A bintīpatra from Cinīya to the premier requesting permission to open a money changer shop at the Asana market square (VS 1961)
ID: K_0230_0014
Edited and
translated by Simon Cubelic
in collaboration with
Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2015-05-08;
Last modified: 2018-06-19
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Abstract
In this petition, a certain Cinīya requests the prime minister to grant permission to open a money changer shop at the market square of Asana on the basis of a fixed rent rather than a tender process. Cinīya had been conducting his business at the same place before, but following an order of the Sahara Saphāī Aḍḍā his shop was closed. Cinīya buttresses his petition with the example of sellers at Indracoka and Asana who were granted the right to conduct their business there.
Diplomatic edition
[1r]
[...]विंतिपत्र1उप्राँतमाहाराजकरुणानीधान्धर्मावतारप्रभुअघिदेषीअसन्काडवलिमासराफिपसल्थापिवेपारगरीआ2याकोपछीसर्कारवाटसफाईअगरायीवक्स्येपछीवीनाप्रमान्गीलेसोडवलिमापसल्थाप्नदिंनभनीरो
3कींडापसल्थापननपाईतेसैरहेकोथियोहाल्काठमाडौईन्द्रचोक्काडवलिमारोज[?]पैरू३वाहा
4ल्वुझाई•पसल्थापनदीनुभंन्यासन्दभैपसल्थापीआयाको•र•असन्•अंनपुर्णथान्अगाडीपनी•चाम
5ल्वेचनेहरूलाइ•पसल्थापनदीवक्सेकाहुनालेअसन्टोल्कोठेक्कामा१२पसलकोवाहालवढावढ
6नगर्नुसोपसल्मावस्न्यालेमामुलियेट्चलाई•वर्ष१को•मोहर्रू२१६ठेक्वुझाउनुभंन्यापट्टाभयाकोमिला
7पत्रमापनिसोडवली•नचढेको•ठेक्कागुठीदेषीपनीवाहेक्कोसडक्देषीपनीफरक्कोअसन्काडवलि
8कोवर्ष१कोमोहरू१००सर्कारमायेसलेवाल्वुझाउज्याल्•छतछातानराषिडषीन्तर्फ[?]•राम्राडेषनेग
9रीसराफिपसल्थापनदीनुभंन्या•सफाई•अडाकानाउमाप्रमानीगरीवक्स्यासर्कारको[...]मनाई•वाहा
10ल्वुझाई•सराफीपसल्थापी•जाहान्वचापालिवस्दाहूंप्रभुजोमर्जिहुकुंम्¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
11ईततावेडारसहरकाठमाडौंठहीटीटोल्वस्न्या•चिनी
12याकोकुर्णैस्कुर्णैस्¯¯¯¯¯¯¯३
13ईतिसम्वत्१९६१साल्आश्वीणगते[?]रोज[?]शुभं¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Translation
[1r]
Uprānta: O great king! O treasure store of compassion! O incarnation of the dharma! O lord!
In earlier times I established a money changer (sarāphi) shop at the market square (ḍabali) of Asana and conducted business [there]. Later, after the [Sahara] Saphāī Aḍḍā was set up by Sarkāra, [my business] was halted [following an order stating:] "I do not allow shops at this market square without permission (pramāṅgī)". [I] was not allowed to [re-]establish [my shop], and it has been like this [ever since]. Currently shops have been established on the basis of the [following] sanada: "Let them establish shops at the market square of Indracoka, Kathmandu, upon paying 3 pairū", and you have allowed rice sellers to establish shops in front of the Annapūrṇāthāna of Asana, so that if, in the name of the [Sahara] Saphāī Aḍḍā, you grant the [following] order: "As long as this person pays to the government a rent of 100 mohara rupaiyā per year [for a shop] at the market square of Asana [1] not mentioned in the compromise document (milāpatra) containing the deed of lease to the effect that no tender process shall be conducted for the 12 shops of Asana Ṭol, the owners of which shops shall engage in their usual [business] and shall pay a lease sum of 216 mohara rupaiyā, [2] not recorded [among the shops belonging to] the market square, [3] excluded from guṭhī [overseership] for the contract, [and] [4] which is off the road, let him open a money changer shop, erected without a roof and facing south so as to look nice", I shall celebrate Sarkāra’s victory, pay my rent, establish the money changer shop, and go on taking care of my family and children.
O Lord, whatever order [you give, I shall obey]. Thrice salutations from [your] servant Cinīya, residing at Ṭhahīṭī Ṭol of Kathmandu City.
...,1 Āśvina, [Vikrama] era year 1961 (1904 CE). Auspiciousness.
Commentary
This document is part of a series of documents on the reallocation of licenses for the operation of shop stalls belonging to the Annapūrṇā Guṭhī at Asana (e.g. K_0230_0014, K_0230_0015, K_0242_0031, K_0499_0041) at the beginning of the twentieth century. These shops were located at a crossroads around Annapūrṇā Temple and embedded in the larger market area of Asana Ṭol, where people of the Urāy caste have been playing a prominent role in trade and business (cf. Lewis 1995). Originally, the Annapūrṇā Guṭhī administered 43 shops in that area, as recorded on a stone slab (see K_0242_0030 which is a copy of the inscription). However, due to a road widening project only a few years before the events recorded in this document took place, the number of shops had been decreased to twelve (cf. K_0242_0031). As a consequence, the petitioner of this document, Cinīya, lost his business. It seems that after the road widening the establishment of shops on the basis of a fixed annual rent to be paid to the government was no longer granted at the market square of Asana except for those twelve shops. Opening a new shop depended on a license acquired through a tender process, which was regulated according to the ijāra-system. Due to the limited contract period and the unpredictable costs for such a license, this system represented a considerable risk for local businessmen. Cinīya's request for an exemption from the ijāra-system is therefore comprehensible. In the end, Cinīya's petition was not successful. A report of the Guṭhībandobasta Aḍḍā from 1904 (VS 1961, K_0242_0031) reveals the official response to Cinīya's petition from the Mulukī Aḍḍā (K_0230_0016). There the order is given that, if possible, the license for gambling should be put up for competitive bidding together with the license for the establishment of the money changer shop.