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Based on the great difficulties caused by that [which others have no means for imitating] after doing their corvée taxes, for three, four, five years we are requesting a concession of taxes in kind. 10 As is seen in this example, proposals submitted to the Dalai Lama for his action were cast in the form of a decision coming from him. Thus, the first sentence of this petition indicates that the Dalai Lama (or, in his minority, the regent) examined the request on such and such a date, and the underlining in the final sentence indicate his approval.

12 introduction astery’s estates. Drepung required large quantities of firewood for the daily “mang ja” tea it served its ten thousand monks and decided to use its corvée peasant labor force to provide this at no cost to the monastery. It did so by moving twelve young unmarried men from one of the monastery’s estates to a noncontiguous mountain area, where they lived in tents and were responsible for cutting and transporting firewood for a ten-year period. These youths were drafted on the basis of their families’ obligation to provide corvée labor to the lord, so they received no salary or food during the ten years the monastery kept them there, although their families did receive credit for providing one corvée laborer per day to the estate.

6 introduction cal system restricted the Dalai Lama (or regent). While the ruler unquestionably held ultimate authority over all decision making, his power was limited by his lack of information. In the above incident, for example, the Dalai Lama knew only what was in the recommendation, and since recommendations for action were supported by the Kashag, he would almost always leave the basic notion intact, even though, as he did here, he might well alter some points within the decision. On major issues, the Dalai Lama could summon the Kashag for a meeting and discuss the issue in question in person, but for most recommendations he based his decision on what was given him.