A letter from Jagat Jaṅga retaining the annual lokābhāra lease contract for Lārkyāpa village (VS 1934)
ID: L_0923_0002
Edited and
translated by Rajendra Shakya
in collaboration with
Rabi Acharya and Nadine Plachta
Created: 2018-12-12;
Last modified: 2020-01-22
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Abstract
This letter from Jagat Jaṅga retains the annual lokābhāra lease contract for Lārkyāpa village. Among other things, it assures that no tahasiladāra or dvāre shall be sent to the village as long as the contractors pay the contractual amount in full.Diplomatic edition
[1r-part1]
[Seal of Jagat Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā]1स्वस्तिश्रीमद्राजकुमारकुमारात्मजपुर्वतर्फकाकम्याडिङजनरलश्री2जगतजङ्गवहादुरराणाकस्यपत्रम्¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
3आगेहाम्रा[...]अठारसयेषोलामध्येकुतां[...]
4ट्रुइभोट्लार्क्यापगाउकामुषियाछिंजुघ्यापोरैतिगैह्रके३४सालका
5वालिलाइरोलले¯ ¯१¯साहेवलाइ¯ ¯२¯साहेवकाषानगीषुवामादरियाको
6अठारसयषोलामध्ये[...]लार्क्यापगाउ१के[?]
7सअसमानीरुज्मामोहररु.२२२मारआफ्नागाउमाभयाकामैन[...]
8स्तुरीअनेत्रनवेचनुजोभयाकोदाषिलगरीठेकमध्येमिन्हालिनुहामिवाटफर्मायसभै
9[...]वुझाउनुसो[...]गर्दा
10चलिआयाकाअडाअडावाटचलाइदिनुभन्या२२सालदेषीसालवसालीलोका
11भारठेककोहाम्रानाउमा¯ ¯२¯साहेववाटपट्टागरीवक्सदा३३सालसम्मको
12दामकामषसोषासवुझाया[...][...][...][...]ककाजगामातहसिल्दारद्वा[...][...]
13ठाइवक्सदाहामिलेषानरवाटामावोकन्याघोडाभरीयादिनुपर्दाभिरपहरावाटल
14डिघोडासमेतनोकसानभयोहामिलाइसाह्रैटंटालाग्योभन्याविन्तिपार्दातिमी
15हरुकातालुककोजगामातहसिलदारप्यादापठाउन्याछैनौयकैकिस्ता[...]
16मैन्हामाचुक्तिगरीवुझाउनुकिस्तानाघ्योभन्यादोचंदावुझाउनुपर्लाभंन्यादस्षतग
17रीवक्स्याकोछहाल३४सालकावालिदेषीसालवसाललाइसाविकवमोजिम्
18रैतानलोकाभारठेकथामीरैयतलाइसुविस्ताहुदोहोभनितैले[...][...]
19जुरमाविन्तिपार्दासाविकवमोजिमलोकाभारथामीपट्टावहालीगरीदिनुभंन्याहा
20मिवाटमर्जिभयाकावेहोराविस्तारवन्दोवस्तकामुषियारामकृस्नलेहाम्रा
21हजुरमाविन्तिपार्दाजाहेरभयोतसर्थहाम्राषानगीषुवामादरियाकोअठारसयषोलामध्ये
22कुताङभोट्रुइभोट्लार्क्यापगाउ१कोइस्तकसम्वत१९३३सालआश्विनवदी१
23रोजदेषि३४सालभाद्रसुदि१५रोजतकवर्ष१कामितीलेसिवाये¯ ¯३¯अंककल्या
24नधर्माधिकारपंचषतरहतावहता[...]डंतागडंतारकमीघरकोझारावेदर्तारकम्[...]
25लम्वाहेकवाज्वीसेर्मासाउन्याफागुस्याफलसिर्तोसाविकदरीचलिआयाकारकम्
26कलमगैह्ररअैनवमोजिमकाडंडकुंडमर्योअपुतालीचाकचकुइमारीमेटीवेमो
27जरैसाविकवाजवीरुअसमानीरुज्मामोहररु२२२मासालवसाली[...]
28नलोकाभारठेकगरीवक्स्यौंरस्तिचलाइवस्तीवसाइजगाअवादगुलजारगरी
[1r-part2]
29रैतिराजिराषिसाविकदरीचलीआयावमोजिंमअसुलतहसिलगरीकवुलवमो
30जिमकारुपैयायकैकिस्तासालवसालकामाघमैन्हामाजिम्मावालमार्फतचुक्ति
31गरीहाम्रानगदितहविलदाषिलगरीरसिदलिनुकदाचित्जिमावाललेदा
32मकामहिनामिनापार्योमर्योभाग्योभन्यातिमीरैतिहरुकाघरघरानावाटवुझाइ
33रसिदलिनुफर्मायसवेसौतिजिनसिमालहरुचाहिदालेषीआयाकोसाविकवमो
34जिमगाउकोदरभाउलेदाषिलगर्नुसोमालचलानगर्दाअघीचलिआयाकोअडाअ
35डावाटचलाउनुआफ्नागाउमाभयाकामैनकस्तुरीअनेत्रनवेचनुजोभयाको
36दाषिलगरीठेकमध्येमिन्हालिनु¯ ¯४¯ कादसैपुजामामुलीषर्चजोछसाविकवमोजी
37मकत्तीनघटाइठेकवाहेकचलाउनुकवुलियतवमोजिमकाज्मामा¯ ¯५¯ कापर्योअथवा
38जगामाउठाउनसक्यानौभन्या१दाममिन्हामोजरापाउन्याछैनलोकाभारठेकमानफा[...]
