The Legend of “Shanpula”: Khotanese Words Inscribed on the Qushu Carpets No. 3–5

This chapter explores the etymology of the toponym “Shanpula” (or “Shanpulu”) in Luopu County, Xinjiang, by analyzing Khotanese inscriptions found on woolen carpets excavated from the Shanpula region. The inscriptions, which read spāvatä meri sūmä hoḍä (“By Spāvatä Meri, sūmä is offered”), indicate that sūmä designates a venerated entity. By cross-referencing Khotanese and Tibetan texts—specifically the legend of Sūmapauña, a monk who metamorphosed into a dragon to safeguard a monastery—the author posits that Sūmapauña constitutes the etymological root of “Shanpula.” The name underwent a linguistic transition from Khotanese to Uyghur and finally to Chinese, thereby perpetuating the region’s ancient cultural and religious memory.