An arjī from Lokaramaṇa Upādhyāya providing a report from Calcutta (VS 1894)
ID: DNA_0004_0034
Edited and
translated by Manik Bajracharya, Simon Cubelic and Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2016-03-08;
Last modified: 2021-08-12
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Abstract
This letter dated VS 1894 reports about a meeting with W.H. Macnaghten, secretary to the governor-general, the death of the emperor of Delhi, the imminent departure of the governor-general, the reassignment of government positions and news published in a Persian newspaper analyzing the possibility of an Anglo-Nepal war.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्रीदुर्गाज्यू1⟪नं३७३⟫1अर्जि¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯2आश्विनसुदि८रोज७कादिनदफ्तर्षानाकोमामुलिदर्वार्भय़ोमेगनाटन्साहवसिकृ
3टरिलेहजूर्कामिजाजमोवारक्कोषैर्वाफिय़त्सोध्यादर्स्तुर्माफिक्षैर्वाफिय़त्को
4जव़ावदिञासाहवसिकृटरिसवैसितविदाभय़ामनव़ावगव़र्नरजनरलवहादुर्कासा
5थजान्छुफार्सिदफ्तर्षानाकोकामथोपिप्रेन्सीप्साहवकासपुर्दभय़ाकोछअर्कामैन्हा
6देषिदर्वार्कोकाम्उनैगर्नान्भनिमसितएतिकुरागरिविदाभय़ाआश्विनवदि१४रोज५
7कादिनदिल्लिकावादसाहमहम्मदअकवर्सानिमर्याछन्उसैदिनउन्काछोराअवुमुज
8फरमिर्जातष्तमावस्याकोषवरञाहाकल्कत्तामाआइपुग्योकार्तिकवदि१रोज७का
9दिनमर्न्या वादसाहकागम्कासलामिमावर्षका१फएर्काहिसावले८२तोपकोफएर
10भय़ोउन्काछोरातष्तमावस्याकावादसाहिसलामिको२१फएरतोपकोसलामिभय़ो
11नव़ावगव़र्नरजनरलकार्तिकवदि७रोज६कादिनधुव़ाकाजहाजमासव़ार्हुन्याछन्अ
12ष्टमिरोज७कादिनधुव़ाकोजहाजषुलन्याषवर्छञाहाअलक्जन्दर्राससाहवऔवल
13कौसलिथियाउनैगव़र्नरजनरलकानाएवहुन्याछन्ञाहाअंरेजिफार्सिअषवारमा
14नेपालमाअंरेजसितलडनाकोतय़ारिभय़ाकोछनव़ावगव़र्नरजनरलरकम्यान्डरइ
15न्चिफ्जनरलसर्हिनरिफेनसाहवसितवानारसकामोकाममामुलाकातभय़ापछिस
16ल्लाहगरिफौजकावन्दोवस्तकोहुकुम्दिनन्भन्न्याषवरछापाभय़ाकोछहजूरमानजर
17हुनानिमित्तफार्सिअषवार्कोकागजचह्राइपठाय़ाकोछमोलाहिजाफर्माइवक्स्यागय़ा
18जाहेर्होलानव़ावगव़र्नरजनरलकोकुँचभय़ापछिकोहालसुरत्पछिविन्तिचह्राइपठाउ
19लाइतिसम्वत्१८९४सालमितिकार्तिकवदि२रोज१मोकाम्कल्कत्तावडिवाजारशुभम्
20सेव़कलोकरमणोपाध्याय़कोवेदोक्तःपुरा
21णोक्तःसहश्रकोटिसुभासिर्वादशुभम्¯¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Venerable Durgā
Number 3731
On Saturday, the 8th of the bright fortnight of Āśvina, a regular court assembly of the Record Office (daphtarakhānā) was held. Macnaghten (text: Meganāṭan)2 , the sāhaba sikṛṭari, asked about your well-being. I replied concerning your well-being in the usual manner. The sāhaba sikṛṭari [then] bid farewell to everyone. He (i.e., Macnaghten) left after telling me: “I will leave with the navāba governor-general bahādura. The job of [overseeing] the Persian Daphtarakhānā has been assigned to Thoby Prinsep (text: Thopi Prensīp) 3 sāhaba. He will carry out tasks [related to] the court assembly from next month onward.”
On Thursday, the 14th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina, Muhammad Akbar Sāni (text: Mahammada Akavar Sāni), the emperor of Delhi, passed away.4 News has arrived here in Calcutta that his son Abu Mujaphara Mirjā was enthroned the same day.5 On Saturday, the 1st of the dark fortnight of Kārttika, during the final salute to the deceased emperor, 82 cannons were fired off [successively], one firing for each year [of his life].6 A royal 21-cannon salute took place after his son was enthroned.
The navāba governor-general will board a steamship on Friday, the 7th of the dark fortnight of Kārttika. The news is that the steamship will arrive on Saturday, the 8th. Alexander Ross (text: Alakjandar Rās)7 sāhaba was a member of the Hon’ble Council here. He will become the deputy of the governor-general. The news has been printed here in the English and Persian newspapers stating that preparations have been made in Nepal to fight against the British; after the navāba governor-general and Commander-in-Chief General Sir Henry Fane (text: Sar Hinari Phena)8 , meet and take counsel at the station in Benaras, orders for the disposition of the army will be given. In order for you to read [about this], I have sent you a Persian newspaper clipping. You may learn more if you look [at it]. I will send you tidings after the navāba governor-general departs [from here].
Sunday, the 2nd of the dark fortnight of Kārttika in the [Vikrama] era year 1894 (1837 CE). Residence: Baḍi Bājāra, Calcutta. Auspiciousness.
A thousand cores of auspicious blessings of [your] servant Lokaramaṇa Upādhyāya as uttered in the Vedas and Purāṇas.
Commentary
The imminent departure of Governor-General Auckland refers to a diplomatic tour to the North-Western Provinces which he undertook at the 20th of October 1837. A detailed account on this event and the subsequent reassignment of government posts is given in DNA_0002_0005. The mentioned possibility of an Anglo-Nepalese war might reflect the diplomatic tensions between Nepal and the East India Company after the removal of Bhīmasena Thāpā from power. For example, in July 1837, Puṣkara Śāha was sent to Peking to ask for military support against the British and later in that year the Nepalese government started a diplomatic campaign sending its envoys to several South Asian states in order to forge an anti-British alliance. On the British side, Commander-in-Chief General Fane recommended a military action against Nepal (cf. Rose 1971: 98-99).
This document has been published in Bajracharya/Cubelic/Khatiwoda 2016 (VS 2072): 125–127 and 132.