Decision awarding an office of village headman to Pir Sethi as seized security for an unpaid loan
The village headman (muqaddam) Pir Sethi gave a loan of 680 rupees to another headman with the latter's headmanship serving as guarantee of repayment within three years. After the indebted headman died and a period of famine and enemy attacks resulted in the depopulation of the village, it was decided in the presence of a judge (qazi) and the notables of the district (pargana) that with the consent of the deceased's surviving relations, the headmanship should be placed in Pir Sethi's possession.
Functional document type: Private Deeds
Formal document type: Mahzar Nama
Themes: Administration, Debt and Mortgage, Desertion and Depopulation, Taxation and Tribute
Date:
Gregorian calendar:
13 October 1715
Julus calendar: 4 Shawwal 4
Suhur calendar: 1125
Shaka calendar: 1637
Jovian_brihaspati calendar: Manmatha
[Page 1r]
endorsements (top): Persian
1
دیانت خان
فدوی پادشاه غازی
محمد فرخسیر
سنه
…
2قاضی
عبد القادر
خادم شرع
…
۱۸
3باقرار دیسموک و دسپاندیه مهر نموده شده
1[Round black ink seal] Dianat Khan, servant of Emperor Muhammad Farrukhsiyar in the year
…
2[Round black ink seal] Qazi Abdul Qadir, servant of the law
…
18
3By the acknowledgment of the deshmukhs and deshpandes, the seal was applied
main text: Persian
1باعث تحریر این سطور آنکه
پیر سیتهی
مقدم موضع
کرب گانون
پرگنه
اکالکوت
صوبه
محمد آباد عرف ظفر آباد
2بحضور ارباب عدالت و اهالی و موالی پرگنه
افضل پور
صوبه مزبور آمده ظاهر نمود که
مسمی
ملپا
مقدم
3اندیواری
پرگنه
افضل پور
در عیوض مبلغ
۶
ششصد و هشتاد روپیه
در هنگامی که
پید نایک
موضع مزبور در قبض
4خود داشت از ما گرفته بگماشته نایک مزبور رسانیده در گروی
ملپا
مذکور مقدمی با وجه
لوازم و رسوم
5با اراضی انعام موضع مسطور تمسک بمیعاد ۳ سه ساله بعلامت و دستخط زمینداران پرگنه
مزبور نوشته داده که
6درینمدت زر را بوصول رسانم اگر بوعده زر واصل نسازم مقدمی با لوازم و مراسم و اراضی
دست بر دارم و
7چنانچه میعاد مقضی شد و
ملپا
مزبور مطابق وعده بوصول برساند و
ملپا
مقدم مزبور فوت شد
8و قحط سال گردید و مدت نه سال دیه مسطور از سبب رفت قحطی و فتور غنیم لئیم ویران گشت
9بنده مطابق تمسک از شریک مقدم و برادران مقدم مزبور زر را بقاضای نمود
10آنها گفتند که
ملپا
مقدم قربه مزبور در حین حیات خود تمسک بشرح و میعاد که بمن داده
11مایان نیز بمضمون آن راضی وشا کرانیم مقدمی وعده با لوازمه مقرری قربه مسطور در
قبض و تصرف
12خود نماید مایان را هیچوجه ازینمعنی تعین و مزاحمت نیست و نداریم
بنابران مطابق تمسک و اقرار
13شريک پتل و برادران مقمم مزبور و ارباب عدالت و اهالی و موالی دست ناطق میخواهم که
14ثانی الحال سند ناطق بما و اولاد و احفاد من و تفصیل مفصل در هندوی مرقوم است هر که
15ازینمعنی واقف باشد دستخط و شاهدی بر این قرطاس شب نماید لهذا این چند کلمه
بطریق محضر قلمی گشت تحریر فی التاریخ چهارم ۴ شوال سنه
۴
جلوس
1The reason for the writing of these lines is that Pir Sethi, muqaddam of the village
Kadabgaon in pargana Akkalkot in suba Muhammadabad, or Zaffarabad,
2in the presence of the notables of the court and all the people of the pargana
Afzalpur in the aforementioned suba came and announced that the muqaddam named Malappa
3of Andewadi in pargana Afzalpur took the sum of 6 six hundred and eighty rupees
at the time that Pid Nayak had the aforementioned village
4in his possession, and the agent of the aforementioned Nayak delivered it, and
in mortgaging of the aforementioned Malappa’s muqaddami along with the requisite fees
and perquisites
5and the inʿam lands of the aforementioned village, a tamassuk for a period of 3
three years with the marks and signatures of the landlords of the aforementioned
pargana was written that
6in this period, the money would be delivered to me. If by [this] promise the
money did not reach me, I would assume the muqaddami with the requisite fees and
perquisites. And
7accordingly the period elapsed. And the aforementioned Malappa according to the
promise should have paid. And Malappa the aforementioned muqaddam died.
