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Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal

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A bayāna supplied by Ṭīkārāma Nyaupānyā re Mahanta Chatranātha’s abbatial succession in Rānagāũ (VS 1964)

ID: K_0469_0043

Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2018-06-26; Last modified: 2018-09-19
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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

Abstract

In this statement, made in front of Lieutenant Colonel Vīra Bahādūra Basynāt Kṣatrī (or Chetrī) of Salyan dictrict office (gauḍā) the kharidāra Ṭīkārāma Nyaupānyā answers questions regarding the abbotship of Mahanta Chatranātha in Rānagāũ, Salyan.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

⟪144⟫

1श्रीसिद्धभगवंतनाथजी
2१

1श्री३महाराज
2२

1श्रीकम्याण्डरईनचीफ्‌
2३

[seal]

1दःलेकःवीरवहादू
2रवस्न्यात्‌क्षत्री¯¯ ¯

1सल्ल्यानागौडाकाले•कर्णैलवीरवहादुर
2वस्न्यातछेत्रीकासामान्येमा•भय़ाकोषरि
3दारटीकारामन्यौपान्याकोषोलुव़ावय़ान्‌

[table1]

	सव़ालमामुली¯¯¯¯¯¯¯	जवाफ्‌मेरोनाऊटीकारांवावुको नाऊयोगदत्त•ऊमेरवर्ष५१कोभ ञा•जातजोतीसीन्यौपान्याव्रा ह्मणहुपेसाषेतीगर्छुघरसल्ल्या नासेजव़ाल्‌टाकुरामाछ
	सव़ाल•रानगाऊमठ्‌मामहं तछत्रनाथ•गद्दीवसेकोतीमी लाईथाहाछकी¯¯¯¯¯¯¯	जवाफ्‌•सोरानगाऊमठ्‌मा•महं तछत्रनाथ•गद्दीवस्नेवषत्‌मा•म व़ाहीथीञाँमहंतले•लाय़ाअर्‍हा य़ाको•कांगर्न्याकारिंदाभैवसेको थीञाँ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
	सव़ाल•सो¯ १ ¯ कामठ्‌माग द्दीवस्नालाईनीजमहंतछेत्र नाथ•ले•सर्कारमा•केहीस लामीभनी•दीय़ाकाहुन्‌की दीय़ाकाहुन्‌भने•कतीकस्का हातवाटदीय़ाकाहुन्‌¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯	जवाफ्‌¯ १ ¯ कामठ्‌माःमहंतछ त्रनाथ•गद्दीवस्ता•१असरफी¯ २ ¯ काहजुरमार१असरफी¯ ३ ¯ का हजुरमा•चढाऊनलाईसल्ल्यानागौ डकाले•कर्णैलरणवीक्रंवाहादुर राणाजींमाःनीजछत्रनाथलेदी• य़ाकाहुन्‌¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
	सव़ालमहंतछत्रनाथलाईमठ्‌मागद्दीवसाय़ाकोकुन्‌ साल्‌मीतीमाहो¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯	जवाफ्‌•महंतछत्रनाथलाईगौडा वाटगद्दीवसाईवक्स्याको६२साल्‌ काभाद्रमैन्हामाहो¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

4षरिदारटीकारांन्यौपान्या¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯१
5ईतीसम्वत्‌१९६४साल्‌मिती•भाद्र१९गतेवार४शुभ्म्‌¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

1सहीष•
2टीकारां
3घरसेजवा
4ल्‌टाकुरा

1दःले•कः
2सहि

Translation

[1r]

441

Venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha 1

Thrice venerable Mahārāja 2

Commander-in-Chief 3

[seal]

[signature of] Da.2 L[ieutenant] C[olonel] Vīra Bahādūra Basynāt Kṣatrī - - -

An elucidatory statement (kholuvā bayān) by Kharidāra Ṭīkārāma Nyaupānyā made in front of L[ieutenant] Colonel Vīra Bahādura Basynāta Chetrī of the Salyan dictrict office (gauḍā)

[table1]

	Question: general [introduction]	Answer: My name [is] Ṭīkārāṃ; [my] father's name [is] Yogadatta. Age: 51 years old. Caste (jāta): I am a Jotīsī Nyaupānyā Brahman. Profession: I do farming. [My] home: is in Sejavāl Ṭākurā, Salyan.
	Question: You know that Mahanta Chatranātha occupied the throne at Rānāgāũmaṭha, or not?	Answer: I was there at the time when Mahanta Chatranātha occupied the throne at the said Rānāgāũ maṭha. I was staying as a kārindā doing work urged upon [me or] ordered by the mahanta.
	Question: The said Mahanta Chatranātha , in order to occupy the throne at the said maṭha of [the venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]3 made a payment (salāmī) to the government (sarkāra), or not? If he did, how much [and] through whom?	Answer: Once Mahanta Chatranātha was occupying the throne at the maṭha of [the venerable Siddha Bhagavantanātha]4 , the said Chatranātha entrusted to L[ieutenant] Colonel Raṇavīkraṃ Bāhādura Rāṇā of the Salyan district office (gauḍā) [a salāmī of] 1 gold coin (asarphī) for presenting to5 [the thrice venerable Mahārāja]6 and 1 asarphī for [the venerable Commander-in-Chief]7 [General].
	Question: In what year and on [what] date was Mahanta Chatranātha installed on the throne at the maṭha?	Answer: Mahanta Chatranātha was graciously installed on the throne by the district office (gauḍā) in the month of Bhādra of the [Vikrama era] year [19]62.

