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CH. IX]   THE CHRONICLES OF LADAKH : TRANSLATION   133

The chief difficulty with regard to the events told in this chapter is the tale of Dios-grub-bstan-hdzin According to Basti-Ram he was deposed a long time before the Balti war ; but according to the Tibetans it was immediately before the war, after a reign of five or six years (1835-40 or -41). According to Basti-Rám he ran away to Spi-ti as soon as he heard of Zorawar's approach ; but according to the Rgyal-cabs he went to meet him in Zaus-dkar. With regard to Prince Mchog-sprul, Cunningham says in this chapter that he went as far as Kotgur, where he died in 1839, being 21 years old. A ` Song of Prince Mchog-sprul's flight ' is found in my History of Western Tibet (p. 152), where we find also (p.160) a song on King Hjigs-med-rnam-rgyal.

No long time after [that event Zorawar] deliberated with regard to the question

of sending an army against Yar-khen (Yarkand) and Byan-than. As it was a long way

to Yar-khen, he resolved to send an army against Mnah-ris-skor-gsum. Therefore the

Wazir with as many officers and soldiers as he had with him ; the Ladakhi [chieftain]

No-no-Bsod-nams ; the minister of Ba-sgo (Bab-sgo) ; Go-lam-Khan ; Mgon-po, the

steward ; the minister Sa-bi ; and all the other great councillors and soldiers went to make

war against Mnah-ris. (Ca MS.) Mi-yá-Mag-na, the Tha-na-dár, was made responsible for

all Ladakh. (Cc MS.) The He-mi monastery contributed 12,000 bushels of grain,

300 horse-loads, and 70 horses. At first they marched across the Byan-la [pass].

Ru-thog was destroyed ; and the minister of 'A-lci was stationed there as commandant

of the castle. It was very doubtful whether a Tibetan army would ever arrive [there],

excepting the 500 soldiers who were natives of Mnah-ris. The Wazir marched off

with a great army, fought against Mnah-ris-skor-gsum, and brought it under his sway.

At Sgar (Garthog) he built a fort (gila). Si-pas, soldiers, and castlewards were

stationed in Bu-ran, Ru-thog, and other places, and then he retired to Sgar, together p. 51.

with his army. Four days after the Wazir's return from Bu-ran, a Tibetan

from Bu-ran, the chief of the archers, with 300 cavalry and 10,000 foot-soldiers, arrived

there. Those fifty Si-pas who were stationed at Stag-la-mkhar (Ca MS. Dvag-la-mkhar)

in Bu-ran were attacked and everyone of them killed. The Tibetan army remained

[there]. Eight days later a minister, a ru-dpon, three responsible commanders, with

500 cavalry and 7,000 foot-soldiers, arriving from Bu-ran as reinforcements, are said

to have been in Gro-sod. More [soldiers] were expected to arrive by and by. Meta

Basti-Ram with 300 Si-pas was stationed at Do-yo. Basti-Ram uninterruptedly, by

day and by night, sent reports to the Wazir. At that time two or three days had

elapsed since the Wazir's arrival at Sgar. Then a letter with news arrived from

Basti-Ram. It was conveyed by Ran-thag-(Ran-hthag)-Bkra-sis-don-grub, a Ladakhi,

together with four men. On the following day the Wazir together with his army and

the Ladakhi noblemen went back, not leaving a single soldier [at Sgar], and once more

he arrived in Bu-ran. The queens (Zorawar's wives) were sent to La-dvags with

No-no Don-ldan of Phyi-dban. A little below Do-yo he established a camp and

remained. Then five or six great skirmishes took place. The Tibetan army, remaining

inside the castle, did not incur much loss ; but on the Wazir's part, being outside, many

Si-pas were killed. Then snow fell, and the old men among the Wazir's Si-pas perished

of cold. The stronger men [among the Dogras] and the Ladakhi noblemen, wearing

their armour [fought ?] day and night without a break. (Text uncertain.) One day

very early, at first dawn, the Tibetan army left the castle of Stag-la ; 3,000 cavalry,