39यापनिनोक्सानभयापनीरैतिगैर्हलाइदामासाहिगरीवाडिलिनुदिनुगर्नुअसुल
40तहसिलगर्दाररैतिदुनिञाकोझैझगडामामीलामुद्दापर्दाअैनथितीवमोजिम्जानी
41गर्नुलिषियावमोजिमगरेनौरघटीवढीपारीघुसरोसवतसरसलामीषाइनञारकम्क
42लम्लगाइहककुरोछोडीवेहकमाविजाइविदुतगरीरैतिदुनिञालाइदुषदिकाम[...]
43जगर्यौरकोहिरैतिकराउनआयोऔकवुलवमोजिमकारुपैयायकैकिस्तामाघ[...]
44न्हामाचुक्तिगरीदाषिलगर्नसकेनौभन्याअैनवमोजिमसजायगरीठेककारुपैया
45कोदोचन्दासमेततिमीहरुकाघरघरानावाटलिलोकाभारतोडीवक्सन्याछौंलोकाभा
46रहोभनिउजुरगर्नपाउन्याछैनौयकैकिस्तामाघमैन्हामालोकाभारठेककोरुपैया
47चुक्तिगरीवुझाउनज्यालजगामातहसिलदारद्वार्यापठाइवक्सन्याछैनभनी[...]
48विकवमोजिम्सालवसालीरैतानलोकाभारठेकथामीपट्टागरीवक्स्यौंआफ्ना[...]
49तिरज्मासंगलोकाभारठेकजानिजगाकोचलनगरइतीसम्वत१९३४सालमिती
50माघवदी१०रोज७शुभं¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
Translation
Hail! A letter from Commanding General of the Eastern Front Jagat Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā, a prince born of a prince
Āge: To Chiṃju Ghyāpo, the village headman (mukhiyā), and the ryots etc. of Lārkyāpa village of Ruibhoṭ in [the side wherein lies] Kutāṃbhoṭ within the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā [region], which has been registered as a khuvā of my generalship's khānagī
“We have submitted the exact amount [to be paid] from the year [VS 19]22 (1865 CE) up to the transactions of the year [VS 19]33 (1876 CE) after -2-1 sāheba formalized the annual lokābhāra lease contract [then in effect, which he renewed every year] in our name at the rate of 222 mohararupaiyā̃s in total, including … 2 mohararupaiyā̃ as asmānī revenue, for the 1 village of Lārkyāpa of Ruibhoṭ in [the side wherein lies] Kutāṃbhoṭ within the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā region, which [village] was registered as a khuvā of the khānagī of -2- sāheba (and has since been passed on to -1-3 sāheba under the Roll [of Succession] for the crops of [VS 19]34 (1877 CE)), [with the instructions:]
‘You shall not sell elsewhere the wax and musk that is available in your village. Deliver all [available wax and musk to our treasury office] and get the reduction in [the amount that is to be paid according to] the contract. [You] shall deposit [into our treasury] items that we have requested [and that have been purchased] at the current rate in the village. When dispatching such items, do so from the government offices (aḍḍā) that were previously used.’ You made a petition [to us] with the following details: "When [you] dispatched a tahasiladāra and dvāre to our seat of authority, we had to provide them with food, and with packhorses and porters on the way, and we sustained losses when [some things] including horses tumbled down a cliff. This has been a great burden to us," whence we, putting our signature to [it], issued the following: "We shall not send any tahasiladāra and pyādā4 to your seat of authority. Submit whatever is owed in one installment in the month of Māgha. You will have to pay double if the instalment [payment] crosses [the deadline]."
'When you made the following petition to us: “It would be favourable for We had ordered for the retainment of the lokābhāra contract and resumption of the usual lease contract after you had made such a supplication [to us]: ‘We hope that it would be favorable for the ryots(?)5 if an annual raitānalokābhāra lease contract is formalized according to the usual clauses for the crops of the year [VS 19]34 and for each year onwards,” we ordered that the lokābhāra contract be retained and the lease appointments be made as before’.”
This came to our notice after such details were mentioned in a petition made to us by Rāmakṛṣṇa, mukhiyā of bandobasta [Aḍḍā]6 .
