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A purjī from Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā to the Guṭhī Bakyautā Tahasila Aḍḍā re the emancipation of seven slaves (VS 1955)

ID: K_0614_0021


Edited and translated by Manik Bajracharya in collaboration with Pabitra Bajracharya
Created: 2018--09-27; Last modified: 2019-04-01
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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 National Archives, Kathmandu. The copyright of the facsimile remains with the Nepal Rashtriya Abhilekhalaya (National Archives, Government of Nepal). 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 document, issued by Deva Śamśera, settles accounting matters relating to the emancipation of seven slaves belonging to Jyedu Kumāra Paṇḍita, who had intended to auction them off over money due to the Guṭhī Bakyautā Tahasila Aḍḍā.



Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्री­\

1श्री­३­सर्कार­
2

1श्री­आर्य्या­
2

181

1स्वस्ति­श्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजश्रीकम्यांदरईणचीफ्‌जनरलदेवसमसेरजङ्गरा
2णावहादुरकस्य­∙थापाथली­¯ ¯१¯तर्फ­गुठी­वक्यौता­तहसील­∙अदाका­हाकीम्‌­का
3रीन्दाके­पुर्जी­ऊप्रान्त­¯ ¯२¯घाटपारी­सती­मुदा­दाहा­गर्न्या­दाऊरा­गुठीमा­दरीयाको­
4कागति­गाऊ­ स्मेत्­३­गाऊको­५२।५३­साल्मा­ठेक­ईजारा­लीन्या­सोही­ठाऊको­वलभ
5द्र­षत्री­छेत्रीको­म­धन­ज्मानी­भयाको­हुनाले­नीजले­वुझाऊनु­नसक्दा­मोहरू­८१२­
6रूपैञा­⟪वाकी⟫­⟪रा⟫षीदीदा­सो­रूपैञा­दाषील­गर्न­सक्याको­नहुनाले­गुठी­वक्यौता­तहसी
7ल्‌­अदावाट­∙हव़ाला­लाग्याको­छ­सो­वाकी­ऊपर­गर्न­पेरा­घरैया­तपसील­वमोजी
8म्का­∙कमारा­कमारी­लीलाम­वीक्री­गरि­नगद­पारी­पठाईदीनु­भंन्या­पश्चीम्­१­लम्व
9र­वक्यौता­तहसील­∙अदाका­नाऊमा­सनद­गरी­वक्से­म­अनाथ­व्राह्मण­पनी­दु
10ष­छुट्ने­छ­∙प्रभु­जो­मर्जी­हुकुम्­भनी­लेफ्‌टेन्‌­ज्येदु­कुमार­पण्दितले­हाम्रा­हजु
11मा­वीन्ती­पार्दा­जाहेर­भै­ऐन­वमोजीम्‌­∙ठेक्‌दार∙को­जाय़जात्‌वाट­नपुगी­धन­जमानी­नीज­
12लेफ्‌टेन्‌को­जाय़जात्‌∙वाट­पुग्ने­भयातापनी­धन­जमानीको­कमारा­∙कमारीहरूलाई­ते
13स­अदामार्फट­∙झीकाई­हामीवाट­∙नजर­गरीवक्सी­नीज­तपसील­वमोजीम्‌का­कमारा­कमारी­
14ज्यु­७­को­अघी­ज्यू­मासीय़ाका­जातका­∙१६­लंम्वर∙का­ऐन­वमोजीम्∙को­मोल­∙मोहरू­४
15५२॥­धन­जमानी­लेफ्‌टेन्‌­∙ज्येदु­कुमार∙लाई­ठेक्‌­वाकी­मध्ये­मीन्हा­दी­वाकी­रूपैया­तरता
16कीती­गरीलीनु­नीज­कमारा­कमारीहरूलाई­हामीवाट­अमलेषको­दसषतगरी­वक्स्याको­हु
17नाले­नीज­ठेक्∙दार­∙वलभद्र­∙क्षत्री­छेत्रीसगका­वाकी­ठेक्­∙रूपैञा­∙मध्ये­सो­कमारा­कमारी­
18ज्यु­७­को­मोल­∙मोहरू­४५२||­ढपोट्‌मा­∙मीन्हा­लेषनु­वही­वुझदा­∙मोजरा­होला­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
19तपसील­

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2वर्ष­४२­को­जमुनी­कमारी­१­के­ऐ­रू­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯६०­
3वर्ष­२१­को­स्यती­कमारी­१­के­ऐ­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१२०­
4वर्ष­१७­को­कासी­कमारी­१­के­ऐ­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१२०­
5वर्ष­२­को­स्येतीको­छोरी­वुध­लक्ष्मी­कमारी­१­के­ऐ­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯२५­
6वर्ष­१२­को­काले­कमारो­१­के­ऐ­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯४१।­
7वर्ष­८­को­स्येत्ये­कमारो­१­के­ऐ­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯४१।­

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21ईती­सम्वत्­१९५५­साल­मीती­प्र­आश्वीण­शुदी­      रोज­      शुभ्म्­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Śrī

Śrī 3 Sarkāra - 1

Śrī Āryā[ghāṭa]1 - 2

812

Hail! A purjī of the venerable Commander-in-Chief General Deva Śamśera Jaṅga Rāṇā Bahādura, a venerable prince born of a prince, to the chief and clerk(s) of the Guṭhī Bakyautā Tahasila Aḍḍā of Thāpāthalī, [which operates] under [Śrī 3 Sarkāra]3 .

