A lālamohara of King Rājendra reconfirming the exemption of the Magars from maryoaputāli, cākacakui etc. (VS 1879)
ID: DNA_0014_0028
Edited and
translated by Rajan Khatiwoda
in collaboration with
Christof Zotter
Created: 2015-01-19;
Last modified: 2017-07-07
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Abstract
This lālamohara of King Rājendra assures that Magara ethnic group of all over the country is exempted from pharnyānlo, bākasyo and gvāsyo, and further regulates that the members of this ethnic group should not be punished any more by enslavement in any other offence, but they should be punished by fine.Note that this document has been edited and translated in Fezas 1986: 173. The present study, by re-editing and -translating the document, shall attempt to correct few philological errors of the previous study and to present a more nuance understanding of the text.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
श्रीदुर्गासहाय़\श्रीवुवाज्यु[royal seal]1स्वस्तिश्रीगिरिराजचक्रचूडामणिनरनारायणेत्यादिविविधविरु2दावलीविराजमानमानोन्नतश्रीमन्महाराजाधिराजश्रीश्रीश्री
3महाराजराजेन्द्रविक्रमसाहवहादुरसम्सेर्ज्जङ्गदेवानांसदास
4मरविजयिनाम्¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
5आगे•भेरिपूर्व•मेचिपश्चिम•भरमुलूकका•मगरहरुके¯ ¯ ¯
6वाटअपुतालि•चाक•चकुइमाफगरिवक्सनुभयाकोरहे
7छ•आजहांमिवाटफर्न्याउलोव़ाक्स्योग्वास्योसमेत्मा
8फगरि•औ•विराउंमाफिक्काषतमादंडसासनागर्नु•जी
9यनमासनुभनितिथिवाँधि•तावापत्रगरिवक्स्यौँ•इतिसं
10वत्१८७९शालद्वितीयआश्विनवदि८रोज३शुभम्¯ ¯
[1v]
मार्फत्रणोद्योतसाहमार्फत्प्राणसाहमार्फतभक्तवीरथापामार्फत्भीमसेनथापामार्फत्[...]पाँडेमार्फत्प्रसा[...]मार्फत्[...]सिंक[...]Translation
[1r]
May glorious Durgā help [us]
Venerable Father
[royal seal]
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 Śāha, the brave swordsman, the divine king always triumphant in war
Āge: To the Magaras throughout the kingdom; east from the [river] Bherī [and] west from the [river] Mecī. It becomes apparent that -[1]- (i.e., venerable father)2 had granted you an exemption from escheat [and] cākacakui.3 Today, [herewith] we issue a copper-plate having made the following regulation (thiti): "We exempte [you] also from pharnyāulo,4 vāksyo5 [and] gvāsyo,6 and in [other] punishable offences (birāu) [the authorities] shall punish [you] by fine, but [you] shall not be enslaved."
Tuesday, the 8th of the dark fortnight of the second Āśvina in the [Vikrama] ear year 1879 (1822 CE). Auspiciousness.
[1v]
MārphatRaṇodyota Sāha
MārphatPrāṇa Sāha
MārphatBhaktavīra Thāpā
MārphatBhīmasena Thāpā
Mārphat... Pā̃ḍe
MārphatPrasā...
Mārphat... siṃka ...
Commentary
Since the socio-cultural and caste classifications of the people of Nepal are highly complex due to the multitude of inter-mingled ethno-caste groups and diverse individual cultures,7 the caste system of the pre-modern Nepal renders as an interesting case for the study of cast theories and practises. Due to the fact that the caste system of Śāha and Rāṇā Nepal does not seem to follow the Brahmanical varṇa-system of dharmashastric practises, it is hard to reach a conclusion regarding the conceptual root behind the caste system of nineteenth century Nepal. In contradiction to the Brahmanical orthodox varṇa-system laid down in dharmashastric texts, the Mulukī Ain, for example, comprehends its own caste system to be partially based on dharmashastric ideas but more on customary practices. The present document indicates that the caste system of Nepal was not always bound to Brahmanical orthodox thought. It also shows that impurity was not a question of personal like or dislike but depended on social status deeply rooted in customary practice. The caste history of pre-modern Nepal shows rather a certain flexibility to redefine the caste status of certain categories of people. For example, in present document the Magara-caste group which previously was an Enslavable Alcohol-drinking caste group is upgraded as Non-enslavable Alcohol-drinker by issuing the lālamohara. This documents also indicates that the regulation of present document may have been incorporated later in the Mulukī Ain, which tells us that the documents issued before the Ain must have been one of the basis for the codification project of Jaṅga Bahādura Kuvãra Rāṇā.