Documenta Nepalica

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

Version with DOI and citation guidelines

A lālamohara from King Rājendra appointing Raṃjīta Giri as overseer of sannyāsīs (V.S. 1898)

ID: DNA_0015_0033

Edited and translated by Christof Zotter
Created: 2015-02-14; Last modified: 2018-06-22
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, 2017. 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

This edict from King Rājendra grants Raṃjīta Giri the office of central overseer (mahantamaṇḍalāi) of sannyāsīs under a one-year contract (ijārā) and defines further details relating to this privilege.

Diplomatic edition

[1r]

1श्रीदुर्गाज्यूः\

[royal seal]

1स्वस्तिश्रीगिरिराजचक्रचूडामणिनरनारायणेत्यादिविविधविरुदावलीविराजमान
2मान्नोतश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजश्रीश्रीश्रीमहाराजराजेन्द्रविक्रमसाहवहादूरसम्से
3रजङ्गदेवानांसदासमरविजयीनाम्¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
4आगेसहरकाठमाडौकाव्यासेभुटोलवस्न्यागोसाञीरंजीतगिरिकेसहरकाठमा
5डौसहरपाटन्‌सहरभादगाउगैह्रनेपालषालटाभरऔमेचिपश्चिमभेडाहा
6उत्तर•भेरिपूर्व•रसुवादक्षिणयेतिराजेभित्रकामहंतमंडलीसम्वत्१८९८सा
7लमितिवैसाषवदि१रोजदेषिचैत्रसुदि१५सम्मवर्ष१कोइजारागरिवक्स्यौंआ
8फ्‌नाषातीरजामासंगसंन्यासिछेउकोमर्‍योअपुतालीमाघरषेत्‌वाहेक‌डंडकुं
9डपंचषत्‌औउम्य्रालीद्वारिवितलप•विर्ताटुसालछतिसैजातभित्रवस्न्यासंन्या
10सिहायु•दनुव़ारदरैंकुह्माल•चेपांपहरिमाझिछेउपरापूर्वदेषिलाग्‍याको•दै
11दस्तुरलिनु•असलसित•जातमानचलाऊनु•कमसलसितनमिसनु•संन्यासि
12कोपरिआयाकोचंन्‍द्रायनचलाउनु•वर्ष१कोसावीकरुपैया१८७।।साल९७
13देषिबढ्याकोरुपैया२०दुवैवेमोजरैज्मारुपैया२०७।।दर्वारदाषीलगर्नुभा
14रादारजागीरदार•सुवासुवेदार‌अमालीद्वार्‍याविर्तवार•तलप्याकसैलेमंड
15लिकोरकममाहेमायेत्‌नगर्नु•हेमायेतगर्याकाठाउमारकमचलाइदिनु•सं
16न्यासिमंडलीकाठाऊमाहेमायेत्‌गर्नामापस्याडंडपर्ला‌इतिसम्वत्१८९८
17सालमितिप्र‌आश्वीनसुदी१४रोज४शुभ्म्¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯

Translation

[1r]

Venerable Durgājyū

Hail! [A decree] of him who is shining with manifold rows of eulogy [such as] "The venerable crest-jewel of the multitude of mountain kings" and Naranārāyaṇa (an epithet of Kṛṣṇa) etc., high in honour, the venerable supreme king of great kings, the thrice venerable great king, Rājendra Vikrama Sāha, the brave swordsman, the divine king always triumphant in war.

[Regarding] the following: to the gosāī Raṃjīta Giri living in Byāsebhuṭola in the city of Kathmandu

We [hereby] execute a one-year contract (ijārā) [with you] as central overseer (mahantamaṇḍalī) [of the sannyāsīs] from the 1st day of the dark half of Vaiśākha, Saṃvat year 1898 to the 15th of the bright half of Caitra in the whole Kathmandu Valley (nepālakhalaṭābhara), [i.e.] the city of Kathmandu, the city of Patan, the city of Bhaktapur etc., and in [that part of] the kingdom (yeti rāje) west of the Mecī, north of the Bheḍāhā, east of the Bherī [and] south of the Rasuvā. Collect (linu) with content (āphnā khātīrajāmāsaṃga) the sannyāsīs' escheated property (maryoaputālī)—except for houses and fields—the judicial fines (daṇḍakuṇḍa) [and the penalties for] the five heinous crimes (pañcakhata), and—[with the help of] the umyrālīs (for umarāu?), dvāres, bitalapa (for bitalapyā?) and birtāṭusāla (?) 1 —the customary fee (daidastura) prevalent from olden times (parāpūrvadekhi lāgyāko) from the sannyāsīs living amongst the 36 jātas (i.e. householder sannyāsīs),2 the hāyūs, danuvāras, darāis, kumāles, cepaṅs, paharis [and] mājhīs. Uphold caste and creed honestly (asalasita jātamāna calāunu). Do not become involved in what is base. Uphold the traditional (pariāyeko) candrāyana (for cāndrāyaṇa?).3 Present to the palace the previously customary (sābika) 187½ rupees for one year [along with] the increase of 20 rupees [valid] since the year [VS 18]97, the two totalling, with no deduction (bemojarai), 207½ rupees. No bhārādāra, jāgīradāra, subbā, subedāra, amālī, dvāre, birtāvāra, talapya (for bitalapyā?) [or] anyone [else] shall show [any] favoritism when [collecting] maṇḍalī money. Collect money instead of showing favoritism. If favoritism is shown in sannyāsīmaṇḍalī locales, it will be punished.

