The Research On The Old Tibetan Manuscript IOL Tib J 750

The Tibetan Annals from Dunhuang are indispensible documents for the study of Tibetan history. Despite the fact that sentence patterns in the Annals are stereotype and monotonous, the records present a reliable picture of the history Tibetan Empire. Almost every record consists of a formulaic sentence containing information about the zodiac year, the residence of the Btsan po,and that the prime minister convened a council. The Tibetan Annals record the main events of each year, including main events of the royal family and Tibetan administration, as well as the information on relations with neighbouring countries. In order to emphasize the historical value of the document, I discuss the records not only chronologically and as a whole but also present a deep study of every single record. The key part of my dissertation consists of an annotated transliteration and translation, together with a discussion of earlier research and different interpretations presented by other scholars. Based on transliteration and translation of the original texts, this study shows how the administrative practice of prime minister evolved, and discusses the internal relation between members of the Tibetan political elite. A comprehensive interpretation of personal names and toponyms is added to help understanding chronology and geography.Chapter one explores the royal family's funeral rites, and a coup d'etat of the Btsan po in 705.On the basis of the complete text of the Annals details of the funeral ritual of the Tibetan royal family are discussed and this study supports the description of "three years burial" recorded in PT 1042. Based on the Tibetan Annals the Royal family's funeral ritual and the date of Srong-btsan Sgam-po's dead are discussed. In the 56th record the coup d'etat to become Btsan po in 705 is reported, but the aftermath of this event and the following unrest are described only in a sketchy way. In my study the causes and results of the coup are examined, and the impact of the coup is described. In the Annals priority is given to the Btsan po's activities, in my dissertation I give an overview over each Btsan po's life and present complete family trees for every Btsan po.The Tibetan Annals, written in Old Tibetan, with their particular vocabulary and complex grammar, present obstacles to study the text itself and Tibetan empirical history. A number of scholars both within China and abroad have done research on the Annals and Tibetan history but have not reached agreement on a series of questions. In chapter 2 of this study, I give an overview of previous research results and methods, and revise earlier translations and annotations of the Tibetan Annals. On the base of Tibetan and contemporary Chinese historical material, together with the results of earlier research, in this study I seek to make an appropriate analysis and enlargement.The activities of Tibetan prime minister, are another important issue of the Tibetan Annals.Chapter three focuses on the institution of prime minister. Mgar's clan serves as an example to discuss the power play between the prime minister and the Btsan po. In this process, the power of the prime minister was constantly weakened and in the late years of the dynasty, the the prime minister cannot compete at all with the power of the Btsan po. My dissertation briefly summarizes every prime minister's life, and presents a list of prime ministers matching the second chapter of The Tibetan Btsan po biography as a model.Great progress has been made in the research on the Tibetan empire. However, some problems are still in the air. In chapter four the terms and concepts of zhang and bon, zhang and blon and the Tibetan bureaucratic ranks and classes are examined. Zhang and bon are equalled with "uncle and nephew" in Chinese historical records. In this study study it is shown however that zhang and bon actually do not correspond with the interpretation given in the Chinese records. In the post-dynasty era, Chos-vbyung scholars claim that the "three zhang and one minister" or the"three zhang and four ministers" existed in the Tibetan political system. In fact, this idealized political model was not really implemented during the Tibetan Dynasty. Administrative ranks and classes indicated the status of prime minister and ministers, and give important reference to other Tibetan administrative officials. Based on the Dunhuang Old Tibetan documents a brief discussion on the Tibetan rank and class system is presented in this dissertation.The struggle between the traditional nobility and the newly arising zhang-family runs throughout the whole history of the Tibetan Dynasty. These two major forces figure in any event of coup d'etat or renewal of prime minister or even changes of local administration. The most obvious struggle is that concerning the post of prime minister. In the Early Dynasty the zhang family succeeded to suppress the traditional aristocracy more than ohaving the absolute advantage of support of the royal family. After continuous struggle, the zhang family gradually gained more and more importance and in the Late Dynasty, members of the zhang family played a role on many important occasions, such as signing the Tang and Tibetan treaty.