history of nepal. - Sanskrit Manuscripts Project, Cambridge

History y of
Nepal
With an Introductory y Sketch of the
Country and People of Nepal
- Daniel Wright
Reprint
New Delhi, Madras
Asian Educational Services 1990
First Published 1877
Downloaded & Uploaded by – Ravi Shakya
Ikhachhen -22 Lalitpur
ravishakyaus@yahoo.com
y @y
9849087328

TRANSLATED FROM THE PARBATIYA
BY
MUNSHI SHEW SHUNKER SINGH
PANDIT SHRi GUNANAND
HISTORY OF NEPAL
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY SKETCH
OF THE
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE OF NEPAL

(Plate I)
SIR o.TUNG BAHADUR, G C B ,GC SI,
PRIME MINISTER OF NEPAL
''

TRANSLATED FROM THE PARBATIYA
BY
MUNSHI SHEW SHUNKER SINGH
PANDIT SHRI GUNANAND
HISTORY OF NEPAL
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY SKETCH
OF THE
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE OF NEPAL
DANIEL WRIGHT
ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
NEW DELHI* MADRAS* 1990

ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.
* C-2/15, S D A NEW DELHI-110016
* 5 SRIPURM\ FIRST STREET, MADRAS-600014
Pnce Rs 195
First Publrshed 1877
AES Repnnt 1 990
ISBN 81-206 0552-7
Published by J Jetfey
for ASIAN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
C-2/15 SDA New Delhl-11 00 16
Processed by APEX PUBU CATION SERVICES
NewDelhr-110016
Pnnted

V1
PREFACE
I am not myself an Oriental scholar, and have had
nothing to do with the translation beyond revising it
for publication, and adding a few notes regarding the
customs and places melll.tioned. The work translated
is the V ansavali or Genealogical History of Nepal,
0
according to the Buddhist recension. The original
manuscript, written in Parbatiya with an admixture of
Sanskrit and N ewarr, is in the possession of Professor
Cowell. There is another redaction, or at all events a
similar work, recognised by the Gorkhas and Hindu
races of the country, copies of which are in the British
Museum and the University Library of Oambr1dge.
At the present time the orthography of Oriental
prope:r names is somewhat unsettled. In general,
throughout the History, the names have been written
as nearly as possible in the1r original form, the vowels
having the Itahan sounds. The different sounds of the
letters d, t, s and sh, in Sanskrit, have not been systema­
tically ind1cated by points or otherwise. The Munshi
often uses kh for sh, J for y, and b for v. In the names
of some well-known places, and in such familiar words as
Du1·bar, Jung, etc., the usual spelhng has been retained,
mor.e espeotally in the Introduction. Some names may
be found. spelled differently in dtfferent places, but this is
usually not owing to any mistake, but because the words
have inten onally been given as written in the original
manuscript

PREFACE. Vll
The Illustrations are copies of drawings made for m.e
by a native of Nepal. Though not of m.uch value as
works of art, they convey a very fair idea of the places
and objects represented.. The Portraits are from photo ..
g;raphs taken by a friend.
The Appendix contains, among other things, a short
vocabulary, Parbatiya and Newa1·I; some Newa1.I songs:.
with a literal translation ; and a list of the manuscripts
wh1ch I ha.ve procured for the University Library of
(...\:t.i.JJ bri.dge. These, -though of slight interest to the
general reader, may, I am told, prove interesting to
Oriental scholars.
In conclusion, I must acknowledge my obligations to
Professor Cowell of Cambridge, and Professor Eggeling of
Edinburgh,. both of whom have given me much assistance
in the correct writing of Sanskrit words. My brother,
Professor W. Wrigh-t of Cambridge, has greatly helped
me in revising the proof-sheets and superintending the
pubhshing of the work, the cost of which has been most
liberally undertaken by the Syndics of the University
Press at Cambridge.
CAMBRIDGE,
12th January, 1877
DANIEL WRIGHT.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. XV
PLATE XI, p 174
SPECIMENS OF SEVERAL FORMS OF CR.A.ITY.A.S
The central one IS an old, pure Buddhist, mound-temple That to
the left 1s a more modern Buddhist form The one to the nght Is a
miXed H mdii and Buddhist shrme, comb1nmg th€' hnga and Jalhali Wlth
Bua dhlst figures
PL.A.TE XII, p 193
G.A.TEW.A.Y AND WINDOW OF THE DURBAR BUILT AT EHATGAON, AD 1697,
BY RAJA BHUPATINDRA MALLA.
The oval In the centre of the carved wmdow, immediately abo-ve
the door, contams the p1ece of glass ment10ned m. the te:x:t
PLATE XIII, p 213
THE PRAYER COMPOSED, AND WRITTEN IN FIFTEEN CHARACTERS, BY RAJA
PRATAPA M.A.LL.A., AD 1654.
It is 1nscnbed on a stone, bruit Into the wall of the Palace at
Kathman

