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A copy of a lālamohara from King Rajendra restoring to Amṛtānanda and Sundarānanda their ancestral right to overseership of the Luthāma Guṭha and its land endowments (VS 1884)

ID: K_0014_0014C

Edited and translated by Manik Bajracarya in collaboration with Rabi Acharya
Created: 2020-08-27; Last modified: 2023-07-23
For the metadata of the document, click here

Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2021. 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

The lālamohara of King Rājendra of which this is a copy gives back to Amṛtānanda and Sundarānanda the Luthāma Guthi founded by their forefather in support of the vimāna offered to the chariot of Matsyendranātha. It records 50¾ ropanis of land belonging to the guthi.

Diplomatic edition

[165]

1१६५नं

1२२४नं

1पो१६।पा∙११सी∙५३

1मछीन्द्रको
2गुठि

1भं∙नौहर्ष
2हे∙नौ∙राम

1आगेसहरपाटंकोओकुवहालमहावुःधघरकोअमृतानंदसुन्दरानन्द
2वाडाकेतेरापुर्षाजीवराजवाडालेश्रीमछीन्द्रनाथकारथमासुनकोवी
3मानचढाउँदाराष्याकोगुठीपछीवीचमाईजारागरीमंगलभटवाट
4पजनीहुन्दोरहेछ५८सालमाभाजुधनजैसीलेथुंदागुठीईजारा
5हुदादेवताकोलुथानररथकावीमानसवैवीग्र्योईजारादारलेवना़येन
6भनीवींतीगर्दाईजारामेटीभाजुधनजैसीकानाउँमामोहरभ़याकोरहेछ
7सर्कारवाटईजारा∙मेटीवक्स्यापछीमेरापुर्षाकागुठी∙मैलेषानुपाऊन्या
8होभनी∙तीमीहरुकोवावारमानंदवाडालेश्री५वुवाज्यूकाहजुरमा
9वींतीगर्दाचौवीसहजारकाजानकारवुढावुढाहरूसीतजाचदातिमे
10हरूकापुर्षालेराष्याकोरहेछर६०सालमारमानंदवाडालाईमोहर
11गरीथामीवक्सनुभ़यकोरहेछरामानन्ददराहालकाजांचमापोता
12नतीर्याकोभनीजफतगर्दाफेरी:६२सालमामोहरगरीथामीवक्स
13नुभ़याकोरहेछ८३सालमाहाक्याकटु़वाललेरामानंदवाडाकानाउँ
14कोमोहरहानीआफ्नानाउँकोमोहरगराईलुथांगुठीमावहालीग
15र्दातीमीहेरूलेहाम्राहजुरमावींतीगर्दादफ्दरषाना∙श्रीकुमारीचोक
16वाटचढा⟪जचा⟫उँदाराजगुठीहोभन्यामानीसनठहर्दाहीजोकाजाचमारह्या
17कोजीउँतावुढावुढाहरूसीतसोधदाईनैवादाकापुर्षालेराष्याकोहोभं
18दासुनाथ्युंभंदाहीजोपनीश्री५वुवाज्यूवाटतीमीहेरूकावावुकोनाउँ
19मामोहरगरी[?]भयाकोरहेछआजहामीलेपनी∙तपसीलवमो

[unknown seal]

[166]

[unknown seal]

1१६६नं

20जीं∙काषेतरोपनी∙५०।।। कोपोतारूपै़या२७।।सालवसालतीरीश्री
21मछीन्द्रनाथकारथ∙कासुनकोवीमानतोरनलुथांवीग्र्याकोसा
22लवसालवनाई∙परापुर्वदेषीचलीआ़याकोगुठी∙चलाईसेषर
23ह्याकोषानु∙भनीथामीवक्स्यौंआफ्नाषातीरज्मासीत∙पुर्षाकोगुठीजा
24नीभोग्यगर¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
25तपसील

[table]

1	असामी¯¯¯¯¯¯	षेतरोपनी	दर	रूपैया
2	ङषु¯¯¯¯¯¯	६	।।	३
3	पाको¯¯¯¯¯¯	६	।।।	४।।
4	पतीपा¯¯¯¯¯¯	६	।।।	४।।
5	भेलुपा¯¯¯¯¯¯	६	।।।	४।।
6	लानीवु¯¯¯¯¯¯	७	।//	२।।//
7	कुसुंती¯¯¯¯¯¯	८	।।	४
8	थछे¯¯¯¯¯¯	१	।	।
9	ङषुवगर¯¯¯¯¯¯	१	।	।
10	लानीवु¯¯¯¯¯¯	१।।।	।।	।।।//
11	धोपो¯¯¯¯¯¯	३	।//	१//
12	टेपना¯¯¯¯¯¯	५	।//	१।।।//

38ईतीसम्वत१८८४सालवैसाषसुदी१५रोज६[?]¯¯¯¯¯¯

Translation

[165]

No. 1651

No. 2242

po. 16 pā. 11 sī. 533

[Document relating to] the guṭhī of Matsyendranātha (text: machīndra)

bhaṃ. nau.4 Harṣa

he. nau.5 Rāma.

