Bactrian: Private Collection, Sims-Williams Uv
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Details

Details

Sims-Williams Uv
Private Collection
Gold (given following external peer review through journal/book publication)
Legal

Physical Description

leather
Written on leather Writing surface with fold lines and tears.
21.1
18.4

Content

This document is a contract, in which Yolmard son of Morspan gives over his wife Naz and her son Biyarzin and his brothers to the care of Morspan son of Arwastam. They are to be treated as free persons. They can neither be assigned tasks suitable for slaves, nor can they be beaten. 

Dates

  • The Gregorian calendar: 771-772 (Estimated date range: 771-772)
  • The calendar of the Bactrian era: 549 (0549)

People

  • Morspan son of Arwastam
  • Yolmard son of Morspan
  • Biyarzin
  • Naz

Publications

  • Sims-Williams, Nicholas. 2015. A Bactrian Document from Southern Afghanistan?. Bulletin of the Asia Institute 25 (2011) [2015]: 39–53. (Pages: 106)
    Catalogue Number: Uv
    The IEDC translation and transcription have been taken from this publication

Related Shelfmarks

IEDC Data

13
02/12/2023
08/08/2024

Citations

Nicholas Sims-Williams
Zhen Zheng
The transcription and translation have been taken from a previous publication (see Publications)
See 'How to Cite'
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Contact

