A Survey of Research on Naxi Dongba Account Books
This article surveys research on Naxi Dongba account books (账簿), a significant category of practical Dongba script documents. These records offer valuable historical evidence on class relations, land systems, trade practices, prices, currency, customary law, and language across different periods of Naxi society. The author categorizes account books into two main types: income-expenditure records (documenting rent, sales, and loans, especially prevalent during the Republican era and collective farming period) and "renqing" (social obligation) ledgers, which tracked gifts and contributions exchanged during weddings, funerals, house-building, and communal sky-worship sacrifices requiring reciprocal repayment over decades. The paper reviews the history of collecting, publishing, and studying these documents, starting with Li Lin-ts'an's 1954 report, and cites specific examples like the Baidi and Yijia ledgers and the Emei sacrificial ledger. It concludes by outlining urgent priorities for future research and preservation of these materials.
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