8 HISTORY OF NEPAL. (CHAP.
The principal peaks of the snowy range seen from
Kukan1 are: Mount Everest, 29,000 feet; Gosain
Than, 26,000 feet; Yasa and Mutsiputra, 24,000 feet;
and the so-called Diwalg1ri, 26,800 feet. There are
many intermedtate peaks, and on a favourable day
the snow may be seen from K1nchinJunga on the east to
Diwalg1ri on the west, stretclnng over at least 120
degrees of the l1orizon.
The principal valleys seen from the pass are the Liku
and Taddi Kholas and the valley of N oakot Through
the latter runs the Trisul Gunga, a large and rap1d
stream, afterwards known as the Gundtlk. All these
valleys are fertile and well cultivated, and being much
lower than the valley of Nepal are of course warmer,
and produce in ahundance all the fruits found in the
plains of Hindustan
No Europeans are allowed to cross the Trisul Gunga,
though there is an excellent bridge about four miles from
the town of N oakot.
On reach1ng the top of the Chandragiri pass, a
stranger is at once impressed with an 1dea of the
denseness of the population of the valley. Bes1des three
large towns, which are conspicuous obJects 1n the v1ew,
there are many smaller towns and innumerable hamlets,
studded all over the h1gher grounds and slopes of
the hills ; and in addition to these, in almost every
field there appears to be a cottage The natives themselves
estimate the population of the valley at about
half a million, and probably this is not far from the
truth
The names of most of the towns and villages will
be ment1oned 1n the history, so it is only necessary here

I.) INTRODUCTORY SKETCH. 9
to g1ve a short description of the present cond1tion of a
few of the most important.
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, stands near the
..
centre of the valley, in Lat 27°42"N, and Long. 85()36'E.
It is situated at the JUnction of the Bagrnat1 and Vlshnumati
rivers, but lies closer to the latter, extending
along its eastern bank for about a 1n1le. When seen
from above, 1ts shape is very 1rreg ular, but It is said
by the natives to resemble the Khora or sword of Devi.
It Is known by several nan1es, such as Yindesi, Kant1pur,
and Kathmadu or Kathmandu It is sa1d to have been
founded by Rt\Ja Gunakamadeva, In the Kal1gat year
3824 (A D 723)
The town IS built on no regular plan; but the main
street may be sa1d to run nearly north and south, and
1t is crossed at var1ous angles by several others, whjle
between these is a network of narrow dark lanes. The
population, Including that of the suburbs, 1s stated at
50,000) but probably 30,000 would be nearer the truth.
The houses are from two to four stories high, and arc:'
all built of br1ck and tiled, except i11 the suburbs, where
the roofs are of thatch. The better class of buildings is
elaborately ornamented with plaster and paintings, and
the houses In general possess large projecting wooden
wmdows or balconies, which are r1chly carved. Some of
the w1ndows represent a peacock with outspread tail ;
others contain groups of figures of gods, men, griffins,
horses, birds, l1zards, etc , and are surrounded by garlands
of flowers. The carving, as a rule, is bold and wellexecuted,
but the best specimens are to be found on the
older buildings, as the taste for it seems to be dying
out. In several parts of the town 1there are small open
spaces, paved l1ke the streets \Vlth brick and stone. In

