Documenta Nepalica

Diplomatic edition

[1r-part1]

1⟪नं­२८०­⟫

1श्री­५­वादसाह­
2१

1श्री­५­सर्कार­
2२

1श्री­भोट्‌­सर्कार­
2३

1अर्जि­¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
2उप्रांत­∙ष्वामित­करुणानिधान्­∙यस­अर्जिभंदा­अघिको­हालषवर­१९२५­साल­भाद्र­शु
3दि­२­रोज­५­मा­वाथां­सहरवाट­चह्राइपठायाका­अर्जिवाट­जाहेर­होला­∙औलिथां­सहर
4का­धेवाहरूलाई­∙वाथां­सहरसंम­पुर्याउना­निमित्त­∙जिंमा­दियाका­अफिंका­भारि­∙मध्ये­
5वाथां­पुगि­वुझिलिदा­अफिंका­भारि­२­षोलामा­षस्यो­भनि­∙वुझाउन­नसक्याका­भारि­
6२­के­अफिं­ग्यामा­१२८­के­दर­ग्यामा­१­के­चादि­टाक­३।६­का­दर्ले­ज्मा­चांदि­टाक­४६०।८­
7लिथांका­धेवाहरूले­∙हामिसगै­∙पठायाका­मानिसहरूले­षाल्सावालसग­उठाई­∙दि
8या­र­∙नीज­चादि­बुझिली­भाद्र­शुदि­५­रोज­१­का­दिन­वाथां­सहरवाट­हामि­सेवकहरू­
9पनि­∙नेपालतर्फ­∙रमाना­भै­आञ्यूँ­∙वाथांवाट­२­दिनका­वाटो­आई­∙षोजनि­भंन्या­गाउ
10मा­पुग्याकै­दिनमा­अघि­वाथाङ्‌वाट­हजुरमा­अर्जि­लेषि­चह्राइपठायाका­∙मिष्टर­कु
11पर­नाम­गर्याको­∙अंग्रेज­पनि­∙यसै­गाउमा­∙पेचिन्‌तिर­∙जानालाई­∙आउदा­रह्याछन्­
12म­तेस­गाउमा­पुग्याका­षवर­∙नीज­अंग्रेजले­सुन्या­छन्­र­∙नीज­अंग्रेज­साहेवले­म
13सग­भेट्­गर्न­आया­र­∙मैले­भेट्­गर्यौ­∙नीज­साहेववाट­∙यस­गाउमा­तपाईले­१­दिं­मुका
14म्‌­गरिदिनु­भया­∙मेरा­जो­भयाको­दुष­दर्द­विस्तार­गर्दा­हुँ­भनि­भंदा­नीज­साहेवका­व
15चन्‌­मानि­१­दिं­नीज­गाउमा­मुकाम्‌­गर्या­र­∙नीज­साहेवले­गर्याको­कुरो­∙पैल्हे­ठिंडफु
16वाट­---१---का­ठुला­मुषतियार­∙चुंदुच्यांचुंङ्वाट­भोट्‌­ल्हासा­नेपाल­हिंदुस्थान्‌­
17जानलाई­राहादानि­गरिदिदा­सो­राहादानि­∙लीकन­∙येस्‌­तर्फ­आञाँ­∙वाटामा­आउदा­
18तौस्यान्‌­तौस्यान्‌­देसमा­र­∙तार्चन्‌देउ­सहरमा­∙लीथांमा­वाथांमा­∙सुविस्तैसग­आ
19ञाँ­र­∙केहि­दिन­वाथाङ्‌मा­वसी­थकाइ­मारि­∙वाहा­पछि­ल्हासा­तर्फ­जाउ­भनि­∙घोडा­
20षाल्साको­वंदोवस्त­गर्दा­∙तेहि­वेलामा­भोट्का­सिवानावाट­३५०­हतियार­वाध्या
21का­सिपाहि­पठाई­∙मलाइ­साह्रै­∙दुष­दिया­∙त­को­होस्­क्या­होस्­भनि­धेरै­कुरा­गर्दा­
22मैले­---१---का­ठुला­मंत्रिले­दियाको­राहादानि­∙देषाञाँ­∙निज­राहादानिलाई­प
