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Gangnido

Kangnido map (1402)
KangnidoMap.jpg
Korean name
Hangul 혼일강리역대국도지도
Hanja 混一疆理歷代國都之圖
Revised Romanization Honil Gangni Yeokdae Gukdo Ji Do
McCune–Reischauer Honil Kangni Yŏktae Kukto Chi To
Short name
Hangul 강리도
Hanja 疆理圖
Revised Romanization Gangnido
McCune–Reischauer Kangnido

The Honil Gangni Yeokdae Gukdo Ji Do ("Map of Integrated Lands and Regions of Historical Countries and Capitals."), often abbreviated as Kangnido, is a world map created in Korea, produced by Yi Hoe and Kwon Kun in 1402.

The Kangnido is one of the oldest surviving world maps from East Asia, along with the (ca. 1398) Chinese Da Ming Hun Yi Tu. Surviving copies of both the Kangnido and the Da Ming Hun Yi Tu all bear later revisions, and the original, unrevised forms of both maps are uncertain. Nevertheless, the surviving copies of the Kangnido constitute one of the most important materials for reconstructing the original form of the 14th-century Chinese map. As a world map, it reflects the geographic knowledge of China during the Mongol Empire when geographical information about Western countries became available via Islamic geographers.

It depicts the general form of the Old World, from Africa and Europe in the west to Japan in the east. Although, overall, it is less geographically accurate than its Chinese cousin, most obviously in the depiction of rivers and small islands, it does feature some improvements (particularly the depictions of Korea and Japan, and a less cramped version of Africa).

Only two copies of the map are known today. Both have been preserved in Japan and show later modifications.

The map currently in Ryūkoku University (hereafter, Ryūkoku copy) has gathered scholarly attention since the early 20th century. It is 158 cm by 163 cm, painted on silk. It is presumed that the Ryūkoku copy was created in Korea but it is not clear when the copy was brought to Japan. One claims that it was purchased by Ōtani Kōzui and others assume that it was obtained during the invasion of Korea (1592-1598) and given to the West Honganji temple by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It contains some place names of Korea that are newer than 1402, suggesting that the Ryūkoku copy was partially modified from the 1402 original around the 1470s and 1480s.


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