An arjī from Bālāśaṃkara to Bhīmasena Thāpā acknowledging receipt of a letter from Lahore (VS 1894)
ID: DNA_0002_0039
Edited and
translated by Nirajan Kafle and Rajan Khatiwoda
in collaboration with
Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: ;
Last modified: 2024-12-06
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Abstract
This letter from Bālāśaṃkara to General Bhīmasena Thāpā conveys good wishes, reports the receipt of a letter from Lahore, and seeks instructions on further duties. It mentions of attaching newspapers from Lahore and Delhi.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1⟪नं.१५३⟫1"श्री५सर्कार1"स्वस्तिश्रीसर्वोपमानोपमेयशौर्योदार्यादिसकलसद्गुणगणालंकृतराजरा2जभारोद्धरणसामर्थ्यश्रीश्रीश्रीमत्जनरलकम्यान्डरञिँचीफ़भीमसेन
3थापाजीकयोग्येषु।इत:बालाशंकरस्यसहस्राशिषपूर्वकअर्जीपत्रम्।
4अत्रकुशलंतत्रभवतांकुशलंवाँछामि।उप्रांतआजदिनलाहौरसेकाजी
5कालूसिंहजी।कप्तानकरबीरषत्री२केछापकर्केसहितपत्रआया।सोसा
6हेबकेचरणेमेपहोँचताहै।इस्कापहोँचनामा।मुझेइनायतहोवे।तोला
7हौरकोभेजाजाय।फर्द१लाहौरकेअख़बारका।फ़र्द१दिल्लीकेअख़बा
8रकाभेजाहै।सोमुलाहजे़मेगुजरे।साहेबकेचरणौसेक्रिपाकीदृष्टिका
9उम्मैदवारहूँ।जोकारखिजमतमेरेलायकहोयसोआज्ञाभेजतेरहिये।
10किमधिकंविज्ञेषु।सं१८९४श्रावणसुदी८रोज४मुकामदिल्ली।शुभम्।=॥=
Translation
[1r]
No. 1531
Hail! This letter (arjī) from Bālāśaṃkara is preceded by a thousand blessings from here to the thrice-venerable General Commander-in-Chief, the worthy Bhīmasena Thāpā, who [is beyond] all exalted comparisons (upamā) and subjects of comparison (upameya), adorned [as he is] with a multitude of excellent virtues, such as heroism (śaurya) and nobility (audārya), and capable [as he is] of bearing royal duties.
The tidings here are fine. I wish Your Excellency good health there. Further (uprāṃta): Today a letter arrived from Lahore, bearing the seals of the honourable KājīKālū Siṃha2 and Captain (text: kaptāna) Karabīra Khatrī3 . It will be presented at Your Excellency’s feet. If upon its arrival Your Excellency confers your favour (ināyata) upon me, may [the decision] be sent back to Lahore. I have sent 1 copy of the Lahore newspaper and 1 copy of the Delhi newspaper. Please consider them (so mulāhajeme gujare). I remain a candidate for your compassionate favour. Please continue to instruct me in whatever duties I am capable of performing.
What more can be said to one [so] knowledgeable?
On Wednesday, the 8th of the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa in the [Vikrama era] year 1894 (1837). From Delhi. Auspiciousness.
Commentary
Between 1836 and 1863, Bālāśaṃkara, a Nepalese messenger stationed in Delhi, regularly communicated various information to the royal court in Nepal. Some 58 letters, catalogued under the DNA series, have so far been tracked down in the National Archives, Kathmandu, and are now being edited and translated for historical study. These letters highlight sender's significant if unofficial role as a source of foreign intelligence, similar to the akhbār nawīses, intelligence officers in Mughal India and other states in British India (Habib 1966: 189–91). Nepal lacking a formal akhbār nawīs office, Bālāśaṃkara took on this role by himself informally.
Though not officially designated as an envoy (vakila), he exercised responsibilities paralleling those of formal envoys, such as Lokaramaṇa Upādhyāya and his assistants, whose reports to the royal court covered crucial political and cultural developments (see Bajracharya, Cubelic, and Khatiwoda VS 2072 and VS 2073). These letters and reports played a significant role in shaping Nepal's foreign relations during a period of increasing British influence in South Asia (Cubelic 2023 and Pandey 2023 provide an overview of compendiums produced during this time that contain a variety of foreign information intelligence compilations).
The akhbār nawīs network dates back to the Mughal Empire, when personnel were tasked with reporting on political and military affairs (Alam and Subrahmanyam 1998: 109-110). In Nepal, informal channels like Bālāśaṃkara's letters basically fulfilled the same purpose. His communications, like those of official envoys such as Lokaramaṇa, helped maintain Nepal’s diplomatic and cultural engagement, often providing important geopolitical insight during a period of regional transformation.
Note: We have been unable to trace the letter referenced by Bālāśaṃkara, nor could we find any outside confirmation of the mission for which the Nepalese royal court sent the two officials, Kājī Kālu Siṃha and Captain Karavīra Khatrī, to Lahore.