A letter from Candra Śamśera formalizing a lokābhāra contract in favour of Mukhiyā Dhāvā Dorje of Sāmāgāũ (VS 1945)
ID: E_3446_0010
Edited and
translated by Rajendra Shakya
in collaboration with
Yogesh Budathoki
Created: 2020-05-13;
Last modified: 2021-09-06
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Abstract
This letter from Candra Śamśera formalizes a lokābhāra lease contract in favour of Mukhiyā Dhāvā Dorje of Sāmāgāũ under terms similar to the lease of land by previous jāgīradāras in having no requirement to post a deadline notice or submit collateral. It also authorizes the lessee to serve as mukhiyā of the village.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
[Seal of Candra Śamśera]1[...][...]2जनरलचन्द्रसम्सेर[...]वहादुरकस्यपत्रम्
3आगेसामागाउकामुषियाधावादोर्जेकेयेथोचित्तउप्रातअठा
4[?]सयेषोलाकोसाविक्काजागिरदारहरुवाटलोकाभारकाज
5गाहुनालेम्या[?][?]सिवेज्मानिमालो[...][...]
6पट्टागरिवक्स्याकोहोहजुरवाटपनिसाविक्वमोजिंहजुरलाईसोषुवाछंज्याल्[...]
7लवसालीपट्टागरिपाउभनिजिम्माव़ालसुव्वाछेम्दोर्जेषुनुरतिमिमुषियारैतिहरु
8लेस्मेत्हाम्राहजुरमाविन्तिचढाउदासाविक्माचलिआया[...][...]
9पट्टाकवुलियेत्गरिदिनुभनिहामिवाटप्रमान्गीलेफ्टेन्जित्वहादुरथापाक्षेत्रृभै
10आउदासोवमोजिम्अठारसयेषोलामध्येदोचेतर्फकुटांपट्टिसामागाउ१कोईस्त[...]
11सम्वत्१९४५सालमितिआश्विणवदि१रोजदेषि४६सालभाद्रशुदि१५रोजत[...][...]
12१कोमितिलेहामिलाईयोषागीछंज्याल्सालवसालीसिवाये¯ ¯१¯अंककल्यान्धन्
13धर्माधिकारपंचषत्रहतावहताउडंतागडंतारकमीघरकाझारावेदर्तारकम्कलम्[...]
14गरिकाचुक्षत्वाहेक्व़ाजविसेर्मासाउन्याफागुस्याफल्सिर्तोसाविकदेषि[...]
15चलिआयाकोरकम्कलम्अैनवमोजिंकाडंडकुंडमर्योअपुतालीचाकचकु[...]
16मारिमेटिवेमोजरैसाविक्४५सालकालोकाभारकाठेक्वमोजिंनगदिमोरु३४६||
17जिन्सीनुन्पाथि|८मारैतान्लोकाभारकोठेक्गरिवक्स्यौंगाउमारस्तिचला[...][...]
18स्तिवसाईअवादगुल्जारगरिरैतिराजिराषिसाविक्दरिचलिआयावमोजिम्
19असुलतहसिल्गरिकवुलवमोजिम्कानगदिजिन्सीसालसालकायेकैकिस्तामा
20घमैन्हामानिजजिम्मावाल्मार्फतचुक्तिगरिहाम्रातहसिल्अडामादाषिल्गरिरसि[...]
21लिनुकदाचित्जिम्मावाल्लेदाम्काम्हिनामिनापार्योभागिनासिगयोभन्या[...]
22मिमुषियारैतिहरुकाघरघरानावाटवुझाउनुपर्लासर्कारवाटरहामिवाटफर्माये
23सिमाल्केहिलेषिआयोभन्यासाविक्वमोजिम्गाउमाचल्याकादरभाउले[...]
24दगरिसोमाल्चलान्गर्दाअघिचलिआयाकाअडाअडावाटचलाईदाषिलगर्नु[...]
25म्रागाउमाभयाकामैनकस्तुरिअनेत्रनवेचनुजोभयाकोल्याईहाम्रातहविल्मादाषि[...]
26गर्नुसालआषिरभयापछिदाषिलगर्याकोरसिदहरुल्याईवासिलवाकिगरिफार[...]