23नि­केहि­मानेनन्‌­∙त­लुच्चा­होस्­∙जुन्­वाटो­आयौ­∙उसैवाट­फर्कि­जाउ­∙हाम्रा­मुलुकवा
24ट­जान­हुदैन­भनि­भंदा­आफु­येउटा­र­२।३­जना­चाकर­मात्र­हुदा­∙मेरा­ज्यू­अनाहक्मा­
25जाला­१­जनाले­यतिकासग­जोर­गरि­∙ज्यान­गयो­भन्या­∙वहुत­पाजी­ठहर्न्या­देषता­र­∙इ
26नीहरूले­∙इनिका­मुलुकवाट­जान­नदिन्या­देषता­वरू­∙इउन्यान्‌का­मुलुकवाट­∙ब्रह्मा
27को­मुलुक­निस्की­कलकत्ता­जानाको­∙मनसुव­गरि­∙गयाँ­र­∙जादामा­वाटामा­षानु­पिनु­
28वस्नुमा­साह्रै­दुष­पायाँ­∙आफुसग­धन्‌­भैकन­पनि­∙यस्ता­जंगली­∙मुलुकमा­केहि­ला
29ग्दो­रहेनछ­∙केहि­दिन्‌­गोठ­भेटेका­ठाउमा­∙दुद­र­अली­अलि­काचो­पिठो­षाई­जिविका­
30चलाइ­२०­दिन्‌को­वाटो­गयापछि­इउन्यान्‌का­मुलुकमा­पुग्या­र­∙ताहा­चिनियाहरू
31ले­पक्रि­३५­दिंसम्म­मलाइ­कैद­गर्या­---१---का­तेत्रा­∙मंत्रीका­राहादानि­देषाउदा
32मा­पनि­आफुनु­मंत्रिका­राहादानि­मानेनन्­र­∙ढेरै­चादि­षर्च­गरि­∙ताहावाट­उम्क्यर­
33ब्रह्माका­मुलुकतिर­जाउ­भंन्या­∙मनसुव­गरि­दिं­३को­वाटोसंम­गञा­र­∙चिनियै­चिनिया
34को­साह्रै­ठुलो­लडाइले­वाटो­घाटो­∙सवै­वंद­भयाको­देषदा­∙फेरी­चिनैको­वाटो­गरि­
35हिंदुस्तान­जांछु­भनि­त्यहि­वाटो­फर्किआयाका­हुँ­∙अघि­जादामा­भंदा­फर्किआउ
36दा­झन्‌ ­साह्रै­दुष­पाञाँ­∙आफु­चह्रन्या­घोडाको­षुट्टो­भाचियो­र­∙छोडिआञ्यूँ­∙अरू­
37घोडा­∙ज्याला­दिदामा­पनि­∙षांवालिहरूले­घोडा­दियेनन्­∙आफनु­दामले­किनी­
38चह्रिजाउ­भन्या­पनि­पायेन­र­∙येस्ता­अघोरि­जंगली­औ­वर्फानका­देसमा­ढेरै­दिंसं
39म­पैदल­हिडि­आउनुपर्दा­साह्रै­फजित­षाइ­आउदा­∙तपाइसग­याहा­भेट्‌­भयो­भनि­
40नीज­साहेवले­वृतांत­कुरा­गर्दामा­वृटीस­सर्कारको­र­---२---को­साह्रै­दोस्ती­हुदा­
41मैले­पनि­इ­साहेवले­∙साह्रै­दुष­पाई­∙वडा­वडा­आपत्‌­षाई­आयाको­देषता­मेरो­पनी­
42छाति­रहेन­∙मैले­पनि­∙सकेसंमको­षातिर­गर्या­∙जो­मसित­भयाको­षान्या­पिन्या­प
43नि­दिञाँ­∙मासु­पनि­षान­नपायाको­∙ढेरै­दिन­भयाछन्‌­र­∙भेडा­पनि­दिञाँ­∙नीज ­साहे
44वले­पैदल­हिडि­कष्ट­षाइ­आयाको­देषता­∙मसित­वढिया­घोडा­थियो­∙तेहि­घोडा­नीज­
45साहेवलाइ­दिञाँ­∙भोटेहरूको­ठुलो­तुलुकुलाम्‌­∙देषदा­मेरा­साथ­लागिआनाको­केहि­

