Template:Plain sisterManshu (蠻書), written by Fan Chuo in the 9th century, is a Chinese historical text regarding the geopolitics of southwest China, particularly Nanzhao. It is an important historical source for the period. This translation is based upon a digitized version of the recompiled 1774 movable type edition edited by the 武英 (Palace Museum Library).
The title and introduction of this chapter uses a very rare character. I presume the meaning is "markets". The character in question, which can be viewed at the internet archive's scanned copy of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries《四库全书》edition (courtesy of Zhejiang University Library and archive.org) and which also has an entry at Chinese Wiktionary (with no known meanings listed), combines 贝 (meaning shell, and later shell money — as supposed in the Sino-Tibetan etymology notably including a similar phonetic in the Kachin language, and a not dissimilar Proto-Zhuang-Tai record) with 佥 (meaning a gathering), and is thus in a rough semantic sense plausibly a term used for local markets in the region where the use of shells as currency was widespread and well documented — to Westerners, famously allegedly by Marco Polo — through at least the Yuan dynasty.
The character is actually 𧸘 in Unicode however that usually only displays as an empty box (sometimes known as "tofu") on most computers owing to font limitations on rare Chinese characters. Mandarin pronunciation (as irrelevant as that may be for a source of this age) is alleged by Chinese Wiktionary (probably direct from the Unicode Unihan database) as being liàn, biǎn, or jiǎn — for what that's worth... the earlier two having some plausible phonetic similarity with the Proto-Sino-Tibetan and Proto-Zhuang-Tai, respectively. My probably reliable general comprehension is that the closing consonant is the least reliable portion of a character's phoneme when brought forward to Mandarin from ancient pronunciation, with many closing sounds (evidenced for example with final 'k' in Cantonese, which is more honest with respect to Tang Dynasty pronunciations) dropped entirely or morphed in to softer variants. Thus instead of (lian or bian or jian) we can vaguely reconstruct the phoneme as follows — (l or b or j) + (possibly an ee type sound, or some longer form or dipthong variant thereof) + (optionally some kind of closing consonant: probably not n). We can probably get some further input from an appropriately experienced linguist here.
(Update: September 2017. User:Justinrleung pointed out that "When it refers to the administrative division, it is read as jiǎn (based on Song dynasty《唐書釋音》九儉切)." ... clarifying "Hanyu Da Zidian cites 唐書釋音 for the fanqie for 𧸘. I've checked and its corresponding scanned version; it seems to use 瞼 instead of 𧸘. 唐書 itself (editions: 欽定四庫全書, 武英殿二十四史, 摛藻堂四庫全書薈要) also uses 瞼 instead of 𧸘. That said, Hanyu Da Zidian also cites Gu Zuyu (a Qing dynasty scholar), who says 𧸘 is pronounced as 簡". So there you have it: jian.)
This is apparently not part of the original text, because it consists of one short clarifying note and the rest is entirely latter-day comments; ie. those referencing later texts and those known from markup style to be added by later transliterators.
The character 𧸘[2] (thought to be pronounced jian) is a (local form of) political toponym representing (something roughly equivalent to) a prefecture.[3]
(Previous transliterator's note: The character 「𧸘」 or 「<貝僉>」 was recorded as 「臉」 in the original, however we correct here as per the 《一統誌》(full name 大元大一統誌; Dayuan Dayi Tongzhi, a Yuan dynasty geographical encyclopedia compiled 1285-1294 under Jamal al-Din (紮馬剌丁) and Yu Yinglong (虞應龍), 755 scrolls in length). Also, Wei Qixiu's (韋齊休) work 《雲南行記》(Record of Yunnan Travel) the (first) seven characters (at the very start of this chapter) were erroneously considered, whereas modern versions correct this.)
Dàhé (大和) and Yangxiefai (陽苴咩) are known as Yangjian (陽𧸘; lit. 'Eastward-facing Market-city'[15]), Dali (大厘) is known as Shijian (史𧸘; lit. 'Old Market-city'), Téngchuān (邆川) is known as Dǎnjian (賧𧸘; lit. 'Fine-paying Market-city'[16]), Méngshè (蒙舍) is known as Méngshèjian (蒙舍𧸘), Báiyá (白崖; lit. 'White Cliff') is known as Bólòngjian (勃弄𧸘; lit. 'Flourishing Lane Market-city') (Previous transliterator's note: The chapter title refers to six market-cities, chapter ten also has six market-cities in the text, five separate ones,[17] later, Longkou (龍口) was also considered a market-city, thus probably one was erroneously dropped during prior transcription.).
