Tibetan Documents concerning Chinese Turkestan. IV: The Khotan Region

Extract

The word rtse, “peak” or “top”, is a very appropriate termination for the names of places in a mountainous region; in Tibet there are innumerable place-names of this type. In the Nob region of Chinese Turkestan we have noticed (JRAS. 1928, pp. 586–8) several such names, e.g. Klu-rtse, Snuṅ-rtse, Gyuṅ-druṅ-rtse. In the case of the last named we have suggested the possibility that -rtse may have denoted nothing more than a height in a fort. There may have been instances of such a nature; but in general the position will have been otherwise. The numerous names in -rtse will have been due to the occupation of commanding positions by the Tibetan troops for the purpose of observation and control. In the case of Pehu-rtse we shall quote documents which in fact refer to building operations. The actual designations of some of the places, e.g. Stag-sras-dges-gyi-rtse “Young-tigerdelight(??)-peak”, Hphrul – gyi – me – loṅ – kun – snaṅ – rtse “Magic – mirror – all – vision – peak”, while characteristically Tibetan, may also be set down partly to the fancy of those who established the new military posts. The names are naturally all Tibetan, and will not often have been attached to old sites.