27तिलिनुकवुलवमोजिंकानगदिजिन्सीमा¯ ¯२¯पर्योअथवाजगामाउठ्नसक्यनभनि
28मिन्हामोजराकोउजुरगर्यायेक्दाम्मिन्हापाउन्याछैन¯ ¯३¯काजात्राआजापुजाद
29सैमामुलिषर्चजोछसाविक्वमोजिंकतिनघटाईठेक्वाहेक्वाटचलाउनुलोका
30भारकाठेक्मानफाभयापनिनोक्सान्भयापनिरैतिगैह्रसंगदामासाहीकाहि
31सावलेलिनुदिनुगर्नुअसुलतहसिल्मामिलामुद्दाईन्साफगर्दाअैनवमोजिं[...]
32ञीगर्नुगाउघरमापरिआयाकोतिमिमुषियाहरुलेछिन्ननसक्याकोरतिम्रानाउमा
33नालिस्गर्न्याहरुकोझगडामुद्दाहेरिईन्साफगर्न्याहाकिम्१साविक्वमोजिंहा
34मिवाटपठाईवक्सौंलातिमिमुषियारैतिहरुसामेलभैझगडाछिनिसोझगडामुद्दा
35माभयाकोआम्दानिलोकाभारकाठेक्वाहेकवुझाउनुयोलेषियावमोजिंनगरिघटि
36वढिपारिघुसरोसवत्सर्सलामिषाईनञाँरकम्कलम्लगाईलिविजाञीविदुतग[...]
37दुषदिकाजकाम्गर्यौरकोहिरैतिकराउनआयोसोमुद्दासावित्गर्योभन्याअैनवमो
38जिंतिमिहरुलेवुझाउनुपर्लामैन्कस्तुरिजोभयाकोहाम्रातहविल्मादाषिलनगरि
39अनेत्रवेच्योभन्यारकिस्तवंदीमावुझाउनुपर्न्यासालवसाल्कायेकैकिस्तामाघमैन्हा
40मादाषिलगर्नसकेनौभन्याकिस्तानाघ्यावावत्नगदिकोकिस्तषिलापिसुत्रजिन्सी[...]
41ल्कोअसनवजारकादरभाउलेमोलस्मेत्मुषियारैतिमाजोफेलापर्छउस्वाटवा
42किउठाईलिलोकाभारतोडिवक्सौंलाभनिसाविक्वमोजिंसालवसालिलोका
43भारठेक्कोपट्टागरिवक्स्यौंआफ्नाषातिरजामासंगलोकाभारकामुषियालिपट्टा
44जानिजगामाचलन्गरईतिसम्वत्१९४५सालमितिफागुणशुदि७रोज७शुभ्म्[Unknown seal]
Translation
[1r]
[Seal of Candra Śamśera]
Hail! A letter from [Western Commanding] General Candra Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, [a prince born of a prince]1
Āge: To Dhāvā Dorje, the mukhiyā of Sāmāgāũ
Yathocita uprānta: “Former jāgīradāras had [khuvās suitable for] land leases in the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā [region,] so they made annual lokābhāra [contracts,] [but] without [either] a [seven-day] deadline notice [or] collateral [requirements]. We beg you to provide us also with annual lokābhāra leases, as usual, for as long as the khuvā[s] remain yours.”
This came to our notice after JimmāvālaSubbāChem Dorje Khunu together with you, Mukhiyā [Dhāvā Dorje], and the ryots as well made petition to us.
[Therefore], [we] sent out (lit. "there came") [to you] through Lieutenant Jit Bahādura Thāpā Kṣetrī a pramāṅgī that states: “Let an [annual]2 lease contract be formalized [in accordance with]3 previous custom.” Pursuant to it, we [hereby] formalize a raitānalokābhāra lease contract for the 1 village of Sāmāgāũ [among the cluster of villages in the] Kutang [sector] towards Doce within the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā [region] for 1 [year]4 beginning from (istaka) the 1st of the dark fortnight of Āśvina in the year VS 1945 (1888 CE) to the 15th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra in the year [VS 19]46 (1889 CE) for [the sum] of 346 mohararupaiyā̃s, 2 sukās [in cash], along with 8 pāthīs of salt in kind—in line with the previous lokābhāra lease for the year [VS 19]45—for as long as this khānagī remains with us, with the following details:
“Except for rāja-aṅka5 , kalyānadhana, dharmādhikārapañcakhata and arrearages (rahatā bahatā, uḍaṃtā, gaḍaṃtā)6 , jhārā levies on rakamī households, unregistered customary taxes and levies (rakamakalama), and the [fines for] faults (cukṣat)7 [committed by holders of] pagarī [contracts], there shall be a complete exemption for the scheduled (vājabī) sermā, sāunephāgu, syāphala8 and sirto [revenue], [along with] registered customary taxes and levies, and daṇḍakuṇḍa, maryoaputālī, cākacakui [levies] that are imposed in accordance with the Ain.
