Documenta Nepalica

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Copy of a rukkā from King Raṇabahādura reconfirming Gosāī̃ Bhagavantanātha as central overseer of jogīs (VS 1843)

ID: K_0469_0010

Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2016-04-21; Last modified: 2018-06-18
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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, 2017. 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

Abstract

In this rukkā King Raṇabahādura Śāha reconfirms the appointment of Gosāī̃ Bhagavantanātha as central overseer (maṇḍalāi) of jogīs and informs officials throughout the country that every household among specified groups shall pay one ānā as dastura. Furthermore, certain fines, fees and escheated property from the jogīs are assigned to the maṇḍalāi.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

⟪11⟫

1श्रीगोसाईज्यूभगवंन्तनाथ
2१

1श्रीजीज्यूवावाश्रीवावा
2२

1⟪रुजुदुरुस्तलेभी
2मलाल⟫

[seal]1⟪सक्कलवमोजींनक्कलदुरुस्तछभनीसहीछापगर्ने
2⟪रानागाऊ⟫मठकाडीट्ठातीलक्‌वाहादुरचं⟫[seal]

1स्वस्तिश्रीमन्महाराजधीराजकस्येरुक्का¯ ¯¯ ¯¯
2आगेहाम्रामुलुकभरकाऊमराद्वार्याअमालीदार्स
3भप्रतीहाम्रामुलुकभरिमाहाजोगीकोमंडलाई¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
4¯ १¯ जीकन¯ ¯ २¯ लेचर्‍‍हाय़ाकोरहेछसोहीवमो
5जीम्‌हामीलेपनीचर्‍‍हाञ्यूतसर्थमाझी•कम्हाल
6दरवै़दनुवार नेवार्याकुह्माल•कुस्‌ल्या•थारूजो
7लाहापहरीकुसहरीथामीहायु़•सुनुवार•चेवाङ्‌•ए
8तीजातकाघरहीएक्‌एक्‌आनादस्तुरदीनुसा
9जवीहानषानादिनुजोगीकाषत्‌छीत्‌दंडकुंडमो
10रोअपुताली•माहा•षत्‌छीत्‌को•मंडलीको•टीको
11अंवलीकोएसहीसावसगअंवलीतीराईदीनुवी
12तलपमहापनीवतलप्यालेतीराईदीनुजोछेक्‌थुंन्‌
13गर्लासोअप्सरीय़ाहोलाईतीसंवत१८४३साल्‌
14फाल्गुनसुदी२रोज२शुभ्म्ं¯¯ ¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

111

Venerable Bhagavantanātha

Venerable Grandfather [and] Venerable Father

Attested as correct [by] Bhīmlāla

Assenting that the copy is in accordance with the original, the ḍiṭṭhā of Rānāgāũ Maṭha Tīlaka Bāhādura Cã 2

Hail. [This is] an executive order of the supreme king of great kings.

[Regarding] the following: To all umarāus, dvāres [and] amālīdāras throughout our realm (muluka)

The office of central overseer (maṇḍalāī) of jogīs was offered3 to -1-4 -jī by [our] -2- 5 . Accordingly, we, too, have offered [him the office]. Therefore, every house of the [following] groups (jāta): mājhīs, kumāles,6 darāis (text: daravai), danuvāras, nevārakumāles, kusles, thārūs, julāhās, paharīs, kusaharis, thāmīs, hāyus, sunuvāras [and] cepāṅs (text: cevāṅ)7 shall give one ānā [to you for Bhagavantanātha and his order] as a customary [yearly] fee (dastura) [and] offer food [to the jogīs] morning and evening. The amālis shall arrange [the money] to be paid [relating to] jogīs' illicit sexual relations (khatachita), 8 [other] fines, escheated property (i.e. the property of jogīs who die childless), the mahākhatachita9 [and] the maṇḍalī's ṭiko10 according to the amāli (text: aṃvalī) rates 11 for these. 12 In the bitalapa, too, [the tenants]13 should be made to pay by the bitalapa holder (bitalapyā, text: vatalapyāle). He who obstructs [this arrangement] will be [considered] a rebel (apsariyā).

