'[W]e gather in this Constituent Assembly to restore All-Under-Heaven to Confucianism, founded upon sagely doctrine and the preservation of music, etiquette, cultural artifacts, codes, and systems passed down from the Ju to Daemyeong, and to Daehan, by translation imperii.'
Preamble, Constitution of the Myeong Commonwealth
THE FIRST REALM:
THE MING EMPIRE
The Great Ming Empire (대명국) (1368-1662), literally the 'Empire of Sublime Illumination' was, not as its detractors misrepresent, an age of missed opportunities run by a succession of incompetent emperors and secret agents, sandwiched between two periods of foreign imperialism under the Mongols and Manchus, respectively. Founded by the Hongmu Emperor (홍무제) (r.1368-1398) in 1368, the Ming Empire successfully terminated the conquest regime of Dai Ön ulus (대원대몽골국) by expelling Mongol rulers back to the northern plains, which fatally weakened the once-mighty Mongol Empire's hold over its territories across the world.
The Ming was the celestial realm at the heart of human civilisation, with its Emperor serving as Son of Heaven entrusted with the Mandate of Heaven to reign over a Confucian commonwealth. Within this international order, the Ming Court traded goods with foreign entities under the guise of receiving tribute and bestowing gifts of imperial favour.
During the Ming era, blue-and-white porcelain produced at imperial kilns captivated the world, associating the term 'Ming' with exquisite ceramics. The period witnessed a significant rise in literacy among both men and women, leading to the publication of diverse works on science, technology, and literature. Notable novels such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《삼국지연의》), Journey to the West (《서유기》), Water Margin (《수호전》), andThe Plum in the Golden Vase (《금병매》) highlighted the era's intellectual freedom. Additionally, the emergence of Yangmyeonghak (양명학), a new school of Confucianism that emphasised the importance of individual conscience and the equal opportunity of the unlearned to become sages through moral self-cultivation, challenging the state-sanctioned Jujahak (주자학) ideology, gained widespread acceptance and official recognition.
The Ming witnessed advancements in various scientific fields. Prominent scholars like Sage Paul Siu (서광계) (1562-1633) contributed to developing agricultural, astronomical, and technological knowledge. Innovations like improved irrigation techniques, accurate calendars, and publishing encyclopedic works significantly contributed to Eastern science.
In the seventeenth century, the Manchus (만주), formerly known as the Jurchens (여진), a foreign Tungusic people native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia and the Russian Far East, embarked on a bold conquest of the Ming Empire, which was marred by internal peasant uprisings during the global Little Ice Age in the Sevententh century. In 1662, the Manchu regime, now called 'Daecheongguk' (대청국) (1636-1912) emerged triumphant as an usurper who cowardly executed the last, weaponless, Yeonglyeok Emperor (영력제) (r. 1646-1662).
The Daehan Empire (대한제국) (1897-1910) was the last historic Confucian commonwealth in continental East Asia. Its predecessor, the Kingdom of Joseon (대명조선국) (1392-1897), was founded by Neo-Confucian reformers in the late fourteenth century, which was in many ways, more Confucian than the Ming, its suzerain. The name 'Joseon' (조선), which means 'Fresh Dawn,' was personally chosen by for the new Kingdom by none other than the Ming Empire's founding Hongmu Emperor.
In the fifteenth century, a sophisticated bureaucratic system was created, which employed civil service examinations for recruitment, managed defenses, improved agricultural infrastructure, utilised movable metal type for printing texts on various subjects, and invented devices for measuring rainfall and telling time. During the Japanese invasions (1592-1598), the Ming Empire sent more than 100,000 soldiers to unconditionally assist Joseon. After successfully defeating Toyotomi Japan, Ming troops withdrew from Joseon, ensuring the latter's complete autonomy. In a spirit of unity and mutual respect, Ming and the Kingdom of Joseon stood as Sovereign and vassal in principle, yet truly as father and son in deed.
The execution of the Yeonglyeok Emperor (영력제) (r. 1646-1662) in 1662 by the Manchu military symbolised more than just a change in leadership. It marked the conquest of an advanced civilisation and the termination of the traditional Confucian commonwealth (천하). The Manchus were deemed as 'barbarians' by Joseon, and their usurpation of the Dragon Throne of the Celestial Realm from the Ming had deviated from Confucian principles. Consequently, Joseon asserted its cultural superiority over the Manchus by seeing itself as the rightful inheritor of the Confucian orthodoxy.
The Kingdom of Joseon adopted the term 'Sojunghwa' (소중화) (meaning 'Little China') to position itself as the hub of Confucian civilisation following the Manchu conquest of the Ming Empire. Additionally, by continuously honouring Ming emperors through rituals and upholding Ming customs, Joseon sought revered the collapsed Ming Empire and clung to their admiration for Ming heritage. This cultural affinity endured through the continued use of Ming attire, etiquette, and calendar.
