Lawforms

Digitised Legal Documents from the Indo-Persian World

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

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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.

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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
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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
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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
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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

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