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

266   ANTIQUITIES OI+' WESTERN TIBET   [VOL. II

as prisoners to Ladák. In this campaign the invaders lost about 200 men, and the Botis (Baltis) about 300 men.

Previous to the conquest of Skardo, the old king of Ladák, Tonduk Namgyal (Don-grub-rnam-rgyal), or Akabat Mahmud ', had been accused of having intrigued with Ahmed Shah for a simultaneous and organized rising of the Tibetans of Ladák (La-dvags) and Balti (Sbal-ti). He may, perhaps, have been wrongfully accused; but as his feelings must naturally have inclined him to think favourably of any enemy of the Dogras, it would have been impolitic to have left him behind, as the absence of the conquering troops might have tempted him to rebel. Zoráwar Sing therefore carried Tonduk Namgyal (Don-grub-rnam-rgyal) with him on his expedition against Skardo. The old plan had outlived the downfall of his country ; he had survived close personal restraint and bitter indignity ; but when his last hope was cut off with the fall of Skardo, he gave way to despondency, and being attacked with smallpox, he died within a month after the annexation of Balti (Sbal-ti) to the Jammu vice-royalty of the Sikh dominions. On the death of Akabat Mahmud, his grandson Jigmet Singgé Namgyal (Hjigs-med-sere-ge-rnam-rgyal), a mere boy, was acknowledged as Gyalpo (Rgyal-po) by Zoráwar Sing. The father of this lad, Prince Chovang (or Chang) Raphtan Namgyal (Tshe-dban-rab-brtan-rnam-rgyal), fled first to Hundar (Scion-dar) in Nubra, and afterwards to Spiti, on the deposal of Akabat Mahmud.

In October, 1837, he reached Saráhan, in Bisahar (Bashahr) ; and in April, 1838, he   4
came to Kotgurh, where he resided until his death in 1839. He was then about 21 years of age. His wife, a daughter of the Káhlon Chovang Tandup (Bkah-blonTshe-dban-don-grub), remained in Ladák with her young son, Jigmet Singgé

Hjigs-med-Sell-ge).

NOTES

According to the La-dvags-rgyal-rabs the deposition of Raja. Diios-grub-bstan-hdzin took place immediately before the expedition against Baltistan, and not before Zoráwar's visit to Jammu. The conquest of Chatrgarh was not directed against Ladakh, but against the Chamba State (see the Chamba Gazetteer, p. 105). Ahmad-Shah's quarrel with his eldest son is found fully described in Vigne's Travels (see ante, p. 186). The chief of Khatakchan (Parkuda) not only submitted to the Dogras, but energetically took their side, because he wished to assist AhmadSháh's eldest son in his plotting against his father. As regards the construction of a bridge across the Indus, it was mainly due to the Dards, who assisted Basti-Rám. The Dards have traditions about this incident. The Dards every year, in winter, make bridges across the Indus in places where they wish to have them. Their method is the following :—they fasten several beams to the bank of the river in such a way that they project into the river. After a short time they are frozen in an incrustation of ice of such solidity that it is possible to walk on them as far as the outer end. Then several more beams are fastened to the first, and are made to project into the river. When they are frozen in, another set of beams is brought, and so on, until the other bank is reached. It is only Cunningham who knows of Prince Rab-brtan's (or Mchog-sprul's) death in Kotgur. The Ladakhis believe that he died in Spyi-ti. A song of his flight is found in my History of Western Tibet, p. 152.

4. WAR AGAINST CENTRAL TIBET (Cunningham, p. 351)

Elated with his success, Zoráwar Sing now threatened the neighbouring States, and even talked of invading Yarkand. But the Lhasan provinces of Rudok (Ru-thogs) and Ngari (Mnah-ris) were more accessible ; and the unscrupulous conqueror