“Keep the ryots well disposed in the village by overseeing affairs, founding settlements and making the cultivation of land flourish (ābāda guljāra garī), and collect revenue as listed and managed previously, and submit [the total amount] which you have agreed to pay, in cash and kind, for each year in a single instalment in the month of Māgha through the said jimmāvāla deliver it to our Tahasila Aḍḍā and obtain a receipt.
“In the case where a jimmāvāla mishandles money matters or runs away, and [the amount due] is lost, then you mukhiyās and the ryots shall have to pay from your household property. When [there are orders] from the sarkāra or us in writing for needed items, make the purchase at the current rate in the village as was done previously, and when dispatching such items, do so from the government offices (aḍḍās) that were previously used, and [so] deposit them. Do not sell elsewhere the wax and musk available in your village. Deliver all available [wax and musk] to our treasury.
“When the [fiscal] year comes to an end, bring all receipts for the deposits [of levies and goods], provide details of all revenue collected and outstanding (vāsila bā̃kī) and obtain a phārakhatī. If you request a remission, stating that some act of -2- [the glorious divinities]9 has befallen you or that you failed to collect [what is due] on [lokābhāra] land, you shall not receive the remission of even a single dāma in cash or kind contracted to be paid for any reason.
“Besides [the commitments] under the contract, you shall bear the basic expenses from your own households for the religious processions for and worship of -3- [the glorious divinities]10 during the Dasaĩ festival, without any reduction in the previous outlay. In cases of profit or loss in the lokābhāra contract, proportionally distribute to ryots etc., or collect from them, [the surplus or shortfall]. Follow the rules set by the Ain when collecting revenue and adjudicating lawsuits [among ryots].
“We shall send 1 hākima to look into and adjudicate, in accordance with the Ain, cases involving disputes that arise in villages and households that you mukhiyās fail to settle, and also cases involving disputes of persons who file lawsuits against you mukhiyās. Deposit the revenue from the disputes and cases that you mukhiyās and ryots settle separately from [the amount due on] the lokābhāra lease.
“If you do not act in accordance with what is written here [and go against it] by taking bribes or embezzling sarsalāmī payments, imposing and collecting new, superfluous levies, or [otherwise] causing injury and oppression so as to make [ryots] suffer, and if any ryot comes to complain and proves such a case, then you shall have to pay [the penalty] in accordance with the Ain.
“If anyone sells wax or musk that is available [in the village] elsewhere instead of delivering it to our treasury, and if [anyone among you] is unable to deposit the instalment that is to be paid as a single annual instalment in the month of Māgha, then you shall have to pay interest on the instalment for having crossed the instalment [deadline], and at market rates for goods at Asana11 . What is due shall be exacted from you, whether mukhiyā or ryot—whosoever is found [wanting]—and the lokābhāra [contract] shall be annulled.”
We have therefore formalized an annual lokābhāra lease contract under the previous terms. Tend the land with content (khātirajāmāsaṃga), considering [it] as a lokābhāra lease contract [that also authorizes you] to perform the duties of a mukhiyā (mukhiyālīpaṭṭā).
Saturday, the 7th of the bright fortnight of Phālguṇa in the [Vikrama] era year 1945 (1889 CE). Auspiciousness.
[Unknown seal]
Commentary
This document issued to Dhāvā Dorje, the mukhiyā of Sāmāgāũ, is almost identical with E_3446_0003, which was issued on the same day as this one but in the name of Karmā Chikyāp, the mukhiyā of Chākagāũ, another village in Kutang. Being mukhiyālī paṭṭās, both documents also authorize Dhāvā and Karmā to perform the responsibilities of a village mukhiyā.