Monday, the 2nd of the bright fortnight of Phālguna of the [Vikrama] era year 1843 (1787 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

For earlier documents related to the maṇḍalāi of Bhagavantanātha, see DNA_0014_0050, K_0469_0008 and K_0469_0009.

Notes

1. This number added at the upper left margin is an archival note, probably the (running) card number in bundle (pokā) 15 of the Gu[ṭhī] Baṃ[dobasta] records kept in the Guṭhī Saṃsthāna. [⇑]

2. The seals at the beginning and end of this line added at the left margin cannot be deciphered in the available photos. [⇑]

3. Cf. note 4 in K_0469_0008. [⇑]

4. The name "Venerable Bhagavantanātha", written at the right side of the blank space above the main text, is to be added here. [⇑]

5. Here "Venerable Grandfather [and] Venerable Father", written at the left side of the blank space, is to be added. [⇑]

6. Cf. note 3 on DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

7. For these groups and their social status, see note in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

8. For this term, see note 5 in DNA_0014_0050 and note 8 in K_0469_009. [⇑]

9. As in K_0469_0008 the genitive marker -ko is used here. For a discussion of this doubtful term, see note 6 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

10. Other documents have jogīko ṭiko instead of maṇḍalīko ṭiko; see note 7 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

11. As in K_0469_0008) the postposition -saga (mod. Nep. -sãga) is used after hisāba instead of -le of the older documents (see DNA_0014_0050, K_0469_0009). [⇑]

