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A copy of an arjī submitted by Rāmānanda Bā̃ḍā and fellow guṭhī members claiming their right to the harvests and utensil belonging to the Luthāma Guṭhī [VS 1860]

ID: E_2254_0001E


Edited and translated by Manik Bajracharya in collaboration with Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2020-09-04; Last modified: 2022-03-23
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Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2022. Published by the courtesy of the National Archives, Kathmandu. The copyright of the facsimile remains with the Nepal Rashtriya Abhilekhalaya (National Archives, Government of Nepal). All use of the digital facsimiles requires prior written permission by the copyright holder. See Terms of Use.
The accompanying edition, translation/synopsis and/or commentary are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License CCby-SA.

Abstract

The petition of which this is a copy was made by Rāmānanda Bā̃ḍā and fellow guṭhī members. It asserts, having reported that Bhājudhana Jaisī had sent a bailiff to collect them, their right to the the Luthām Guṭhī’s harvested grain and utensils.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1अर्जि \­

1श्रीदुर्गासहाय: \­

1श्रीमत्स्येन्द्र­१­

1धर्म­२­

1⟪5­⟫

1अर्जि­¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
2हाम्रा­ज्युज्यु­जीवराज­वाडाले­¯ ¯१¯को­रथको­लुथाम्‌­विमान­गरि­चढाएर­∙लुथाम­गूठ­चढायाको­हो­
3तस­दिन­राजा­खुसि­भयर­∙वाडाको­सव­काम­गर्नु­र­¯ ¯१¯को­रथको­∙किलासंम­ठोकनु­र­∙आफ्ना­स
4क्य­∙वनाउनु­गरिआयाका­वर्ष­      भया­∙त्यो­कार्खाना­∙अजसंम­हाम्रै­घर­छ­∙चौविश­हजार­[?]पा
5टनले­
जान्यैको­छ­∙वीचमाहाँ­∙कोहि­वर्ष­इजारा­पर्द्दा­∙आफ्नु­गूठ­∙आफैले­इजारा­षान­इछा­नला
6गि­∙षेत­छो[?]­थियो­तपनि­काम­छोड्याको­थिएन­[?]हाम्रा­गूठ­[?]
7[?]धनले­∙मोहोर­गरि­खाँदा­∙अन्याय­पर्‍याको­थियो­[?]¯ ¯१¯को­ ¯२¯­
8चलाउन­∙जीवराजका­संतानकन­जुन्‌­प्रजाको­गूठ­∙उसै­प्रजाले­चलाउनु­भनि­मोहोर­रुक्का­
9दस्खत्‌­मंगलभट्टको­वहालि­∙भयर­∙हामिले­वालि­ल्यायाको­∙आज­∙धान­लिन­∙भाजुधन­जैसिले­
10हामिलाइ­प्यादा­लायो­∙जीवराज­वाडाको­संतान­भाजुधन­जैसि­रहेछ­भन्या­∙हामीलाइ­दंड­ग
11रि­∙वाटा­∙पाथि­∙फोसि­∙भाजुधन­जैसिलाइ­सुपि­दिया­जाव़स्‌­∙हामि­५­जीवराज­वाडाका­संता
12न­रह्याछौं­भन्या­∙वाटा­पाथि­फोसि­हामि∙लाइ­सुपि­दिया­जाव़स्‌­∙न्हुहलछिमहाँ­सभा­जोरि­दिया­जा
13व़स्‌­∙तिन­सहरका­प्रजाले­आफ्ना­पुरुषाको­गूठ­प्रजाले­षान­पाउनु­[?]
14[?]हाम्रा­पुरुषाको­∙गूठ­हामिले­खान­नपाउँदा­∙हाम्रो­चित्त­वुझेन­फिर्‍याद­३­
15रामानंद­प्रभृति­सव­वाडाको­कुर्नेस­वंदगी­फिर्‍याद­३­

Translation

[1r]

Arjī

May glorious Durgā helps [us]

Glorious Matsyendra[nātha] - 1

dharma - 2

51

Arjī

Our great-grand father Jīvarāja Bā̃ḍā established the Luthāma Guṭha after he had offered the luthāma [and] vimāna to the chariot of -1- (i.e., glorious Matsyendranātha). That day the king was happy. It has been ...2 years since [the guṭha members started] carrying out all the tasks of the Bā̃ḍās,[everything] down to hammering nails into the chariot of -1- (i.e., glorious Matsyendranātha) and repairing [damaged parts] to the best of their ability. The workshop has been in our own house to this day. This is known to Patan, [the city of] the twenty-four thousand [people/households]. Meanwhile, when the ijārā [system] was imposed [the guṭha] for some years, we, not wishing to enjoy [the material benefits of] the ijārā [contract] for our own guṭha, let go of the plots [belonging to the guṭha]. We did not, however, discontinue services [to the guṭha]. We were treated unjustly when Bhājudhana took our guṭha by having a mohara issued. In order to perform -2- (i.e., dharma, pious acts) [to the glory] of -1- (i.e., glorious Matsyendranātha), a mohara3 , rukkā daskhat4 , and assignment of rights (bahāli) by the Maṃgalabhaṭṭa were issued to the descendants of Jīvarāja, stating: "The subject to whom a guṭha [owes its existence] should manage it." We then received the harvests [from the plots belonging to the guṭha]. Today Bhājudhana sent a bailiff (pyādā) to us to collect the unhusked rice [harvested from the guṭha plots]. If it turns out that Bhājudhana Jaisī is a descendant of Jīvarāja Bā̃ḍā, let us be punished, and let the bāṭā5 , pāthi6 and phosi7 be handed over to him. If we 5 turn out to be Jīvarāja's descendants, let us be given the bāṭās, pāthis and phosis. Let there be an assembly organized at Nhuhalachi. The subjects of the three cities8 have the right to enjoy their ancestral guṭha, but we have not been allowed to enjoy this right. We are, therefore, displeased. Complaint! complaint! complaint!

Salutations and praises of Rāmānada and all other Bā̃ḍās. Complaint, complaint, complaint.


Commentary

This document is a petition made by Rāmānanda Bā̃ḍā on behalf of five members of the Luthāma Guṭha including himself. It does not mention the date or the name of the authority to whom the petition was submitted. Based on other documents in the series, though, the year can be determined to have been VS 1860 (1803 CE). From the document, it is apparent that Rāmānanda had been able to collect the harvest yield on the guṭha plots, overseership of which had been restored to him earlier that year. Bhājudhana, the previous overseer of the guṭha, however, sent a bailiff to collect that yield from him. This document was submitted in reaction to this act.


Notes

1. This Arabic number was added probably by the owner of the document to mark its place within a series of similar documents. []

2. The space for the number of years has been left blank. []

3. This probably refers to an executive order issued (presumably by Queen Rājarājeśvarī Devī) on the 6th of the bright fortnight of Āśvina in VS 1860 (see Document E_2254_0001D). It restored overseership of the Luthāma Guṭha to Rāmānanda. []

4. This probably refers to the executive order issued by King Gīrvāṇayuddha on 7th of the dark fortnight of Bhādra in VS 1860 (see Document E_2253_0015C. It reiterated the restoring of overseership of the Luthāma Guṭha to Rāmānanda. []

5. A flat, round vessel usually made of copper or brass. []

6. A container for grains having a volume of one pāthi, a unit equivalent to 4.546 litres or 8 mānās. []

7. A large copper vessel used for distilling rice spirits. []

8. I.e., the cities of Kantipur, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. []