1
(It was) the year 525, the month Pusig, when (this) sealed document, (this) purchase contract, was written here in Gandara, in the presence of
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the god Wakhsh, the granter of favours (and) fulfiller of wishes, great (and) wonderful, who has worship in Gandara, and in the presence of
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Wisbur-ziniy Samsitan, the steward of the Shaburan (family), and also in the presence of the assembled freemen of the district
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who were present there amongst (them) and (who) bear witness concerning this matter, when a contract
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to give and to sell was freely (and) willingly made by me, Wurol, and by me, Hilitber, the sons of Bah, and by me, Zard
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son of Wurol, inhabitant of Gandara ... , me whose house they call Wurolan, the servant of the khar of Rob, on
7
the following terms: A large poll-tax and harvest-tax have been assessed to be given by me, and I had no other means in (my) house
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which could have been given (as) poll-tax and harvest-tax. But we have a certain property (consisting of) water and land,
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here in the plain of Askin, this (same) property which they call Nogfarnan, has thus now been sold by me
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to you, Wahran, and to you, Mir, the sons of Bek, the inhabitants of Asp, servants of the ser, for
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sixty good, locally current Arab dirhams of silver; and (the price) has been received by us all complete, (and) we have become satisfied (and) content, (and)
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the price agreed we acknowledge (to be) profitable, not damaging. Now the boundary to the property whose name (is) Nogfarnan is (as follows):
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to the east a property whose name (is) Piroz-barn; and to the west what is left of the Warawang vineyard (is) the boundary;
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and to the south the property of Sinz Sawan (is) the boundary; and to the north the water of the ditch. There, which (is) in
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Askin, (one) uses and employs fifty quarts of grain (as) seed, either a little more or a little less.
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So the property has now been given and sold by me, just as it is described within with reference to the four boundaries, (both) water and land, (with) neighbourhood
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and environs, from side to side and from boundary to boundary, without tax, without rent, without debt, without obligation on the part of anyone
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in respect of this property which is described herein. You (sg.) have authority, from tomorrow (and) for (all) future time, and from
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now until eternity — you, Wahran, and you, Mir, and your (sg.) brothers, sons (and) descendants —
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to have and to hold (the property) yourselves, (and) afterwards to sell (it), give (it) away, to pawn (it), to put (it for) hire, to exchange (it) for another (piece of) land,
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to give (it) for a son's bride-price (or) with a daughter (as) a dowry, to make a monastery or temple, to make a place of burial or crematorium, whatever
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may suit yourselves, just as owners (customarily) have authority over what is purchased with money (and) ancestral estates, so that no-one (else)
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has authority to withhold (it), or to seize (it), or to commit violence, nor to produce a contract — neither an old nor a new (one).
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If thus there should be anyone who might dispute (or) withhold (the property), fight, argue, (or) not allow (you) to have (and) hold (it), whether
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men of Rob, or men of Bamyan, or Turks, or Arabs, or locals, or anyone else should be shown (to be) disputatious, then
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I, Wurol, and I, Hilitber, and I, Zard, and our brothers, sons (and) descendants, guarantee thus: and
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by us it has been guaranteed that we shall go to each (and) every lawsuit beside (you) and we shall cause (the property to be) released and detached from every dispute and from every retention;
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if we do not go to each (and) every lawsuit beside (you) and do not cause (it to be) released and detached from every dispute,
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or (if) we ourselves, the declarants, should dispute (or) withhold (the property), not allow (you) to have (and) hold (it), or
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produce another contract (or) sealed document, (whether) an old or a new (one), then our claim and argument shall not be (considered) valid (and) authoritative in court,
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and also we shall pay a fine to the treasury of the bredag of a hundred and twenty good, locally current Arab dirhams of silver,
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and also we shall pay the same fine to the opponents. And after the fine has been paid, this purchase contract shall (still) be (considered) good (and) potent,
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valid and authoritative as is written herein.
