20 Taenzer
Buddhism reached Dunhuang early via a network of trade routes from the
West and the earliest extant cave temples were set up shortly before the Toba
founded the Wei Dynasty (within the Northern Liang Dynasty, 412–439).2
The present study is based on Tibetan and Chinese Dunhuang manuscripts,
which were discovered in a sealed cave within the Mogao Cave (莫高窟) com-
plex in the vicinity of Dunhuang. As these manuscripts stem from a Buddhist
cave temple, they naturally give more detailed information on administrative
matters concerning the Buddhist institutions and the clergy than the Tibetan
administration and the lay people. Thus some aspects are underrepresented if
not absent.3
In order to get a picture of the impacts of the shift of powers in Eastern
Central Asia in the 8th/9th century on a local level, this chapter will trace cer-
tain aspects of the micro-history of the oasis of Dunhuang. It is divided into
two main parts: the first part outlines the administrative and economic system
introduced by the Tibetans, their method of rule and their influence on the
clergy and the Buddhist institutions. Furthermore, it investigates the popula-
tion of Dunhuang and its relation to the Buddhist religion and institutions.
The second part focuses on the changing political and geopolitical situation
of Dunhuang and its influence on society and clergy, namely with regards to
developments which had already started during Tibetan rule and which were
accelerated during the local rule of the Return-to-Allegiance Army.
2 Tibetan-Ruled Dunhuang
2.1 The Administrative System
After the Tibetans had taken over Dunhuang in 787 they gradually introduced
their own administrative system whereby they made adjustments by includ-
ing Chinese elements. Dunhuang known as Sha cu in Tibetan manuscripts
belonged to the military province of Guazhou (Tib. Kva cu khrom), which had
its seat in oasis of Guazhou about 150 km East of Dunhuang.
The major changes implemented by Tibetans comprised the introduction
of the Tibetan system of military and administrative officials as well as the
2 Whitfield, Roderick, Dunhuang, 272. For an overview of its cultural history from the 4th to the
6th centuries see: Trombert, Eric, “Dunhuang avant les manuscrits: conservation diffusion et
confiscation du savoir de la Chine médiévale,” in Études Chinoises 24 (2005): 11.
3 E.g. tax-related manuscripts are rare: especially for the period of local government of the
Zhang and Cao clans very little information is extant in this respect. Thus the taxation as a
whole is unclear, i.e. it is not evident what kinds of taxes were exacted.