Therefore, we have sanctioned a raitāna lokābhāra lease contract for the 1 village of Lārkyāpa of Ruībhoṭ to [the side wherein lies] Kutāṃbhoṭ from among the Aṭhāra Saya Kholā region, which has been registered as khuvā of the our khānagī, for 1 year beginning from (istaka) the 1st of the dark fortnight of Āśvina in the year [VS] 1933 (1876 CE) to the 15th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra in the year [VS 19]34 (1877 CE) at the stated cash and kind [rate] totaling 222 mohararupaiyā̃s, which includes … mohararupaiyā̃ as the regular scheduled taxes (vājabī) and …7 mohararupaiyā̃ as unscheduled revenue (asmānī). There is complete exemption for the scheduled sermā, sāunephāgu, syāphala8 sirto [revenue], and also, in accordance with the Ain, for registered customary taxes and levies and for daṇḍakuṇḍa, maryo-aputālī, cākacakui; but not on rāja-aṅka, kalyānadhana, dharmādhikārapañcakhata, arrearages (rahatā, bahatā, uḍaṃtā, gaḍaṃtā)9 , jhārā levies upon rakamī households, [and] unregistered customary taxes and levies (rakamakalama).
Keep the ryots well disposed by overseeing affairs, founding settlements and making village and households and crops to flourish (ābāda guljāra garī). Collect revenue as listed and managed previously and submit it in cash according to what is recorded [to be paid], clearing the amount due annually in a single instalment in the month of Māgha through the jimmāvāla. Deposit it into our cash treasury, and obtain a receipt.
In the case the jimmāvāla mishandles the [money] matters [and then] dies or runs away, or [the money is otherwise] lost, they you [and] the ryots shall pay from your household property and obtain a receipt.
When [there are orders] in writing for grains or [other] needed items, make the purchase at the current rate in the village, as was done previously. When dispatching such items, do so from the government office (aḍḍā) that was previously used. Do not sell elsewhere the wax and musk available in your village. Deliver all [available wax and musk to our treasury office] and get the reduction in [the payable amount mentioned in] the lease contract. Besides [the commitments] under the contract, you shall bear the basic expenses and the like for the religious processions for and worship of -4- [the glorious divinities]10 during the Daśaĩ festival, without any reduction in the previous outlay. You shall not receive the remission of even a single dāma [in cash or kind] contracted to be paid for any reason, be it that -5- [some act of the glorious divinities has befallen you]11 or that you failed to collect [what is due] on [lokābhāra] land. In cases of profit or loss in the lokābhāra lease contract, proportionally distribute to ryots etc., or collect from them, [the surplus or shortfall].
Follow the rules set by the Ain and custom when collecting revenue and adjudicating lawsuits on disputes among ryots. If you do not act in accordance with what is written here and go against it by taking bribes or sarsalāmī payments, imposing and collecting new, superfluous levies, or [otherwise] causing injury and oppression so as to make [ryots] suffer, and if any ryot comes to complain [about it], or if [anyone among you] is unable to deposit the instalment that is to be paid as a single annual instalment in the month of Māgha, then you shall be punished in accordance with the Ain, and double the contractual amount shall also be exacted from your household property, and the lokābhāra contract shall then be annulled. You shall not have the right to file a complaint, stating: "It is a lokābhāra[contract]".
We have therefore retained and formalized the annual raitāna lokābhāra lease contract under the previous terms, stating: "We shall not send any tahasiladāra or dvāre there (lit. to the field) for as long as you pay the single installment in the month of Māgha." Tend the land with content (khātirajāmāsaṃga), considering [it] as a lokābhāra lease contract.
Saturday, the 10th of the dark fortnight of Māgha in the [Vikrama] era year 1934 (1878 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
This letter from Jagat Jaṅga, the second son of Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā, is missing a portion of text at the beginning. Issued during the reign of Prime Minister Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha Rāṇā about a year after the death of Jaṅga Bahādura Rāṇā, it retains and formalizes a lokābhāra lease contract that has been registered as a khānagī in the name of one of the Rāṇā brothers but, due to the shuffle in the posts under the Roll of Succession, passed to another. The loss of text at the top included the only references made to the two individuals in question.
The last Roll framed by Jaṅga Bahādura puts Jagat Jaṅga in the fifth position as the commanding general of the southern front. He is behind Dhīra Śamśera in the fourth position as the commanding general of the eastern front, and Jagat Śamśera in the third position as the commanding general of the western front. Jaṅga Bahādura had held the first position, with Raṇa Uddīpa Siṃha in the second position as his successor (Sever 2014: 469). After Jaṅga Bahādura’s death in 1877 CE, everyone moved up one position. Therefore, the notation ‘¯ ¯2¯ sāheba’ probably refers to Dhīra Śamśera, the commanding general of the eastern front at the time of Jaṅga Bahādura’s death, who enjoyed Lārkyāpa village as a khānagī. Once he was promoted to the commanding general of the western front, the khānagī went to Jagat Jaṅga upon his becoming the commanding general of the eastern front, in which capacity this document was issued. Hence, the notation ‘¯ ¯1¯ sāheba’ clearly refers to Jagat Jaṅga.