Āge: To Amṛtānanda Bāḍā and Sundarānanda Bāḍā, residents of Mahābuddha (text: Mahāvuḥdha), Oku Bāhāla in Patan. It is learnt that the guṭhī established by your ancestor Jīvarāja Bāḍā when he offered a golden vimāna to the chariot of glorious Matsyendranātha was later on placed under the ijārā [system], and [overseership of it] was assigned (pajanī) through the Maṅgalabhaṭa (the chief court of Patan). It is [also] learnt that in VS [18]58 Bhājudhana Jaisī hindered [further operations under that system] by making petition, saying: "Since the guṭhī has been placed under the ijārā [system], the luthāma (text: luthāna) of the deity and the vimāna of the chariot have broken, and the contractor (ijārādāra) has not repaired them." The ijārā [system on the part of the guṭhī] was [then] abolished and a mohara was issued in the name of Bhājudhana Jaisī.

[Then,] when your father Ramānanda Bā̃ḍā petitioned to [our] fivefold venerable father6 , saying: "Since Your Majesty has abolished the ijārā [system], I should be allowed to enjoy the guṭhī of my ancestors," and after enquiring with elders among the twenty-four thousand [households/people of Patan] and determining that [the guṭhī was indeed] established by your ancestors, he instated Rāmānanda [as the overseer of the guṭhī] in the year [VS 18]60 by issuing a mohara.

Upon an examination [conducted] by Rāmānanda Dahāla 7 , [the guṭhī] was expropriated for failing to pay potā-levies, [but later our father] again instated [Ramānanda Bā̃ḍā as overseer] in the year [VS 18]62.

In the year [VS 18]83, when Hākyā Kaṭuvāla had the mohara of Rāmānanda Bā̃ḍā annulled and got another mohara issued in his own name to receive overseership of the Luthāma Guṭhī, [and] when you petitioned to us [to reverse this], we had [the matter] examined by the Daphdarakhānā and the venerable Kumārī Coka. They could not determine that anyone identified the [Luthāma] Guṭhī as a rājaguṭhī. Upon enquiring with the living elders who participated in the earlier examination8 , [we] were informed: "We have heard that [the guṭhī] was established by an ancestor of these very Bā̃ḍās." My fivefold venerable father had also issued a mohara in your father's name in the past.

[166]

No. 1669

Today we, too, have instated [you as overseers of the guṭhī], declaring: "You shall pay annually a potā-levy of 27 rupees 2 sukās for the plots, covering 50 ropanīs 3 javās as listed [below], repair the golden vimāna, toraṇa [and] luthāma (text: luthāṃ) of the chariot of glorious Matsyendranātha every year, [if] damaged, manage the guṭhī following the traditional custom and enjoy the surplus." Being mindful of your duty, enjoy [its fruits,] knowing that it is the guṭhi of your ancestors.

The list [of guṭhī lands and the tax on them]

[table]

1	Column (asāmī) [of plot locations]	Plots [in] ropanīs	Rate	Rupees
2	Ṅakhu	6	2 [sukās]	3 [rupees]
3	Pāko	6	3 [sukās]	4 [rupees], 2 [sukās]
4	Patīpā	6	3 [sukās]	4 [rupees], 2 [sukās]
5	Bhelupā	6	3 [sukās]	4 [rupees], 2 [sukās]
6	Lānību	7	1 [sukā], 2 [ānās]	2 [rupees], 2 [sukās], 2 [ānās]
7	Kusuṃtī	8	2 [sukās]	4 [rupees]
8	Thache	1	1 [sukā]	1 [sukā]
9	Ṅakhu Bagara	1	1 [sukā]	1 [sukā]
10	Lānību	1 [ropanī], 3 [javās]	2 [sukās]	3 [sukās], 2 [ānās]
11	Dhopo 10	3	1 [sukā], 2 [ānās]	1 [rupee], 2 [anās]
12	Ṭepanā	5	1 [sukā], 2 [ānās]	1 [rupee], 3 [sukās], 2 [ānās]

Friday, the 15th of the bright fortnight of Vaisākha in the [Vikrama] era year 1884 (1827 CE).

