A rukkā to Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa re the appointing of a new nausindā (VS 1899)
ID: DNA_0015_0095
Edited and
translated by Manik Bajracharya
in collaboration with
Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2015-06-12;
Last modified: 2018-06-22
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Abstract
This rukkā of King Rājendra addressed to Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa states that the king has appointed an additional nausindā at the Munsīkhānā. It orders Lakṣmīdāsa to assign the duties mentioned to the new nausindā.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1श्रीदुर्गाज्यूः\[royal seal]1स्वस्तिश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजकस्यरूक्का¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯2आगेमुन्सीलक्ष्मीदासकेसम्वत्१८९९सालज्येष्ठसुदि९रोजदेषिमुन्सीषाना
3माफार्सिकोहिदुतर्जुमालेषाउनाकेनव़सिंदाजना१थपीमहिनाव़ारिदर्माह
4रूपैया९गरिवक्स्यौंदर्माहमामुलीगैह्रमुन्सीषानाकाअरूनव़सिंदासरह
5तोसाषानावाटलीदिनुषातीर्ज्मासगटहलमाहाजीररूजुराषिकामलगाउन्या
6गरइतिसम्वत्१८९९सालमिति•आषाडशुदि१४रोज५शुभ्म्¯¯ ¯¯ ¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Venerable Durgā[royal seal]Hail! A rukkā of the venerable supreme king of great kings.
To Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa.
[Effective] as of 9th of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha of the [Vikrama] year 1899, we have added a nausindā at the Munsīkhānā in order to have Persian [documents] translated into Hindustani1 , and fixed a monthly salary of nine rupees. Just as with other nausindās of the Munsīkhānā, provide him with the monthly salary and other supplementary remuneration (māmulī), taking [the money] from the Tosākhānā. Placing your faith in him, and him at (your) service, assign him the (said) task.
Thursday, the 14th of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha in the [Vikrama] era year 1899 (1842 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
This document, dated VS 1899 (CE 1842), is a rukkā of King Rājendra (r. 1816-1846) addressed to Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa. It states that the king has appointed a new nausindā, and orders Lakṣmīdāsa to assign him the task of translating from Persian. It also orders Lakṣmīdāsa to pay this new nausindā a monthly salary of nine rupees.
Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa Pradhāna is one of the few Newars who was entrusted with important administrative roles during the early Śāha and Rāṇā rule. He held the post of Mīra Munsī ("Chief Munsī") of the Munsīkhānā. The Munsīkhānā, which functioned as the foreign ministry, was established by Prime Minister Bhīmasena Thāpā (term of office 1806-1837). 2
Even after the rise of Jaṅga Bahādura, Lakṣmīdāsa and his descendants were able to keep their important posts at the Munsīkhānā. For this reason, his family was referred to as the "Munsī Khalak".3 Sardar Bhim Bahadur Pande mentions that the family of Lakṣmīdāsa was regarded as "Newar Rāṇājīs" for the privileges they had earned from the rulers.4 Henry A. Oldfield, who knew Lakṣmīdāsa, mentions that he had, "on payment of a fee, been raised from the rank of Niwar to that of Parbattiah" (Oldfield 1880/I: 411).
By some point, this Lakṣmīdāsa had become so influential that Jaṅga Bahādura conferred on him the title of "Taksārī Mīra Munsī" with authority to mint coins.5 The later proceeded to mint small denominations at his own house in Maru Ṭola. One side of those coins contained his own name. A rukkā of King Surendra addressed to Taksārī Mīra Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa has been translated into English in Joshi 1976: 44-45; therein the munsī is directed to control the import of musk from Tibet.
Lakṣmīdāsa is mentioned in several pieces of correspondence between the British Residency of Kathmandu and the British Government. In one such notable document, he is reported to have visited the British Residency just after the Kot massacre to convince the mīra munsī of the residency and Resident Ottley that the people of Nepal, including Newars, would benefit under Jaṅga Bahādura's rule.6
Lakṣmīdāsa is the only Newar among the gurus, cautarīyās, chiefs, etc. of Nepal who signed an 1841 agreement handed over to the British Residency.7
Lakṣmīdāsa is also mentioned in the colophon of a vaṃśāvalī,8 where he is described as "the virtuous, merciful and good munsī".
Among other documents relating to Lakṣmīdāsa, there is a savāla issued to him in VS 1921.9 There is also a letter from the prime minister to Colonel Haribhakta Khatrī, the envoy (vakīla) in Calcutta, regarding English-language training undergone by Amaramāna and Balavāna (son and nephew of Lakṣmīdāsa).10
See D. Panta VS 2041: 23-24 for another document dated to VS 1852 regarding the appointment of a staff to write letters in Persian.