Gender discrimination in the Tarim Basin: A preliminary examination of the Kharoṣṭhī documents from the Niya site

<ns3:p>Background This article summarises preliminary observations and findings as part of the ‘Gender Discrimiation in the Tarim Basin’ project, based on an examination of the ‘Niya documents’, a collection of administrative documents discovered at the ruins of an oasis agricultural settlement in the Tarim Basin region of Western China. The documents, however, were written in the South Asian Kharoṣṭhī script and an associated South Asian language. They have previously been examined linguistically and palaeographically to understand how the script and its associated language arrived and came to be used in Central Asia and to identify the local languages that were in use at the settlement. But there has been limited consideration of society and, more specifically, gender-related issues. Methods There is scope to examine the documents both quantitatively and qualitatively, which this preliminary study presents. Different data was collected from the documents, including archaeological and political contexts, legal cases presented as complaints, and the gender make-up of complainants. Results Most of the documents came from specific buildings at the site and the ones with dates were created during the reigns of a few kings. Kings and officials were presented with various honorifics, including divine titles. Most of the legal complaints were presented by men and more men were overall presented in the documents than women. Two key terms were used in the presentation of cases and the law was defined using specific South Asian terminology. Conclusions This initial study suggested that there were social differences based on gender, which then led to selecting a focus and relevant case studies for the research project to consider societal issues involving gender-based discrimination.</ns3:p>