Seal of the Mardrak Military and Civil Myriarchy
Date: 1316 CE
Collection: Tibet Museum
The Seal of the Mardrak Military and Civil Myriarchy is a significant administrative artifact from the Sakya dynasty period, offering rare material evidence of governance systems in eastern Tibet during the early 14th century. This seal reflects how political authority, military control, and civil administration were formally structured and recorded through official objects.
Mardrak and Its Historical Identity
Mardrak refers to a historical region corresponding to today’s Mangkam and Chaya areas in present-day Chamdo, eastern Tibet. In historical sources, this area appears under various transcriptions, with “Ismargan” representing an earlier Tibetan pronunciation. In administrative and historical discussions, Mardrak is now commonly used to identify this region.
During the Sakay dynasty, Mardrak was established as a Military and Civil Myriarchy, a regional administrative unit responsible for managing both civilian affairs and military operations.
A Regional Administrative Center in Eastern Tibet During the Sakya Period
The Mardrak Military-Civil Myriarchy (historically recorded as Yisimarghan / Yisimarghan, Chinese: 亦思麻儿甘军民万户府 ) was an important regional administrative institution established during the Sakya period. Its emergence was closely linked to the Sakya-led political order in Tibet, which combined religious authority, local governance traditions, and imperial-style administrative practices.
Situated in the eastern Tibetan cultural region known as Kham, the Mardrak Myriarchy covered areas of present-day eastern Tibet and western Sichuan, playing a vital role in regional administration, security, and coordination during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Sakya Administration in Tibetan Regions
Central Administrative Framework
In 1264, during the period when the Sakya school exercised overarching authority in Tibetan affairs, a centralized administrative framework was established to manage Buddhist institutions and regional governance in Tibet. This system, later known as the Bureau for Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan) in historical records, functioned as a key institution overseeing both religious and secular matters.
Administration during the Sakya period followed a dual religious–secular governance model, in which Sakya hierarchs held supreme authority while working alongside appointed officials responsible for civil and military affairs. This arrangement allowed governance to align closely with Tibetan social structures while maintaining administrative order across vast regions.
Prominent Sakya figures played decisive roles in shaping policies, appointing officials, and legitimizing local authority, ensuring that governance was both politically effective and religiously sanctioned.
The Military and Civil Myriarchy System
The myriarchy system was a key component of Yuan governance in Tibet. It divided territories into structured units overseen by appointed officials who held both civil and military authority. The Mardrak Military and Civil Myriarchy played an important role in maintaining order, administering local communities, and coordinating defense in eastern Tibet.
This system allowed the Yuan court to exercise effective control over frontier regions while relying on local leaders who understood regional conditions and social structures.
Casting of the Mardrak Seal in 1316 CE
The seal was cast in 1316 CE, a year of major administrative importance for Mardrak. In the same year, an imperial decree officially confirmed the appointment of Orser Gyeltsen as the local myriarch.
Scholars believe this seal belonged to Orser Gyeltsen and was used in official administrative activities. Its creation marked the formal recognition of his authority and the institutional legitimacy of the Mardrak Myriarchy under Yuan rule.
Formal Establishment and the Official Seal
By the early 14th century, the Mardrak Military-Civil Myriarchy had become a formally recognized administrative institution under Sakya authority. Historical sources describe its internal structure, which included officials responsible for civil administration as well as supervisory roles to ensure proper governance.
Executed in a traditional multi-layered seal script, this seal stands as important material evidence of the myriarchy’s administrative legitimacy and authority during the Sakya period.
Administrative Seat and Territorial Scope
Location and Geographic Role
The administrative center of the Mardrak Myriarchy was located in present-day Shama Township, Baiyu County, in western Sichuan. The name “Yisimarghan” is widely understood as a phonetic rendering of a local Tibetan place name associated with Sama (Shama), matching both historical records and modern geography.
The territory under its jurisdiction likely included parts of western Baiyu County and neighboring areas. Positioned along key routes connecting central Tibet with eastern regions, Mardrak occupied a strategic location for trade, communication, and regional movement.
Administrative Role of the Seal
As an official seal, it was used to authenticate documents, validate orders, and formalize administrative decisions. Seals were essential instruments of governance, serving as physical proof of authority and legal recognition.
The Mardrak seal demonstrates how political power in Tibetan regions during the Yuan period was expressed not only through titles and decrees but also through standardized administrative tools.
Relationship with the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism
The Sakya school was the central political and religious authority in Tibetan regions during this period. Sakya hierarchs exercised decisive influence over regional governance and played a key role in appointing and confirming officials within the myriarchic system.
Appointments to positions such as myriarch typically followed formal procedures involving Sakya religious authorities, ensuring that political power was closely aligned with religious legitimacy. In some cases, supervisory officials were assigned to support administrative coordination and regional stability.
Historical Significance of the Mardrak Myriarchy
A Regional Governance Model in Kham
The Mardrak (Yisimarghan) Military-Civil Myriarchy represents one of the earliest well-documented administrative institutions in the Kham region during the Sakya period. Its establishment illustrates how governance in eastern Tibet evolved from localized leadership into more standardized yet regionally adapted systems.
Cultural and Administrative Interaction
Material culture associated with the myriarchy—most notably its official seal—reflects the interaction between imperial-style administrative traditions and Tibetan local governance practices. The Mardrak Myriarchy stands as a clear example of cultural exchange, institutional adaptation, and political integration within the historical framework of the Sakya-led Tibetan administration.
Relationship to Other Tibetan Administrative Units
Administratively, the Mardrak Myriarchy was distinct from institutions in central Tibet (Ü-Tsang). While central Tibetan administrations were more closely connected to major religious centers, myriarchies in Kham, including Mardrak, carried stronger responsibilities related to regional security, transport corridors, and frontier governance.
Together, these institutions formed a complex and regionally differentiated system of governance across the Tibetan Plateau during the Sakya period.
Historical Value and Research Significance
Today, the Seal of the Mardrak Military and Civil Myriarchy is preserved in the Tibet Museum, where it serves as an important source for historians and researchers. It provides insight into regional administration, local leadership, and the political integration of eastern Tibet within the Yuan imperial system.
As a tangible historical artifact, the seal helps illuminate how governance, authority, and institutional identity were established and maintained on the Tibetan Plateau during the 14th century.