Yuan Dynasty Documents 101

Special Lecture by Wonhee Cho.

Readings (Selections from Birge, Bettine. Marriage and the Law in the Age of Khubilai Khan: Cases from the Yuan Dianzhang. Harvard University Press, 2017.) Download here (read; pp. 58-77, and if you are unfamiliar with the Yuan, feel free to read more.)

Text 1

Compendium of Statutes and Sub Statutes of the Yuan (Da Yuan shengzheng guochao dianzhang 大元聖政國朝典章) or the Institutions of the Yuan (Yuandianzhang 元典章). Private publication from the Jiangnan area.

僧道休差發例（33/1a） 至元三十一年五月十六日，中書省欽奉聖旨節該： “成吉思皇帝、月吉合皇帝、先皇帝聖旨裏：‘和尚、也里可温、先生每，不揀甚麼差發休教着，告天祝壽者。’麼道來。如今依着在先聖旨體例，不揀甚麼差發休教着者，告天祝壽者。”欽此。

Translating these documents without prior knowledge can be challenging. Translate as much as you can, but if not (believe me, it will be challenging) be prepared to answer the following questions.

• What is the nature of this document? Use the punctuation provided to make an educated guess, if necessary.
• When is this document issued?
• Who are these individuals? What is significant?

成吉思皇帝 月吉合皇帝 先皇帝

Translate this phrase. 和尚、也里可温、先生每

The following words might no show up in your average Chinese-English dictionary. What reference works did you use to find the meaning of these words?

體例 差發 節該

The characters marked in bold mostly serves as grammatical markers. Can you guess what functions they serve?