I2 HISTORY OF NEPAL. (CHAP.
there is a stagnant ditch, full of putrid mud, and no
attempt is ever made to clean these thoroughly. The
streets, 1t is true, are swept in the centre, and part of the
filth is carried off by the sellers of manure ; but to clean
the dra1ns would now be Impossible without knocking
down the ent1re city, as the whole ground is saturated
With :filth. The houses are generally built in the form
of hollow squares, opening off the streets by low doorways;
and these central courtyards are too often only
receptacles for rubbish of every sort. In short, from a
sanitary point of view, Kathmandu may be said to be
bwlt on a dunghill in the m1ddle of latrines f
On leaving the town by the north-east gateway, and
turning to the south, the first object one sees is c1 large
tank, the Ranipokhri. It is surrounded by a wall, and
1n the centre is a temple, united to the western bank
by a ]ong narrow bdck bridge. On the soutl1 side is
a large figure of an elephant, cut out of, or rather built
of, stone, bearing the image of Raja Pratapa Malla, the
maker of the tank., and of his Ram A l1ttle fa,rther
south the road passes through an avenue of bukayun
trees, which runs between the city and the great paradeground
or Tud1khel. This ground is a large open space,
covered with a fine green sward, and here the troops
are daily drilled and exercised In the centre is a square
stone buildmg about thrrty feet high, which was erected
by Sir J ung Bahadur after his return frorn England in
1851. On the top, t1ll lately, stood a figure of Sir
Jung Bahadur, holding a sword 1n one hand and a scroll
1n the other, and at the four corners were hideous
brazen griffins or dragons. All these have however
been removed to a new te1nple built by Sir Jung
Bahadur on tl1e bank of the Bagmat1. To the west

INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 2I
Pashnpati stands on the western bank of the Bagmati,
about three miles north-east of Kath1nandu. The
town itself1s rather d1lap1dated, and consists of one main
street, runn1ng east and west, and a few side streets,
which are horribly dirty and abound w1th pigs. Close
to the bank of the river stands the holiest temple of
Nepal, the shr1ne of Pashupat1natha It is a handsome
building m the pagoda style, with a brazen -gUt roof,
and large richly carved silver gates. A good view of
it Is obtarned from the high bc1nk on the opposite side
of the river, but no European IS ever allowed to approach
even the outer wall of the temple The banks of the
river are paved for several hundred yards, and there
are stone steps and places for burning the dead here
and there. The r1 ver IS crossed by two handsome
bridges, from which a good view of the buildings is
obtained. The stream IS here narrow, and runs between
precipitous banks of 80 or 100 feet in height. The
banks are wooded above the temples, and amongst the
trees on the face of the banks are some curious fakirs'
ca veg. On the eastern side of the river is a hill, covered
with lofty trees (chiefly oak and champa) and jungle,
which IS alive with monkeys, who are as familiar and
impudent as 1n most other holy places Th1s wood is
the Mrigasthali of Nepalese tradition. In the centre
of the wood are numerous small shrines and temples,
1nclud1ng a large one lately built by S1r J ung Bahadur.
To Pashupat1 almost all the dying are brought when
tl1e1r end approaches, and at the last moment they are
hurried to the edge of the stream, and their lower extremities
are immersed m the water. Here too the
bod1es of the dead are burned, and there is a spot close
by vvhere Satis are Immolated.

