PT 1088.1 — A Dunhuang Court Document
PT 1088.1 is a court document from the Pelliot tibetain collection of the Bibliotheque nationale de France. Written in Old Tibetan on paper, it records proceedings at the Kva-cu district assembly concerning a debt case between Kvag Rngng-shi'u of the Stong-sar district and Sag Dge-bstan of the God-sar district. Military commanders preside. The dispute involves a cow purchase made against a three dmar-srang debt, with a physical description of the animal, an ownership guarantee, and a follow-up fragment about delivery.
The document dates to the spring of the Hare Year, during the Tibetan imperial period at Dunhuang (c. 786-848 CE). The court assembly (khroms gyi 'dun sa) was a formal judicial body where disputes were heard before military and civil officials. The names in curly braces indicate an interlinear addition in the manuscript — a correction or amplification inserted by the scribe.
This text and the following grain loan (PT 1088.2) are written on the same manuscript, recording two separate transactions from the same district in the same year.
In the spring of the Hare Year, at the assembly place of the Kva-cu Court, in response to a petition bearing a hand-print:
{Military Commander Blon Khrom-legs, Blon Rgyal-tsan, and Blon Klu-dog-rje, and others:}
From the Stong-sar district, Kvag Rngng-shi'u — against a debt of three dmar-srang — from the God-sar district, Sag Dge-bstan: one cow was purchased. Its markings and horn shape: a black cow, one horn missing — one cow purchased.
Regarding this cow, should any future legal claim arise, whether from above or below, and should an owner appear — whether the cow is forfeited or not — Dge-bstan's word shall apply.
As guarantee: should Dge-bstan be summoned to his district and not arrive on time, or as sworn above — his word shall be sought.
From the agreement: [---]
(Separate fragment:) Immediately to deliver to Rngng-shi'u's door, with witnesses: [---]
[---] his word shall be sought and good repayment [---]
Colophon
PT 1088.1 (Pelliot tibetain 1088, first text). Old Tibetan court document 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: "Kva-cu khroms" is the Kva-cu district court, likely identical with Guazhou (瓜州), an administrative center near Dunhuang. "Sug chu btab pa'i lan la" (in response to a petition bearing a hand-print) indicates that the court proceedings were initiated by a formal complaint. The names in curly braces { } represent an interlinear addition in the manuscript, identifying the presiding military commanders: "Dmag-pon" (Military Commander) Blon Khrom-legs, Blon Rgyal-tsan, and Blon Klu-dog-rje. "Blon" is a Tibetan official title. "Dmar srang" is a unit of weight or currency — possibly a measure of red (dmar) precious metal. "Stong-sar" and "God-sar" (Rgod-sar) are district names. The physical description of the cow (black, one horn missing) follows the standard Dunhuang livestock identification formula. The text breaks into a separate fragment at line 10, which may be a continuation or a related but distinct document. The final lines are damaged and incomplete.
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. Damaged and fragmentary passages are indicated by [---].
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: PT 1088.1
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) // yos bu lo 'i dpyid / / kva cu khroms gyi 'dun sa / sug chu btab pa'i [la]n la /
(2) {dmag pon blon khrom legs dang / blon rgyal tsan dang / blon klu dog rje la stsogs}
(3) {pas} / stong sar gyi sde / kvag [rnga]ng shi'u dmar srang gsum gyis [b]og du / rgod
(4) sar gyi sde / sag dge bstan la ba rmad gchig mjal pa'i spu rtag
(5) dang rus tshugs la ba nag po rva gchig ma mchis pa gchig mjal
(6) te / ba slad gyi bla 'og nas zhal ce che phrag ji 'byung 'am bdag po zhig
(7) [gu]d na 'byungste / ba shol par gyur ram dge bstan mchid gyi 'tshal bar bgyis
(8) brgya la dge bstan gyi yul du bsk[u]l tam khus ma slebs dam gong nas [s]mos
(9) pa bzhin mchid gyi 'tshal bar bgyis pa'i kha [le nas / ]
(10) (separate fragment) phral du [rnga]ng shi ['u] gi sgor 'bul phar bgyis pa'i dpang la / [---]
(11) [---] ci na mchid gyi 'tshal zhing bskyin bza[ng rab] [---]
Source Colophon
Old Tibetan source text from the Old Tibetan Documents Online (OTDO), https://otdo.aa-ken.jp/archives?p=Pt_1088_1, maintained by Osaka University. The original manuscript is held by the Bibliotheque nationale de France.
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