雲南、柘東、永昌、寧北、鎮西及開南、銀生等七城則有大軍將領之，亦稱節度。
The seven cities of Yúnnán (雲南; ie. modern Yunnanyi), Tuòdōng (柘東; ie. modern Kunming), Yǒngchāng (永昌; ie. modern Baoshan), Níngběi (寧北), Zhènxī (鎮西), Kāinán (開南) and Yínshēng (銀生) have high-ranking military officials, known by the title Jiédù (節度).
In the 10th year of the Zhenyuan reign (ie. ), ... (Previous transliterator's note: The 52 characters from '雲南柘東...' to '...皆分隸焉'), together with six portions[18] are mutually dissimilar, (we therefore) suspect that the sixth portion,[19] entitled 'Cities and Towns of Yunnan', has been lost.
大和城、大厘城、陽苴咩城，本皆河蠻所居之地也。
Dàhé City (大和城), Dali City (大厘城) and Yangxiefai City (陽苴咩城) are the original settled domain[20] of the River Barbarians (河蠻).
開元二十五年，蒙歸義逐河蠻，奪據大和城。
In the 25th year of the Kaiyuan reign (ie. ~709), Méngguīyì (蒙歸義) seized Dàhé City (大和城) from the River Barbarians (河蠻).
後數月，又襲破苴咩盛羅皮，取大厘城，仍築龍口城為保障。
Several months later, he again attacked Shèngluópí (盛羅皮) of Xiefai (苴咩; ie. Dali)[21], taking Dàlí City (大厘城), founding Longkou City (龍口城; ie. modern Xiaguan) to protect the area.[22]
閣羅鳳多由大和、大厘、邆川來往。
Géluófèng (閣羅鳳) often traveled between Dàhé (大和), Dàlí (大厘) and Téngchuān (邆川).
蒙歸義男等初立大和城，以為不安，遂改創陽苴咩城。
Once Dàhé (大和) was secured,[23] the barons[24] of Méngguīyì (蒙歸義) considered it unsafe, and thus began to relocate it to Yangxiefai City (陽苴咩城).
大和城，北去陽苴咩城一十五裏。
From Dàhé City (大和城), it is 15 li north to Yangxiefai City (陽苴咩城).
巷陌皆壘石為之，高丈余，連延數裏不斷。
Every thoroughfare[25] was reinforced with stone ramparts, and joined together in uncountable length.[26]
There is a large stele within the city, extolling the Géluó clan's peaceful governance over the barbarians.[27](Previous transliterator's note: According to the History of the Early Tang Dynasty (舊唐書)[28], Géluófèng (閣羅鳳) bestowed governance of the western area[29] on Zhènghuí (鄭回), and considering him fondly and to the position be of great significance, retitled him Mánlì (蠻利; 'Dominant over the Barbarians'), whose reign(?)[30] later became known as Qīngpíngguān (清平官; 'Good (or Just and Peaceful) Governance'). We suspect that the 「王蠻利」written here refers to this person.)
論阻絕皇化之由，受制西戎之意。
The cause for the obstruction of (further) (Chinese) imperial influence[31] is the yoke of the western nomadic barbarians.[32]
Longkou City (龍口城; ie. modern Xiaguan) was established by Geluofeng (閣羅鳳).
榮抱玷蒼南麓數裏，城門臨洱水下。
Holding the foothills to the south of the Diàncāng Range (玷蒼; ie. in modern terminology, the Cangshan Range), the city gate faces the bottom of the Ershuǐ (洱水; ie. the waters of Erhai Lake).
河上橋長百余步，過橋分三路：直南蒙舍路，向西永昌路，向東白崖城路。
The bridge over the river is over 100 paces long, after which there are three roads: the road directly south to Méngshè (蒙舍; ie. maybe modern Weishan or Midu); the road westward to Yǒngchāng (永昌; ie. modern Baoshan); and the road eastward to Báiyá City (白崖城; ie. maybe modern Binchuan/Xiangyun/Yunnanyi).
