What is Jokbo?
Jokbo (조계/族譜) refers to a record of family members within the same lineage, presented in the form of family trees. It traces the ancestry from the progenitor (the earliest known ancestor) to the descendants. These records were especially significant during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.
Purpose and Importance:
Jokbo served several purposes:
- Social Class System: During the Joseon Dynasty, jokbo was used to maintain the social class system, particularly the yangban (gentry) culture.
-Verification of Status: It helped verify an individual’s status as a yangban, which exempted them from military service.
-Family Ties: Jokbo established family ties by considering registered individuals as part of the same larger family group.
Historical Changes:
The currently known form of jokbo was first published in the 15th century. Over time, writing forms and contents evolved to reflect social changes. Jokbo can be used as a primary source for understanding everyday life, cultural history, and social history in traditional Korean society.
Content in Jokbo:
Jokbo records include information such as:
-Social status (government officers, peerages, posthumous titles)
-Personal details (marriage, birth and death years, tombs)
-Family trees before and after the progenitor
Jokbo Forgery and Its Impact:
As the Joseon Dynasty declined, its strict class system weakened, making it easier for families to create their own jokbo, or family records. Some families made jokbo from scratch, while others added their names to the records of well-known families. This was easy to do because many jokbo were written by third parties, not the families themselves, making it hard to verify their authenticity.
Jokbo were forged not only for family pride or to claim a powerful ancestry, but also to take advantage of the system that rewards the descendants of Korean independence fighters. By convincing the government that they were descended from an independence fighter, families could receive financial benefits and honorary titles.
Even genuine jokbo might not always follow true genetic lines, as nobi, or slaves, were sometimes recorded as part of the yangban families they served.
Recent Studies:
Research on Korean jokbo has been active, focusing on topics like demography, social class, feminism, clan structure, and falsification. Jokbo materials continue to be valuable for understanding Korean history and society.
In summary, jokbo played a crucial role in preserving family lineage, social hierarchy, and historical context in Korea. It’s more than just a family tree—it’s a window into the past!
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