CHAPTER II.
Popul.a.tlon of the count1y Var1oud races Gurkhas, Newars, Maga1s,
Gurungs, LunLUB, Kucl.tis, Bhot1yas, and Lepchas Then appearance,
la-nguages, dress, and ornaments Food Dnnks Educat1on
Rehg1ons l\farr1age Sa tis Adultery and 1ts punishment Divorce.
Eras In use in Nepal Rebg1ous festivals
FoR the size of the country Nepal possesses a great
variety of races m Its population The pr1ncipal of these
are the Gorkhas, N ewars, Magars, Gurungs, Limbus,
K1rat1s, Bhottyas a.nd Lepchas
The Gorkhas, or Gorkhal1s, so named from "tl1.e former
capital of their country, are the domtnant race. They
formerly occup1ed the d1strict around the .town of
Gorkha, which is about forty miles west of Kathmandu.
They are sa1d to be of RaJpilt descent, and to have
been driven out of RaJpntana on the occasion of an
invas1on by Musulmans 1 They first settled near Palpa,
having passed through the Kumaon hills, and gradually
extended their dominions to Gorkha. A little more than
a hundred years 2 ago they Invaded Nepal, and the
country to the eastward, and they have remained the
ruling race ever since
The Gor.khas are in general rather £ne-looking men.
Some of the higher castes, such as are found in some
regiments of the army, are tall and slirn in £g1..1re, but
1 The royal fanuly chnms to be descended from that of U da1pilx
2 The centenary of the conquest was m 1868

lPlate V) A RANI OR NEPALESE LADY OF HIGH RANK

n] INTRODUCTORY SICETCH
we

n] INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 41
18 Ganesh Chauth.
This jestival, wh1ch is held on the 4th of Magh, is
in honour of Ganesh, the god of wisdom Fasting and
worship are the order of the day,-with feastrng as a
sequence at n1ght.
19. Basant or· Srrpancha1ni
This takes place on the 20th of Magh, and IS m
honour of Saraswati, the goddess of learning.
20. Holi.
This festival takfls place on tl1e last day of Phagun.
In Nepal a wooden post or chir, adorned w1th flags,
1s erected in front of the palace, and this IS burned at
night, representing the burnmg of the body of the old
year.
21. - Maghi Purnima
Some of the young N ewars bathe in the Bagmati
every morning dnr1ng Magh, and on the last day of
the month some of the bathers are carried in process1on
from the bathing-places to the temples. They are earned
in ornamented Q.olis, lJing on therr backs, with lighted
chirags (lamps) on their chests, arms and legs. As most
of them V{ear green spectacles, to protect their eyes from
the sparks, the sight is rather mirth-provoking. Behind
the dolis follow the other bathers, bearing on their heads
earthen water-pots, perforated with innumerable straws,
through which the water escapes. Passers-by catch a
fe,v drops and sprinkle them on their foreheads.

CHAPTER III.
Occupations of the people Brd.hmans Pnests Astrologers Eaids.
Clerks Laws and pun1shments Caste'!l Slavery. Trade and
manufactures. Agnculture L1ve stock The army The revenue
ThEl roads
As this sketch is not intended for a Gazetteer, it is
unnecessary to enter at great length into the subject
of the occupations of the people.
Priests and Brahmans of course are very nUlllerous,
and have much m:fluence in a country where there are
so many temples, and at least half the time of the
people seems to be spent in piijas and religious holidays.
The Raj Guru 1s a wealthy and influential person in the
state, and has a large income from government lands,
and also from the £nes inflicted for offences against the
rules of caste. Many other priests, Gurus and Purohits,
have lands assigned to them, and many of the temples
have been richly endowed by their founders. Still, a
great many of the priests depend for their s11pport on
the offerings of their jajmans (clients), who pay them
fees for the ceremonies performed at births, mru:·riages
and deaths. Every family has a special priest, whose
office is hereditary. Immense sums are wasted in feeding
Brahmans on all sorts of occasions. As an instance, it
.may be mentioned, that, when Sir Jung Bahadur met
with an accident at Bombay in 1875, fifteen thousand
rupees were spent in feeding Brahmans at Kathmancjii.