Dàlǐ City (大厘城) is 40 li south of Yangxiefai City (陽苴咩城), 25 li north of Longkou City (龍口城; ie. modern Xiaguan), and bustling villages overflowing with inhabitants are gathered about[33] the periphery.
並陽苴咩並邆川，今並南詔往來所居也。
Along with Yangxiefai (陽苴咩) and Téngchuān (邆川), it has now merged with[34]Nánzhào (南詔).
家室共守，五處如一。
Residences are shared, such that five families live as one.
東南十余裏有舍利水城，在洱河中流島上。
Over 10 li to the southeast is Shèlìshuǐ City (舍利水城; lit. 'Buddhist relic water town'), on an island in the middle of the Ěr River (洱河).
四面臨水，夏月最清涼，南詔常於此城避暑。
All four directions face the water, summer evenings are most comfortable, and the (peoples of) Nánzhào (南詔) always take their summer respite here.
Yángxiefai City (陽苴咩城) is the political center of Nánzhào (南詔), with multi-storied buildings above, and avenues spreading in each direction, and (the buildings) 2 zhang (ie. almost seven meters) in height.
甃以青石為蹬。
The wells[35] are built with blue stone[36] for wear.
樓前方二三裏，南北城門相對。
2 or 3 li (ie. ~0.6—1km[37]) on either side of the political building lie the city's south and north gates.
太和來往通衢也。
(The road between these forms) a common thoroughfare for all peoples, coming and going.[38]
從樓下門行三百步至第二重門，門屋五間，兩行門樓相對，各有榜，並清平官、大軍將、六曹長宅也。
300 paces from the political building's gate is a second heavy gate containing five rooms; two such gates oppose one another. Each has a list of names, a guard force[39], a high-ranking military commander[40] and six departmental chiefs[41] in residence.
入第二重門行二百余步，至第三重門。
Entering the second gate, after 200 paces is a third gate.
門列戟，上有重樓。
These gates are lined with halberds, with multi-tiered buildings above.
入門是屏墻，又行一百余步至大廳，階高丈余。
Within the (third) gate is a screen-wall, thence over one hundred further paces to the great hall, and a flight of stairs over one zhang (ie. 3.3m) in height.
重屋制如蛛網，架空無柱。
The roofs are like a spider's web, standing free without pillars.
兩邊皆有門樓，下臨清池。
There are gatehouses to either side, and a pond below.
大廳後小廳，小廳後即南詔宅也。
Behind the great hall is a reception room, after which is the residence of the Nánzhào (南詔) rulers.
客館在門樓外東南二裏。
The consulate for receiving guests is located outside of the gatehouses, some 2 li to the southeast.
僅前有亭，亭臨方池，周回七裏，水深數丈，魚鱉悉有。
A short distance ahead lies a pavilion facing a square-shaped pool with a circumference of 7 li (ie. ~2km[42]), a depth of one zhang (ie. 3.3m), inhabited by fish and turtles.
Méngshěchuān (蒙舍川) is located on the land above Luóshèng (羅盛).
舊為蒙舍州，去龍口城一日程。
Previously known as Méngshězhōu (蒙舍州), it is one day's journey from Longkou City (龍口城; ie. modern Xiaguan).
當五詔俱存，而蒙舍北有蒙巂詔，即楊瓜州也，同在一川，地氣有瘴，肥沃宜禾稻。
It was the unified capital of the Five Zhào (五詔; lit. 'Five Kingdoms'). North of Méngshě (蒙舍) is Méngxīzhào (蒙巂詔; lit. 'Kingdom of Mengxi'), in the area known as Yángguāzhōu (楊瓜州), in the same river-plain, there is malaria, and the land is particularly fertile for rice cultivation.
又有大池，周回數十裏，多魚及淩芡之屬。
There is a large pool, of a circumference of 10 li (ie. ~3.5km), with many fish and overlapping water-plants.
川中水東南與勃弄川合流。
From the center of the river-plain the waters flow southeast to flow in to Bólòngchuān (勃弄川; lit. 'Flourishing Lane River-plain').
南有籠磨些川。
To the south is Lǒngmóxiēchuān (籠磨些川).
