What's the meaning of 분부인지라? I found it in the following phrase:

갤러해드는 캐멀롯 성으로 돌아가기 위해 사양했으나, 하늘의 분부인지라 어쩔 수가 없었다.

I looked up in the dictionary and only found the meaning of 분부, which is somethin like "order", "command", etc. And I'm guessing 인 comes from 이다+, and 라 comes from 아/어서 in literary form when used with nouns. But what does they all mean together?

And finally, what's the meaning of "어쩔 수가 없었다"? Looks like an idiomatic expression, so please explain it to me.

Thank you!

Question

What's the meaning of 분부인지라? I found it in the following phrase:

갤러해드는 캐멀롯 성으로 돌아가기 위해 사양했으나, 하늘의 분부인지라 어쩔 수가 없었다.

I looked up in the dictionary and only found the meaning of 분부, which is somethin like "order", "command", etc. And I'm guessing 인 comes from 이다+, and 라 comes from 아/어서 in literary form when used with nouns. But what does they all mean together?

And finally, what's the meaning of "어쩔 수가 없었다"? Looks like an idiomatic expression, so please explain it to me.

Thank you!

Answer

인지라 is 이다 + -ㄴ지라 as you guessed.

-ㄴ지라 for adjectives, 이다 and 아니다 (and -는지라 for verbs) gives a reason for what follows, similar to -아/어서, -기에, or -니까. It is a traditional elevated speech form that only appears in stylized writings nowadays.

- 내일은 제 오라버니의 생일*인지라 좋은 음식을 만들어 드리고자 합니다 (old style).
= 내일은 오빠(의) 생일*이어서/이니까 맛있는 요리를 해 주려고 해요. (plain modern style)

어쩔 수가 없었다 = 어찌할 수가 없었다 = 어떻게 할 수가 없었다.

어떻게 is "how" in a question, but in a plain statement it itmeans "somehow", "in some way". 어떻게 하다 is thus "do something", and 어떻게 할 수가 없다 means "can't do anything (though I try)". 어쩔 수(가) 없다 is an idiomatic phrase for "There's no other way (so just accept the situation)".

하늘의 분부인지라 어쩔 수가 없었다. 
= 하늘의 분부이기에/분부이어서 어쩔 수가 없었다. 
= There was nothing he could do but take it since it was heaven's command.