Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal
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A receipt for two packs of ghee sent by Mukhiyā Chyāṃ Ḍuḍup (VS 1912)

ID: Tsum_0001_0009


Edited and translated by Nadine Plachta and Rajendra Shakya
Created: 2017-04-02; Last modified: 2024-02-21
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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 Nile Labrang, Tsum. The copyright of the facsimile remains with Nadine Plachta. 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 is a receipt for two packs of ghee sent by Chyāṃ Ḍuḍup, mukhiyā of Aṭhāra Saya Kholā's Pāro Gāũ.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

[byung 'dzin]

1छाङ्‌­ठेले­हस्ते­वुझीलीञ्यूँ­

[Unknown seal]

1१८००­पाराको­•मुषिय़ा­छ्यां­डुडुप्‌•वाट­आयाको­•घ्यु­ठुलो­थैलो­१­सानु­थैला­•१­ज्माँ­थै
2ला­•२­वुझिलीञ्यूँ­•तस्को­रसीद­गरिदीञ्यूँ­१२­साल­अषाड­वदी­१­रोज­१­सुभ्मं­

Translation

[1r]

[byung 'dzin]1

Received from Chāṅ Ṭhele

[Unknown seal]

I have received 1 large pack of ghee and 1 small pack—2 packs in total—from Chyāṃ Ḍuḍup, mukhiyā of Pāro [Gāũ] in 1800 [Kholā]. I issued a receipt for the same. Sunday, the 1st of the dark fortnight of Āṣāḍha in the [Vikrama] era year [19]12 (1855 CE). Auspiciousness.


Commentary

This is the earliest record in the Nepali language obtained to date from Aṭhāra Saya Kholā. On the top left side, it features a word written in the cursive Tibetan dbu med script, byungs 'dzin, which in its correct spelling (byung 'dzin) translates as 'receipt'. This appears to be a second hand addition, categorizing the document as 'receipt'. While this document mentions the person who sent the two items mentioned in it and the person who delivered them, the recipient’s name nowhere appears in it. The seal is also doubtful enough to identify him.

From the information provided by several other documents, it emerges that Mukhiyā Chyāṃ Ḍuḍup of Pāro Gāũ was a headman of great importance, not only in Pāro Gāũ itself but throughout the Pācapārvā of Aṭhāra Saya Kholā (i.e. the five sectors of Upper Tsum). He makes frequent appearances in the documents bearing on the area, evidently serving as mukhiyā of Pāro Gāũ at least until 1863 CE (cf. Tsum_0001_0052).

Historically, Upper Tsum was divided into five sectors. Each sector was headed by a 'gan chen who was selected by an annual rotation system. In several documents, the 'gan chen are addressed as mukhiyā, and Chyāṃ Ḍuḍup frequently is mentioned to represent all five of them.

Notes

1. See Commentary for details. [⇑]