An arjī requesting guidance for selling special order goods in Lhasa (undated)
ID: DNA_0003_0094
Edited and
translated by Rajan Khatiwoda
in collaboration with
Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2016-10-04;
Last modified: 2018-11-23
For the metadata of the document, click here
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 letter, written from Lhasa, the petitioner requests advice concerning the sale of goods placed under the responsibility of Captain Jitmāna Siṃha Khatrī Kṣatrī, who had been unable to sell them off completely.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्री\1नं.३२७1अर्जि ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯2उप्रांत•गरिपर्वरकरुणानिधान्•हजुरकाफर्मायसि विक्रिगर्न्यामाल्•ल्हासाकाकपतान्
3जित्मानसिंहषतृक्षतृकाजिंमा•छोडिगयाको•नीजकपतान्लेविक्रिगर्ननसकिवाकिर•
4ह्याकोमाल्•हामिहरुल्हासापुग्न्यावितिकै•निजकपतान्•लेहामिहरुलाइवुझभंन्याछ
5हाम्रानाउमागरिवक्सनुभयाको•दस्कत्माभन्या•चिन्तर्फविक्रिनहुन्यामाल्•ल्हासामा
6कपतान्काजिंमादीजानु•फर्कदाविक्रिभयाका•मालकोरुपैयावुझिलिनु•विक्रिनभया
7कामाल्पनिभरसक्य•किफायेत्हुन्यातव़रसगविक्रिगरि•रुपैयाली•आउनुभंन्याछ•क
8पतान्काजिंमादीगयाकोमाल्•विक्रिनभैवाकिरह्याको•कपतान्सगवुझिली•हामि
9 हरुर•नीजकपतान्वसी•ल्हासावसंज्यालभरमकदुर•विक्रिगरुंला•भरमकदुरगर्दामा
10विक्रिभयेनभन्या•विक्रिगर्ननसक्याको•मालसवै•फिर्तागरिलीआउन्याहोकि•ल्हासा
11माकपतान्लाइजिंमादीआउन्याहो•यस्कोसिक्ष्याअर्ति•हामिहरुल्हासापुगि•ल्हासा
12 मावसंज्याल•संममापाया•सोवमोजिम्•कामगरिआउदाहुँ•औअघी•ल्हासावाट
13दोहोरावेपारगर्नानिमित्त•भयाजतिनगद•मैलेजिंमाली•नंवुषरिदगरिलीगयाको
14नंवुविक्रिगर्दा•गर्मिकामुलुकमावेचनुपर्दा•नाफाभन्याढेरैभयेन•टुट्भन्यापरेन•फेरि
15नंवुविक्रिभयाकादामले•चियाभारि५०षरिदगरिल्यायाकोछ•ल्हासामाविक्रिगर्दाना
16फाकतिहोला•ल्हासावाटलेषी•चह्राइपठाउन्याकामगरुंला•हरप्माउचनीचप•
17र्याको•सेवकमाथी•क्षमाराषीवक्स्याजाव़स्•विज्ञेचरणेषुकिमधिकं¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
Translation
[1r]
Number 3271
Uprānta: O caretaker of the poor one [and] receptacle of compassion! The articles that were to be sold according to your instruction were left under the responsibility of Captain Jitmāna Siṃha Khatrī Kṣatrī in Lhāsā. He has told us to take delivery of the articles that [still] remain because of his inability to sell them as soon as we arrive in Lhāsā. However, in the signed document that you drew up under our names it is stated: "Leave the articles that cannot be sold in Cin (i.e., China) under the responsibility of the captain in Lhāsā. Take the money from the sold articles at the time of returning, and sell the unsold articles, too, as profitably as possible, and bring [that] money [as well]." After receiving from the captain the remainder of the articles put under his responsibility, we shall, in cooperation with him, [attempt to] sell the articles to the extent possible for as long as we stay in Lhāsā. If [some] articles cannot be sold despite all efforts, I would act according to [any] instruction I receive [ from you] while we are still in Lhāsā, as to whether all the articles that cannot be sold should be brought back or left under the responsibility of the captain. Also, I earlier took responsibility for all [other] available cash in order to carry out reciprocal trade, [but] there was not much profit from selling woollen cloth (nambu) I had bought in Lhāsā in warm[er] regions (muluka). [Still], no loss was incurred. Moreover, with the money from the woollen cloth, 50 loads of tea were bought and brought back. I will dutifully write to you from Lhāsā about the profit which I may make by selling [the tea] in Lhāsā. If there are any discrepancies in this letter, forgive this [your] servant. What more [to say] at the feet of a knowledgeable one.