Wednesday, the 14th day of the bright fortnight of the first Āśvina of the [Vikrama] era year 1898 (1841 CE). Auspiciousness.

Commentary

Also available are a number of royal orders addressed to officials in different parts of the kingdom and instructing them to collect revenue for Raṃjīta Giri (see DNA_0013_0059, DNA_0015_0031, DNA_0016_0075).

Notes

1. The term is unclear. M.C. Regmi mentions a central office known as "Tusal" that was "responsible for settlement of land disputes, registration of (Birta) land transactions, demarcation of land boundaries, irrigation, damage to lands by floods and landslides and other functions. It also handled procurement of copper on behalf of the Mint.“ (M.C. Regmi 1970: 275; cf. also M.C. Regmi 1978: 229 and Edwards 1975: 114). If this office is meant here the document would indicate that its officers were also involved in revenue affairs, at least in Kathmandu Valley. [⇑]

2. For the seemingly paradoxical phenomenon of householder sannyāsīs, see Bouillier 1985. [⇑]

3. cāndrāyaṇa, lit. "belonging to the course of the moon", is a special way of fasting prescribed for purposes of expiation (prāyaścitta). The term cāndrāyaṇa or sarva cāndrāyaṇa also denoted a special levy that had to be paid to the dharmādhikārī, the supreme religious judge in the court. The details available on this tax vary. According to Rana 1995: 129f. every household in Nepal had to pay four paisā per annum to get "some sin" committed unknowingly pardoned by the dharmādhikārī, while Bhaṭṭāraī et al. 1983: 223 gives the rate as "6 paisa per pillar" (i.e. per house) and says that the tax "supposedly erased any past or future transgression resulting from accidental contact with an untouchable" (quoted in Bouillier 1998: 230). The collection of this tax, which allowed the dharmādhikārī to raise a "sizeable amount of money" (Rana 1995: 130), repeatedly gave rise to conflict. Michaels 2005: 44, who identifies the cāndrāyaṇa tax with the dāna tax mentioned in Kumar 1967: 92, addresses the conflicts between the dharmādhikārī and the priests involved in the cāndrāyaṇa ritual (with reference to Naraharinātha 1956-57/pt. 2: 267). Concerning a dispute between the yogī monastery in Caughera and the administrative apparatus, see Bouillier 1998: 230f. (with reference to Naraharinātha 1966: 485 and 499). [⇑]

