Or.11344/3

Description

Scope and content : General Sudarrjum is acting as a result of reports submitted by persons returning from an inspection tour. It was of course vital for the military and merchants that the roads be kept clear and safe all along the Silk Road. Translation (lines 1-6): The spata Sudarrjum˘ orders thus: To the pharsa Samdara. And now men ... They said to me thus: In Pa’ the road back has thus become muttum. And so he [sent?] them to Birgamdara. ... the road is full of holes(?). What matter is there that the men are wasting days on working there? And he came (?) on a road ... ground ... [When] you hear the order bring 10 men there. Order them to work there until they have finished. Load by load [bring?] reeds there. [There is] a pond in the .?. that debouches toward the town. Next, order them to put all the loads of reed (into it). ... (6) the ground becomes ... when thus the Masters’ pack animals will be ... . Now (act) quickly so that you do not then say that: “I have not heard(?).” This document illustrates the economic use of paper: the upper and lower sheets contain different documents in Khotanese (the second is dated regnal year 33), followed by a line of Tibetan. The two sheets were then stuck together and used for one continuous document on the other side, of which the last two lines continued onto the side on view, but the other way up.