병자호란과 천연두 (Smallpox and Qing Invasion of Chosŏn in 1637)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 고려대학교 민족문화연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 민족문화연구 / 72호 / 9 ~ 57페이지
· 저자명 : 구범진

초록

1637년의 병자호란은 천연두(만주어로 ‘마마’) 유행 가능성이 가장 높은 계절에 일어났으며, 실제로 당시 청군 진영에서는 천연두가 발발하였다. 홍타이지는 ‘마마’에 면역이 없는 ‘生身’이었기 때문에 ‘마마’가 발발하면 안전한 장소로 몸을 피하는 ‘避痘’에 들어가야 했다. 그렇다면 천연두는 병자호란의 전개 과정에 아무런 영향도 끼치지 못했던 것일까? 병자호란 당시 홍타이지는 적어도 정축년 2월 말까지는 남한산성에 대한 포위가 계속되리라고 예상했으며, 강화도 공격은 2월 하순으로 예정하고 있었다. 그러나 실제 전쟁은 정월 말에 끝났다. 압도적인 우세에도 불구하고 청군이 정월 17일 돌연 종전을 위한 협상을 서두르기 시작했다는 점과, 청군이 결빙에도 불구하고 예정을 앞당겨 기상천외한 강화도 공격 작전을 감행했다는 점을 전쟁의 종결을 앞당긴 주요 요인으로 꼽을 수 있다.
홍타이지가 갑자기 전쟁의 종결을 서둘렀던 까닭은 무엇일까? 그 무렵 전황은 청군의 압도적인 우세였다. 명군의 배후 위협도 없었다. 그렇다면 사료상 그 사실만 확인되고 시점은 알 수 없는 청군 진영의 천연두 발발이 홍타이지로 하여금 전쟁의 종결을 서두르도록 압박했던 것은 아닐까?

영어초록

Smallpox was the most dreadful contagious disease to the Manchus and played a significant role in the early Qing history. Whenever there was a news of smallpox outbreak, Hong Taiji and many of his family members, who had no immunity toward the disease, immediately confined themselves to safe places. When they set up a military operation plan, or when they were out on the battlefield, the Manchus never forgot to take measures to protect the emperor and princes with no immunity from the threat of smallpox.
When Hong Taiji personally led his imperial forces to invade Chosŏn Korea in 1637, there occurred a smallpox outbreak in a military camp close to his tent, which, considering that smallpox was one of the most common epidemic disease among the Koreans, was not a surprise. Here we may well raise a question: Was Hong Taiji able to carry out his war just as he had planned regardless of the outbreak? A close investigation of primary sources reveals that Hong Taiji had estimated his siege of the Nam Han Mountain Fortress would not be over until the end of the second lunar month of 1637. And he had a plan to attack the Ganghwa Island toward the end of the second lunar month. As a matter of fact, however, the war reached its conclusion by the end of the first lunar month. Two factors contributed to this earlier conclusion of the war. First, Hong Taiji made a sudden shift toward a negotiation to end the war in spite of the fact that he was enjoying overwelming military superiority over Chosŏn. Second, he advanced the attack of the Ganghwa Island by a month, despite all the difficulties and dangers of a midwinter landing operation. He gained a complete success in the adventurous operation, which left the king of Chosŏn no choice but to accept the terms of surrender Hong Taiji offered.
Then what caused Hong Taiji to make the sudden shift toward a negotiation and move up the date of attack on the Ganghwa Island? Given that any other possible causes are not found, this paper suggests that it could have been the outbreak of smallpox among his troops that pushed him to make all haste to finish the war.

참고자료

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