44 HISTORY OF NEPAL [cHAP
Astrologers form another large class of the learned
community Some of them are also priests, but 1n
general the professions are distinct. In Nepal astrology
must be a profitable pursu1t, as no great man thinks of
sett1ng out on a journey, or undertaking any business
whatever, w1thout having an auspicious moment selected.
Indeed the time for everything, from the taking of a
dose of physic to the declarat1on of a war, is determined
by the astrologers
Ba1ds, or medical men, are also numerous in Nepal,
and all fam1lies of any pretension have at least one
permanently attached to their service There are, however,
no public hosp1tals or dtspensaries, nor any means
provided for the relief of 1ndigent sick people.
The duties of clerks and accountants are performed
by a special class of people, chiefly N ewars
Lawyers are not held in much estimation in Nepal
f
The chief justice gets a salary of some two hundred
rupees a month, so that the inducements for bribery
and corruption are great
As an appeal can always be made to the Councll
(which practically means Sir J ung Bahadur), justice is
on the whole pretty fairly administered
The old savage code of punishments, involving mutilations,
stripes, etc., etc., was abolished by Sir Jung
Bahadur on his return from England. Treason, rebellion,
desertion in time of war, and other offences against the
state, are punished by death or imprisonment for life ;
bribery and peculation by government servants, by fines,
imprisonment, and dismissal from office.
Killing cows and murder are punished by death ;
maiming cows and manslaughter, by imprisonment for
l1fe; and other acts of violence by imprisonment ordines.

III) INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 45
If a low caste person pretends to belong to a higher
caste, and induces a high caste person to pc1rtake of
food or water from his hands, he renders himself hable
to a heavy fine, or imprisonment, or the confiscation of
all his property, or he may even be sold Into slavery ..
The victrm of his deception is re-admitted to his caste
on payment of certain fees to the priests, and the performance
of certain fasts and ceremonies (prayaschit)
Brahmans and women are never capitally punished.
The severest punishment for women pubhcly is imprisonment
for life with hard labour, and for Brahmans the
same with degradation from caste.
Slavery 1s one of the institutions of Nepal. Every
person of any means has several slaves in his household,
and the wealthy have generally a great number of both
sexes. It is said that there are from twenty to tlurty
thousand slaves in the country. Most of these have
been born slaves; but free men and women, with all
their families, may be sold into slavery as a punishmen_t
for certain crin1es, such as incest and some offences
against caste. In a few of the wealthier households the
female slaves are not allowed to leave the house ; but in
general they enjoy a great deal of freedom in this respect_,
and the morals of the female slaves are very loose in
consequence They are generally employed in domestic
work, wood-cutting, grass-cutting, a,nd similar labour.
The price of slaves ranges for females from 150 to 200
rupees, and for males from 100 to 150 rupees. They
are usually well treated, and on the whole seem quite
contented and happy. Should a slave have a child by
her master, she can claim her freedom.
All the trade and manufactures of the country may
be said to be in the hands of the N ewars and a few

HISTORY OF NEPAL. (CHAP.
foreigners. A few families of Kashmiris have been settled
at Kathm.an

III] INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 47
and goats for food are all imported What few there
are in the valley are small and of infer1or breeds. , Ducks
and fowls are plentiful and of good quality. Much pains
are bestowed on the rearing of ducks, as their eggs are
greatly prized as an article of food. They are carried
out daily to the rice fields in large baskets and allowed
to fcled there, and in the evening they are collected and
carried home again.
The military art of course has great attention bestowed
on it by the Gorkhas. In fact, most of the
revenue of the country is wasted in playing at soldiering,
and rn manufacturing very useless rifles and cannon.
The actual standmg army consists of about 16,000 men.
These are divided into twenty-six regiments of from 500
to 600 men each. Besides these, however, there is a
large force consisting of men who have served for several
years and taken their discharge. These men, after staying
a few years at home, may again enter the ranks, and
take the place of others, who in turn lie by for a yearor
two. Thus the Nepalese could with little trouble
raise a force of 60,000 or 70,000 men, who have been
trained to arms.
The regiments are formed on the British model, and
are drilled with English words of command, or at least
what are supposed to be so. The army is oflicered much
in the same way as the English army. There is, however,
no regular system of promotion, all appointments
being renewed annually, and greyhaired lieutenants are
often to be seen in the same regiment with beardless
co1onels. In fact, all the higher ranks are :filled up by
the sons and relatives of Sir J ung Bahadur and his
brothers.
Practically speaking, Sir Jung Bahadur is the head

