A petition from Nepalese merchants in Lhasa to the Nepalese government (VS 1949)
ID: E_1448_0044
Edited and
translated by Bal Gopal Shrestha
in collaboration with
Ramhari Timalsina and Rabi Acharya
Created: 2016-12-11;
Last modified: 2018-06-05
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Abstract
This document, from the Cittadhara Hṛdaya collection, is a petition from Nepalese merchants in Lhasa to the Nepalese government. The merchants request the government to support their businesses and to block a new trade route from Lhasa to Calcutta through Phāḍi that bypasses Kathmandu.
Diplomatic edition
[1r-part1]
श्री \1वींतीपत्र¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯¯2उप्रान्त•माहाराजकरुणानीधान्•धर्माऔतार•अनाथ•कानाथ•सर्कारउदयेभैवक्स्याकोछप्रभू•हामिसर्कार•काप्रजामानि•नेपाली
3माहाजन्•हरुलेअघिसनातन्देषिल्हासा•माकोठिराषि•वंदवेपारगरी१/२मासानफालिसर्कारकाजयेमनाइसाऊकोज्माषडागरि
4जाहान्वचालाइपालिवस्याकाछौप्रभुवेपारगर्दा•भोटेहरुसितकेहिलहनापनि•पर्नजांछज्यादालहना•छुपा•गोलष्•सोपु•षा
5म्वाचिनियासितछंइनहरुसितकारवाइनमिलीझगडापर्योभन्या•अघिदेषिकाथिति वमोजिं•वकिल्अडामाषाताराखिअैन
6वमोजिं•भोटेलाइ•भराउनुपर्यापनिनेपालीमाहाजन्मुसलमान्षचरालाइ•भराउनुपर्यापनि•जसवाटजसलाइभर्नुभराउनुपर्छ
7उसवाटभराइदिंथ्यो•हाल४८ सालमाभोटमाव़किल•भैआउने•कपतान्अम्वरवाहादुर•घर्तिक्षेत्रीलेअवप्रांत•जसजसलाइ
8जुनवेहोराको•अंन्यायेभैझैझगडा•पर्छउसलेवादिप्रतीवादिइजहारमुचुलकालेषि•फिरादगर्नआउनुभंन्याइस्तिहार•टासिदि
9येप्रभु•सर्कारवाटजुनवेहोराकोथितिवंदेज•गरिवक्सींछ•सोवमोजिम्•हामिदुनीयावेपारिलेचल्नु•पर्छ•प्रभु•हामीतावेदार•
10काचित्तमालाग्याकोकुरार•भयाकावेहोरा•सर्कार•माजाहेरगर्याकाछौंनिगाहासर्कारकोप्रभु•हामि•वेपारियकमासानफागरि
11साहुकोज्मानविगारीसर्कारकोमहसुलतिरि•नफावाटजाहानवचापालौलाभनिमोगलान्काठाउमासर्कारकाजयेमनाइव
12स्याकाछौप्रभु•ञाहाल्हासामा•वेपारगर्दालोगनेमानिस्•लेमाललिनआउदैनन्•स्वास्नीमानिससितवंदवेपारगर्नु पर्छका
13जिहरुसितवंदवेपारगर्यापनिकाजिकोस्वास्नीकोठीमाआइ•आफुलाइजुन्•मालजतिकोचाहिंछलिजांछन्•अघिदेषिय
14स्तैरीतचलीआयाको•थीयो•माललग्याको•माकसैलेरोकदाम्दिलैजांछन्•कसैले•भाषागरिलैजांछन्भाषापुग्यापछितिर्नआ
15उछं•ठुलाठुला•भारादार•हरुलेसरसापट्•लग्यापनि•किस्वास्नीमानिस्•आउछंकीकमाराचाकरहरुपठाइदिंछन्•तरतमसुककेहिहुदै•
16नं•ज्मान्जमान्मालीनुदिनुपर्छअघिदेषीइमान्धर्ममाकाम•चलीआयाकोछ•सापट्लीनआउनेलाइ•तमसुक्लेषिलैजा
17उभनौभन्याइनहरुसंगपनिधर्मसकियेछतेराकोठीमावेपार•गर्दैनभनि•सवैइस्तहरु•अंतजानेभयो•ल्हासामाअघिदेषिकोथि
18तीकेछभन्या•आफ्ना•इष्ट•साहुहेरिकसैका५००/७००/१५००छंइनलेमहंगो•सस्तोजोभयापनि•हाता•हातीलग्यापनि
[1r-part2]
19उंधारोलग्यापनिजस्कोइष्टहो•उसैसित•वेपारहुंछ•आफना•इस्तलाइदसैमा•५/७ सैरुपैयाषर्चगरिभागदिनु•पर्छभागदि
20यापछिआफनाइस्तभयो•यस्तोचलीआयाकोछप्रभु•हामीदुनीयासर्कारकाहुंसाविक्•थीतीवमोजिम्•षातामापुर्पछे
21गरिबक्स्याकेहिझगडा•पर्यापनि१/२ दिनमाचाडोझगडाछिनीदोहो•फेरि४/५ मैन्हाकावाटाकोभोटेहरुलाइ•४/५ हजारकोकारवा
22रगरिवर्षदिनकोभाषागरिमालदिपठाउनुपर्छभाषापुग्यापछिवर्षको१पल्टतिभोटेआइ५/७ दिनवसिजांछंनिजहरुसितका
23रवारमाझगडापरीइजहार•दिनुपर्योभन्याकोसाछिग्वाहिराषौ•विनासाछिकोइजहारअडावाटवुझ्दैनन्•सोइजहारकोवेहोरा
24भोटेहरुलेथाहापायोभन्यारूपैयापचाउनकालागीतिभोटेहरुभागीजांछं४/५ मैन्हाकावाटोकोमानिस्•फेरिपछिआ
25उदैनंप्रभुयसोभयासाहुकोज्मापनिडुवनेभोअघिकाकारवारकोलहनापनिलाषाँरुपैयाहोलाहामीहरुसित•केहिके
26हिमात्रतमसुक्होला•अरुतरतमसुक्केहिछैन•यस्तोहिसावभोटेहरुलेथाहापायाहाम्रोपैसा•सवैभुस्याइ•दिनेछंप्रभु
27भोट्कारितिथितिअघिकावकिलहरुसंगवुझिवक्स्यासवैसर्कारमाजाहेरहोलाप्रभु•सावीकथितीथामीवक्स्या•सर्कारको
