PT 1094 — A Dunhuang Livestock Sale
PT 1094 is a livestock sale contract from the Pelliot tibetain collection of the Bibliotheque nationale de France. Written in Old Tibetan on paper with four round vermilion seals, it records the sale of one mottled red ox from An Pe'u-tig to Li G.yu-legs-rje-gol of the Stong-sar district for three dmar-srang. The transaction was overseen by three Tibetan councillors at the Pe'u-mun marketplace court.
The document is a complete commercial transaction with all standard Dunhuang legal elements: physical description of the animal, ownership guarantee, penalty clauses, a guarantor arrangement, resale covenant with whipping penalty, witness list, and authentication seals. The verso identifies it as a "deed of sale of an ox to a Chinese man," confirming the buyer's Chinese identity.
Li G.yu-legs, the buyer, also appears in PT 1098 (a messenger contract from the same Stong-sar district), suggesting he was a prominent figure in the local Chinese community. The transaction took place during the Rat Year of the Tibetan imperial period at Dunhuang (c. 786-848 CE).
In the Rat Year, in the middle winter month:
Before Councillor Gtsug-brtan, and Councillor Khri-sum-bzher, and Councillor Stag-sum-bzher, at the assembly court of the marketplace, Pe'u-mun, in response to what was presented:
Li G.yu-legs-rje-gol, of the Stong-sar district, purchased from An Pe'u-tig — bondservant of Lho-blon Klu-sgra, the thousand-chief of Mthong-kyab Se-tong-pha — one ox for three dmar-srang. Its markings and horn configuration: one mottled red ox with clustered horns, also mottled in the face — one ox purchased.
Hereafter, should anyone seize authority over this ox that Pe'u-tig sold, or should an owner emerge from elsewhere, or should any lawsuit arise whether great or small, Pe'u-tig shall answer by his word. He shall return the ox price of three dmar-srang, and whatever penalty the judicial settlement demands he shall not evade — it shall be delivered to G.yu-legs's gate.
Moreover, should Pe'u-tig be absent from his post, or should the urgent summons not reach him: in accordance with the oath sworn above, Khug Sde-skyes — bondservant of Councillor Zla-bza', the thousand-chief of Stong-sar district — and others shall bear the obligation by their word.
Having concluded the transaction in this manner and written the deed: should a reseller come, whichever party trades first — the non-trading party shall receive a fine of two srang, to be paid immediately. The return-whip shall also be administered according to law.
Witnesses: Judge Stag-bzang Tsi-nyam, and Legs-bzang Legs-stsan, and Lu Syang-'do, and the rest — their witness-seals, the acknowledgment, and Pe'u-tig's finger-measure seal were affixed.
(Four round vermilion seals.)
(Verso:) Witness-deed of the ox sale to a Chinese man.
(Three Chinese characters.)
Colophon
PT 1094 (Pelliot tibetain 1094). Old Tibetan livestock sale contract from the Dunhuang cave library. Translated from Old Tibetan by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. First English translation.
The source text was accessed from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) database maintained by Osaka University.
Translation notes: Li G.yu-legs-rje-gol bears a Chinese surname (Li, 李) with a Tibetan personal name, a pattern common among the Chinese population under Tibetan administration at Dunhuang. This individual also appears in PT 1098, where he was assigned the autumn relay messenger duty but was absent from his post — suggesting a person of some means in the Stong-sar district, able to buy livestock and hire substitutes for corvee labor. An Pe'u-tig bears the Chinese surname An (安), often associated with Central Asian origin. He is identified as a bondservant (bran) of Lho-blon Klu-sgra, a Tibetan thousand-chief. The three presiding councillors (blon) are all Tibetan, reflecting the imperial administrative structure.
"Dmar-srang" is a unit of value, literally "red srang," referring to gold or copper currency. "Spu rtags" (hair-markings) and "ru tshugs" (horn configuration) are the standard livestock identification formulas in Dunhuang contracts. The "return-whip" (lo lcag) and fine of two srang for resale is a penalty mechanism to prevent speculative livestock trading — the same concern seen in PT 1095's barley penalty. The "finger-measure seal" (sug rgyas) is a biometric authentication — the width of the signatory's finger pressed into the document.
The three Chinese characters on the verso may be an additional authentication or ownership note in Chinese, reflecting the bilingual nature of the administration.
This is a Good Works Translation. The English is independently derived from the Old Tibetan source text. No prior English translation was available for consultation.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: PT 1094
Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO) database, Osaka University. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.
(1) /:/ byi ba lo 'i dgun sla 'bring po 'i ngo la / / blon gtsug brtan dang / blon khri sum bzher dang / blon stag sum bzher gyis /
(2) khrom gyi 'dun sa / pe'u mun du btab pa 'i lan la / / stong sar gyi sde / li g.yu legs rje gol gyis / / mthong kyab se tong
(3) pha 'i stong pon lho blon klu sgra 'i bran an pe'u tig las glang gchig [d]mar srang gsum gyis
(4) mjald pa 'i spu rtags dang ru tshugs la / / glang dmar bkra ru tshog / gdong yang bkra ba gchig mjal te / slad
(5) kyis glang 'di pe'u tig 'tshong la myi dbang zhe 'am bdag po zhig gud nas byung ngam zhal mchu gches phra chi byung [ba yang]
(6) pe'u tig mchid kyis 'tshal zhing glang rin du dmar srang gsum 'tshal pa zhal che [gras] gchad chi
(7) chad pa la myi sdod par g.yu legs gyi sgor 'bul bar bgyis / / brgya' la pe'u tig gzhi la ma mchis sam
(8) 'phral du bsnyag pa 'i khu skad kyis myi slebs na dam gong nas 'byung ba bzhin / stong sar gyi stong pon blon zla bza
(9) gyi bran khug sde skyes dang ### mchid kyis 'tshal bar bgyis / / mjal tshongs 'di ltar bgyis
(10) nas gthan tshigs bris lags pa 'i 'og du tshong lo ba zhig mchis na gang lo bas myi lo ba la lo zan
(11) yal zugs srang gnyis gang myi lo ba la 'phral du stsal ching lo lcag kyang khrims bzhin gzhu
(12) bar bgyis pa 'i dpang la / / zhal che pa stag bzang [tsi] nyam dang / legs bzang legs stsan dang / lu syang 'do dang /
(13) ### la stsogs pa 'i dpang rgya dang / khas len dang pe'u tig gi
(14) sug rgyas btab pa / / (four round vermilion seals)
(v1) lho myi la glang mjal pa 'I dpang rgya
(v2) (three Chinese characters)
Source Colophon
Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), archives?p=Pt_1094, maintained by Osaka University. The original manuscript is held by the Bibliotheque nationale de France.
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