Word	Notes
amāli / amālī	[fr. A.] var. amāli, ambāli, amvalī, aṃvalī; also amālidāra; n. a revenue official or functionary of a regional administrative unit (Pant and Pierce 1989: 93, M.R. Pant 2002: 131). According to Krauskopff and Meyer he had only "minor judicial powers" (Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 183). Kumar further notes that he was a "subordinate civil functionary in the tehsil" (Kumar 1967: 164). His office was called amala (cf. Adhikari 1984: 344, M.C. Regmi 1978: 853).
bhāradāra / bhārādāra	n. lit. "burden bearer"; a generic term for high-level functionaries (M.R. Pant 2002: 131); courtiers (cf. Adhikari 1984: 346; cf.: Kumar 1967: 164 ; Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 183 ; M.C. Regmi 1978: 854 ; M.C. Regmi 1999: 136; M.C. Regmi 2002: 297; M.C. Regmi 1978: 225; Whelpton 2005: 25). According to Michael 2012: 130 the term denotes "top ranking posts such as chautariya, kaji, sardar, khardar, karpardar and khanjanchi". See also bhāibhārādāra.
birtāvāra / birtāvāla / birtāvālā	var. virtavāra, birttāvāra, birttāvāla, birttāvālā, virttavāra; n. holder of a birtā (cf. Parājulī et al. 1995: s.v. birtā; Karmacharya 2001: 91; Whelpton 2005: 260).
bitalapyā	var. bītalapayā, vatalapyā; also birtābitalapyā; n. holder of a bitalaba land grant.
cepāṅ	var. cepāṃ, cepāṃga; n. Chepang, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Mahabharat mountain range of central Nepal.
daidastura	n. a customary fee. See also dastura.
daṃḍakuṃḍa / daṇḍakuṇḍa	n. generic term for judicial fines and penalties.
danuvāra	n. an ethnic group in the lowland (cf. Bista 1996: 139-144).
darāi	var. daravai, daroī, darahī; n. an ethnic group in the low land, living as fishermen and farmers (see Bista 1996: 139-145; Bouillier 1991: 18 fn. 14; Höfer 2004: 8).
dvāre	var. dvāryā, duvāryā; n. 1) a local revenue collection official (e.g. M.R. Pant 2002: 132; M.C. Regmi 1970: 149) who can arrest offenders and try petty cases (Stiller 1981: 379). 2) a gatekeeper at the royal palace who collects certain levies (Edwards 1975: 106; M.C. Regmi 1978: 226); 3) a village headman in the Kathmandu Valley (M.C. Regmi 1970: 149).
gosāī̃	[fr. S. gosvāmin-] var. gosāñī, gosāñi, gosāī, gosāi; n. title used by ascetics of different orders (cf. Clark 2006: 14).
Hāyū	var. hāyu; n. an ethnic group; classified in the Mulukī Ain as "Enslavable Alcohol-Drinkers" (Höfer 2004: 9).
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).
jāgiradāra	var. jāgīradāra; n. lit. "holder of a jāgira"; a government employee who is remunerated for his services by the assignment of land.
kumāle / kumhāla / kumhāle	[fr. S. kumbhakāra] var. kuhmāla, kumāla; n. 1) a potter (Turner 1931: s. v. kumāle); 2) name of an group of potters living close to the mājhī, danuvāra and darāi but "speaking a distinct Tibeto-Burman tongue" (see Bista 1996: 140). According to Höfer (2004: 9) they are classified in the Mulukī Ain as "Enslavable Alcohol-Drinkers".
mahantamaṇḍalāi	var. mahaṃtamaṃḍalāi, mahantamaṇḍalī; n. 1) central overseer of the sannyāsīs; 2) office of the central overseer. See also maṇḍalāi.
mahantamaṇḍalī	var. mahaṃtamaṃḍalī; see mahantamaṇḍalāi; cf. discussion in note to DNA_0013_0059.
mājhī	var. mājhi; n. an ethnic group of the inner Terai whose traditional main occupation is boat building and river transportation service; ferryman or fisherman (M.C. Regmi 1999: 137).
Paharī	var. pahari; n. a caste group of low status.
paisā	n. 1) money. 2) in the early Śāha period: monetary unit, one-fourth of an ānā, consisting of four dāmas with 64 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃. 3) in the Rāṇā period: monetary unit with 100 paisās in 1 rūpaiyā̃.
pañcakhata	n. a generic term for heinous crimes (see e.g. M.R. Pant 2002: 134; Whelpton 1991: 285).
saṃnyāsī / sannyāsī	[fr. S. saṃnyāsin-] var. saṃnyāsi; n. renouncer, specif. a member of the Daśanāmī order.
subbā	var. subā; n. 1) governor or chief administrative officer of a province or district (cf. Kumar 1967: 168; Krauskopff and Meyer 2000: 185; M.R. Pant 2002: 135; M.C. Regmi 1999: 137; M.C. Regmi 2002: 303). 2) civil officer ranking higher than a mukhiyā, but lower than a sardāra (Stiller 1981: 382). According to Edwards subbās were stationed at Gorkha (cf. also Michael 2012: 134) and Chitwan, “with five others being administrators in the Terai” (Edwards 1975: 106). Edwards further mentions that “men of subba rank were also assigned in the capital to the Kumari Chowk, and Kat Bhandar offices, where they were the deputies of the kaji and kapardar in charge” (ibid.). 3) headmen of the Limbu community in the far-eastern hill regions (M.C. Regmi 1978: 229; cf. also 1978: 865).
subedāra	n. commander of a military company (cf. M.C. Regmi 1999: 137) consisting of 100 soldiers (N.R. Pant et al. 1969: 383), often placed in charge of a district (M.R. Pant 2002: 136; M.C. Regmi 1978: 229). According to Stiller (1981: 382), he is [below the subbā] the second highest commissioned officer, and, according to Whelpton (1991: 286), he is immediately senior to the jamadāra.
umarāu /umarāva	[fr. A. umarā'] var. umarā, ūmarāū, umyrālī; n. in the early post-unification period, a commander of a military post (cf. M.R. Pant 2002: 136) who raised and maintained own troops (Edwards 1975: 107). According to M.C. Regmi 2002: 303 he was chief of a thuma. Later, the term was sometimes used to refer to senior military commanders generally (Whelpton 1991: 287).
yogī / jogī	[fr. S. yogin-] var. jogi; n. 1) ascetic, religious mendicant. 2) specif. a follower of the Nātha tradition; see also kanaphaṭṭā. 3) member of the Kusle community.