凡邆川河，蒙舍謂之川賧。
Méngshě (蒙舍川) designated all of the rivers of Téngchuān (邆川) as toll collection points.[44]
然邑落人眾，蔬果水淩之味，則蒙舍為尤殷。
Thus the villages declined in population, the agricultural goods[45] declined in flavour,[46] although Méngshě (蒙舍) (itself) flourished.
Chapter 5: Part 8 — Qúliǎnzhào (渠斂趙) and Shíhéchéng (石和城)
Original
Translation
渠斂趙，本河東州也。
Qúliǎnzhào (渠斂趙; lit. 'Stream (or Canal) (Restraint or Collecting) Kingdom') is located in Hédōngzhōu (河東州; lit. 'the river-plain region east of the river').
西巖有石和城。
West of the cliffs[47] lies Shíhéchéng (石和城; lit. 'Walled city at one with stone') (or perhaps Dànhuóchéng (石和城; lit. 'Dough-making City')).
烏蠻謂之「土山坡陀」者，謂此州城及大和城俱在陂陀山上故也。
The Tǔshānpōtuó (土山坡陀; lit. 'Steep Earthen Slope') (region) of the Black Barbarians (蠻謂) lies entirely on the steep topography between this prefectural capital[48] and Dàhé city (大和城).
州中列樹夾道為交流，村邑連甍，溝塍彌望。
At the center of the prefecture lie tree-lined streets for trade and exchange,[49] with villages of buildings linked through common rooflines, with commanding views of the valleys and paths through the fields.
大族有王、楊、李、趙四姓，皆白蠻也。
Influential families include the following four families: the Wáng Family (王), the Yáng Family (楊), the Lǐ Family (李) and the Zhào Family (趙) — all of whom are White Barbarians (白蠻).
雲是沮蒲州人，遷涉至此，因以名州焉。
It is said that they are originally from the Jǔpúzhōu (沮蒲州) region, but have moved to their present location owing to its fame.[50]
東北至毛郎川，又東北至賓居湯，又北至越析川，磨些詔故地也。
To the northeast is Máolángchuān (毛郎川; lit. 'River-plain of the wool or down-clad official'), further northeast of which lies Bīnjūshāng (賓居湯; lit. '(the) Rushing current of guest dwellings'), still further north of which lies Yuèxīchuān (越析川; lit. '(the) Much-divided river plain'[51]), the ancient lands of the Móxiē Kingdom (磨些詔[52]).
Chapter 5: Part 9 — Báiyá City (白崖城) and Bólòngchuān (勃弄川)
Original
Translation
白崖城在勃弄川，天寶中附於忠、城、陽等五州之城也。
Báiyá City (白崖城; lit. 'White Cliff (Walled) City') is in Bólòngchuān (勃弄川; lit. 'Flourishing Lane River-Plain'), which was loyal (to China) during the Tianbao era (ie. 742-756), and possesses cities and east-facing[53] lands, and has five prefectures and cities in total.
依山為城，高十丈，四面皆引水環流，惟開南北兩門。
It is built against the mountain to provide walled defence, with a height of 10 zhang (ie. 33m). All four sides channel water around the city, which only has gates opening to the north and south.
南隅是舊城，周回二裏。
In the southern corner lies the old city, which is two li (ie. 700m) in circumference.
東北隅新城，大歷七年閣羅鳳新築也。
In the northeast corner lies the new city, which was newly built by Géluófèng (閣羅鳳) in the 7th year of the Dali reign[54] (ie. ~778-779)
周回四裏。
It is four li (ie. ~1.2km) in circumference.
城北門外有慈竹叢，大如人脛，高百尺余。
Outside of the northern gate lies Cízhúcóng (慈竹叢; lit. 'Merciful Bamboo Thicket'), each as thick as a man's lower leg, and 100 chǐ (ie. ~33m) in height.
地內有閣羅鳳所造大廳，修廊曲廳，廳後院橙枳青翠，俯臨北墉。
Inside[55] is the official reception building[56] of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳), with decorated corridors and crooked halls. Behind the main hall lies a courtyard verdant with orange trees and a view over the northern wall.
舊城內有池方三百余步，池中有樓舍，雲貯甲仗。
Inside of the old city is a pond of over 300 paces' circumference, inside of which is a multi-storied building inside of which is said to be a stockpile of armour and weapons.
