An Arjī from Bālāśaṃkara to Māthavara Siṃha Thāpā requesting livelihood and royal support (VS 1901)
ID: DNA_0002_0023
Edited and
translated by Nirajan Kafle and Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2024-12-17;
Last modified: 2025-12-02
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Abstract
This letter by Bālāśaṃkara highlights the challenges faced by individuals reliant on Nepal’s 19th-century patronage system. Through his appeals for assistance, it offers insight into the struggles of petitioners seeking justice within a rigid, hierarchical administrative framework.Diplomatic edition
[1r]
1॥श्री॥ 1श्री५सर्कार2१1⟪नं१४०⟫1॥स्वस्तिश्रीसर्वोपमानोपमेयशौर्योदार्यादिसकलसद्गुण
2गणालंकृत.राजराजितराजभारोचद्वारणसामर्थेषु।
3श्री३मिनिष्टरयान्कमान्डरइन्चिफ़जनरल
4मातबरसिंहथापाबहादुरमहाशयेषु।इतःभिक्षुक
5बालाशंकरका।सहस्रशुभाशिषपूर्वकबिन्तीपत्रम्
6अत्रकुशलं।तत्रभवतांकुशलंबान्छामि।उप्रान्त
7ग़रीबपरवरमेरे।फागुनवदी१२रोजमेलिषीअर्जी़
8बन्देकी।डाकअंगरेजी़केमार्फ़त।हजू़रकेमुलाहेजे़मे
9गुज़रीहोगी।बादमुलाहेजे़अर्जिके।बन्दा।हजू़रके
10दर्बारसे।क्रिपापूर्वकअर्जि़योँकेपहोँचनामेका।और
11टुकडेरोटीकाउम्मैदवारहैँ।अर्जी़१वास्तेमुलाहेजे़मे
12¯ ¯१¯ के।शामिलइसअर्जी़के।हजू़रमेभेजीहै.सो
13¯ ¯१¯ केमुलाहेजे़मेगुज़रे।ज्य़ादाअरज़येहेकी
14२बरसकेअरसेसे।मेरेहालकीशुनवाई¯ ¯१¯ मेनहीँ
15होतीहै।औरटुकडारोटीका¯ ¯१¯ सेनहीँइनायतहो
16ताहै।औरअर्जी़कापहोँचनामामात्रभी¯ ¯१¯ केदफ्तर
17से।नहीँइनायतहोताहै।बिचइससूरतकेबन्दाकमाल
18हैरान्औरपरेशान्है।औरबन्दानानपार्चेसेकरज़
19दारऔरमोहोताजहोगयाहै।।मेरेहालपरक्रिपाकर्के
20गु़र्बांपरवरीनज़रसेमेरेहालकोमुलहेज़ाफर्मा
21कर।रूपयामेरीतलबतनष्व़ाहका।माफि़क़हिसाबके
22¯ ¯१¯ सेनिकासाकर्के।मेरेहालपरइनायतहोवे।
23बन्दासिवायचरणोहजू़रके।औरकोईवसीलाभरो
24सा।नहीँरषताहै।ज्य़ादाक्याबिन्तीकरूँ।मेरेहालकी
25क़दरदानीफ़र्माकरटुकडारोटीकाबष़शनेको
26हजू़रसमर्थहैँ।जानअजानकुसूरमाफ़होवे
27सं१९०१फागुनसुदी७रोज७शुभम्अर्जी़बालाशंकर
Translation
[1r]
Śrī 5 Sarkāra (i.e. His Majesty, King Rājendra)1
No. 1402
Hail! This letter (bintīpatra), with a thousand auspicious blessings, is from here by Bhikṣuka Bālāśaṃkara to the thrice-venerable [Prime] Minister and Commander-in-Chief General Sir Māthavara Siṃha Thāpā Bahādura, who is adorned with a multitude of excellent virtues such as heroism (śaurya) and nobility (audārya), who is beyond all exalted comparison (upamā) and subjects of comparison (upameya), and is capable of bearing royal duties.
The tidings here are fine. I wish Your Excellency good health there.
Uprāṃta: O my Lord of the poor! The letter (arji) written on […] day, the 12th of the dark fortnight of the month of Phāguna by this devotee of yours and sent to you via English postal service must have reached you for your consideration. After considering the request letter, by your grace, this devout fellow is the candidate for the receipt of the letter and a piece of bread from Your Majesty's palace.
I, together with this letter (arjī), have also attached 1 letter (arjī) written to -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra] and sent to you. [Your Excellency] may hand it over to -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra] for his consideration. The additional request is that for the past two years, my situation has not been heard in -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra]. Nor has any piece of bread (livelihood) been graced from -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra].
Moreover, even the acknowledgment of the receipt of the letters has not been graced from the office of -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra]. In this situation, this devotee [of Yours] is utterly distressed and troubled. Furthermore, [Your] devotee has become indebted and impoverished/helpless (mohotāja) due to financial expenditure (nānaparce) [on my own].
May there be an order [to the office] with a kindly eye and pity upon my condition, releasing me with the amount due to me as per my salary, to be disbursed by -1- [i.e. His Majesty, Śrī 5 Sarkāra]. This devotee has no means (vasīlā) or hope apart from Your Excellency‘s feet.
What more can I request? By showing compassion for my situation, you are capable of granting me a small piece of bread (livelihood). May my faults, whether committed knowingly or unknowingly, be forgiven.
Saturday, the 7th day of the bright fortnight of Phālguna, [in the Vikrama era] year 1901 (1845 CE).
Auspiciousness.
This letter is by Bālāśaṃkara.
Commentary
In this letter, Bālāśaṃkara illustrates the precarious position of individuals dependent on Nepal's patronage system in the 19th century. His tone of devotion, coupled with repeated appeals, reflects the struggles of petitioners who sought justice within a rigid, hierarchical administrative structure.
This letter is part of an extant set of 61 letters (so far traced), sent between 1836 and 1863 by Bālāśaṃkara, a Nepalese messenger stationed in Delhi, who regularly communicated various matters to the royal court in Nepal. These 61 letters, catalogued under the DNA series, are preserved in the National Archives, Kathmandu, including entries such as DNA_0001_0076, DNA_0002_0039, DNA_0002_0049, DNA_0003_0025, and others in the database.