Commentary

This copy of the lālamohara leaves out the praśasti, and therefore does not mention the name of the issuing, king Rājendra Vikrama Śāha (r. 1816–1847). The document is archived with the serial number 224 and on pages 165 and 166 of the bundle of copies marked as Pā. bam. Bk. 8 at the Guṭhī Saṃsthāna. An edition of this document which includes the praśasti of King Rājendra is available in Śākya VS 2045: 92-93. Another edition is available in Tandan 1995: 146-147.

This document in contrast to earlier related documents (E_2253_0015A to G, E_2254_0001A to J, K_0341_0034 and K_0015_0021C) does not mention the name of the guṭhī, namely the Luthāma Guṭhī.

The list of plots in the current document in comparison to the documents E_2253_0015C and K_0341_0034 shows that the guṭhī lost a considerable portion of its land endowments gradually over time. Document E_2253_0015C, issued in 1803, listed a total of 69 ropanīs of land, while K_0341_0034 from 1805 lists 56 ropanīs 3 javās. Twenty-two years later, the amount of land had shrunk to 50 ropanīs 3 javās.

The document mentions the vimāna, luthāma and toraṇa of the chariot of Matsyendranātha as three separate items taken care of by the guṭhī. Earlier documents had given the impression that the term luthāma was used to include both the vimāna and the gilt metal components placed around the sanctum of the chariot.

Notes

1. This is the page number within the bundle containing this document. [⇑]

2. This is the serial number of the document within the bundle, assigned at the Guṭhī Saṃsthāna. [⇑]

3. This unknown set of letters and numbers probably refers to the location of the original document of which this is a copy. [⇑]

4. The abbreviation bhaṃ stands for bhaṃne ("the one who reads out") and nau. for nausindā, a low ranking clerk in offices. It may thus be understood that this person reads the original out while another person checks the copy for errors as he goes along. [⇑]

5. The abbreviations stand for herne nausindā ("a nausindā who watches"), the clerk who rechecks the copied document for errors while another person reads out the original. [⇑]

6. I.e., King Gīrvāṇayuddha Vikrama Śāha. [⇑]

7. Śākya VS 2045: 93 reads dāhāla [⇑]

8. This refers to the enquiries made in VS 1860 mentioned above. [⇑]

9. This is the page number within the bundle containing this document. [⇑]

10. Śākya VS 2045: 93 reads ghopo. [⇑]

