Version with DOI and citation guidelines Editorial Principles

A purjī from the Hanumān Nagara Aminī Gosvārā to Caudharī Rāmalāla of Khālīsā requesting provisions for Dasaĩ (VS 1952)

ID: E_3456_0041


Edited and translated by Rajan Khatiwoda and Astrid Zotter
Created: 2017-08-16; Last modified: 2018-02-08
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, 2018. 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 purjī, issued from the Hanumān Nagara Aminī Gosvārā to Caudharī Rāmalāla of Khālīsā, directs the addressee to send items (he-goats, ghee, oil etc.) necessary for the Dasaĩ rituals. It further assures the addressee that a reasonable price for the articles will be reimbursed.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्री\­

1श्री­कम्यांडर­ईन­चीफ­
2१­

[unknown seal]

[unknown signature]

1स्वस्ति­श्रीहनुमां­नगर­अंमीनी­गोस्वाराकस्य­•प्रगंना­षालीसाका­चौध
2री­रामलालके­पुर्जी­उप्राँन्त­•तीम्रा­ईलाकाभर­•मालकठ्महाल­•अमि
3नी­अदालत­•वनजाँच­समेतलाई­•सावीक•वमोजीम्­५२­सालको­वडा
4दसै•को­पुजा­गर्नु­गराउनु­भंन्या­•¯ ¯ १¯साहेववाट­५२­साल­भाद्र­सुदि­
5२­रोज­५­मा­•येस­अडाका­हाकींका­नाउमा­वडापत्र­वक्स­भै­आउदा­सा
6वीकवमोजिम्‌­•सो­वडादसैको­पुजा­•गर्नालाई­•तपसीलवमोजीम्‌को­
7मालहरु­चाहीदा­•पुर्जी­लेषी­पठायाको­छ­तसर्थ­•यो­पुर्जि­पुग्नीमा
8त्र­सो­लेषियाको­मा•ल­येस­अडामा­पठाईदीन्या­काम­गर­सो­मा
9लको­सुपत्‌­मोल­मीलनेछ­•सो­माल­वेगर­•हर्जा­हुन­नपाव़स्­
10तपसिल­•
11——-

[table]


12वोका­व़टा­•
२­घ्यू­सेर­६२­

13तेल­सेर­
९२­x xx

14——-
15इति­ सम्वत्‌­१९५२­साल­मिति­•आश्वीन­वदि­७­रोज­४­शुभ्म्­¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Śrī

Venerable Commander-in-Chief1

1

[unknown seal]2

Hail! [This is a] purjī from the Aminī Gosvārā of Hanumān Nagara to CaudharīRāmalāla of Khālīsāpragannā.

Uprānta: Inasmuch as a baḍāpatra issued by [our] master, [the Venerable Commander-in-Chief],3 arrived on Thursday, the 2nd of the bright fortnight of Bhādra in the [Vikrama era] year [19]52, to the chief of this office, stating: “Perform [and] have performed worship (pūjā) as usual [on the occasion] of Baḍādasaĩ of the year [19]52 throughout your administrative territory, including for the mālakaṭhmahāla,4 the aminī [and] adālata [courts?] and the banajā̃ca [office]”, [and] inasmuch as the items given in the particulars (tapasila) are required as usual to carry out the worship during the said Baḍādasaĩ festival, [this] note (purjī) has been written and sent [to you]. Therefore, as soon as this purjī arrives, fulfil the task of sending these items written [below] to this office (aḍḍā). You will certainly receive an appropriate price [as compensation] for these items. May there be no failure (harjā) [arising from having the rituals performed] without these items.

Particulars

[table]

He-goat2ghee sera62
Oil sera92x xx

Wednesday, the 7th of the dark fortnight of Āśvina in the [Vikrama] era year 1952 (1895 CE). Auspiciousness.


Commentary

The document orders the local headman (caudharī) to provide items, including sacrificial goats, for carrying out the Dasaĩ rituals in state offices. Interestingly, though the caudharī is promised monetary compensation for the items provided, no concrete sums are specified; rather the document resorts to the typical phrase: to pay an "appropriate price" (supat mola).

The recipient of the purjī is the caudharī of the Khālīsā pragannā, his name being given as Rāmalāla. Possibly, he was a descendant of Ranapala Caudharī and Hema Caudharī who had held the post of headman over Khālīsā under the Makwanpur King Mahīpati Sen and the early Śāha rulers respectively. On this office, its holders, and the administrative units attached, see the series of documents published by Krauskopff and Meyer (2000: 29-31, 115-134, doc. nos. 1-17). The present document seems to come from the same collection as these latter ones, judging by the name of its owner, Bijali P[rasa]d Chaudhari.


Notes

1. Judging from the date of the document, this must have been Bīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā. []

2. As the document was issued by the Aminī Gosvārā of Hanumān Nagara, the seal is probably that of this office. []

3. Inserted from the space above. []

4. This seems to have been a revenue-collection centre connected to an office called the kaṭhamahāla, established by order of King Rājendra in 1834 (VS 1891) and put under the control of the caudharī of Khālīsā pragannā (cf. Krauskopff/Meyer 2000: doc. no. 17, l. 4). This latter office was in charge of producing timber of a certain minimum size and apparently selling at least some of it (cf. Bhaṭṭarāī/Dāhāla VS 2041: s.v. kaṭha mahāla). The banajā̃ca for its part was an office concerned with forest management and protection (cf. ibid.: s.v.). []