8And a year of famine took place. And in a period of nine years, the
aforementioned village became depopulated because of flight from famine and the disorder of the cursed
enemy.
9The slave [I] according to the tamassuk summoned the partner of the muqaddam as
well as the brother of the aforementioned muqaddam to the qazi.
10They said that [as] the muqaddam Malappa of the aforementioned village in his
own lifetime gave a tamassuk with a statement and a period [of payment] to me,
11we also by the contents of that will acquiesce [to your claim].
12The promised muqaddami with the fixed perquisites of the aforementioned village
should be placed in [your] own control and possession. There is no obstruction
or issue to us from this event and we shall not have [such a problem]. On account of this, in accordance with the tamassuk
and iqrar,
13the associate of the patil and the brother of the aforementioned muqaddam and
the notables of the court and all the people willed decisively that
14henceforth a decisive sanad to me and my descendants and relations with the
particulars should be written in Hindvi. Whoever
15should become aware of this event may see the signatures and testimonies on
this paper. Therefore these few words in the form of a mahzar were written. Written
on the date fourth 4 Shawwal in the fourth year of the reign.
main text: Marathi
1माहजर बी हजूर हली मवाली प||
महमदनगर उरुफ बाग-
2वाडी चकले अकलकोट सुबे
महमदाबाद
सु|| सन
११२५
3शके
१६३७
मन्मथ
नाव सवछेरे अस्वीन व दी प्रतीपदा
4रवीवार जाहला माहजर यैसाजे सबब पेसजी
मलपा
मौकद-
5म मौजे अदेवाडी
प|| मजकूर याने
पीर सेठी
पासून कर्ज घेत-
6ले सबब फीतूर मुतालिकानी
पीड नाईक
हजूर सुबे-
7दार नीसबती हजूर येऊन मौजे म||री मौकाम राहून पैके गावास त-
8गादा लावीले याकरीतां कर्ज मोबलगं सन
१११३
मधे रु||
६८० [अळी]
9साहसे ऐसी
पीर सेठी
पासून पैके घेऊन पचाईताचे मारी-
10फातीने कतबा दीलहे त्यास वाइदा सी साला केले सदरहू पैके
11वाइदेस न पावले म्हणजे आपुली वतन मौकदमकी मान व मा-
12णणूक घरवाडां सेत व ईनामती आपुले खुशवजादीने
13दिलहे आहे येणे बमोजीब पाचाईताचे शाहीदीने कतबा
14दिलहे असतां मौजे मं|| कूल बेचीराख पडीले सबबं कहत
15माल व फीतूर गनीमं याचे पाईन व माल वैरान पडीले
मलपा
ना-
16मे फौत जाहला असता बादज प||
म||रास
पीर सेठी
येऊन
17अरबाब व अदालत व देसमुख व देसपाडे या हजूर इजाहेर
18केला की बमोजीब कतबे मौजे आदेवाडीचे
मलपा
मौकदम आपुले
[Page 3r]
19कर्ज देणे आहे यैसीयास आपुला कर्ज मौजे म||चे मौकदमापा-
20सून देवणे म्हणौन इस्तगासी जाहला बादज मौजे म||ची
21
बागली पटेल
___ व बीरादरानी
मलपा
यास बोलाऊन
