This study set out to analyze 『Mushincahnguirok』, a collection of records on Yeongnam loyal troops during the Riot of Military Officials in 1728(the fourth year of King Yeongjo’s reign), and approach the political substance of noble families in Yeongnam that participated as loyal troops.
First, 『Mushincahnguirok』was published in 1788(the 12th year of King Jeongjo’s reign), which was 60 years after the Riot of Military Officials, under the king’s permission for publication at Gyeongsanggamyeom. The book was not published at that time because of the Noron’s organizational operation out of fear for Namin’s reintroduction into the political circles.
Second, 『Mushincahnguirok』was published privately by Yu Hu-jo, a nobleman in Yeongnam, in 1874(the 11 th year of King Gojong’s reign), which was 87 years after its publication by the government agency. Its private publication had something to do with the political circumstances of the times. Daewongun actively appointed Yeongnam Namin to political positions in order to restrain the Cheokjok force. Yeongnam Namin also needed his cooperation to reemerge as a political force in the central stage. At the center of mutual solidarity between them was Yu Hu-jo, who was one of the representative officials from Yeongnam Namin. He actively advocated all of Daewongun’s policies and published 『Mushincahnguirok』as a means of leading Yeongnam Namin. Thus the Noron force could not object to its publication no longer during the rule of Daewongun with different political positions.
Third, the Noron ministers objected to its publication mostly for the “Additional Records” in the book. That is, the loyal troops in the Additional Records appeared in the Gongcho of the rebels. However, they faced coaxing as the members of anti-Noron Namin force but did not join the rebels army.
Fourth, the study found that the loyal troops recorded in 『Mushincahnguirok』 were strictly comprised of the Toigye School members that had a different disposition from the rebellious Namin members including Jeong Hee-ryang. The areas where loyal troops were raised were also concentrated in the Gyeongsang Jwado, the base of the Toigye School.
Given that the Yeongnam Namin members that raised the riot usually belonged to the Nammyeonghak School, it is apparent that the Toigye School and Nammyeonghak School chose different paths at the Riot of Military Officials. Unlike the previous studies that reported the “Soron extremists and Namin members” led the Riot of Military Officials, the study maintained that “the Nammyeonghak School of Namin and Soron extremists led the Riot.”