[1r-part2]

Translation

[1r]

Śrī

No. 2801

1 - The Emperor (of China)

2 - His Majesty's Government (of Nepal)

3 - The Government of Tibet

Petition (arji)

Uprānta: Master, Compassionate One, the earlier news from the letter of Thursday, the 2nd day of the bright fortnight of Bhādra in 1925, which I sent from the city of Vāthāṃ2 will be known to you. Local porters (? dhevā) of the city of Aulithāṃ3 were given the responsibility of delivering loads of opium to the city of Vāthāṃ. Of the loads that were to be handed over after arriving in Vāthāṃ 2 could not be delivered because they fell into a river. For the 2 loads that could not be delivered, the costs of 128 gyāmās4 —with 1 gyāmā being equal to 3|6 (3.1.6) silver ṭākas—totals 460|8 silver ṭākas.5 Men whom the [Au]lithām porters sent with us collected [the money] from the Khālsā6 agents. Having received the silver, we [your] servants departed for Nepal from the city of Vāthāṃ on Sunday, the 5th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra.

Having walked for 2 days from Vāthāṃ, we reached the village called Khojani. It so happened that the Englishman named Mr. [T.T.] Cooper had arrived there that same day on his way to Pecin (Beijing)—the man about whom I had written to you, Your Excellency, from Vāthāṃ. This English sahib heard of my arrival in that village and he came to meet me, and [so] I met him. Then this sahib asked me to stay 1 day in that village so that he could explain me his sufferings. I agreed and stayed for 1 day in that village. This is what the sahib told me:

“Some time ago, from Ṭhiṃḍaphu7 , Cuṃducyāṃcuṃṅ, a high-ranking minister of the (Chinese) Emperor provided (to me) a travel document to go to Lhasa [in] Tibet, [and to] Nepal and India. I came here with [that] travel document. I proceeded leisurely along the way, arriving in the province of Tausyān Tausyān and the cities of Tārcandeu8 , Lithāṃ (Lithang) and Vāthāṃ. As I was preparing the horses etc. to depart for Lhasa after resting a few days in Vāthāṃ, they sent 350 armed soldiers (sipāhi) from the Tibet border and caused me great trouble. When they interrogated me—who and what I was—I showed them the travel document provided by the Emperor’s high-ranking minister. They didn’t accept the travel permit, saying, ‘You’re a rogue. Return to where you have come from. You cannot pass through our territory.’ I was alone with only 2-3 servants,9 and seeing that it would be awful were my life to end in vain for standing ground against so many persons, and seeing that they would not allow me to pass through their territory, I instead decided to [pass] through the territory of Iunyān (Yunnan), come out in the territory of Burma and go on to Calcutta. On the way I suffered greatly for [lack] of food and shelter. Even though I had some wealth, it was of no use in such an uncivilized territory. After 20 days of surviving on milk and some plain wheat flour I found in a place where I had come upon pastureland, I reached the territory of Iunyān. There the Chinese arrested me and jailed me for 35 days. Even though I showed them the travel document from the Emperor’s high-ranking minister, they didn’t accept their own minister’s travel document. [Only] by paying out a lot of silver [could] I escaped from there. Wishing to go to the land of Burma, I walked for another three days. However, due to the very big war among the Chinese people10 , everything along the way was closed. I decided that I would go to Hindustāna back through China. I suffered even more on the way back than before. My horse broke a leg and I had to abandon it. The Khāmbālis (i.e. Khampas) did not give me a horse, even though I [would have] paid them. Although I wanted to buy it with my own money, I couldn’t do so. I had to walk on foot for several days in such dangerous, uncivilized and snowy territory. Finally, completely exhausted, I met you.”