22हजूर पुरसीस केला सदरहू कर्ज वाजीबी
पीर सेठीचे
देणे आहे
23ते देवणे म्हणोन फर्मावीला वरी
बागली पेटल
व बीरादरानी
24
मलपा
मजकूर जाहीर केला की
मलपा
हयात असता पैके घेऊन आपुली
25वतन दीलहे आहे आपणास पैके देवयास नाम व सारी कगाली
26जाहलो आहो
पीर सेठीस
मौजे म||चे मौकदमी बमोजीबं कतबा
27आपण रजावंद आलो म्हणौन जाहीर केला बादज अजरू वाजी-
28बी इनसाफ केला सदरहू पैकेस मौजे म||ची मौकदमी
29व मान व मानणुक व सेत व ईनाम व घरवाडा व जागा तमाम अरबाब अ- दालत देसमुख व देसपाडे
व तमाम हली मवाली मिलोन
पीर सेठीस
[Page 4r]
30मौजे म||चे मौकदमीकी मलपाचे उहदेच मानव मानणूक तमाम
31घरवाडा व जागां सेत ईनाम
…
दीलहे आहे हली गाव
32बेचीराग पडीला म्हणौन व सरफराजी इनाम जमीन चौकु-
33डवी चावर .|||. पाउणा
दीलहे आहे
पीर सेठीने
मौजे म|| चे मौकदम-
34की ईनाम पेसजी व हली येकून चावर ईतुके हकीम व देसमुख
35व देसपाडे मिलोन दिलहे आहे यैसीयास
पीर सेठी
मौकदम मौजे म||री
36चंद्र सुर्य असीजेत व पीडी दर पीडी मौकदमकी व मान मानणूक खा-
37ऊन सुखी गाव अबादकारी वसूल जारी करून लेकराचे लेकरे
38नादणूक करून पाढरीवरी साबीत कदम राहून दिवाण कामा-
39वरी रुजू होऊन असावा मौजे म||री पेसजी ईनाम व हली ईनाम
40येकून चावर याचे दरगाही तनखा ईनामतीचा पैका बाद
41देऊन बाकी जमीन मौजे म||रावरी सरसीकन वाटून वरावर्दी क-
42रून
पीर सेठी
मौकदम मौजे आदेवाडी यास ईनाम दिलहे आहे
43
प||
म||रचे हकीम व देसमुख व देसपाडे व मौकदम देहाये प||
म||
44रजावद होऊन सनदं माहजर
पीर सेठी
मौकदम मौजे म|| यास म-
45ऱ्हमत केले आहे पेस्तर सानीनहल जो कोणही माहजर सनदेस दीकत
46करीतील तरी बीनदारी लोकास सौगद हजरत राहोमधे कीलाफ
[Page 5r]
47बोलीलेच सौगद आहे व हीदू लोकास कासीस जाऊन मेले पातक
48समान आहे हली मौजे म||री हक घुगरी दर खडीस मुगे [अळी] १ येक
49लवाजीमा करून दीलहा आहे व माहार राबते हमेशां बतालूक
50मौकदमकीस न दूर माहार १ राहावा व जुलाही व धणगर यावरी
51लवाजीमा दर साल मागस रुपये ३
[अळी] तीन व गोणी राहदारी दर गोणी-
52स रुके [अळी]
३ तीन लवाजीमा करून दीलहे आहे मौजे म||चे माहारावरी
53दुसारा येक घेत जाणे हली दीला माहजर वाजब सही बा माहजर
54सही छ १४ माहे शौवाल1
1Mahzar in the presence of all the people of the pargana Muhammadnagar,
2or Bagwadi, chakla Akkalkot, in the suba Muhammadabad in the Suhur year 1125,
3or the Shaka [year] 1637, or the Manmatha year, in Ashwin on the first day [of the lunar fortnight],
4Monday. The completed mahzar is as follows, because previously Malappa, the muqaddam
5of the village Andewadi in the aforementioned pargana took a loan from Pir Sethi,
6[and] because [during the] confusion the agent of Pid Nayak came before the subadar
7of the government, stayed in the aforementioned village, and dunned the village for money.
