Tuesday, May 12, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Royal Inscriptions and Imperial Buddhism
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Texts
The Bell at Khra 'brugA twelve-line Old Tibetan inscription from a bell at Khra 'brug in the Yar Lung Valley, dating to the reign of Emperor Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (c. 799–815 CE). Commissioned by Queen Byang Chub for the emperor's merit and to urge all sentient beings toward virtue, cast by the Chinese Buddhist monk Rin Chen. The bell itself is lost — the text survives only through historical records. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Charter of Lcang BuA ninth-century Old Tibetan temple founding charter inscribed on a stone pillar at the ruins of Mtshur Phu Monastery, 80 kilometres west of Lhasa. The minister Zhang Nya Stos builds a Buddhist temple at Lcang Bu in the Stod Valley to repay the grace of King Khri Gtsug Lde Brtsan (Ralpachen, r. 815–836 CE). The king responds with royal naming, tax exemptions, governance provisions, and succession protections. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Edict of Rkong PoA ninth-century Old Tibetan royal charter inscribed on a stone stele at Bde Mo Sa in the Rkong Po region, approximately 325 kilometres east of Lhasa. The Kar Po ruling family petitions the emperor, tracing their lineage back to the mythological first king of Tibet — Nya Gri Btsan Po, descended from the six celestial Phyva lords — and secures hereditary succession rights and tax exemptions. Issued under Khri Srong Lde Brtsan and renewed by his son Lde Srong. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Edict of Skar CungA royal edict from the Tibetan Empire pledging the dynasty's perpetual commitment to Buddhism, inscribed on a stone pillar at Ra Ma Sgang near Lhasa during the reign of King Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (r. c. 797–815 CE). The inscription surveys five generations of royal temple-building — from the founding of the Jokhang to the founding of Samye — and establishes a solemn oath binding all future rulers to uphold the Three Jewels. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Naming of a PrinceA ninth-century Old Tibetan royal charter from the Dunhuang caves preserving the naming ceremony of Emperor Khri Gtsug-lde-brtsan (Ralpacan), a praise song composed by the monk Yon Tan, a catalogue of the petty kingdoms with their lords and ministers, a vision of a golden palace, a loyalty oath, and administrative instructions for the imperial messenger relay. Pelliot tibétain 1290.The Oath of Bsam YasThe founding inscription of Bsam Yas (Samye) — the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, established c. 779 CE. A stone pillar in the monastery courtyard preserves the oath of Emperor Khri Srong Lde Brtsan and his court: that the Dharma of the Buddha shall never be abandoned, that the Three Jewels shall be supported in every generation, and that gods, spirits, and the supramundane are invoked as witnesses. A companion bell inscription records Queen Rgyal Mo Brtsan Yum's prayer that the emperor and his sons attain unsurpassed awakening. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Origin and Genealogy of the Btsan-po — PT 1038An Old Tibetan genealogical chronicle presenting three competing origin myths for the first king of Tibet, from a ninth-century Dunhuang cave manuscript.The PrincipalitiesA fifteen-line Old Tibetan royal praise text from the Dunhuang caves describing a golden palace, its ascending glories, and a catalogue matching each quality of the realm to its rightful possessions. Pelliot tibétain 1067.The Sino-Tibetan Treaty InscriptionThe most important diplomatic document in Tibetan history — the 821-822 peace treaty between the Tibetan Empire and the Tang Dynasty, inscribed on a stone pillar before the Jokhang in Lhasa. West face (treaty) and east face (historical narrative) translated from Old Tibetan and Classical Chinese.The Tomb Inscription of Khri Lde Srong BrtsanThe tomb inscription of Emperor Khri Lde Srong Brtsan (r. c. 800–815 CE) at 'Phyong Rgyas, the Valley of the Kings. Records his character, military campaigns against China, India, the Turks, and the Hor, his Buddhist patronage, and identifies his burial mound. Heavily weathered — the most damaged of the Tibetan imperial inscriptions. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.The Twelve PrincipalitiesA ninth-century Old Tibetan chronicle from the Dunhuang caves recording the twelve principalities of pre-imperial Tibet, the myth of the first king's descent from heaven, and the complete royal genealogy from divine origin to the reign of Ral Pa Can (r. 815–838). Pelliot tibétain 1286.The Zhol InscriptionA stone pillar inscription at Zhol, south of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, honoring Minister Stag Sgra Klu Khong for his military service to the Tibetan Empire, including the capture of the Chinese capital Chang'an in 763 CE. The most politically significant inscription of the Tibetan Empire period. First freely available English translation from Old Tibetan.