Check the image paths!
E_3420_0004

Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal
Version with DOI and citation guidelines Editorial Principles

A copy of a patra from Kājī Bahādura Bhaṃḍārī to Maṃjita Rāī and Milihā̃ Rāī directing them to pay a contractual debt to Makunda Rāī (VS 1885)

ID: E_3420_0004


Edited and translated by Julia Shrestha
Created: 2024-12-18; Last modified: 2025-12-09
For the metadata of the document, click here

Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2025. 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

This is a copy of a letter written by Kājī Bahādura Bhaṃḍārī to Maṃjita Rāī and Milihā̃ Rāī ordering them to pay a sum under a contractual obligation to Makunda Rāī immediately or else face punishment.


Diplomatic edition

[1r]

12.­

1श्री­दुर्गा­१­

1२­
2(छाप) ­
3श्री­वहादुर­
4भंडारी­

1स्वस्ति­श्री­काजी­वहादुर­भंडारिकस्य­पत्रम्‌­¯¯¯¯¯
2आगे­मांजित­राई­मिलिहाँ­राईके­यथोचित­उप्रांत­७७­साल­
3देषि­अटक्याका­ठेकका­रूपैया­र­८१­सालदेषि­अटक्याका­रूपिया­
4माङन­जाँदा­रूपिया­पनि­दिएनन्‌­रूपिया­मांन­आयो­भनी­असामी­र­
5सुवालि­लि­मलाई­कुट्या­भनी­मकुन्द­राई­ञाहाँ­कराउन­आयो­वेहोरा­
6येस्तै­हो­भन्या­हिजो­दरिकाया­ठेकका­र­झाराका­रूपिञा­३९­
7भरिदेउ­विहोरा­अर्कै­छ ­भन्या­तिमिहरू­दुवै­थर­जोरि­आउ­र­
8दोहरा­कुरा­हेरि­छिनियेला­रूपिया­पनि­दियेनौ­जोरि­ञाहा­पनि­
9आयेनौ­भन्या­तिलंगा­प्यादा­आउनन्‌­इति­सम्वत्‌­१८८५­साल­मिति­
10मार्ग­शुदि­६­रोज­शुभम्‌­।

Translation

[1r]

2 1

(seal)

Venerable Bahādura Bhaṃḍārī

Glorious Durgā 12

Hail! [This is] a letter (text: patram) from the venerable Kājī Bahādura Bhaṃḍārī.

Age: To Maṃjita Rāī and Milihā̃ Rāī.

Concerning the following (yatocita uprāṃta): Makunda Rāī came here to complain, saying: "When I went to ask for the payment for the contract amount withheld since the year [18]77 (text: aṭkyākā ṭhekkā)3 [and] the amount witheld since the year [18]81, they (i.e. Maṃjita Rāī and Milihā̃ Rāī) did not give the money. When I asked them for the payment, the asāmi and suvā took [something and] beat me.4 " If this situation is as stated, pay the full 39 rupees due under the previous registered contract (ṭhekkā) and jhārā obligations. If the matter is different, both of you tharas come together so that the issue can be resolved after another review. If you neither pay the money nor appear together, soldiers (tilaṅgapyādā)5 will come [and enforce the payment of the debts].

...day, the 6th of the bright fortnight of Mārga in the [Vikrama era] year 1885 (1828 CE).6


Commentary

The document, of which this is a copy, concerns a dispute over the payment of a contractual lease under the ṭhekāthiti system in eastern Nepal. The dispute involved Kirānti functionaries in charge of revenue collection, some of whom were likely holders of subbāṅgī.

Notes

1. This number was likely added for archival purposes. [⇑]

2. Though a number is placed here, the deity is not referred to by means of it in the text. [⇑]

3. Aṭkyākā from aṭkanu/aḍkanu, meaning to be stopped, stuck or obstructed (cf. NBŚ: s.v. aḍkanu; Turner 1931: s.v. aṭkanu and aṛakanu). [⇑]

4. The meaning of the phrase asāmī ra suvāli li in the text remains unclear, further complicated by the fact that the document is a copy—and the copyist may not have been able to fully read or understand the original. Several possible interpretations exist, depending on how the phrase is parsed in terms of subject and object, and assuming certain scribal errors: 1) The phrase may present two subjects, suvā and asāmī, and the first "li" is mistakenly written for the postposition le, which would yield the translation: "the asāmī and the suvā took [something and] beat me." However, we would expect the respective object to be specified. In this case, asāmī could mean "debtor" (Turner 1931: s.v. asāmī, var. āsāmī; NBŚ: s.v. ibid.), but it could also refer more specifically to a cultivator (cf. Michael 2012: 129), or to several cultivators under the authority of a subbā, i.e., here under the two subbās Maṃjita Rāī and Milihā̃ Rāī. In that case, the phrase can be translated as: "[some] cultivators (asāmīs) and the [two] suvās took [something and] beat me." 2) Alternatively, asāmī and suvāli might not refer to persons at all, but to objects—perhaps certain types of levies or dues. However, I have found no reference to a suvāli levy, nor any lexical indication that asāmī carries such a meaning. According to the NBŚ, asāmī can mean: a) a debtor; b) the act of borrowing or lending; or c) in the context of account-keeping, a separate entry in ledgers or registers. [⇑]

5. Both tilaṅga and pyādā refer to foot-soldiers; the latter according to Turner 1931: s.v. also has the more specific meaning of a bailiff sent to force debtors to pay. [⇑]

6. The date corresponds to Friday, 12 December 1828. [⇑]