the southwest 235On Mar.4, 731,^10 Hsüan-tsung ordered the Herald to go on a good-
will mission to the Tibetans. He departed on Apr.11^11 (Chiu T’ang shu
8:17b;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6794).
In 731, the Tibetans sent a high official, who was met at the bor-
der by the Chinese Junior Herald. On Oct.30,^12 this envoy had an
audience, at which he requested a joint border market. Hsüan-tsung
agreed (Chiu T’ang shu 8:17b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028; Tzu-chih t’ung-
chien p.6796).
On Aug.5, 731, the Tibetans “requested peace” (Hsin T’ang shu 5:
10a).
On Feb.9, 733, Hsüan-tsung ordered a Master of Writing of the
Ministry of Works to go as an envoy to the Tibetans (Chiu T’ang shu
8:19a).
In the 2nd month (Feb./Mar.) of 733, the T’ang court agreed to a
proposal by the Princess of Chin-ch’eng to set up a stele as a border
marker on Oct.13 (T’ang hui-yao 97:6b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6799).
In the 1st month (Feb./Mar.) of 734, Tibetan envoys were received
at the T’ang court, probably on the New Year’s Day of Feb.9 (Ts’e-fu
yüan-kuei p.5029).
On July 10, 734, Hsüan-tsung sent the General of the Golden Mace
of the Left to delineate the border together with the Tibetans and to
set up stone markers (Chiu T’ang shu 8:20a; 196A:9b-10a).
In the 2nd month (Feb./Mar.) of 735, an envoy sent by the king of
Tibet congratulated (belatedly) on the New Year’s Day (Jan.29) and
offered regional objects (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5029).
In the 1st month (Feb./Mar.) of 736, probably on the New Year’s
Day on Feb.16, Tibetan envoys presented several 100 gold and silver
vessels of rare shapes. Hsüan-tsung ordered that they be displayed to
the officials (Chiu T’ang shu 8:20b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5029).
In 736, the Tibetans destroyed the border markers (Chiu T’ang shu
196A:10a-10b;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6827). T’ang was at this time fight-
ing the Tibetans over Gilgit (Po-lü), situated north of Kashmir.^13
(^10) Tzu-chih t’ung-chien has hsin-wei = Mar.4.Chiu T’ang shu gives the cyclical char-
actershsin-mao, which did not occur in the 1st month.
(^11) Correcting yi-yu to chi-yu.
(^12) Chiu T’ang shu and Tzu-chih t’ung-chien have 9th month, hsin-wei = Oct.30.
Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei has 8h month, but the cyclical characters hsin-wei did not occur in
that month.
(^13) For details see infra under the heading of Gilgit.