IV] INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 55
the bridge leading from the town across the Vishnumat1
to the west. So ended the life of a gallant old chief,
who had ruled Nepal for five-and-twenty years.
From this time on to 1843, the enemies of Bhimasena,
the Kala Panre faction, continued in power, though sometimes
ousted from office for a t1me by other factions.
Intrigues both within the country, and in H1ndustan
were being constantly carried on ; and there were frequent
disputes with the British Government, which sometimes
threatened to terminate 1n open hostilities. Fortunately,
however, by the sk1lful management of the Resident,
Mr Hodgson, war was averted
In 1843 the nephew of Bhimasena, a dashrng soldier
named Matabar Singh, returned from exile 1 • He soon
obtained favour with the Court and army, and the first
exertion of his power was to effect the destruction of his
enemies, the Kala Panres, who were seized and executed
in lVIay 1843.
About this time mention is often made, in the reports
of official proceedings, of a rising young soldier named
Jung Bahadur. He was one of a band of seven brothers,
the sons of a Kaji, or Nepalese official. He had, as usual,
entAred the m1l1tary service when young, and for a time
had been the personal attendant of the young prmce By
this time, howevar, he had risen to the rank of Colonel,
and in 1844 his uncle, Matabar S1ngh, expressed some
alarm at the Increase of his influence at Court and w1th
the army.
The Resident, Srr Henry (then MaJor) Lawrence,
mentions h1m as an intelligent young man, particularly
1 He had 'been sen"C on an embassy to Calcutta. m 1836, and subsequently to
RanJit Smgh H1s conduct hav1ng been su.sp1c1olls on the latter occa.s1on, he had
been de tamed by the Br1t1sh under survellla.nce, recel'Vlng, however, an allo'!ance of
1000 rupees a month

HISTORY OF NEPAL [cHAr
beyond Junga, and the l{erong and K utt1 passes The
dlfficult1es to be encountered, had they advanced farther,
would have increased at every footstep, and It may be
doubted If they would ever have succeeded 1n ente1ing
'11bet.
In November 1855, news reached Kathmandf1 that
Kutti had been surprised and retaken by the Bhotiyas,
and that Junga and Kerong were also surrounded by
large bodies of troops. Reinforcements were at once
hurried up, Kutti was retaken, and after some severe
fighting Jiinga and Kerong were rel1eved. The rehev1ng
force at Jiinga, hov\rever, was besieged for twenty-nine
clays, and the troops snffered greatly from cold and want
of food.
The T1betans now began to find that they could not
contend successfully w1th the Nepalese, and proposals
for peace were made The negotiations, however, lasted
for months, as frequent references had to be made to the
Chine&e authorities at Lhasa. In the meantime siX fresh
regnnents were being ra1sed at KathmanQ.u, a war-tax
was about to be levied on all officials, above the rank of
J amadar, of one-thn·d of the produce of thelr land, and
every p1eparat1on was made for pushing on the war in
the next season. Fortunately, however, terms were agreed
on, and a treaty of peace was signed on the 25th of March
185G. The main points of it were, that Tibet sbould
pay 10,000 rupees (£1_900) annually, on condition of the
Nepalese evacuating the Tibetan territory which they had
occupied , that the import duties on goods from Nepal
should be rem1tted ; and that a Gorkha official should be
allov1ed to res1de at Lhasa, to protect the interests of
Nepalese traders. Several other m1nor points, such as
exchange of prisoners, pardon for Tibetan subjects who

