Overview
During the Byeongja Horan, after being defeated by the Qing and signing a humiliating peace agreement, he was inscribed with his merits at the request of Emperor Taizong of Qing. Erected in the 17th year of King Injo of Joseon (1639), the stele stands 3.95 meters high and 1.4 meters wide, and its title is 'Stele of Merit and Virtue of the Great Qing Emperor [大淸皇帝功德碑].' Until early Joseon, the Jurchens had paid tribute to Joseon, but taking advantage of the Ming dynasty's turmoil, they rapidly grew to establish the Later Jin dynasty and further expanded their influence by invading Joseon, exerting pressure and causing a strained relationship with Joseon. When the Jurchens, who changed the country's name to Qing, demanded that Joseon observe the proper conduct of a vassal, relations between the two countries were severed. Ultimately, in the 14th year of King Injo's reign (1636), Emperor Taizong of Qing led 100,000 troops to invade Joseon and launched the Byeongjahoran invasion. King Injo, who had been resisting while staying at Namhansanseong, eventually surrendered at the Samjeondo ferry on the Han River, where the Qing army was stationed, leading to a humiliating peace agreement. After the Byeongjahoran War, King Cheongtaejong forced Joseon to erect a monument inscribed with his merits, resulting in the erection of the Samjeon Memorial Stele. The inscription was written by Lee Kyung-seok, the calligraphy by Oh Jun, and the title 'Stele of the Great Qing Emperor's Virtue' was written by Yeo Yijing. On the left side of the front of the stele, Mongolian script is written; on the right, Manchu script; and on the back, Chinese characters, making it an important resource for studying Manchu and Mongolian. (Source: Songpa-gu Office website)