Buyeo - Fuyo

The name of a country established by a tribe thought to be of Tungus origin, which occupied the northeastern region of ancient China. The name Buyeo has appeared in Chinese historical records since the pre-Qin dynasty, but it was first sent to China as a tribute in the Later Han period, when it was under the control of Xuantu Commandery. In the first half of the 3rd century, when Emperor Ming of Wei ordered Guanqiu Jian to invade Goguryeo, King Buyeo once again submitted to Wang Qi, the governor of Xuantu. After that, Buyeo paid tribute to successive Chinese dynasties, but lost territory as neighboring Goguryeo grew stronger, and the famous King Gwanggaeto conquered part of it, the Eastern Buyeo Kingdom. According to the "Samguk Sagi," at the end of the 5th century, during the reign of King Munjae Ming of Goguryeo, Buyeo, including the king, surrendered to Goguryeo and was annexed.

There are various theories about the original base of the Buyeo people, but Hiroshi Ikeuchi identifies it as being near Alchuka (now Ashihe) in Heilongjiang Province. This place is about 30 kilometers southeast of Harbin, and is later considered to be the birthplace of the Jurchen people. The customs and national system of Buyeo are recorded in detail in the "Wei Zhi Dongyi Zhuan" (Eastern Barbarians of Wei) in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms." What is noteworthy is that four major clans, named after the six animals, such as Maga, Niuga, and Gouga, ruled over various regions under the king, and their society had a very strict class system and their marriage customs were very similar to those of the Xiongnu. In addition, their form of religion has strong elements of primitive shamanism. The Buyeo founding legend has many similarities with those of Goguryeo and Baekje, so it is considered an important historical source for estimating the lineage of the ethnic group. There is also a theory that the later "Mokkitsu" descended from the Buyeo tribe.

[Masao Murayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代中国の東北地方に割拠していたツングース系と思われる民族が建てた国名。夫余の名称は中国では先秦(しん)以来史書に現れるが、後漢(ごかん)時代初めて中国に遣使朝貢し、玄菟(げんと)郡の支配に属した。3世紀前半、魏(ぎ)の明帝が毌丘倹(かんきゅうけん)を高句麗(こうくり)に遠征させたとき、夫余王は改めて玄菟太守の王頎(おうき)に服従した。のち歴代中国王朝に朝貢したが、隣国高句麗の強大化によって領域を失い、有名な好太王によってその一部東夫余国を征服された。『三国史記』によれば、5世紀末、高句麗の文咨明(ぶんしめい)王時代に、夫余は国王以下ことごとく高句麗に降伏して併合されたことになっている。

　夫余族の当初の根拠地については諸説あるが、池内宏は黒竜江省の阿勒楚喀(アルチュカ)（現、阿什河）付近を比定している。この地はハルビン南東約30キロメートル、のちに女真(じょしん)の発祥地とされている所である。夫余の習俗、国制などについては『三国志』の「魏志東夷伝(とういでん)」が詳細に記録しているが、注目すべきことは、馬加、牛加、狗加などと六畜の名称を冠した四大豪族が国王のもとで各地を支配していたらしく、その社会は身分秩序もきわめて厳しく、婚姻の習俗はすこぶる匈奴(きょうど)に類似していたという。また、彼らの宗教の形態は原始シャーマニズムの要素が濃厚に見受けられる。夫余の建国伝承は高句麗、百済(くだら)のそれと共通点が多いので、民族の系統を推定するうえで重要な史料とされている。なお後世の「勿吉(もっきつ)」はこの夫余族の流れを引くものという説もある。

［村山正雄］

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