Uprānta: [The following] became known [to us] when Lieutenant Jyedu Kumāra Paṇḍita made petition to us, stating: "I am standing surety (dhana jamānī) for Balabhadra Khatrī Chetrī [of Kāgati Gāũ] who obtained a contract to collect revenue (ṭheka ijārā) for the years [VS 19]52/53 from the 3 villages including Kāgati Gāũ that are registered under the Dāurā Guṭhī4 which cremates of the bodies of satīs [at the place] located opposite of [Āryaghāṭa]5 , but he could not pay [the revenue] in full, leaving 812 mohararupaiyās outstanding, and since he has been unable to pay the money, I am obliged (havālā) by the Guṭhī Bakyautā Tahasila Aḍḍā to do so. In order to come up with the amount due—if [Your Majesty] could issue a sanada in the name of the Bakyautā Tahasīla Aḍḍā of West number 1 to auction the slave men and women of my house listed below, turning them into cash and sending on (the amount due), then the suffering of this helpless Brahmin would go away. My Lord, your wish is my command."

Even though [the money that could be raised] from the property of the aforementioned bondsman lieutenant would suffice, [the amount obtained] from the property of the contractor in accordance with the Ain being insufficient, nevertheless after examining the bondsman's slaves when the aforementioned office6 produced them [in front of us], [we issue here an order that] the total price of the listed 7 slaves—452 mohararupaiyās 2 sukās according to [Section] 16 of the [article on] Enslaved Castes (jyū māsiyākā jātakā) in the Ain—should be cancelled for the bondsman Lieutenant Jyedu Kumāra from the amount due on the contractual payment (ṭheka). Take the remaining balance, having urged him (to accept this solution). Since we have signed the emancipation of the aforementioned slaves7 , the price of the 7 slaves, 452 mohararupaiyās 2 sukās, should be noted in the ledger (ḍhapoṭa) as an exemption from the contractual payment to be received from the aforementioned contractor Balabhadra Khatrī Chetrī. [The exempted amount] will be deducted at the time of the [annual] submission of accounts (bāhi bujhdā).

Particulars

[table]

For 1 male slave, Harṣe, aged 45 45 mohararupaiyās
For 1 female slave, Jamunī, aged 4260 mohararupaiyās
For 1 female slave, Syatī, aged 21120 mohararupaiyās
For 1 female slave, Kāsī, aged 17120 mohararupaiyās
For 1 female slave, Budha Lakṣmī, the daughter of Syetī8 , aged 225 mohararupaiyās
For 1 male slave, Kāle, aged 1241 mohararupaiyās 1 sukā
For 1 male slave, Syetye, aged 841 mohararupaiyās 1 sukā

1st of the bright fortnight of Āśvina in the [Vikrama] era year 1955 (1898 CE). Auspiciousness.


Commentary

This purjī document is an order issued by Deva Śamśera to the guṭhī revenue department to endorse the emancipation of seven slaves belonging to Jyedu Kumāra Paṇḍita. As the document states, Jyedu Kumāra intended to hand those slaves over to fulfil part of the compensation he was obliged to pay to the department. Instead, Deva Śamśera freed the slaves and deducted their value from the amount owed by Jyedu Kumāra.

Deva Śamśera issued this document as the commander-in-chief. He ruled as the prime minister of Nepal for 114 days from 5 March to 27 June 1901. Prior to that, he had served under Prime Minister Bīra Śamśera for thirteen years as commanding general, senior commanding general and commander-in-chief (R. Shaha 1990: 29-30). Historians have described him as a liberal and progressive ruler (Ḍaṅgola et al. VS 2014: 119, R. Shaha 1990: 29-30, Whelpton 2005: 62). He made some attempt to abolish slavery in Nepal in the short period of his prime ministership, emancipating a total of 767 slaves alone during his enthronement ceremony. The slaves emancipated during the ceremony are listed in Ḍaṅgola et al. VS 2014: 115-20. Afterwards the prime minister attempted to emancipate all female slaves in Kaski and Lamjung, districts over which he had direct authority. Perceval Landon (Landon 1928/II: 81) mentions that he planned to emancipate slaves in Kathmandu as well. Given the opposition of slave owners, however, he did not succeed in either of these undertakings. He did manage, though, to issue an order on the 10th day of the dark fortnight of Āṣāḍha in VS 19589 banning the buying, selling, pledging as security and donating slaves (C. Nepālī VS 2021: 16-17).

The document mentions a certain Section 16 of the Ain for determining the price of slaves. It is not clear which edition of the Ain this refers to. In the Ain of 1854, the prices of slaves are found in Section 4 of Article 82, which is entitled Jyū Māsnyā Becanyā (see Fezas 2000/I: 409-10 and MA-KM 1854/82 §4). The prices remained unchanged in the amended Ain of 1870 (see MA 1870: 224).

For the actual emancipatory declaration issued to the slaves mentioned in this document, see K_0614_0023.


Notes

1. Āryaghāṭa, a cremation site at Pashupati in Kathmandu. []

2. This number represents a running count of documents recorded in the ledger. []

3. Inserted from the space numbered 1 above. []

4. Lit. Firewood Guṭhī, the guṭhī responsible for [supplying] firewood [for funeral pyres] and cremating. []

5. Inserted from the space numbered 2 above. []

6. I.e., the Guṭhī Bakyautā Tahasila Aḍḍā []

7. The document in which Deva Śamśera declares the emancipation of the seven slaves was microfilmed on K_0614_0023. []

8. This probably is the same Syatī above in this list. []

9. This corresponds to 12 June 1901 (generated from M. Yano and M. Fushimi's http://www.cc.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~yanom/pancanga/, accessed on 2018.11.13). []