28महसुलपनिसावीक्वमोजिम्आम्दानिहुनेहामीवेपारिमाहाजंलाइपनिसुविस्ताहुने•सोथितिथामीवक्सीयेनभन्या•
29हामीवेपारीमाहाजंपनिवीगर्ने•सर्कारकोमहसुलपनिघट्ने•निगाहासर्कारकोजोहुकुम्•औभोटमा•गुंवागुंवावाट२/३
30लाष•रुपैयादीसनातन्देखि•कैलैनचल्याकोफाडिमानञावाटोचलाइकलकत्तामामालषरिदगर्नपठाइभोटेहरुलेवरावर
31विक्रीगर्नलाग्याकाछंप्रभु•यसोभयाहामीनेपालीमाहाजन्कोवेपारपनीनचलनेभैसर्कारकोमहसुल्पनीघट्नजानेछ•सर्का
32रवाटत्यस्कोपनिववंदेजगरिवंदोवस्तवाधीवक्स्या•सोनयावाटोवंदभैहामीदुनीयावेपारीलेसावीक्वमोजीकाहीसावसंगसर्कार
33काजयेमनाइवंदवेपारगर्दाहुंभयाकावेहोरासर्कारमाजाहेरगर्याकाछौजोहुकुम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
34इततावेदार१०।३३।१०००वेपारीमाहाजनकोकोटीकोटीकुर्णेसकुर्णेसकुर्णेस
35इतीसम्वत्१९४९सालमितीआषाडसुदिरोजशुभम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯¯
Translation
[1r-part1]
Petition
Uprānta: O great king, compassionate one, incarnation of the dharma, protector of the helpless, sarkāra, [you are] (now) risen in power. We Nepalese traders, respected as your subjects, have had trading houses and have been doing trade in Lhasa from ages past. We generate earnings on [our] capital [investment], make 1 or 2 māsās profit to support our families and children, (all the while) hailing you. Lord, while carrying out our business among the Tibetans, we are obliged to give loans. Most of the loans are given to Chupā, Golakh, Sopu, Khāmbā and Chinese people. Following a long-standing tradition, when some problem arises in dealings and a dispute occurs, accounts are opened at the emissary’s (vakil) office, and compensation is given to the aggrieved party in accordance with law, be it a Bhoṭe who is obliged to pay compensation or be it either a Nepalese merchant or a Muslim of mixed blood. Captain Ambar Bāhādur Gharti Kṣetrī arrived in Tibet this year, [VS 19]48, as the [Nepalese] emissary, and he posted an announcement that from now on when an injustice occurs to someone over some matter and he lands up in a dispute, he should come with a written deposition and file a complaint as plaintiff against a defendant. Lord, we common people (dunīyā) and traders have to follow the rules and regulations that you have created, no matter what the subject. Lord, as your servants, we have conveyed to you what we have on our minds and the details of what is going on. Your mercy [be upon us], Lord. We traders make a small amount of profit; [we] do not let the earnings on [our] capital [investment] suffer loss; [we] pay revenue to the government; and with the profits [we] take care of our families and children. This is the reason we hail you in this foreign land. Lord, in Lhasa it is not men who come to purchase goods. We have to deal with women. Even though we do business with kājīs, it is their wives who visit our shops to carry away goods in the quantities they want. This is a long-standing tradition here. When they purchase goods, some may pay in cash immediately, but others may take them on credit. Once the deadline arrives, they come to pay. Even if it is bhāradāras who take loans, they send their wives, slaves or servants (to transact business). There is no written agreement; one is obliged to sell on the basis of verbal assurances. Dealing on good faith has been the practice from earlier times. If