8On account of this, in the year 1113 a loan of the sum of 680 rupees [fractional symbol],
9[or] six hundred and eighty, was taken from Pir Sethi, and under the supervision of the panchayat,
10a katba was given. So that a promise for three years was made. Should the aforementioned money
11not be received as promised, my own [Malappa’s] heritable rights to the muqaddami together with the fees and perquisites
12and residence and fields and anything related to the inʿam have been voluntarily
13given. Thus on the basis of the testimony of the panchayat, a katba
14having been given, the aforementioned village became fully depopulated. Because of famine
15and the disorder of the enemy, its land and property was wasted. Malappa
16having died, then Pir Sethi came to the aforementioned pargana
17and in the presence of the notables and the court and the deshmukhs and the deshpandes declared
18that on the basis of the katba, a loan to Malappa, the muqaddam of the village Andewadi,
19is to be given. Hence my own loan from the muqaddam of the aforementioned village
20ought to be given so
…
happened. Then the aforementioned village’s
21Bagli Patel
…
and the brothers of Malappa were summoned,
22and questioned. That the aforementioned loan of Pir Sethi’s that is to be given
23should be given, an order was made, and afterwards, Bagli Patel and the brothers
24of the aforementioned Malappa announced that Malappa when alive took the money and has given
25his heritable rights. We have become utterly impoverished in giving [back] the money to you.
26On the basis of the katba, so as [to give] the muqaddami of the aforementioned village to Pir Sethi,
27we come willingly, so [they] announced. Then by way of custom,
28justice was done. Towards the aforementioned money, the muqaddami of the aforementioned village
29and fees and perquisites and fields and inʿam and dwelling and place, all of the notables
30of the court and the deshmukhs and deshpandes and all of the people having assembled
31Malappa’s muqaddami in the aforementioned village and all the fees and perquisites
32and dwelling and place [and] fields [and] inʿam have been given to Pir Sethi. Now the village
33is depopulated. So for the enhancement of his inʿam lands,
34chavar 1/4, or one quarter, has been given. Pir Sethi [shall have] the muqaddami of the aforementioned village
35in inʿam, in total both previously and currently chavar
…
; so much the hakims and deshmukhs
36and deshpandes have assembled and given. Therefore Pir Sethi [shall have] the muqaddami of the aforementioned village
37[under] the sun and moon. And from generation to generation he shall enjoy the muqaddami and fees and perquisites
38happily and ensure the cultivation and revenue collection of the village, and the children of his children
39should abide and reside on the village-land steadily and attend to
40the government’s work. [Comprising] the aforementioned village’s previous inʿam and current inʿam,
41the inʿam monies of the total chavar should be exempt from the court’s taxation,
42and on the remaining lands of the aforementioned village, grants of revenue should be distributed, statements [of revenue] calculated,
43and the inʿam given to Pir Sethi, the muqaddam of the village Andewadi.
44The aforementioned pargana’s hakims and deshmukhs and deshpandes and muqaddams of the villages of the aforementioned pargana
45have acquiesced and conferred a sanad-mahzar on Pir Sethi, the muqaddam of the aforementioned village.
46In future if anyone should challenge the mahzar-sanad,
47for the turbaned people [Muslims] it will be as if [making] an oath to God is [the same as]
48contradicting an oath, and for Hindu people, it will be as if going to Kashi and dying
49is equal to a sin. Currently, [regarding] the rights to grain in the aforementioned village, from each khandi [of] mung, [fractional symbol] 1 one
50has been given as a perquisite. And [regarding] the Mahars and servants who are never
51far from the muqaddam, 1 Mahar should remain. And on the Julahis and Dhangars,
52in the late crop-season of each year only 3 three rupees and on the transit of gunny-sacks, from each gunny
53[fractional symbol] 3 three only rukas should be taken. The currently given mahzar is right. Approved by mahzar.
