A declaration of the Mulukī Aḍḍā on the tender for the gambling license for the Annapūrṇā Guṭhī in Asana (VS 1961)
ID: K_0230_0016
Edited and
translated by Simon Cubelic
in collaboration with
Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2015-06-15;
Last modified: 2018-06-19
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
This is a declaration of the Mulukī Aḍḍā on the tender for the license for organising gambling at the Annapūrṇā Temple in Asana. The order is given that, if possible, the license for gambling should be auctioned off together with the license for the establishment of the money changer shop.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1[...][unknown seal][unknown seal][Seal of Prime Minister Candra Śamśera]1हुकुंमर्जिवक्सेको¯¯¯1मुलुकीअडालेवोलेकोसद2र६१सालमार्गग
3ते२४रोज५शुभ्म्[unknown seal]1मुलुकीअडालेवोलेको¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2यस्मा•सोडवलिजुव़ाकोगुठीवाटठेकालागेकोहुनालेसोठेकलि
3नेले•इन्लेकवुलगरेवमोजिम्सराफीपसलकोसमेत्ठेकमासोजुव़ा
4कोठेक्समेतगाभिकवुलगर्छन्भने•सावीकनीजठेकदारकानाऊमा
5ऐनवमोजिमवडावढ्कोभाउटाँसीवंदोवस्तगर्नुसोसराफिप
6सलको•ठेक्नीजसावीकलेकवुलनगरेअघीदेषीकेलागीआय़ा
7का•जुव़ालाग्नेदीनकोठेक्कासमेत्ठेकलागीआयाकोवाहेक्
8अरूदीनलाईसोसराफिपसलकोईन्लेकवुलगरेकाजम्मामा
9ऐनवमोजिम्वढावढकोभाउटाँसीसोडवलिमाछतछाना
10हालन्नपाउनेगरीवंदोवस्तगर्नुभनीगुठीवंदोवस्तमापठा
11ऊनलाईसहरसपाईअडामापठाउनेठहराञ्यूँजोमर्जिहुकुं[Seal of Kṛṣṇamāna]सर्दारकृष्णमान¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१[Seal of Śiva Prasāda Upādhyā]सुव्वाशिवप्रसादऊपाध्या¯¯¯१[Seal of Sūrje Bahādura]षरीदारगोपिलालसूर्जेवहादुर¯¯¯१६१सालमार्गगते रोज शुभम्¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
The declaration of an order has been granted.1
Acceptance of what has been written by the Mulukī Aḍḍā. On Thursday, 24th of Mārga in the [Vikrama] era year 1961 (1904 CE). Auspiciousness.2
Declared by the Mulukī Aḍḍā.3
In this matter, since the market square (ḍabalī)4 has been available for lease from a gambling guṭhī, if those, who accept the lease sum, agree to include the gambling lease sum within the lease sum for the money changer (sarāphī)5 shop as they have agreed before [on such occasions], make [the necessary] arrangements after posting, in accordance with the Ain, the amount bid at the tender in the name of the current contractors. If the current [contractors] do not agree to the [single] lease sum under the money changer shop, make the following arrangement: in accordance with the Ain, post [as] the amount bid at the tender the total amount agreed by them for the money changer shop for all the days that remain after excluding the lease sum for those days when gambling traditionally takes place,6 but one should not erect any permanent construction on the market square (ḍabalī). We have decided to send this to the Sahara Saphāī Aḍḍā for forwarding it to the Guṭhī Bandobasta. Whatever order [you give, we shall obey].
SubbāŚiva Prasāda Upādhyā8 --- 1
KharīdāraSūrje Bahādura9 --- 1
Mārga in the [Vikrama] era year [19]61 (1904 CE).10 Auspiciousness.
Commentary
This document is part of a series of documents on the reallocation of licenses for the operation of shops belonging to the Annapūrṇā Guṭhī at Asana (e.g. K_0230_0014, K_0230_0015, K_0242_0031, K_0499_0041) at the beginning of the twentieth century. These shops were located at a crossroads around Annapūrṇā Temple and embedded in the larger market area of Asana Ṭola, where people of the Urāy caste have been playing a prominent role in trade and business (cf. Lewis 1995). Originally, the Annapūrṇā Guṭhī administrated 43 shops in that area which were recorded on a stone slab (cf. K_0242_0030). However, due to a road widening project only a few years before the events recorded in this document, the number of shops had been decreased to twelve (cf. K_0242_0031). A report of the Guṭhībandobasta Aḍḍā from 1904 (K_0242_0031) reveals that this document records the decision of the Mulukī Aḍḍā on a petition of a certain Cinīya who asks for the permission to establish a money changer shop at the market square of Asana without undergoing a tender process (K_0230_0014). In this document one can see that Cinīya's request was declined. Furthermore, the document shows that gambling at the beginning of the twentieh century gambling was restricted to certain holidays. This reflects the more lenient stance towards gambling which characterises the legislation on this subject after the reign of King Pṛthvīnārāyaṇa Śāha. Whereas he banned gambling completely, Raṇabahādura Śāha legalised it during the Tij and Tihār festival and more and more exceptions had been added during the Rāṇā period, especially under the rule of Deva Śamśera (cf. Acharya 1975: 167).