A letter from Dhīra Śamśera formalizing the annual lokābhāra contract for contractors from Chāka Gāũ (VS 1929)
ID: E_3446_0020
Edited and
translated by Rajendra Shakya
in collaboration with
Rabi Acharya
Created: 2018-11-27;
Last modified: 2020-12-01
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Abstract
This letter from Dhīra Śamśera formalizes an annual lokābhāra contract in the name of contractors from Chāka Gāũ of Ruībhoṭ.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1[...]\1[...]2१[Seal of Dhīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā]1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजपुर्वतर्फकाकम्यांडिंङ्जनरलश्रीधिर
2सम्सेरजङ्गराणावहादुरकस्यपत्रम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
3आगेःहाम्राजनरलीषानगीमादरियाकोअठारसय़ेषोलारुईभोट्मध्ये
4छाकगाउकोमुषियाछाङ्वाषुनुजेठावुढ़ावुच्यूंघ्यापोरैतिगैह्रकेनीजगा
5उ१को१९२९सालमितिआश्विनसुदि१रोजदेषिसालवसालआफ्नाआफ्नागाउ
6गाउमादरियाकोव़ाजव़िसेर्मास्याफलसिर्तिदरिचलिआय़ाकोरकमकलमडंडकुंड
7मर्योअपुतालिचाकचकुइअमालिलेषान्यारकम्कल्ममारिमेटिसिवाय़¯ ¯१ ¯
8अंककल्याणधनधर्माधिकारपंचषतरहतावहतावाहेकव़ाजविमोहरु१९१अस्मानी
9थपमोहरु१५२॥ज्मावेमोजरैमोहरु३४३॥रदापचाकोनुनपाथि१६।२स्मेत्वर्ष१कोति
10मिहरुलेआफ्नागाउघरमामुषिय़ामुषिय़ाकोझगडापर्योभन्यारअरुठुलाज्युजमिन
11काकुरापरिआय़ामामुषिय़ाहरुकानाउमाफिरादगर्यामाहेर्चाहगर्नालाईद्वार्याव
12कस्याहाम्रापट्टामावेदर्ताभय़ाकारकम्कलम्स्मेत्असुलतहसिलगनन्भनीतिमिह
13रुलेविन्तिगर्यामाफिक्द्वार्यापठाइवक्सौलासोवमोजिम्परिआयाकाकाममातिमि
14हरुसवैसामेलभैमदतदिनुफर्मायसिजिन्सीमालहरुचाहिय़ामाःलेषिगयामुताविक्
15गाउकादरभाउलेदिनुभंन्यागरिलोकाभारगरिवक्स्याकोछ:गाउघरवसिरस्तिचला
16इवस्तिवसाइअवादगुलजारगरिरैतिराजिराषिजाइगर्नुवेजाइवेदुतनगर्नुःअंन्या
17य़गरिरकमकमलमवढाइदुषनदिनुडंडकुंडगर्दामुषिय़ागाउघरसवैवसिषतमा
18षतअंन्सारअैनवमोजिम्ःगर्नुःअंन्यायमारकमकलमवढाई[?]भनीकोहिरैति
19कराउनआय़ोभन्याजस्लेअंन्यायगर्याकोठहर्लाउस्लाइअैनवमोजिम्यतावाटगय़ाका
20द्वार्यालेसजाय़गर्लाआफुआफुलेठेकःकवोलिलिय़ाकादामकामरःदापचाकोनुनमु
21षि़यारैयतलेषसोषासउठाइमुषिय़ामार्फत्तपसिलवमोजिमकाकिस्ताकिस्तामा
22हाम्रातहविल्मावुझाइरसिदलिनुसालतमामभयापछिरसिदकव़जल्याइवासिलवाकि
23वुझाइफारषतिलिनुकिस्तामारुपैयानवुझाइफारकलिनसकेनौभन्याकिस्ताषिलाफि
24सुदस्मेत्रदापचाकानुनकोअसंन्कोवीक्रीवुझाउनुपर्लाषतअनुसारआम्दानीग
25र्याकोज्माराषिज्मालिभर्नादिदानपुग्न्या[?]मुषिय़ारैतिसवलेदामासाहिका
26हिसावलेउठाइसालवसाल⟪कवोल⟫वमोजिम्ःचुक्तिगरिवुझाउनुहामिवाटजिनसिमालफ
27र्माय़सिभैआय़ाको मालचलानगर्दाअघिचलिआय़ाकाअडावाटचलाइदि
28नुसोहामिसंगदाषिलभय़ाकाजिन्सीमालकोमोलमोजरापाउलाआफ्नांआ
29फ्नागाउमाभय़ाकोमैनकस्तुरिअनेत्रनवेचनुजोभयाकोञाहादाषिलागरिमिन्हा
30लिनुञाहादाषिलानगरिअनेत्रवेच्याकोठहर्योभंन्यातिमिहरुलेअैनवमो
31जिम्वुझाउनुपर्लाभनीलोकाभारकोपट्टागरिवक्स्यौंआफ्नाषातिरज्मासंग
32लोकाभारजानीवस्न्याकामगर¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
[table1]
| 1 | किस्तवंदितपसिल् | ||
| 2 | मुहुडाकिस्तामाघमैह्नामा | ||
| 3 | मोहरु | १४३॥ | |
| 4 | नुनपाथी | ।६।२ | |
| 5 | चुक्तीकीस्ताआसिनमैन्हामामोहरु | २०० | |
33इतिसम्वत्१९२९सालमितिफागुणसुदि७रोजशुभ्म्[Unknown seal][Unknown seal]
Translation
[1r]
[Śrī Rāja] – 12
Hail! A letter from the Eastern Commanding General Dhīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā, a prince born of a prince
Āge: To Chāṅvā Khunu, the mukhiyā, [and] jeṭhā-buḍhās, bucyuṃ3 , ghyāpo4 , the ryots (raitī) and so forth of Chāka Gāũ from among [the villages of] Ruibhoṭ in the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā [region], which [village] has been registered as a khānagī of [my] generalship
We have formalized a lokābhāra [lease contract] under the following terms:
"Except for Śrī rāja-aṅka5 , kalyānadhana, dharmādhikārapañcakhata and arrearages, [all other liabilities]—the scheduled sermā, syāphala and sirto [revenue], [and also] registered customary taxes and levies, and daṇḍakuṇḍa, maryo aputālī, cākacakui, along with rakamakalama enjoyed by the amāli, [all of which] have been imposed on each individual locality of the aforementioned 1 village (Chāka Gāũ) on a yearly basis—shall [now] receive a complete exemption from the first of the bright fortnight of Āśvina in the [Vikrama era] year 1929 (1872 CE) [onwards]. You shall [therefore] submit a total of 343 mohararupaiyā̃s 2 sukās, which includes the scheduled [tax] of 191 mohararupaiyā̃s and an additional asmānī levy of 152 mohararupaiyā̃s 2 sukās, along with 6 pāthīs 2 kuruvās of salt from Dāpcā for [a period of] one year.
