410 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [August, 1910. 



of the north (Turkistan), and others were brought under sub- 

 Fol. Mb. jection, and the customs of the holy religion were introduced 



into them. 1 



His son was Mangsrong mang btsan (650 — 679 A.D.). 2 

 His son was Gung btsan. His son was Gang srow/} 'adu rje 

 (679 — 705 A.D.). During the time of this king were conquered 

 in the east the rGyalpoi chu (Hoangho) ; in the south, Shing 

 khun of Nepal ; in the north, Krakrag darchen of Turkestan ; in 

 the west, Chunrings of [6] Lobo ; Nanggong on the Balti-road, 



1 Notes on this king. Srong btsan sgampo's two queens, the white 

 and the green Tara, remind us of the Kesarsaga, Kesar's white wife is 

 'aBruguma, and his green wife is gYui dKon mchogmo (see my article on 

 gLingchos in Hastings's Dictionary of Religions). The Ladakhi tale of 

 minister Rigpacan of Shargola in Ladakh, who was sent to fetch the 

 princess from China, is similar to the tale of minister Gar (see S. Ch. 

 Das' article in JASB., 1881). Both versions remind us of the Kesar- 

 saga. 



Introduction of writing. The characters were formed after the 

 Indian Lanthsa (Bodhimor). The dbu med alphabet was formed after 

 the Indian Vartula (Togbarlova). This is all phantastical. The Indian 

 script which is most closely related to the Tibetan, is the Gupta of the 

 fourth and fifth centuries. (See my article l The kingdom of gNya khri 

 btsanpo' in this journal). 



Literature. Works by Thonmi sambhota: bStan 'agyur mdo, vol. 

 cxxiii, Sku gzugs kyi mthsan nyid, by Anui bu ; vol. cxxiv, sOrai bstan 

 boos sumcupa, a grammar; Lung du stonpa stagskyi 'ajugpa, by Thonmi 

 Anu (a grammar). 



Thonmi sambhotas grammar is the same as the one which is printed 

 in the Darjeeling School series. It is evident that this grammar was 

 written in very ancient days, for it treats of the drag, a final suffix which 

 has long disappeared even from the classical language. It treats also 

 of the Tibetan system of tones, and is therefore more than a mere re- 

 petition of Indian grammars. (See my article in ZDMG., vol. lvii). 



Bitston says that the Chinese Kechana were the guides of the 

 Tibetans in the commencement of Buddhism. But there are very few 

 translations by Chinese Buddhists in the encyclopaedias. 



Srong btsan sgampo is the reputed author of the book Mani bka 

 'abum, which contains a glorification of Avalokita, and his own history. 

 Wassilieff says with regard to it that it is undoubtedly a modern book. 

 He also wrote a book on horse breeding (Bodhimor); perhaps the one 

 which is still circulated in Ladakh. 



His lawbook. S. Ch. Das gives his 16 moral precepts in his article, 

 J.A.S.B., vol. 1. His 'laws' are also found in the Bodhimor. From 

 the Bodhimor we learn that his court of law consisted of four ministers 

 and 100 officials. There were also ministers of inner and outer affairs, 

 the Sain and Berke of the Bodhimor. 



Progress of civilisation. The Bodhimor states that silkworms, mul- 

 berry trees, barley-beer, watermills, paper, ink, and the calendar, were 

 introduced from China. 



* The Chinese chronicles (Thangshu) call him Tsanphu. At first 

 Lutungtsan ( Thonmi sambhota) governs the country ; later on Thonmi sam- 

 bhota's son. (Major domus). Then the Thangshu speaks of a war be- 

 tween the Tibetans and the Tukuhun. The latter as well as the Chinese 

 were beaten by the Tibetans. Great extension of the Tibetan empire, 

 beyond the Pamir (Thangshu). 



