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

From Cunningham's 'Other Information' (p. 355) we learn that "in the autumn of 1846, during the rebellion
of Shaikh Imâm-ud Din in Kashmir, there was a slight disturbance in Zañs-dkar, which was promptly
repressed by the Wazîr Basti-Râm, who is now "one of the confidential servants of Mahârâja Gulab Singh."
Since then the whole country has been quiet; and the passive Tibetans have yielded to a power which they
find it unsafe to resist."

When his son, Mahârâdza Râmbîr-Siñ, reigned (c. 1857–83 A.D.), all the Ladakhi
villages and peasants' [estates] which had suffered during the time of the former
Dewans (during the Dogra war) were re-established. The village taxes were removed,
and the custom-house fees of La-dvags were abolished. The register of peasants
which had been previously drawn up by the Thanadâr Magna and the Prime Minister
Rig-bdzin and which had remained [in force] till Basti-Râm's time was abolished. In the
Bi-kir-mi (Vikrama) year 1922 (1865 A.D.) Meta Mañgal-Siñ, the son of Meta Basti-Râm,
drew up a new list of peasants. The taxes on a full [share of] fields and houses were
fixed at 7 Rs. 11 Âs.; on half [a share] 3 Rs. 5 Âs. 3 Paisâ; on a further half (half of p. 54.
half = one quarter) [share] 1 R. 15 Âs. 3 Paisâ. A full share of victuals [to be paid as
taxes] was fixed at one bushel and 20 bre of wheat; 5 ser of butter; 2 sran of
wood of roots, and 20 ser of wood of Tar. (As this is wood brought from [the village
of] Tar in Gsam, having to be paid annually as a kind of tax, it was called Tar wood.)
Things remained as stated above for twenty-one years, down to the Hindu Bi-kir-mi
year 1941 (1884 A.D.). This king ruled in great happiness and power; his dominions
spread and flourished; the harvests and the years were good; the water even became
soft (or abundant?); and not a hand's breadth of ground remained unploughed.
He made a law-[book] called Kanun. All the soldiers were forbidden to take anything
except their proper wages from anyone in the country, be he strong or weak! During
the reign of this king the salt mine of La-dvags (tshva-kha), borax, soda, iron ore,
and a gold mine were discovered. Water was led [in canals] to the [dry] plains; and
Meta Mañgal-Siñ founded Râmbîrpur (the town of Râmbîr-Siñ); Râmpur (the town
of Râm-Siñ at Chu-sod); [the garden] Mañgal-Bâg (the garden of Mañgal-Siñ near
Cañ-ga); and Partâbpur (the town of Partâb-Siñ in Ldum-ra). Great numbers of
merchants came from all the frontiers, and cheats abounded; valuables arrived from
the great cities, a vast store. People became clever and sharp; [they learnt] Persian
and Drug-ra (Dogra, Sanskrit) grammar and arithmetic; they became haughty and
bad in many respects. In Pal-dar a mine (treasure) of inda-nila (sapphire) was
discovered. With regard thereto that [event] Bla-ma Bkra-sis-bstan-bphel of the
Stag-sna monastery of La-dvags in the year 1938 (1881 A.D.), or in the ninth month of
the Tibetan earth-snake year (1869 A.D. + 12 = 1881), made a petition. He was
equal in character to the teachers of old. He wished to meet with the great Śri-
Mahârâdza and on the occasion of accompanying the high government (the Mahârâja)
out of Kashmir, in 1938, when [leaving] Pâmpur of Kashmir, he told [the Mahârâja],
without letting it become known to anyone of the nobility (?)—I myself (Munshi
Tshe-riñ-dpal-rgyas) was travelling from Pâmpur with the great lama. The lama was
sent to Pal-dar, and by way of clever tricks and prayers to the Jewels (dkon-mchog,