"We shall send a dvāre in accordance with your request since you made a supplication to us with the following details:
'If you send a dvāre to look into and adjudicate (lit. take care of) disputes among mukhiyās that arise in our villages and households, and [also] cases concerning other serious issues regarding life and land along with cases involving lawsuits against mukhiyās, then he can also collect amounts due that were not included (lit. registered) in our paṭṭā.'
"Accordingly, all of you shall participate in and assist any work that needs to be carried out. When [there are orders] in writing for certain items, make the purchase at the current rate in the village and dispatch (lit. give) them.
“Inhabit the [surrounding] countryside and keep the ryots well disposed by overseeing affairs, founding settlements and making crops flourish (ābāda guljāra garī). Do not cause injury and oppression. Do not cause suffering by imposing excess levies. Sit together, [you] the mukhiyā and all [the people] from the individual localities, and rule on fines and penalties in accordance with the Ain, depending upon the crimes committed. If any ryot comes to complain that [they] have suffered due to imposition of excess levies, then the dvāre, who has gone [to your village] from here (i.e. the capital) shall punish, in accordance with the Ain, anyone who is proven to have caused injustice.
“The mukhiyās and ryots shall scrupulously collect [revenue] that each of you has promised to submit in accordance with the lease contract, [including] salt from Dāpcā; as mentioned in the details [below], each village's instalment is to be submitted by the mukhiyās to our treasury, and a receipt [for it] obtained. Once the [fiscal] year ends, bring [all] the receipts and kabacas, submit the ledger (vāsila bā̃kī) and leave only after obtaining a phārakhatī. If [any of you] is unable to obtain a phārakhatī due to the non-submission of an instalment, you will have to pay interest on the instalment as well, and the market rate of Asana 6 for the salt from Dāpcā.
“If, when [the contractual amount] is submitted, the combined revenue from fines imposed [on offenders] according to the faults [they] have committed represents a shortfall [in the total amount agreed to be paid in the contract], then everyone, the mukhiyā [and] ryots, must contribute proportionally [to make up for the shortfall] and pay [the amount due] according to the annual contract.
“When dispatching items required by us, do so from the government office (aḍḍā) that was previously used. The price of the items deposited into our [treasury] shall be deducted [from the contractual amount due]. Do not sell elsewhere the wax and musk available in your villages. Deposit all available [wax and musk] here [into our treasury] and get the reduction. If they are proven to have been sold elsewhere instead of being delivered to our treasury, then you [all] will have to pay in accordance with the Ain."
[Tend the land] with content, considering [it] as a lokābhāra [lease contract].
Tapasila of the instalments:
[table]
| Muhuḍā7 instalment [for] the month of Māgha | - - - | |
| Mohararupaiyā̃s | 143 mohararupaiyā̃s 2 sukās | |
| Salt [in] pāthīs | 6 pāthīs 2 kuruvās | |
| Instalment to be cleared in the month of Āśvina | 200 mohararupaiyā̃s |
[Day not mentioned], the 7th of the bright fortnight of Phālguṇa in the [Vikrama] era year 1929 (1873 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
Another document from the same area and also issued by Dhīra Śamśera, L_1200_0029, is almost identical to this one, although dated five years earlier (1868 CE). The earlier document, addressed to the mukhiyā of Sāmā Gāũ, instructs the lokābhāra contractors to pay a total of 346 mohararupaiyā̃s 2 sukās along with 8 pāthīs of salt from Dāpcā to meet their obligations for the period of one year.
This document from Chāka Gāũ, located in the same region, instructs the local contactors to pay 343 mohararupaiyā̃s 2 sūkās, plus 6 pāthīs 2 kuruvās of salt from Dāpcā for the same period. The amount in cash and kind (salt) fixed for Chāka Gāũ to be paid is thus slightly less than that for Sāmā Gāũ in spite of a lapse in time. It is not clear how the amount to be paid by the contractors was fixed, but it seems certain that the number of households in each village was an important factor.