invisible_east@ames.ox.ac.uk (Please include the above permalink when contacting the editorial team about this Text)
Folios
1. recto
Transcription
Folio:
1 ι αχϸoνo φ' γ' αββο μαυo ρωσo ϸταδo καλδo ναβιχτo ιμo πoστoγo παλανoβo-
2 στoγo μαλαβo oυo λιζo ααιδo βηκοστηι ναμo αβo μιρoζινιιo υωρσανo oισβoρo
3 χηϸο χoαδδηι αλβαργo μισιδo ωσo μανo ιωλoμαρδo μωρσπανo πoρo χοβο-
4 μo γoλo ακιδo ναζo ναμo σαγo λoγδo oδo πoρo ακιδo βιιαρoζινo ναμo αλδo μισo
5 βραSρανo αβo τoo μωρσπανo αρoασταμo πoρo λαδ(δ)ινδo ακιδo πιδo αζαδo παλo
6 oδo πιδo αζαδo λιστo αβo χανo ληρo oδo αζαδαγγo υαργo βινδo υαρσo σoγγo πιδo χηϸ-
7 αγγo ωδαγo αβδδινινδo ιαoαρo ωσo πιταδδιμo αζo μωσπανo αβo τoo ιωλoμαρδo oδαβo
8 τoo βιιαρoζινo αλδo φρoζινδδινανo ακιδo ληριμo αβo τoo ναζo oδαβo βι-
9 ιαρoζινo υαρσo σoγγαβo αζαδo ζινo oδαβo αζαδo μαρδo αβδδινινδo oδo ναπαδαχϸα-
10 {α}νιμo αζo μωσπανo oδo ναo' μα<να>γγo φρoζινδδινανo ακιδαβo ναζo πιδo βανιζιιo oδαλδo
11 αβo τoo βιιαρoζινo αλδo βραδρανo oδαλδo φρoζινδδινανo πιδo βανζιιo oδo πιδo μαρηγι-
12 ιo αχασανo oδαλδo βανζαγγo oδo μαρη[γαγγo] υαργo βινδανo oδαλδo γαμανo αβηλ(α)δo κι-
13 ρανo ασιδαβo αζαδo μαρδo ναβδδινινδo ταδo παδαχϸανηδo τoo βιιαρoζινo {β} αζδo βρ-
14 αδαρανo ακιδασo μαναγγo χανo παρσo ϸαoηδo ιαoαρo ωσo πιoταδδιμo αζo ναζo oδαζo
15 βιιαρoζινo oδo μαναγγo βραδρανo oδo φρoζινδδινανo αβo τoo μωρσπανo αλδo φρo-
16 ζιν{ιν}δδινανo ασιδo ωσo αρμαυαμo αβo ταoα[γγo ]χανo oδo σπισανo αβo τoo μωρσπανo χo-
17 αδδηι υαρσo σαγoνδo αζαδo ζινo oδo αζαδo μαρδo[ α]βδδιν(ιν)δo oδo ναo'παδαχϸαναμo ακιδασo
18 ταoαγγo <χανo> αβo ανδαρo τανo ϸαoανo oδo ναo ανδαρo χoαδδηι κιρανo ταδo παδαχϸα-
19 νηδo τoo μωρσπανo ακιδαβo μανo βιιαρoζινo αλδo βραδρανo oδαλδo φρoζινδδι-
20 νανo πιδo βανζιιo oδo πιδo μαρηγιιo αχασο αβηλαδo oδo αβηλαδo βαρανo ιαoαρo ωσo πι-
21 δo ιμo παλoβoστoγo σακϸo βακτιρo σακϸo oηϸχαλo στρωδασo πoρo
22 σακϸo μιτιιo oαρανo πoρo σακϸo μιρoγo υoσαμo πoρo σακαϸo oηϸo
23 ακτιιo πoρo oδo μισο πιταδδιμo αζo ιωλομαρδo oδαζo βιιαρoζινo oδo μαναγγo
24 βραδo πoρo φρoζινδδινανo καλδo αλδo μαναγγo χoασoρo κηδo ακιδo ωρo[•]o
25 ναμo χooϸo ακιδo βαμοσομανο ναμo oδαλδo ναζαγγo βραδo φρoζινδδ{ινδδ}ινανo
26 ασo μανo ιωλoμαρδo oδαλδασο μαναγγo βραδo πoρo φρoζινδδινανo γoλooβoστo-
27 γo oδαλδo αλσιχτoβoστoγo αζοβαραδo ταδo πιτιυανo αζo βιιαρoζινo αλδo βραδα-
28 νo ακιδo τoo μωρσπανo παδαχϸανηδo ακιδαβo μαχo πιδo βανζιιo oδo πιδo μαρη
29 αχασο oδo ιμo παλανoβoστoγo μανo ιωλoμαρδo oδo μανo βιιαρoζινo πιδo χοβο
30 χοβο <ϸουο> ταβo ταδo χοοζο oo'oαρo βooαδo υαρσo σoγγo αβo μασκo ναβιχσιδo oδo
31 ναβιχτo μανo βρηδαγo λαβιρo πιδo ωζo λαβιρoβιδo φρoμανo~
Translation
Folio:
1 (It was) the year 503, the month Ab, the day Shtad, when this document, (this) familial contract, was written
2-3 here in that fortress whose name is Bekustey, at the court of Mir-ziniy, lord of Khesh (under?) the prince of Khorasan. Moreover: I, Yolmard son of Morspan, have now given
4 my own wife, whose name (is) Naz, the daughter of Sag, and (my) (eldest?) son, whose name (is) Biyarzin, and also
5-6 (his) brothers, to you, Morspan son of Arwastam, that (you may) keep (them) in (your) house with free feet and with free hands and assign (to them) duties suitable for free persons, as
7 it is the custom in the district of Khesh. But now: I have guaranteed — I, Mospan — to you, Yolmard, and to
8 you, Biyarzin, and (your) descendants, that I (will) keep you, Naz, and (you),
9 Biyarzin, as it is the custom (to keep) a free woman and a free man, and I am not authorized —
10 (neither) I, Mospan, nor my (other) descendants — that I may beat Naz like a slave-girl or (that I may beat)
11 you, Biyarzin, and (your) brothers or descendants, like slave-girls and like slaves,
12 or (that) I may assign (to you) duties suitable for slave-girls and [for] slaves, or do (any) wrong or unlawful act (to you),
13 which it is not the custom (to do) to a free man. Then (= in the case that I do so) you are authorized — you, Biyarzin, and (your)
14 brothers — that you may go away from my house. But now: I have guaranteed — I, Naz, and I,
15 Biyarzin, and my brothers and descendants — to you, Morspan, and (your)
16 descendants — (we) who now are present in your house and (who) serve you, Morspan, (as our)
17 master, as it is the custom (for) a free woman and a free man (to do), and we are not authorized that
18 we should go (away) from your house to another person, nor make another (person our) master. Then (= in the case that we do so) you are authorized —
19 you, Morspan — that you may beat me, Biyarzin, and (my) brothers or descendants,
20 like slave-girls and like slaves, (and you may do to me any wrong or) unlawful act, and I shall bear the unlawful act.  But now:
21 With regard to this family contract, (there are) the witness Baktir (and) the witness Weshkhal, the son(s) of Strodas,
22 the witness Mitiy son of Waran, the witness Mirug son of Husam, (and) the witness Wesh
23 son of Aktiy. Moreover: I have guaranteed — I, Yolmard, and I, Biyarzin, and my
24 brothers, sons (and) descendants — if either my brother(?)-in-law the priest, whose name (is) Or[. . .],
25 (or my) mother-in-law, whose name (is) Bamsuman, or Naz's (other) brother(s) (and) (their?) descendants,
26-27 should produce a marriage contract or a deed of assent against(?) me, Yolmard, or against(?) my brothers, sons (and) descendants, then I will guarantee — I, Biyarzin, and (my) brothers —
28 that you Morspan, are authorized that you may beat us like slave-girls and like slaves.
29 And this familial contract (has been sealed) by me, Yolmard, and by me, Biyarzin, each with (his)
30 own fingernail. So may it be (considered) good (and) valid as (it) is written herein. And
31 it was written by me, Bredag the scribe, by order of Oz the chief scribe.
Map

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Bactrian: Private Collection, Sims-Williams Uv: Folio (recto)
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