Tibetan Documents from Chinese Turkestan. III: The Nob Region

Extract

By the “Nob region” I would for the present purpose indicate generally the stretch of country south of the desert of Chinese Turkestan and lying between “the Śa-cu region” on the east and “the Khotan region” on the west, together with any part of the mountain hinterland to the south. It would thus include, for example, Cer-cen(Calmadana), Charkalik (Nob), and the former Shan-shan kingdom. The documents come mainly from the old fort of Mīrān, which was also, as we have seen, in communication with Śa-cu; there is, indeed, ample evidence of active intercourse between the Tibetan authorities from Khotan as far as Śa-cu and Kva-cu and even further into China proper. In general it is clear that by the routes along the desert edge and otherwise, long journeys, covering many hundreds of miles, were habitual among the populations of the scattered oases and widely separated mountain settlements; in respect of distances they thought in large measures. It is in virtue of apparent importance and frequent mention in the documents that Nob, with its three or four towns, or forts, may be used to symbolize the whole region. The citations may be arranged under the names of the districts or places, which hereafter may acquire a more definite location. The dates are, no doubt, for the most part in the eighth century a.d.