54Approved on the 14th of the month of Shawwal.
witness (right margin): Marathi
1द || भानजी नरसीव्ह दे-
2सपाडे प || माहमदनगर
3द || सीवराऊ जगदेव देसमुख
4प || माहमदनगर
5मौकदमानी म || मजकूर
6सीदपा मौकदम
7[Figure]
8तोटपा ज-
9दी मौकदम
10म || मजकूर
11जनापा पतकी
12म || म ||
13मलमपा म || मौजे बटरोफ
14[Figure]
15ब || जानो भिकाजी कुलकर्णी मौजे मजकूर
1Writing of Bhanji Narsivha,
2deshpande of pargana Muhammadnagar2
3Writing of Sivrau Jagdev, deshmukh
4of pargana Muhammadnagar
5Muqaddams of the aforementioned village
6Siddapa, cultivator
7[Figure (right margin): sign of a plough]
8Totapa Jadi
9
…
, cultivator
10of the aforementioned village
11Janappa Patki
…
12of the aforementioned village
13Malmappa, cultivator of the village Batarof
…
14[Figure (right margin): sign of a plough]
15By the pen of Jano Bhikaji, kulkarni of the aforementioned village
Notes
1. Different handwriting suggests that this line may have been written by the issuer, Pir Sethi. [BACK]
2. The witness signatures in the right margin of the document have been transcribed from top to bottom. They run across multiple images of the document. [BACK]
landlord (similar to chaudhri, desai)
record keeper (similar to qanungo)
village headman
district
province (Mughal term)
district
province (Mughal term)
village headman
district
reward, grant of tax-free land
bond or record of debt
district
office of muqaddam (village headman)
village headman
bond or record of debt
village headman
village headman
Islamic judge
village headman
bond or record of debt
office of muqaddam (village headman)
bond or record of debt
legal declaration
village headman
village headman
generically, a document
an affidavit (also sometimes called a mahzar-patra)
testimony, record, people present
district
territorial division comprising several parganas (districts)
province (Mughal term)
testimony, record, people present
village headman
district
provincial governor
legally binding declaration
reward, grant of tax-free land
judicial assembly (Today, it refers more generally to a local governing body.)
legally binding declaration
district
legally binding declaration
village headman
village headman
legally binding declaration
office of muqaddam (village headman)
office of muqaddam (village headman)
reward, grant of tax-free land
landlord (similar to chaudhri, desai)
record keeper (similar to qanungo)
office of muqaddam (village headman)
reward, grant of tax-free land
reward, grant of tax-free land
office of muqaddam (village headman)
reward, grant of tax-free land
a measure of land equal to 120 square bighas
governor, official
landlord (similar to chaudhri, desai)
record keeper (similar to qanungo)
office of muqaddam (village headman)
office of muqaddam (village headman)
reward, grant of tax-free land
reward, grant of tax-free land
reward, grant of tax-free land
a measure of land equal to 120 square bighas
reward, grant of tax-free land
village headman
district
governor, official
landlord (similar to chaudhri, desai)
record keeper (similar to qanungo)
village headman
district
generically, a document
testimony, record, people present
village headman
testimony, record, people present
generically, a document
a measure of weight (typically equal to either twenty or eight maunds)
a type of legume
a village watchman, messenger or guide
village headman
a village watchman, messenger or guide
a weaver, the weaver caste
a herder, a herder caste
small unit of currency (measure of currency corresponding to twelfth part of an anna; measure of land corresponding to five or more bighas)
testimony, record, people present
testimony, record, people present
record keeper (similar to qanungo)
district
landlord (similar to chaudhri, desai)
district
village headman
village record-keeper
Participants
Creditor:
Pir Sethi
Debtor:
Malappa
Notary:
Dianat Khan (Mir Ali Naqi)
Notary:
Qazi
Abdul Qadir
Witness: Bhanji Narsivha
Witness: Sivrau Jagdev
Witness:
Siddapa
Witness:
Totapa Jadi
Witness:
Janappa Patki
Witness:
Malmappa
Witness:
Jano Bhikaji
Language(s)
Persian
Marathi
Source
Bharat Itihas Sansodhak Mandal, SD rumal 4 no. 60
Archival Collection: Solapur Deshmukh collection
Transcribed from manuscript image
Edited by Dominic Vendell and Nandini Chatterjee
Encoding support and website development by Lizzy Williamson, Eva Bodenschatz, Richard Holding, Julia Hopkin and Gary Stringer