CHA.PTER V.
Remarks on the aspect of pohtwal matters 1n Nepal at the present time.
Sn J"ung Bahd.dur's Influence. H1-s numerous rela,t1ves P1.ospect
of the country be1ng thrown open to Europeans T1 ade Ohazacter
of the Ne-palese Pos1t1on of the Res1don.t and othe1 Europeans
1n Nepal Means of obtaining 1nforma.t1on regardmg the countty.
Amusements and employm.ents of young men of the upper classes.
lJq.ncl.uillng general 1.emarks on the couutty and 1ts chrnate
'VING now described the Valley of Nepal) and given
brief sketch of its people and its history, it only remains
for me to add a few remarks on the probable
future of the country, the general condrtion of the people,
the prospects of trade, and the social intercourse eXIsting
between the Nepalese and Europeans. To treat of all
these subJects fully would Increase the bulk of th1s
uitroduction to an unreasonable extent :1 I shall therefore
be as succinct as possible
As long as S1r J ung Bahadur retains his present
Influence In tl1e count1y, It 1s extremely unlikely that
there w1ll be any change in the relations ex1stmg between
the British and Nepalese l-Ie has obtained a most
astonishing hold upon the country HlS word is law,
and h1s power seems unlim1ted. Owu1g to the lntermarriages
bet\veen h1s numerous relatives and all ranks
of the upper classes, his family interests are interwoven
with those of almost every other fa1nily_, from that of the
king down to the lowest officials.
:J-2

72 1-IISTORY OF NEPAL (CHAP.
the year, when any especially Important business occurs,
or on the occasion of a 1narriage In the royal family the
Resident may be mv1ted to look on at the procession, but
this is all the intercourse that tal\:es place
There Is a guard of Nepalese soldiers on tl1e road
leacl1ng to the Residency, and no Gorkha can enter the
hmits of the Residency without permiSSion frotn S1r Jung
Bahadur, and w1thout be1ng accompanied by the Vakil
Whenever n. European goes out walking, lle 1s followed
by a Nepalese soldier fro1n the guard ; and I
believe a daily report is 1nade of everything that occurs
nt the Residency.
Such being the state of affa1rs, 1t can be e[Ls1ly understood
how difficult it IS for the Res1dent, 01 any Europe
to obta1n inform

74 HISTORY OF NEPAL. (cHAP
the Terai; and they have 110 literature to occupy them in
their houses. In short, they seem. to have nothing to fill
up their leisure hours, which must be numerous! ,and in
consequence they are given up to goss1pping, gambling,
and debaucpery of all sorts. Attempts have been made
at various times by their tutors to get the young men to
play at cricket and other games, but such amusements
are thought degrading Even to walk is beneath their
dignity, and when moving about in their own houses and
grounds, they are generally carried pick-a-back by a slave
or attendant. I have often seen boys of from eight to
£.ftee11 years of age thus rid1ng to the1r tutor's house of
a morning, a distance of, perhapf3..t. two hundred yards.
I may be thought harsh in my statements regard
the Nepalese. All I can say is, they are true, and l
no good purpose to be served by praising and saymg
£ne thmgs of people who do not deserve it. Of course
I do not say that there are no except1ons. Sir J ung
Bahadur himself is always most kind and courteous in
his demeanour, and whatever may be his failings, he
always bears himself as a gentleman. He is undoubtedly
also a most acute and talented man, and it would be well
for Nepal, if there were a few more amongst the rising
generation fit to be compared to h1m. Some of the
young men also are pleasant and gentlemanly in their
manners, but I am afraid that what I have preVIously
stated is true with regard to most of them.
, .As for the country of Nepal, it would take the pen of
,\ Ruskin and the pencil of a Turner or a Claude to do
justice to its beauties .. , The road through the Terai, and
the Noakotl valley, are most lovely; and the views of
the snowy range obtainable in the cold season from the
Valley, and from the hills on the northern side, are, I

v] INTRODUCTORY SKETCH 75
bel1eve, unrivalled for extent and magnificence. The
cl1mate 1s delicious. In winter the air is clear and
bracing, and t.here are frequently hoar-frost and ice in
the mornmgs. I have seen the thermometer as low as
20°, when exposed in the open air at n1ght. The summer
is not very hot, and t.he thermometer indoors, with
all tb.e Windows open, seldom ranges above 80°. The
average mean temperature for the year 1s 60°, and the
average rainfall 60 inches. What a magnificent sanatorlum
the Valley would be for the inhabitants of
Calcutta t

