居延新出「候粟君所責寇恩事」册書 : 爰書考補

Abstract

The number of Han bamboo slips of Juyan 居延 found at the excavations in Pochengzi 破城子 and two other sites in 1973 and 1974 totals 20, 000 items. Their main characteristic is that in many cases it is possible to reconstruct entire books from these slips. The work "Hou Su jun suo ze Kou En shi" 候粟君所責寇恩事, which was introduced first contains a court investigation text (yuanshu 爰書) made at a litigation during the Han dynasty, and the case consists of an investigation of the problems of credit and debt between the accused Kou En, and Hou Su jun from Jiaqu 甲渠. This work contains some extremely concrete descriptions from which we can discern some aspects of the economic life in Hexi 河西 during the years of control by Dou Rons 竇融 in the beginning of the Jianwu 建武 period (A.D. 25-56). In referring to three articles published in China, this paper presents my opinion with regard to two theories concerning the arrangement of this book, and two theories concerning the translation of one character which is related to the rules given in the text. Combining these two problems, this study gives my opinion about viewing this book as a whole. It further touches upon the fact that, judging from the pictures released among the excavated bamboo slips in 1973 and 1974 at Juyan, there are books with highly distinctive characteristics, and slips which have an association with those excavated in 1930 and 1931. This paper discusses the significance of these excavations in the present state.