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CH. VIII]   THE CHRONICLES OF LADAKH : TRANSLATION   115

Also King 'Aii-phyug-rnam-rgyal of Zai s-dkar, a contemporary of Mi-hham-mgon, who is mentioned in a document from Phug-thal, was apparently a descendant of Bde-mchog-rnam-rgyal. The following inscriptions of my collection refer to King Bde-ldan-rnam-rgyal :—No. 59, votive tablet from Da-ru ; No. 60, votive tablet from Da-ru : No. 61, votive tablet from Tag-ma-cig ; No. 62, votive tablet from Dpe-thug ; No. 68, edict of Kha-la-rtse, relating to the irrigation water ; No. 64, hymn in honour of Bde-ldan ; No. 65, votive tablet from Phe ; No: 106, votive rock inscription from Mdo-mkhar. The campaigns under this king are also related in two land-grants addressed to the generals ákya-rgya-mtsho and Tshul-khrims-rdo-rje.

His son Lha-chen-Bde-legs-rnam-rgyal (e. 1645-80 A.D.) came to the capital. P. 'M

At that time the people of Lho-hbrug (Bhutan) and the Tibetans had a dispute. Now,

[the head-lama of] Lho-hbrug was the patron-lama (patron-deity) of the King of

Ladakh. The latter sent a letter to Tibet, saying that he was prepared to take up his

quarrel. The Tibetans carefully considered the matter : ` Supposing,' they said, ` the

king's army should arrive here first, it would, in accordance with his name, lead to an

overturn of the State (Bde-legs, lit. `good fortune ', and Sde-brlags, ` overturn,' may have

a similar sound in Tibetan pronunciation). Would it not, therefore, be well to raise an

army [here] first ? ' To this suggestion they all agreed. At that time there happened

to be at Dgah-ldan lamasery a Mongol lama, called Tshe-dbaii. The calculations pointed

out him [as the destined leader]. He, accordingly, turned layman, and, heading the

Mongol tribe and a powerful army [of Tibetans], he [soon] reached [Ladakh]. After

a first engagement at Zva-dmar-ldin the Mongol army in due course arrived at Ba-mgo

(Bab-sgo). At that time the king was staying at Gtiii-sgasi castle, whilst the Ladakhi

general and some forces following him seized Ba-mgo castle. Although they fought for

three years, the Mongol army would not return [to Lha-sa]. So the King of La-dvags

despatched a messenger to the Nawab of Kha-chul (Kashmir). Then, an immense army

appearing on the scene, a battle ensued on the Bya-rgyal plain near Ba-mgo. The

Tibetan army was routed ; they left behind them a large quantity of armour, bows, and

arrows. Their rout continued until they reached Dpe-thub ; the Mongol army in its

flight [eventually] reached Bkra-sis-sgasi. There they built a fort, shut it in with

a wall, and surrounded it with water. Inside they made it secure against an assault of

armies, and there they abode. Upon this the Sde-pa-gzui (Lhasa government),

apprehending that the King of La-dvags might once more come and bring succour,

and that thus another war might ensue, desired the Hbrug-pa-Mi-pham-dbaii-po to go

and negotiate for peace. Accordingly the Hbrug-pa Omniscient [undertook the journey]

and arrived at Gtiii-sgasi. Simultaneously some other messengers of the Tibetans

arrived there as well. (C MS.) The King of La-dvags heard that the patron-lama of

his forefathers had arrived. What these two agreed upon was not to be overturned

again. [The result of their deliberations was as follows :—] As in the beginning King

Skyid-lde-ni-ma-mgon gave a separate kingdom to each of his sons, the same

delimitations still to hold good. (B MS.) The Tibetans have come to consider that,

since Tibet is a Buddhist, and Kha-chul (Kashmir) is a non-Buddhist country, and

since Buddhist and non-Buddhist religions have nothing in common and are hostile to

each other, if at the frontier the King of La-dvags does not prosper, Bod (Tibet) also

cannot enjoy prosperity. [This being so], the occurrences of the recent war should be

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