we ask those who come for a loan to put it in writing before taking the goods, they go somewhere else to buy goods, saying that our sense of moral duty (dharma) is at an end and that they will no longer do business with our shop. All such persons will start going elsewhere. In Lhasa, it is customary for some shopkeepers to have 500, 700 or [even] 1,500 customers. These customers, whether the goods are expensive or cheap, and whether they pay cash down or take on credit, do business with the shopkeepers they favour.
[1r-part2]
At Dasain we are obliged to give a share (of our profits) to regular customers, expending some 5 to 7 hundred rupees. One who gets such a share becomes a favoured customer. This is the practice here. Lord, we commoners are your [subjects]. It has been the custom that if some dispute erupts, it is settled within 1 or 2 days once [your] judicial decision is recorded in the (court) registry. We are obliged to sell goods on credit to Bhoṭes who come from 4-to-5-month walking distances—business amounting to 4 to 5 thousand [rupees]. Once a year, when the deadline arrives, they come [to Lhasa] and stay for 5 to 7 days before returning. If any dispute arises in dealings with them and we need to file a complaint, whom shall we produce as witnesses? The office refuses to hear any complaint without [supporting] witnesses. Once the Bhoṭes understand the details of the complaint, they run away in order to pocket the money; those who had walked 4 to 5 months do not return. Lord, when such things occur, the earnings on [our] capital [investment] are condemned to sink. Many previous such deals may have amounted to hundreds of thousands of rupees, but we have written agreements for only a very few of them. There is no other legal documentation. If Bhoṭes come to know this, they will cheat us of all our money. Lord, if you enquire with former emissaries about Tibetan practices, you will learn everything. Lord, if you can put a stop to the existing tradition, it will be favourable for your revenues, and for us merchant–traders as well, whose earnings [come] in the customary way. If you cannot put a stop to the above-mentioned tradition, we trader–merchants will be ruined and your revenues will also decline. Your mercy [be upon us]. [We shall do] what [you] order. With 2/3 hundred thousand rupees supplied by various Tibetan monasteries, a new road has been built from Phāḍi which never previously existed. Tibetans, sending (agents), have started to buy and sell goods regularly in Calcutta. Lord, if this continues on, Nepalese merchant trade is condemned to cease and your revenues will decline. If you were to arrange to put a halt to such (a state of affairs) and block the new road, we common traders would be able to [continue] hailing you and doing business as earlier. We have informed you about what has been happening here. (We shall do) what [you] order.Crores and crores of salutations [sent] from here [by your] 10|33|10001 servants [who are] businessmen and merchants. Salutations! Salutations!
[...]day2 , the bright fortnight of Aṣāḍha in [Vikrama] era year 1949 (1892 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
The documents E_1448_0015 and E_1448_0046 are related to the present one.