Documents on Land Transfer

Documenta Nepalica

Religions- und rechtsgeschichtliche Quellen des vormodernen Nepal

 

 

Documents on land transfer

Main Editors: Simon Cubelic / Astrid Zotter / Ramhari Timalsina / Christo Zotter / Axel Michaels / Rajan Khatiwoda / Manik Bajracharya

Ein Sigel verschließt ein Dokument.

Agriculture had been Nepal’s dominant economic sector throughout the early Śāha and Rāṇā periods. Property or tax collection rights on land represented the major sources of wealth. Since Nepal was run as a patrimonial state, the Gorkhali king claimed ultimate possession and control over the territory. Through the assignment of land rights, the state allocated resources to administrative and military personnel, political elites and religious institutions. State actors and social groups were linked to the government and each other through an intricate system of different entitlements on land. Documents on land transfer are therefore of crucial importance for an understanding of the economic foundations of state formation, social power structures and religious life during Nepal’s ‘long’ nineteenth century.

 

Royal Endowments and Gifts of Land

PN_0004_0062: A copperplate inscription recording a land endowment by Bhīma Malla for feeding foreign Brahmins and ascetics and for worshipping Paśupatinātha (NS 760)

K_0469_0025: A copy of a rukkā from King Raṇabhīma Śāha to Bhuvaneśvaranātha confirming a birtā in Sīsavā (VS 1854)

K_0123_0050: A copy of a rukkā from King Raṇabhīma Śāha to Bhuvaneśvaranātha confirming a birtā in Sīsavā (VS 1854)

DNA_0013_0027: A lālamohara from King Gīrvāṇa donating land to the Visaṅkhunārāyaṇa Guṭhī (VS 1859)

K_0096_0012: A copy of a lālamohara granting Raṅganātha Pauḍyāla a house at Kathmandu’s Indracoka and further real property [VS 1861]

K_0096_0011: A copy of a lālamohara to Raṅganātha Pauḍyāla renewing a grant of land [VS 1863]

K_0096_0013: A copy of a lālamohara to Raṅganātha Pauḍyāla renewing a grant of land (undated)

DNA_0013_0031: A lālamohara from King Gīrvāṇayuddha granting land to Badhuvā Nagārci for conducting rituals (VS 1864)

DNA_0013_0029: A lālamohara of King Gīrvāṇayuddha granting land to Buddhirāma Dāsa (VS 1867)

DNA_0013_0026: A lālamohara from King Rājendra granting land to Jayanta Khatrī for temple maintenance and the worship of Bhāleśvara (VS 1879)

K_0096_0059: A copy of a lālamohara from King Rājendra granting a house to Rādhāramaṇa Arjyāla on the occasion of a widowed royal concubine’s self-immolation (VS 1879)

DNA_0013_0030: A mohara tāmrapatra issued by King Rājendra granting land to found a Sūryavināyaka guṭhī (VS 1882)

DNA_0013_0025: A lālamohara of King Rājendra establishing a guṭhi for the feeding of rice pudding to Paśupatinātha (VS 1885)

DNA_0013_0053: A lālamohara from King Rājendra re a land grant to Copadāra Vaṃśīdhara Lāmichānyā (VS 1887)

DNA_0013_0072: A lālamohara from King Rājendra updating a VS 1864 land grant to Bānu Pādhyā Dāhāla (VS 1889)

LD_0001_0001: A lālamohara from King Rājendra granting Munsī Lakṣmīdāsa a piece of land at Madu Ṭola as sunābirtā (VS 1889)

DNA_0013_0077: A lālamohara from King Rājendra updating a VS 1863 land grant to Raṅganātha Pauḍyāla (VS 1890)

DNA_0013_0028: A lālamohara from King Rājendra addressed to Māthavar Singh Thāpā underwriting a land-donation to establish a guṭhī (VS 1891)

DNA_0013_0086: A lālamohara from King Rājendra granting a birtā to Indu Bhānsyā (VS 1893)

 

Land Sales

K_0045_0011C: A sales deed of the land donated to the Brahmin prior to committing satī by the senior queen of King Rājendra(VS 1898)

DNA_0013_0109: A lālamohara from King Surendra confirming the sale of a sunābirtā belonging to Harkamāna Siṃ Śreṣṭha (VS 1915)

DNA_0013_0106: A lālamohara from King Surendra confirming the transaction of the sunābirtā of Mana Tamoṭ (VS 1919)

DNA_0013_0101: A lālamohara from King Surendra approving Jagatvīra and Kṛṣṇavīra's sale of land to Viramani Kumhāla (VS 1928)

DNA_0013_0107: A lālamohara from King Surendra confirming the sale of a sunābirtā belonging to Lakṣmīgovinda Khupācī (VS 1932)

DNA_0013_0108: A lālamohara from King Surendra confirming the sale of a sunābirtā belonging to Bhāju Dhan and Pāḍau Siṃ Lākhe (VS 1932)

 

Miscellaneous Land Issues

K_0001_0035C: A copy of a lālamohara from King Gīrvāṇayuddha exempting tax on land endowed to a guṭhī for bhajana (VS 1860)