Glossary

Word	Notes
āge	[fr. S. agre] adv. lit. "henceforeward" (Riccardi 1976: 150 n. 6), especially used in administrative and legal documents to mark the beginning of a text or paragraph. In its function it is similar to uprānta.
daphadarakhānā	var. daphdarakhāna; n. registration office responsible for dealing with land assignments.
guṭha / guṭhi / guṭhī	[fr. S. goṣṭhī] var. guṭh, guthi; n. 1) a socio-religious organization that manages and finances religious and charitable functions, a trust. 2) “endowed lands or other sources of revenue for financing religious and charitable functions“ (M.R. Pant 2002: 132; cf. M.C. Regmi 1988: 267).
ijārā	[A.] var. ījārā; n. 1) a system under which the government granted to an individual the exclusive right to collect revenue from a specified source subject to payment of a sum stipulated in advance (M.C. Regmi 2002: 299). 2) a contract for collection of revenue, exploitation of mines, etc. (M.C. Regmi 1978: 226; cf. Adhikari 1984: 349; M.C. Regmi 1978: 162).
ijārādāra	n. tax contractor, holder of an ijārā.
javā	var. java, yava; n. an area measurement unit equal to one quarter of a ropanī, or measuring 22,5 hāta (MA-54 5.38-40).
kumārī coka	n. office with the function of looking after audit and accounts and acting as a court of law for revenue (Whelpton 1991: 215; “Audit office“ (Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 184 ; cf. Kumari Chok: Kumar 1967: 166 ); Kumari Chowk: "The Kumari Chowk is the General Office of account for the whole kingdom where all accounts of collections and contractors must be examined and passed, a fee of 5 rupees being taken for every Rs. 1000 of Bahi or Books so examined. The Kousi recommends the collector or contractor and is answerable for him. The Kumari Chowk merely takes his accounts; and those also of all great servants of the govt…(A)ll other lands (except those assigned as khangi) and revenues are accounted for once per annum in the Kumari Chowk (although) the Collector or Thekdar may pass 2 or 3 years without offering or being compelled to account; but when anyone does account it is to the Kumari Chowk and usually once per annum or sooner if (the collector) is ejected or changed. Bali (crops) that is not assigned as Khua and Khangi (emoluments) is called Ukas; also Sera or demesnes is accounted for in Kumari Chowk. Also all customs and excise ... (and accounts from the) mines, Hattisar, Kath Mahal, the Terai in all branches of receipts and charge, and in a word, the whole income and expenses of the Kingdom save Khua and Khangi or assignments in lieu of salary and pay. For (about) the last twenty years, the Kumari Chowk has exercised judicial functions like the other courts of the capital and with like powers civil and criminal. There is a separate hall for the Judicial corps ... (This Adalat) is for the investigation of revenue and quasi revenue cases… Of the general tax or fee of 5 (rupees) per 1000 on accounts passed, half goes to government and the other half in fixed proportions to the officers of the (office) down to the jamadars. Besides this, 5 rupees on each contractor's or collectors's total affairs are payable to the nousindas.“ (Edwards 1975: 111-112 )
lālamohara	var. lālmohara, lālamohar, lālmohora; abbreviated mohara; n. royal document bearing the red seal.
Maṅgalabhaṭṭa	var. maṅgalabhaṭa; n. the chief court (mūla sabhā) of Patan. It was one of the three chief courts of the Kathmandu Valley, other two being Itā Capalī in Kathmandu and Lāmpāṭī in Bhaktapur (see RRS 17(1-2): 8). The court of maṅgalabhaṭṭa already existed during the Malla period (see Vaidya & Vajrācārya VS 2055: 155).
mohara	[P.] n. 1) a seal. 2) a document bearing royal seal; often an abbreviated reference to a lālamohara. 3) a coin having the value of eight ānās or half a mohararupaiyā̃.
nausindā	n. a scribe or a clerk of lower rank responsible of translating, registry and accounts; “They were the lowest rank of scribes. There were more personnel in this rank than in any other within the "civilian" hierarchy (and excluding the sipahis). A considerable number of them worked in the offices of registry and accounts. Nausindas registered the papers which came in and left the offices and copied letters and documents.“ (Edwards 1975: 109 ; cf. M.C. Regmi 1978: 228 ; Adhikari 1984: 354 ; Kumar 1967: 167 )
pajanī	n. annual reassignment of offices and contracts, such as by a king.
potā	n. a tax imposed on certain categories of birtā-lands. According to D. Vajrācārya, it was introduced by King Pratāpasiṃha (Vajrācārya VS 2019: 39). The document PD_0002_0002, however, mentions the exact year of the introduction of potā as NS 893 (1773 CE) which was still during the reign of King Pṛthvīnārāyaṇa.
praśasti	[S.] n. poetic eulogy, often functions as intitulatio in documents.
rājaguṭhī	var. rājaguṭha; n. a guṭhī established by the king or royal family. The Mulukī Ain of 1854 (§ 1.5) defines it as a guthi set up by a reigning king or queen of Gorkhā following the performance of a saṃkalpa. Definition of rājaguṭhī, however, changed over time. With the system of amānata instituted, the guṭhīs managed by different governmental associations became rājaguṭhīs. The Guṭhī Saṃsthāna Ain of VS 2021 defines it as a guṭhī belonging to or managed by the government. After VS 2033, all the guṭhīs under the jurisdiction of the Guṭhī Saṃsthāna became known as rājaguṭhīs (cf. Tandan 1995: 34-35).
ropanī	[fr. S.] var. ropani; n. unit of land measurement in the hill region, including the Kathmandu Valley, comprising four murīs. The area may vary according to the grade, but current standard area for a ropanī comprises 5,476 square feet (cf. M.C. Regmi 1999: 235 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 864; Whelpton 1991: 286; M.C. Regmi 1995: 77; M.C. Regmi 1978: 163; M.C. Regmi 1988: 270).
sukā	var. sukī; n. monetary unit worth one fourth of a rupee, i.e. half of a silver mohara, and comprising four ānās; in documents the second of the four usual monetary fractions of the system based on the rupee, usually represented by either the avagraha-shaped sign for zero or one to three daṇḍas.

Bibliography

Śākya, Hemarāja. VS 2045. Mahābuddha Mandira: Saṃkṣipta Itihāsa. Lalitpur: Cakrarāja Śākya.
Ṭaṇḍana, Govinda. 1995. Nepālamā Gūṭhīvyavasthā. Kathmandu: Nepal Research Group.