The finds of the Mogao Caves enable us to study contemporary sources concerning the Dunhuang
Region in north-western China during Tibetan Rule (787-848 BC). In some areas of research the
information found in Chinese and Tibetan manuscripts comes from different sources which
complement each other. In tax-related manuscripts for example the Chinese manuscripts reflect
the bookkeeping of the lower ranking officials while the Tibetan manuscripts deal with the
communication between the Tibetan administrators of the area and the Chinese local officials.
The volume by Gertraud Taenzer comprises Chinese and Tibetan manuscripts as well as fragments
of manuscripts alike to shed light on the circumstances in Dunhuang under Tibetan rule. The
main focus is on the economic situation of the region the volume is divided into three parts:
The Organisation of the Tibetan Empire Population and Related Manuscripts and Economy. To be
able to understand the manuscripts better and finally to evaluate the economic situation of the
area in the Tibetan period the administrative system of the area is clarified and the
ethnographic composition of the people resident in the region is looked into. Moreover
especially as far as the chapter on economy is concerned many manuscripts which have not been
studied before are included. These are combined with the manuscripts already discussed to
clarify our understanding of the life of the inhabitants of Dunhuang during this period of
time.
