国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

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144   ANTIQUITIES OF INDIAN TIBET

[Vol.. II

P.

4

regular sacrifices, no sacrificial lamps, no annual support, no salaries of 12 Rs. for each

monk annually, no food and drink for the water-carriers and goat-herds, and, moreover,

57. no more tilling of the ground ! ' Such and other petitions were offered before the

highest authority, [who replied], ` From the taxes of the country in general one or two

annas in every rupee [may be] remitted ; as regards the monasteries, one half of the

new taxes [may be] remitted ; the other half will be paid ! ' As they could not agree

even on that, the great man became angry, and, using oaths, he said, ` I will not

decide ! ' The government blamed its own servants, and the proverb of ` God and the

hungry man ' was being fulfilled. The wázir and the people of the country could not

agree in their speech, and the old proverb

When the falcon and thé little bird wrestle, The ground becomes covered with feathers !

was being fulfilled. Whilst Lekhman-Dás, the Nawáb of Kha-chul, was investigating

the case of the Ladakhi petitioners, who had come to Kha-chul from above (La-dvags),

a letter was actually issued, and a Si-pa and an order were sent to the Ladakhi nobility,

who were assembled at Jammu, commanding them to start at once [for Kha-chul].

They were not even allowed to wait for their house-mates ; and the nobility, after they

had spent two or three nights on the [open] ground, all huddled together, arrived in

Kha-chul. There they met with the [ordinary] people of La-dvags. But at that time

the relatives, near or distant, or people who lived in the same house, would not look

at one another. The Dewőn made a drawing and gave orders that any petitions were

to be in writing, commanding the two Ladakhi kings, the warden of He-mi, and ten

leaders (chiefs ?) to write a petition [of their own], and the ordinary people of the country

to write separately. Thus the Ladakhis, being pressed on three sides, had no more

consideration for near or far (neighbours or relations). They wrote that there were

various estates in the country, that there were sites [which had been seized] by beating,

bribing, or favouring a certain party ; [and they wrote] many bad things about the

wázir, which ought never to have been said. In his decision the Dewán [said], ` The

Kings of Tog and Man-spro both shall retain the j őgirs given to them by the government.

For it was right,' he said, ` that a king should have power to impose taxes.' But the

42 [Rs.] annually which they had taken in addition [to what was due to them] they were

admonished to return to the people. To the descendants of Golám-Khan of Chu-sod,

(viz.) Salőm-Khatun and Golám was given a jágir, [which has remained in their hands]

down to the present day. Through the intercession of Ser-Sin, who had formerly been

in La-dvags as wázir, the Dewán said to the kings, the Kardőrs, and the ordinary people,

` Tell me how much has been added to the taxes of the subjects in La-dvags in the

former year 1941 (A.D. 1884) beyond what had been imposed by Meta-Mangal-Sin ?

Besides, how much do you want me to deduct from the taxes imposed by wázir Rádhá-

Krisna ? ' Thus he said. Then the nobility [of Ladakh] and the ordinary people

with one accord [answered], ` Formerly Mangal-Sin fixed the taxes in proportion to the

property [of the taxed] ; but, since the survey was undertaken, through excessive partiality

things have not gone straight. The rich people having paid bribes, some of their former