When he told this I couldn’t contain myself, given the great friendship between the British Government and the Nepalese Government, and having seen the utterly great suffering the sahib had been through, I did as much as I could for him. I gave him whatever food I had. Since he hadn’t eaten meat for several days, I gave him a sheep, and when I saw the trouble the sahib had walking, I also gave him a good horse. When we saw a large tulukulām11 of Tibetans, [he] didn’t say anything [more] about staying with me. The next day the sahib came to me to bid farewell and said: “I will never forget the favour you bestowed upon me by providing me with a horse in such a desperate time.”

Then he (again) departed for Ṭhiṃḍaphu. I arrived on the same day in a village called Lhāmdi12 at the Tibetan border. At this place, a Tibetan officer, a maṃgāmṭheci13 , came to me. The rumour was that the Gorkha[li]s have brought several Englishmen, dressing them as themselves, had arrived in Lhasa, and the maṃgāmṭheci of Maṃgām received a big signature (i.e., a letter from a high authority) from there. However, we couldn’t verify the substance of it. This was told to us by the maṃgāmṭheci. Under the suspicion that several Englishmen had been brought from Ṭhiṃḍaphu, soldiers were placed at different places including the border. We have only heard rumours but haven’t seen [things] for ourselves.

My Lord, it has been three years that we left your feet. These people are with us day and night: 3 [or] 4 persons including the Ucui14 who were provided to us by the ambā (Chinese ambassador) in Lhasa, 20 [to] 25 Chinese soldiers, and a Tibetan official named Phuphuchiriṃ15 provided by the four kājīs of Kāsyāl. A Chinese soldier named Tāṃtālce accompanied us from Cuṃdu (Chamdo?) [sector] of Ṭhiṃḍaphu up to Tārcindeu16 town. High officials at various places accompanied us to their borders and questioned [us]. If we had surreptitiously brought with us Englishmen, these officials would not have allowed us through. Suspecting that we had brought [Englishmen], even though we didn’t think of such a thing, they assembled a great tulukulām. At the crossroads called Lhāmdi in Tibet we gathered together with Chinese soldiers and the Tibetan official, the maṃgāmṭheci of Maṃgām, and discussed about the required horse-khālsā17 . I realized that it would be good, regarding the rumour that we had brought many Englishmen and caused this tulukulām out of a misunderstanding, to talk about it once the [local] Chinese and Tibetan officials had heard about it and gathered. I said to the Tibetan official, the maṃgāmaṭheci: “You have posted many soldiers at the border thinking that we, the kājīs of Gorkha, have brought many Englishmen from Ṭhiṃḍaphu. How many Englishmen do you see with us? Where did you hear that we brought Englishmen? We have come on our Government’s business, and we will return to our kingdom. Regarding the question whether or not we have brought Englishmen, here are Chinese and Tibetan officials as witnesses. You can ask them.”

The maṃgāmṭheci replied: “The Gorkha Government and the Tibetan Government are one. We didn’t say that you have brought [Englishmen]. We didn’t even mean that you intended to bring [some]. When such a big [entourage bearing] a gift for the Chinese Emperor arrives, some may come along hidden among it. People have been placed because there has to be a check at the border.”

When they said checking has to be done at their border, we kept quiet. Then the maṃgāmṭheci made the arrangements for us regarding the required khalsā. We departed from Lhāmdi village on Sunday, the 12th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra and reached Maṃ village on Monday, the 13th of the bright fortnight of Bhādra.

Up till today we have bought a total of 55 horses [of the number] ordered by His Majesty’s Government and by other parties, and also by us, Your servants. We regularly checked them over as much as our knowledge allowed us to. All the horses have remained healthy up to now. We will depart from here on Wednesday, the 1st of the dark fortnight of Āśvina. I have written this letter containing the current news. I will keep you posted on future news. Please forgive [Your] servant for any mistake in writing. What more [to say] to a knowledgeable one!

Crores and crores of prostrations by Kājī Jagatsera Khatrī Chetrī, ever [Your] servant.

Wednesday, the 1st of the dark fortnight of Āśvina in the (Vikrama) era year 1925, station Calīcalāu. Auspiciousness.

Glossary

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