National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0423 |
Ancient Khotan : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
during the excavation of N. xv., a very considerable number (if not the majority) of the Kharoṣṭhī
documents found there, whether on leather or wood, are addressed ¹⁰. Where a document of this
class was addressed to two or more persons, the line giving their names and titles would be
continued beyond the seal cavity towards the pointed end, as in the case of N. i. 104+16,
where the obverse names 'Cojhbo Bhima and Ṣoṭhamga Lipeya' as the recipients ¹¹. To the
left proper of the string-hole, and usually quite close to it, is written the word dadavo, 'to be
given to', which completes and defines the preceding address entry at the opposite end of the
cover ¹².
The reverse of the under-tablet regularly shows a brief entry written close to its square Entry on
end, as in N. xv. 122, 137 (Plate XCVIII) and N. i. 9 (Plate C). In the complete wedge-shaped reverse of
documents translated by Professor Rapson, this entry always contains the name of the messenger under-
or other person referred to in the text as the carrier of the letter ¹³. It appears probable that the tablet.
corresponding entry seen on the reverse of other under-tablets served the same purpose; our
practice of showing on the cover of a letter of introduction the name of the person who is to
deliver it, offers an exact parallel to this. On the reverse of N. i. 122 (Plate XCVIII) three Incised
large characters, incised in a transverse direction, take the place of this last-named entry. The characters.
text of the tablet is not accessible to me; but the characters, read by me as Praścaya, permit
of the assumption that they, too, contain the name of the person entrusted with the document.
On the reverse of N. xv. 137 (Pl. XCVIII) there appear, besides a short entry near the square
end, evidently containing the name of the person who was to carry the missive, four closely written
lines which, though the writing in parts is much faded, can clearly be recognized as by a different
hand. M. Boyer, who has recently published a translation, with valuable comments, of this interesting
document—apparently an order for the arrest and production of certain fugitives ¹⁴—has shown
that this partly deciphered record on the reverse must deal with the same object. Is it possible
that we have here a disposal order or 'docket' notes by the official, the Cojhbo Somjaka, to whom
this 'double wedge' is addressed? Of a more humble character, but also curious, are the roughly Incised
incised marks which the reverse of some other under-tablets display. In N. xv. 17. a it is a distinguish-
Svastika; in N. xv. 04 and 05 a small circle crossed by a stroke. There can be little doubt ing marks.
that they are meant for distinguishing marks, probably scratched in after the fashion of the
'Nishāns,' which Indian 'Chaprassis' are in the habit of using on our envelopes, to facilitate
correct delivery by a messenger not acquainted with the writing. In the case of N. xv. 121 we
find thus two small crosses scratched in on the obverse of a covering-tablet.
As already stated, it was only in the light of the practically perfect specimens which N. xv. Kharoṣṭhī
yielded that I was able definitely to ascertain the manner of using and fastening the rectangular documents
double tablets. Here, too, as in N. iv., this class of Kharoṣṭhī documents on wood was mainly on rectan-
represented by detached pieces wanting the corresponding covering- or under-tablets with which gular double
they must once have been fitted. Of such incomplete documents, twenty-eight covering- and tablets.
nineteen under-tablets turned up here. The predominance of covering-tablets, equally marked
also in the case of wedge-shaped documents, is a characteristic result of the process by which
these 'waste-papers' found their way into the rubbish-heap. Opened 'envelopes' would necessarily
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
11
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
21
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
31
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
41
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
53
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
64
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
76
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
87
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
97
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
107
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
118
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
128
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
139
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
149
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
160
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
170
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
181
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
191
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
202
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
232
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
243
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
254
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
264
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
274
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
284
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
294
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
305
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
317
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
328
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
338
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
348
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
358
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
368
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
378
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
389
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
401
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
413
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
421
422
423
424
425
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
433
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
443
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
454
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
464
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
474
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
484
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
494
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
505
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
516
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
527
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
537
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
547
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
559
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
569
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
581
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
594
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
605
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
615
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
625
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
635
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
645
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
655
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
665
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
675
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
685
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
695
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
705
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
715
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
724
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
