Copy of an order of Gokul Das to the landlords of Devgarh assuring non-interference in their affairs
Gokul Das, the chief of Devgarh and a noble in the Udaipur court, issues an order to the landlords of Devgarh promising that he will not remove their perquisites without cause, nor punish them without an inquiry by the brotherhood of landlords. This order and the dispute it responds to informed James Tod's understanding of Rajput political systems.1 It is the upper of the two documents copied on one folio in the manuscript.
Functional document type: Orders
Formal document type: Parvana
Themes: Administration, Disputes
Date:
Samvat-chaitradi calendar: 6 Pausha badi 1874
Gregorian calendar:
28 January 1818
[Page 1r]
later addition (top centre): English
Art. 34 …
invocation (top centre): Rajasthani
later addition (top centre): Rajasthani
authorisation (top centre): Rajasthani
सही
Certified
main text: Rajasthani
1सिध श्री माहारावत जी श्री गोकलदास जी बचनात च्यारी मसल रा पटाय-
2तां दसे सो प्रसाद बांचजो अप्रंच बिना खून कणी पटायत रो चडस गांम ऊ-
3तारणो नही अर तगसीर मै पड़ ही जावै तो च्यारी मसल रा भाया नें पूछे नै ओ-
4लंभो दैणो न्ही बिना पूछ्यां ओलंभो देंवा तो म्हानै श्री नाथ जी री सोगन छै अ-
5णी मै तफावत पडै न्ही सं १८७४ पोस बद ६
1Success! By the order of Shri Maharawat Ji Shri Gokul Das Ji, proclaim benevolent
2greetings to the four ranks of pattayats. Thereafter: [ordered that] without fault,4
a pattayat's [traditional]5 village [rights]
3shall not be withdrawn. And if he should commit an offense, then he shall make an inquiry from the brotherhood of the four ranks and
4a reprimand shall not be made [by Gokul Das]. If we give a reprimand without an inquiry, then we take the oath of Shrinathji.
5In this [matter], there shall be no disparity. Samvat [Year] 1874 Pausha badi 6.
Notes
1. Tod published a translation of this document and the petition it addresses. See Tod, Annals and Antiquities, vol. 1, p. 199-200. [BACK]
2. This invocation is in Sanskrit. [BACK]
3. This is a clerical note from the scribe who copied the document. [BACK]
4. The word 'khun' most commonly means blood but is also used in Rajasthani in the sense of crime, offense or sin. [BACK]
5. This may be a technical revenue term. The term 'charas' most commonly is used to refer either a resin extracted from hemp or the leather buckets used to carry water in a Persian wheel, in Rajasthani it can also mean 'traditional,' which seems more likely here. [BACK]
a Hindu deity
a Hindu deity
an honorific added to a name or title to show respect
order
an honorific title for a Rajput noble, chief or prince
an honorific added to a name or title to show respect
an honorific for a Rajput chief or noble
an honorific added to a name or title to show respect
an honorific added to a name or title to show respect
landlord or one who holds a patta (Most widely used in Rajasthan, especially Mewar, where pattayats were similar to jagirdars.)
landlord or one who holds a patta (Most widely used in Rajasthan, especially Mewar, where pattayats were similar to jagirdars.)
a form of the Hindu deity Krishna (Shrinathji is closely associated with the ruling family of Mewar.)
dark half of the lunar month (when the moon is waning)
Participants
Issuer:
Rawat
Gokul Das II
Language(s)
English
Rajasthani
Source
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and
Ireland, Tod ms. 170, document 34
Archival Collection: James Tod collection
Transcribed from manuscript image.
Edited by Elizabeth Thelen
Encoding support and website development by Lizzy Williamson, Eva Bodenschatz, Richard Holding, Julia Hopkin and Gary Stringer