ju, who was the Minister of War at the time, exerted a strong influence. The Ministry of War was a key organization dealing with military issues, but the military camps existed as independent organizations under the Ministry of War. However, Kim Seok-ju wanted the Minister of War to directly control the organized military forces. Capital Garrison allowed the Minister of War to oversee the military camps under the Ministry of War.
Although Capital Garrison was established in 1682 under the Ministry of War, it was not a completely independent military camp. It was not until 1754 that Capital Garrison, like other military camps, had a separate "Daejang" and became fully independent as a military camp. Until the late 19th century, Capital Garrison served as one of the "Three Military Gates," playing a central role in the central military.
Organization
The Capital Garrison served as a central government agency and a military camp, so it had two organizational structures. One was the organization of yangban officials as central bureaucrats, and the other was the structure of military units.The Capital Garrison played a crucial role in the defense of Hanyang and the protection of the city walls and palaces. Their hierarchical organization and military structure allowed for efficient coordination and execution of their duties. By fulfilling their responsibilities, the Capital Garrison contributed to maintaining the security and stability of the capital.
Capital Garrison, which was one of the key military camps responsible for guarding the king and defending the capital, along with the Training Bureau and the Training Administration, had its importance reflected in the fact that the Minister of War held the position of its commander. It had a structure in which the Geumgun cavalry and infantry formed a pair. Over time, the Capital Garrison expanded in size, and additional units such as ten squads of Byeoljwasu and one squad of Byeoljungcho were added, resulting in a total of 135 squads, including five companies, twenty-five platoons, and 125 squads of Byungbyungdo Infantry. The main focus of the military force was the provinces excluding Pyeongan and Hamgyeong.
Command
It consisted of the following positions: one Dojejo, one Jejo who also served as a Byungjo Panseo. The Dojejo and Jejo held dual positions, and the actual person in charge of the Capital Garrison was the Capital Daejang. The Capital Daejang, along with the leaders of the Royal Guard Command and Military Training Agency, was responsible for the military gates and was usually chosen from capable military families, individuals connected to the royal family or external nobility, or descendants of meritorious service to the state.The upper command structure of the Capital Garrison included advisory institutions such as administrative positions such as Daejang, one Junggun, one Jung-3-pum Byeoljang, four Cheonchong. Below them were three Gisajang who directly commanded the cavalry, five Pachong who were in charge of the five Hyanggun units. The cavalry were organized under the Jung and Yeong units, and the Hyanggun units were connected in the order of Sa-Cho-Gi-Dae-O. There were twelve Oebanggyeompachong, and forty-one Chogwan. In addition, there were two Jongsagwan, twelve Gyo-ryeonggwan, and ten Gipaegwan, among others. These officials served as commanders of organized units, were responsible for the training and education of soldiers, and engaged in various tasks as elite forces.
In addition to this military command structure, there were also officers responsible for military training, such as Gyoryeonggwan and Gipae-gwan, as well as special positions for those skilled in martial arts or those who had contributed to the country, such as Byulmusa and Byulgiwi. There were also Dojejo-gun and Byulgun who served as messengers and attendants for Dojejo and Jangsin. In addition, there were Kwonmugungwan established to provide martial arts training to the yangban ruling class, as well as Jongsagwan in charge of military affairs and Chamsa for the Geumsong of the Hanseongbu.
Division
The plan submitted by Kim Seok-ju partially accepted the discussions on the reform of the Training Agency that had been proposed among the officials. First, the plan included reducing 707 out of 5,707 personnel in the Training Agency and sending them to separate training units operated as reserve soldiers. It also combined the training units with the Jungcho Army, establishing Geumwiyeong with a total of 14,098 regular soldiers and 78,000 reserves. As a result, the financial burden of the Training Agency, which had been significant, was reduced to a fixed number of 5,000 personnel. Originally, Capital Garrison was under the jurisdiction of the Minister of War, but in 1754, it gained independence and had its own commander, called Capital Daejang.Sukjeong established the Capital Garrison to defend Hanyang and escort the king. The Geumwi Camp was established in March 1682. Kim Seok-ju, who concurrently served as the Chief Training Command Officer, proposed the reorganization of the military system, combining separate units and elite troops to create an independent military camp called Geumwi Camp. It was reassigned as an independent army by King Yeongjo. The Geumwi Camp, also known as "Shinyeong," had its main camp located outside Changdeokgung Palace's Geumho Gate in the central Jungseonbang. The camp was also referred to as "Shinyeong". As for its subordinate camps, the Nambyeol Camp was established in Naksanbang, southern Nakseondong, along with Namchang and Hanamchang in the vicinity. The Seoyeong Camp was located across from Changdeokgung Palace's Gyeongchumun, while the Namyong Camp was situated above Gyeonghuigung Palace's Gaeyangmun.