It comes as no surprise that, despite no territorial overlap, Joseon saw themselves as the rightful successors to the former Ming. Joseon isolated foreigners and restricted arrivals from the Manchu Daecheongguk, demonstrating their commitment to preserving Ming culture at all costs. Despite being a de jure vassal kingdom to the Manchu Daecheongguk, Joseon strongly resented towards the Manchus. It saw themselves as the last bastion of Sojunghwa, the rightful successors to the Ming Empire.
In the late 19th century, the Kingdom of Joseon faced increasing interference from imperial powers, not just the Manchu Daecheongguk or Qing Empire (대청국), but also the Japanese Empire and Tsarist Russia. Amid these influences, King Gojong (고종) of Joseon sought to modernise the realm and strengthen its sovereignty. In 1897, after a 235-year interregnum, Gojong assumed the imperial throne as theGwangmu Emperor (광무제) (r. 1897-1907) of the Daehan Empire. The Confucian Tradition, once again, had a legitimate Cheonja ('Son of Heaven') at its helm.
The Gwangmu reforms strengthened infrastructure, the economy, and the military. Reforms were introduced in areas such as education, law, and agriculture. Confucianism significantly impacted the Daehan Empire (1897-1910), shaping its social structure, governance, education, and cultural practices. Confucian ideals and principles were crucial to the Empire's policies and institutions.
Confucian principles guided the behaviour of the emperor, the last of whom was the Yunghui Emperor (융희제) (r. 1907-1910) officials, and scholars, promoting a sense of duty, respect, and harmony within the ruling elite.
Confucianism heavily influenced the Daehan Empire's education system. Confucianism also shaped social relationships and gender roles during the Daehan Empire. The concept of filial piety, which stressed respect for senior, parents, and ancestors, influenced family dynamics and societal expectations.
The Japanese Empire, in particular, exerted increasing control over the Daehan Empire, manipulating its politics and economy to further its imperial ambitions. In 1905, Japan forced Daehan to sign the Eulsa Treaty, effectively making the latter a protectorate of the former. Internal divisions also plagued the Daehan Empire. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the Korean Peninsula, ending the Daehan Empire. This marked the beginning of brutal Japanese colonial rule that lasted until the end of World War II in 1945, and the unfolding of another 113-year interregnum period.
THE THIRD REALM:
THE MYEONG COMMONWEALTH
'... the once steadfast hand of objective moral order has been forsaken, as the embrace of hedonism has swept through every corner. The consequence is the destruction of familial bonds, and a ceaseless rebellion on every front, leaving each community ensnared in a web of moral, social, political, and economic turmoil. In the wake of secularism and atheism’s defiance of God, arose a hubristic captivation with humanity as masters of their fate, empowered to disregard nature’s order. The contemporary world lacks the sacred rituals that could humbly ground us and free us from the illusion that our era is the pinnacle of history and human accomplishments the sole yardstick of value. This deception ensnares us in relentless cycles of jealousy and hatred. To entertain the notion that morality can exist independently of the Divine is akin to supposing that trees may flourish without their essential roots. The very fabric of human civilisation teeters on the precipice of oblivion ... the peoples of the Myeong Commonwealth enter into this venerable Constitution in order to promote filial piety towards our parents, respect for our elders, education of our children, harmonious living amongst fellow our compatriots, mutual assistance in times of bereavement and hardship, encouragement of virtuous deeds, discouragement of wrongdoings, cessation of disputes and conflicts, fostering of loyalty and unity, and cultivation of good citizenship, do hereby establish an ethos of humaneness and generosity.'
Preamble, Constitution of the Myeong Commonwealth
Under the venerated doctrine of Hwa-Yi (civilised-barbaric) distinction (화이변별), the spiritual remnants of the Confucian commonwealth could never recognise the Manchu Qing Empire (대청국) (1636-1912)'s monarchs as legitimate successors to the Sage Sovereigns Yo (요) and Sun (순) down to Ming due to their subversion of Confucian political morality: the lawless execution of the last Ming Emperor, imposition of barbaric attire and customs, and suffocation of Confucian philosophical development.
The official position of the Myeong Commonwealth is that the Kingdom of Joseon as the caretaker rump state of the Ming Empire, and the Daehan Empire (대한제국), as the sole legitimate successor of the Ming Empire, for the reasons outlined above.
Today, following the Japanese colonisation period and the end of the Second World War, the macronational states located on the Korean Peninsula that rule lands previously belonging to the Daehan Empire no longer claim succession to the Sojunghwa tradition, let alone Ming and the Confucian commonwealth. Given this vacuum, the Myeong Commonwealth sees itself as the sole legitimate micronational successor of the Daehan Empire and the Emperor of the Myeong Commonwealth as the incumbent successor all the way to the ancient Sage Sovereigns Yo (요) and Sun (순) through the Ming and Daehan monarchs.
Although Hangul (한글) is an official script of the Myeong Commonwealth, official legal and policy documents are written in the classic Hanmun (한문) script known as Hanja (한문), following Joseon tradition. English is the most widely spoken and written language in daily life.