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SUMMARY OF SIXTEEN LAW EXTRACTED FROM H.H.RISLEY’S* BOOK “THE GAZETTEER OF
SIKKIM” REFERS TO COURTS AND ARBITRATORS. THE SAID BOOK WAS FIRST PUBLISHED
IN 1894.

“SIKHIM LAWS

The following is a short account of the Sikhim Laws as translated from a
manuscript copy obtained from the Khangsar Dewan. The language used in this
book is difficult, and thanks are due to the Phodong Lama and Lamas Shorab
Gyatsho and Ugin Gyatsho for the help they have given.
HISTORY

The Sikhim Laws are founded on those spoken by Raja Me-long-dong,1 who
lived in India before the time of Buddha (914 B.C.). This Raja is mentioned in the Ka-
gyur in the 31 chapter.
2
st
They were again written by the Kun-ga-gyal-tsan* of Sa.kya-pa, who was
3
born in 1182. He was King of 13 provinces in Tibet, and has called the laws† Tim-yik-
shal-che-chu-sum or Chu-dug, there being two sets, one containing 13 laws and the
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other 16.‡ These are practically the same. The laws were again written by De-Si
sangye Gya-tsho, who was born in 1653 and was a Viceroy of Tibet. They were
5
called by him Tang-shel-me-long-nyer-chik-pa. §
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The first set of laws deal with offences in general; the second set forth the
duties of Kings and Government servants, and are simply an amplification of some of
the laws contained in the former.

SUMMARY OF THE SIXTEEN LAWS

No. 1. — GENERAL RULES TO BE FOLLOWED IN TIME OF WAR

(a) It is written in the Ka-gyur that before going to war the strength of the enemy
should be carefully ascertained, and whether any profit will be derived from it

* Sir Herbert Hope Risley KCIE CSI (4.1.1851-30.9.1911) was a British ethnographer & Colonial
administrator, a member of the Indian Civil Service, Companion of the Indian Empire Officier D'
Academie Francaise.
1 Me-long-gdon.
2 bkah-hgyur-mdo-sa-pa.
3 kun-dgah-rgyal-mtsan.
4 khrims-yig-zhal-lche-bchu-gsum.
5 sde-srid-sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtso.
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dang-shel-me-long-gnyer-gchig-pa.
* Full name Sa-skya-penti-ta-kun-dgah-rgyal-mtsan.
† The law of 13 causes.
‡ The book containing the 16 laws is supposed to have been amplified from the 13 laws by De-si-sanya
Gya-tsho.
§ The 21 laws as clear as crystal
sangya Gya-tsho.
§ The 21 laws as clear as crystal.

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