川東西二十余裏，南北百余裏。
The river plain stretches more than 20 li (ie. ~6.5km) east to west, and more than 100 li (ie. ~33km) north to south.[57]
清平官已下，官給分田，悉在。
Beneath the Qīngpíngguān (清平官; lit. 'Site of just and peaceful governance'), the government divides the land in to fields, all of which are cultivated.
南詔親屬亦住此城傍。
The numerous kin of Nánzhào (南詔) also reside near the city.
其南二十裏有蠻子城，閣羅鳳庶弟誠節母子舊居也。
20 li to the south lies Mánzichéng (蠻子城; lit. 'the city of the Barbarian (or possibly Barbarian prince)'), which is the former residence of the many younger brothers and extensive family of Géluófèng (閣羅鳳).[58]
正南去開南城十一日程。
Directly southward is Kāinán City (開南城), which is 11 days' journey.
↑Though as per other notes we have determined that it most probably refers etymologically to a large market-city where cowrie-shell money is used for trade.
↑Seems an honest translation after some consideration: the text neither claims they founded the area nor explicitly that they have since entirely or partially moved.
↑While the precise portion of the Erhai Lake plateau specified by the toponyms Xiefai (苴咩) and Dàlí City (大厘城) remain unclear, we can infer from the probable semantic structure of this sentence (which uses both Xiefai (苴咩) and Dàlí City (大厘城)) that Xiefai (苴咩) refers to the region around the lake. We may then further infer from the leading character semantics than Yángxiefai (陽苴咩) refers specifically to the sunny (morning) side of the valley, ie. the west of Erhai Lake and the east of the Cangshan mountain range, encompassing the town of Dali (in modern times sometimes known as "old Dàlí"). Finally, as Longkou City (龍口城; ie. modern Xiaguan) has been identified, and the founding under discussion is at the southern end of the Cangshan Mountain Range, the strategic founding of the city makes good sense.
↑初立 - more literally something like 'immediately'?
↑Potentially faulty interpretation of 蒙歸義男等, ie. (Mengguiyi) + (baron-rank).
↑Actual text states 巷陌皆 which means something like every 'alley' and 'street'/'raised path', however the precise meaning of these is unclear so an overall approach is taken to maintain the spirit of the statement in translation.
↑The subsequent transliterator's note infers titles and identities through guesswork, but due to a lack of clarity, I have here opted for a general translation that more certainly maintains the general spirit of the current text's description of the stele.
↑Sixteenth of the 24 dynastic histories (二十四史), compiled under Liu Xu (劉昫) in 945 during the Later Jin Dynasty (後晉) of the Five Dynasties, 200 scrolls in length.
↑得西瀘令 - here 西瀘 apparently refers to an area west of water.
↑皇化 literally means "the process of coming under (Chinese) imperial control and cultural dominance".
↑Here a unique (to this text so far), uncommonly distant and apparently relatively northern (from existing summaries of the term) Xīróng (西戎; "the Xirong, an ancient ethnic group of Western China from the Zhou Dynasty onwards / Xionites (Central Asian nomads)") is used. This observation potentially implies that this portion of the text was written while our author was resident in Sichuan, perhaps earlier on in the production of this text while he was less familiar with endemic ethnic groups, or was referencing (which in a Chinese contemporary cultural context could perhaps mean outright duplicating) earlier texts (which are now potentially unknown or lost).
↑Apparently 皮 can refer to the outer periphery of something, not simply the normal meaning of skin. Here it is apparently used to describe villages clustering about the city.
↑A simplification owing to the original structure — closer to 'merged with and the population moves about and between them freely' — being hard to translate smoothly in to modern English.
↑I have a suspicion that this may in fact be referring to other, non well-related brickwork, but the overall suggestion is that limestone or a blue stone of some sort is used. I wonder if this could be a reference to marble, Dali's most famous stone? (大理石)
↑Literal meaning could be limestone; though this is quite arguably a reference to marble.
↑The seventh reign of Emperor Tang Daizong (9 January 727 – 23 May 779), personal name Li Yu (name changed in 758 after being created crown prince), nee Li Chu (李俶).
↑Presumably referring to the city, and not the bamboo thicket!
↑造大廳 - rough translation, original meaning somewhat unclear.
↑Estimates here are based on the assumption of the Tang Dynasty average li distance of 323m.