Kharidāra Ṭīkārāṃ Nyaupānyā - - - 1

signature Kha[ridāra] Ṭīkārāṃ, home [village]: Sejavāl Ṭākurā

signature Da.8 L[ieutenant] C[olonel]

Wednesday, the 19th solar day (gate) of Bhādra in the [Vikrama] era year 1964 (1907 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

The document complements a bakapatra supplied by Ṭīkārāma in VS 1964, Śrāvaṇa 10 gate (see K_0469_0042), and contains a number of details not found elsewhere (e.g. the payment of a salāmī and the specifications regarding the time of Chatranātha's enthronement). It was probably among the documents which were sent in support of a petition by Lokanātha to be recognized as successor to the throne (see K_0469_0033).

Notes

1. This archival notation indicates the card number (of bundle 15 of the Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā records). [⇑]

2. The meaning of this abbreviation remains unclear. Perhaps it stands for darabāriyā or darabārī, that is, a courtier. [⇑]

3. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

4. Inserted from the space above. [⇑]

5. hajuramā, lit. "in the presence of". [⇑]

6. Inserted from the space above. In 1907, the position of śrī 3 mahārāja, i.e. the prime minister and commander-in-chief, was held by Candra Śamśera (in office 1901-1929). [⇑]

7. Inserted from the space above. The actual title meant must be commander-in-chief general, the second highest ranking person in the Rāṇās' role of succession, who at that time was Bhīma Śamśera. [⇑]

8. Cf. note 2. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
asarphī	var. aśaraphī; n. a gold coin, according to Turner 1931 (s.v. asarphi) worth sixteen rupees. However, Turnbull (1992: 46) specifies its value as 25 rupees and adds that its value varies according to the price of gold.
bakapatra	[baka+patra] var. vakapatra; n. testimony, witness statement.
gaũḍā / gauḍā	var. gaurā; n. 1) a fortification, fortress (see Parājulī et al. 2052: s.v. gaũḍā and gauḍā); 2) certain districts were known as gauḍā, according to Adhikari (describing the situation after 1850): Doti, Salyan, and Palpa in the West and Dhankuta in the east (Adhikari 1979: 16); 3) a district office for maintaining law and order (cf. Karmacharya 2001: 91) established in the districts known as gauḍā. According to Adhikari this judicial offices were placed under responsible military officials—at first under kājīs or sardāras, and later on, under generals (janarala) and colonels (karṇela). In the Ain the chief officer of a gauḍā is referred to as hākima or mālika. Gauḍās decided original cases and served as appellate courts. They had jurisdiction regarding pañcakhata cases but could order a death sentence only after receiving a lālamohara from the kausala (Adhikari 1979: 16). The other levels of courts in the disctricts besides gauḍās or gaũḍā adālatas (cf. Adhikari 1984: 310) were: adālata (sometimes also called aḍḍās) and amāla (Adhikari 1979: 14). According to Kumar there were three "first courts of appeal" known as gauḍās covering twelve lower courts after the reorganisiation of the country's judiciary by Vīra Śamśera Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in 1887: I. Palpa gauḍā (covering 1. Salyan, 2. Piuthan, 3. Pokhara, 4. Doti, 6. Bhagwanpur, 6. Taulihawa), II. Doti gauḍā (covering 7. Jumla, 8. Dailekh, 9. Banke, 10. Kanchanpur), III. Dhankuta gauḍā (covering 11. Morang, 12. Saptari) (Kumar 1967: 129f.).
Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍā	var. Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍā; n. "Guthi Administration Office", office responsible for the management of guṭhīs; established under Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā in 1852-1853 as replacement of the former Guṭhī Kacaharī. Its foundation marks the change from the guṭhīyāri system of the guṭhī management to the contractor based system; remained the central office to coordinate all offices subsequently established for handling different aspects of guṭhī management, including the Guṭhī Kharca Aḍḍā and others. Separate Guṭhī Bandobasta Aḍḍās managed the śrī 5 sarkāra guṭhīs and the śrī 3 sarkāra guṭhīs (cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 713-715).
jāta	[S.] n. lit. "species"; a caste or ethnic group, see also jāti.
kārindā	[fr. P. kāranda] var. kārīṃdā, kārīndā; n. clerk or low-ranking official.
kharadāra / kharidāra	[fr. P.] var. kharīdāra, ṣaridāra; n. secretary, official scribe, office superintendent (cf. Kumar 1967: 166).
salāmī	[P.] var. salāmi; n. payments due to the government including fines, levies, fees etc. See also sarsalāmī.
siddha	[S.] lit. "accomplished, perfected"; n. an ascetic of great powers and saintliness said to possess supernatural facilities (siddhi).
śrī 3 mahārājā	var. māhārāja, mahārāja. lit. "thrice venerable great king"; title referring to the Rāṇā prime minister. On August 6 1856, King Surendra, through a lālamohara, conferred upon Jaṅga Bahādura the title of mahārāja of Kaski and Lamjung (cf. Agrawal 1976: 10). The title was subsequently passed on to all Rāṇā prime ministers.