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MINOR CHRONICLES : XVI. THE SERVICES OF GENERAL TSHUL-KHRIMS-RDO-RJE 233

body's life was risked, and [his] castle was taken. Next morning the armies of Si-sgar,

Skar-rdo, Ron-yul, Hbru-sal, etc., assembled in one place ; and after they had ascended

(lit. leapt to) the top of their own trenches a great battle ensued. Then Tshul-khrims,

never making a wrong step, and remaining free from all fear, by his wisdom made

clever arrangements to meet the tricks of the enemy in an unembarrassed way. He

fought with them, and in a moment annihilated the great opposing host. The dead

and wounded of the enemy were beyond counting ; many leapt into the water, and were

sent on the road [which leads] beyond this world. [Their] armour together with

[their] horses were taken by us (lit. taken on this side).

If you ask how, he was a most splendid general in subduing foreign countries ;

he knew how to humiliate the hostile heroes in a manner which was not

mild ; he examined them with a tongue that was not well-sounding. When,

with a merciless mind, he burnt the enemy together with their belongings, he was like

a conflagration of heroism. [In battle] he was victorious over the adversary, and he was

a man who worked solely for the advantage and fame of [his own] government. When

the chief of Si-sgar, 'A-bsam-khan (or 'A-zam-mkhan), in great alarm fled in the

direction of Ron-yul and Hbru-sal, once more Tshul-khrims marched to Si-sgar

and appointed 'A-li-mkhan as chief of the castle. At Skar-rdo Ma-ma Za-phar-mkhan

was appointed chief. From Skar-stag-sa, Par-ku-ta, Rtol-ti, etc., the chiefs and wazirs,

accompanied by their several armies, were made to assemble there (at Skar-rdo ?) to

pay homage.

[For the sake of our fame] the great trees (Chenars ?) of Si -sgar were cut. An

inscription was carved on the rock. The relics of Buddha's bones in his elephant incar-

nation, which had withered through old age and were kept in a mound (lit. having a

mound), the horn of Buddha in his rhinoceros incarnation, the rifles, etc., of Skar-rtse

[workmanship], the famous iron drums, etc., were handed over to us (lit. to our side) :

furthermore, the things hidden in a hole at Smen-rtse (or Sman-mdze) ; horses, and

clarionets which could be repaired later, were afterwards recovered (?). In short, he was

a discouraging adversary to all the Sbal-ti nobles.

In the Water-Hare year (c. 1723 A.D.), when the noble Nor-hdzin-dban-mo arrived on

the other side together with the governor of Glo, Tshul-khrims-rdo-rje was sent to

meet [her]. Upon an unfair action by the father, the governor of Glo, . . . whilst

smiling, he [nurtured] hatred. The governor himself, the grandmother Nor-hdzin,

and the Lal-rno-dpon, with a retinue of forty ministers, were detained at Skag, in the

prison of the Mons. At a time when Glo was seized by fear of the Mons, Tshul-khrims-

rdo-rje went to Bro-gsod. The Sde-hchi n-Bha-dur ( = Bahádur) asked in a clever

way for assistance ; and together with an escort of 100 Mongol horsemen and 70

Ladakhis, a call to arms having been issued to Glo, the force was led against the castle

of Skag. Whilst the Mons fought from inside the castle, the most ferocious came

outside, and, they pressing near [towards us], a battle ensued. One of the Rgyal-ba

(leaders) of the Mons was hit by a bullet from Tshul-khrims and died. They were

thrown back (lit. turned), and many Mons died from wounds. After that a prisoners'

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