12. The translation of this sentence is tentative. See note 8 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

13. See note 9 in DNA_0014_0050. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
amāli / amālī	[fr. A.] var. amāli, ambāli, amvalī, aṃvalī; also amālidāra; n. a revenue official or functionary of a regional administrative unit (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93, M.R. Pant 2002: 131). According to Krauskopff and Meyer he had only "minor judicial powers" (Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 183). Kumar further notes that he was a "subordinate civil functionary in the tehsil" (Kumar 1967: 164). His office was called amala (cf. Adhikari 1984: 344, M.C. Regmi 1978: 853).
ānā	[fr. S. āṇvaka- ?] n. 1) monetary unit worth one sixteenth of a rupee with four ānā*s constituting one sukā, equivalent to one ganḍā; in documents usually represented by one to three diagonal dashes, sometimes as a loop with two or three jags. 2) sixteenth part of land, property etc. (cf. Parājulī et al 1995: s.v. ānā).
apsariyā	[cf. S. apasāra] var. apsarīyā, apasariā, apsariā; n. rebel ? (see Pant 2002: 84, 85, 93, 94 and passim; cf. Parājulī et al 1995: s.v. apasārī).
bitalaba	var. bītalaba, bitalapa; also birtābitalaba or bitalapabirtā; n. an often tax-exempted land grant made by the state instead of talaba, pay or wages (cf. Parājulī et al. VS 2052: s.v.). According to M.R. Pant 2002: 132, it obliges its beneficiary, the bitalapyā or birtābitalapyā, to work for the state when called upon to do so (cf. Michael 2010: 16; M.C. Regmi 1978: 855).
bitalapyā	var. bītalapayā, vatalapyā; also birtābitalapyā; n. holder of a bitalaba land grant.
cepāṅ	var. cepāṃ, cepāṃga; n. Chepang, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Mahabharat mountain range of central Nepal.
danuvāra	n. an ethnic group in the lowland (cf. Bista 1996: 139-144).
darāi	var. daravai, daroī, darahī; n. an ethnic group in the low land, living as fishermen and farmers (see Bista 1996: 139-145; Bouillier 1991: 18 fn. 14; Höfer 2004: 8).
dastura	[fr. P. dastūr] n. 1) customary fee. 2) custom, tradition, rule. See also daidastura.
ḍiṭṭhā	var. ḍīṭṭhā, ḍiṭhā; a civil servant ranking above a mukhiyā and lower than a subbā (cf. Stiller 1981: 379). According to Edwards 1975: 107, ḍiṭṭhās originally had been the judges who presided over the courts in Kathmandu but later could serve in a number of other offices (such as the kausī, the hāttīsāra or the sadara daphtarakhānā; see also Kumar 1967: 165; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226). The Mulukī Ain distinguishes three categories of the ḍiṭṭhās; the jaṅgī kote ḍiṭṭhā (probably, combatant personnel), the lājimā ḍiṭṭhā and the ḍiṭṭhā in charge of Elephant or horse stable or cowshed (MA-54.31.11).
dvāre	var. dvāryā, duvāryā; n. 1) a local revenue collection official (e.g. M.R. Pant 2002: 132; M.C. Regmi 1970: 149) who can arrest offenders and try petty cases (Stiller 1981: 379). 2) a gatekeeper at the royal palace who collects certain levies (Edwards 1975: 106; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226); 3) a village headman in the Kathmandu Valley (M.C. Regmi 1970: 149).
Hāyū	var. hāyu; n. an ethnic group; classified in the Mulukī Ain as "Enslavable Alcohol-Drinkers" (Höfer 2004: 9).
jāta	[S.] n. lit. "species"; a caste or ethnic group, see also jāti.
Julāhā	[lw. H., cf. P. jūlāh] var. jolāhā, jvalahā, jvalāhā; n. a man of the weaver caste; Muslim weavers living in south-western Nepal (cf. Bouillier 1991: 19f. fn.14).
khatachita	var. ṣatchit, ṣatachita, khatchit; n. fine for illicit sexual relations (Gaborieau 1977: 253 n. 59; cf. also Bouillier 1991: 11).
kumāle / kumhāla / kumhāle	[fr. S. kumbhakāra] var. kuhmāla, kumāla; n. 1) a potter (Turner 1931: s. v. kumāle); 2) name of an group of potters living close to the mājhī, danuvāra and darāi but "speaking a distinct Tibeto-Burman tongue" (see Bista 1996: 140). According to Höfer (2004: 9) they are classified in the Mulukī Ain as "Enslavable Alcohol-Drinkers".
Kusahari	n. an ethnic group.
kusle	[fr. S. kuśala-?] var. kusalyā, kusalyā; n. name of a Newar caste group whose members work as musicians and tailors.
mājhī	var. mājhi; n. an ethnic group of the inner Terai whose traditional main occupation is boat building and river transportation service; ferryman or fisherman (M.C. Regmi 1999: 137).
maṇḍalāi	var. maṇḍalāī; n. 1) central overseer of yogīs; 2) office of the central overseer (cf. Parājulī et al. 1995: s.v. maṇḍala; Bouillier 1991: 18 n. 13). See also mahantamaṇḍalāi.
nevārakumhāle	var. nevāryākuhmāla; n. Newar potter caste.
Paharī	var. pahari; n. a caste group of low status.
rukkā	[fr. A. ruq'a] n. an executive order, short note, missive from the highest authority. The king, the crown prince, but also queens and the Rāṇā prime ministers issued rukkās.
sunuvāra	n. an ethnic group in the eastern hills of Nepal.
Thāmī	var. thāmi; n. an ethnic group.
thārū	var. thāru; n. generic term for a large group of people living in the Terai (see Bista 1996: 130-138); classified in the MA as "Enslavable Alcohol-Drinkers" (Höfer 2004: 9).
umarāu /umarāva	[fr. A. umarā'] var. umarā, ūmarāū, umyrālī; n. in the early post-unification period, a commander of a military post (cf. M.R. Pant 2002: 136) who raised and maintained own troops (Edwards 1975: 107). According to M.C. Regmi 2002: 303 he was chief of a thuma. Later, the term was sometimes used to refer to senior military commanders generally (Whelpton 1991: 287).
yogī / jogī	[fr. S. yogin-] var. jogi; n. 1) ascetic, religious mendicant. 2) specif. a follower of the Nātha tradition; see also kanaphaṭṭā. 3) member of the Kusle community.