In 1704, during the military reform, in order to match the scale of the Training Agency, it was reorganized into a rotational rank system with a total of one battalion, five companies, twenty-five platoons, and 125 squads. In the early stage of its establishment, since the Jincho Army, which was part of the Byungjo, constituted the majority, the Ministry of War held the position of commander as before. However, in 1754, an independent military camp was established for the first time with the appointment of a separate commander, not the Ministry of War.
Composition
Secondly, let's learn about the formation structure of the military forces. Initially, when the Jungcho Army and Training Units were integrated, Capital Garrison was composed of 5 units, 20 companies, and 105 squads, which were divided into 10 rotations for rotation duty. Later, as the numbers increased, it was reorganized into 5 units, 25 companies, and 125 squads, including 10 squads of Pyeongan Province soldiers and 1 squad of Byeoljungcho, totaling 136 squads. Since approximately 127 personnel were assigned to each squad, the total number of soldiers could be estimated to be around 17,000.However, this is the total number of personnel, and the actual number of soldiers on duty was much smaller. The soldiers of Capital Garrison were mainly composed of local militias and the Gyeonggisa and Byeolpajin units from six provinces excluding Pyeongan Province and Hamgyeong Province. They took turns coming up for duty in rotations of 25. In other words, since they came up every 25 squads starting from 125, the number of militia coming up at once was only 5 squads. Since there were about 127 personnel in one squad, approximately 635 personnel came up for duty at a time. However, this only applies to the local militias, and in addition to the militias, there were various types of troops such as hyang gisa, byeolpajin, and gongjangabyeong, each operating according to their own standards. Some troops, like Gyeonggisa, also served as reserve forces. Therefore, it is not easy to define the number and characteristics of the Geumwiyeong military personnel who came to Hanyang uniformly.
In addition to the basic troops, there were 100 Wonnyeok who were office workers or collectively referred to as Yeokbu. The Byunggun, there were other units such as the Hyanggisu, which was the successor of the Byeolhyowi, and 150 cavalry of the Gyeonggisu, which was the successor of the Hyanggisu. There were also 160 artillery troops called Byeolpajin, 50 craftsmen soldiers called Gongjangabyeong, 12 gate guards called Sumungun, 15 elite soldiers called Geumsonggun, 10 instructors, 17 baggage and horse troops called Chijungbokmabun, 48 flag bearers called Agisu, 470 waiting troops called Daenyeongun, 7 shop guards called Suhopyun, 700 maritime cavalry called Haeseohyanggisu, and 56 troops called Pyohagun. Additionally, soldiers such as the Noryangjin Army, which started as a separate camp, were also incorporated into the Geumwi Camp.
Duties
The task of defending Hanyang's city walls and protecting the palaces was the most important duty of the Capital Garrison. They guarded the city walls and protected the surrounding areas of the palaces through patrolling. The duties of the Capital Garrison, as specified in the compiled "Yukjeonjorye" during the reign of King Gojong, include the defense of the city walls and palaces, guarding the palaces, patrolling the city walls and palaces, protecting the eight military stores, reconnaissance and ambush, enforcing restricted areas, dredging the Juncheon River, and capturing tigers. Let's examine these duties divided into three categories.Their duties varied depending on their rank and role, such as Jangbeon or Beonche and Sayeok, and included calculating the number of days worked to determine their salary. The Hyanggun served for two months, rotating every 25 days for a total of five rotations. The Gyeonggisa, which consisted of Hwanghaedo Hyanggisa, served for long periods, while the Byeolpajin served in 16 rotations.