1
(It was) the year 525, the month Pusig, when (this) sealed document, (this) purchase contract, was written here in Gandara, in the presence of the god Wakhsh, the granter of favours
2
(and) fulfiller of wishes, great (and) wonderful, who has (his) worship and seat here in Gandara, and in the presence of Wisbur-ziniy Samsitan,
3
the steward of the Shaburan (family), and also in the presence of the assembled freemen of the district who were present there amongst (them) and (who)
4
bear witness concerning this matter, when a contract to give and to sell was freely (and) willingly made by me, Wurol, and by me, Hilitber, the sons of Bah,
5
and by me, Zard son of Wurol, inhabitants of Gandara ... , servants of the /char of Rob, we whose house they call Wurolan. Now:
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a large Arab poll-tax and harvest-tax have been assessed to be given by us, the declarants, and also we were owing many debts, and
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we had no such assets (and) means in the house which we could have disposed of and given (as) the Arab poll-tax and harvest-tax, and also (as payment of) the debt. But we
8
have a property here in the plain of Askin, (namely) a certain property (which is) our own ancestral estate, this (same) property which they call Nogfarnan, has thus
9-10
now been sold by us to you, Wahran, and to you, Mir, the sons of Bek, the inhabitants of Asp, servants of the ser, for sixty good, locally current Arab dirhams of silver in full payment; and (the price) has been received by us all complete, (and) we have become satisfied (and) content, (and) the price agreed
11
we acknowledge (to be) profitable, not damaging. Now the boundary to the property which they call Nogfarnan is (as follows): to the east a property
12
whose name (is) Piroz-barn; and to the west what is left of the Warawang vineyard (is) the boundary; and to the south the property of Sinz Sawan
13
(is) the boundary; and to the north the water of the irrigation ditch. There, which (is) in Askin, (one) uses and employs on the property
14
fifty quarts of grain (as) seed, either a little more or a little less. So the property has now been given and sold by us, just as it is described herein,
15
(both) water and land, from side to side and from boundary to boundary, (with) neighbourhood and environs, without tax, without rent, without debt, without obligation
16
on the part of anyone in respect of this property which is described herein. You (sg.) have authority — you, Wahran, and you, Mir, and your (pl.) brothers, sons (and)
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descendants — from tomorrow (and) for (all) future time, and from now until eternity, over this property which
18
is described herein, to have and to hold (it) yourselves, (and) afterwards to sell (it), to give (it) away, to pawn (it), to put (it for) hire, to exchange (it) for another (piece of) land,
19
to make a monastery or temple, to give (it) for a son’s brideprice (or) with a daughter (as) a dowry, to make a place of burial or crematorium, whatever
20
may suit yourselves, just as owners (customarily) have authority over what is purchased with money (and) ancestral estates, so that no-one (else)
21
has authority to withhold (it), (or) to seize (it), or to commit violence, neither men of Rob, nor men of Bamyan, nor Turks, nor Arabs, nor locals, nor
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anyone else, nor to produce a contract — neither an old nor a new (one), neither a purchase contract, nor a pawn-contract, nor a contract for the exchange of gifts,
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nor a contract concerning the performance of duties for a lord, nor does (anyone) have authority to produce any other contract or sealed document. If thus there should be anyone, from tomorrow (or) at (any) future time, who might dispute with you, Wahran, or with you, Mir, or with your (sg.) brothers, sons (and)
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descendants, (or) might withhold (the property), fight, argue, not allow (you) to have (and) hold (it), (or) produce another contract (or) sealed document, then
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I, Wurol, and I, Hilitber, and I, Zard, and our brothers, sons (and) descendants, guarantee thus: and by us it has been guaranteed
27
that we shall go to each (and) every lawsuit beside (you) and we shall cause (the property to be) released and detached from every dispute and from every retention; if
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we do not go to each (and) every lawsuit beside (you) and are not able to cause (it to be) released and detached from every dispute and from every retention, or (if)
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we ourselves, the declarants, should dispute (or) withhold (the property), not allow (you) to have and hold (it), or produce another contract (or) sealed document,
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or in respect of (our) own statement and (our) own guarantee we should commit deceit or (swear) an oath otherwise than was guaranteed by us ourselves and
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is written herein, then we shall be (judged) lawless according to every law, and also we shall pay a fine to the treasury of the bredag
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of a hundred and twenty good, locally current Arab dirhams of silver, and also we shall pay the same fine to the opponents. And after
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the fine has been paid, (this) sealed purchase contract shall (still) be (considered) good (and) potent, valid and authoritative as is written herein.