I J BODHISAT,iVA MANJUSRi 79
water run out. As the water escaped, several Nags
and otl1er anitnals l1v1ng In 1t went out,. but he persuaded
Karkotak;l king of the Nags, to rema1n; and on
the Mesh Sankranti day, having pointed out to him a
large tank to h.ve in 1, he gave hun power over all the
"vealth of the valley.
He then saw Swayambhu, 111 the form of Biswarupa,
on the day of the full moon in Kart1k. He also discovered
GnhJeswari, and saw her m the form of
Biswarupa, 011 the night of the 9th of Pus Kr1shn
He tl1en became absorbed in 1ned1tation, and worshipped
Swayambhu in the centre of the lotus-flower, whose
root was at Guhjeswar1 2 • He next made the hill
Padma 3 , from wh1ch place to Gu.hjeswari he built a
to-vvn called Manj-u Pattan He planted trees near
Guhjeswari, and peopled the town with those of his
disciples wl1o wished to hve as Gr1hasths, or householders.
To those of them who wished to live as
Bh1kshiis, or religious mendicants, he allotted a ·bthar 4 •
He then mstalled a king, by name Dharmakar, and
himself returned to Ch1na.
So1net1me after tlus, some disciples of MaUJU.sri built
the ManJfisri Cha1tya, or Buddhist mound, near Swayambhii
5 , to worsh1p ManJU.sri In connection with Swaya.mbhu.
Th1s took place on the 5th of Magh Sudi ..
Therefore 6 , from that time, the tank appo1nted as the
dwelhng-place of the Nag was called Tau-dahan (or
1 The tauk called Taudah, of whlch more hereafter
2 About a quarter oi a mile abo-ve Pashupn.tl temple, on the left bank oi the
JJ:tgmati, and on the north of the Pash1..1pat1 wood
J The same as Swayambhu h1l1
4 A square of houses, w1th a shnne 1US1de, used 1n former tnnes as a monastery,
but nowadays occupwu by Blnras and theu fannhes
'l Th1s temple 1Ion he1e 1n the MS

I] DHAR1viA SRI MI1"RA GUNKAMDEVA ss
to his house, where he instantly caused a good bihar
to spring up, in which he lodged h1s guest. During the
night Dharma Sri M1tra overheard some conversation
between Manjusri and his wife, which made known to
him the disguised Manjusri, and he slept at the threshold
of his._ room. In the morning Manjusri made him his
disciple, and told him the meaning of the mantra The
bihar, m which he lodged, he called Vikram Sil Bihar,
and the field which he was ploughing, when met by
Dharma Sri M1tra, he called Sawa Bhiirn1; and to this
day this is the field in which rice is planted before all
the other fields rn the valley 1 •
Hearing that there was no Raja in this country,
a descendant of Raja Sakti Deva came from Gaur.
One of his descendants, Gun.k.amdeva, having committed
incest, the gods were illspleased, and sent a drought
and famine on the country. He then, having been
initiated in the mysteries by Santikar Acharya, who
l1ved concealed in the Sant1pur of Swayambhii, brought
the nine Nags under his control, and caused them to
grve a plentiful rain. When he was performing the
ceremonies to summon -the Nags, Karkotak, who lived
in the Nag-dah, d1d not come, but the other eight did.
Upon this Santikar Acharya gave Gunkamdeva some
dub:..grass and kund-:fl.owers, through the virtue of which
be JUmped into the tank, and catching hold of Karkotak,
made h1m a prisoner. On his way home he became
t1red, and sat dewn to rest at the foot of the Swayambhu
mo11nt. This place is still marked by an Image
of Karkotak, at the south-east corner of the moilnt,
I
1 V1kram Sil Blhlr 1s now Thambalnl (vulgarly Thamel), a suburb on the north
s1de of Katbma.ndu Sawd. Bhumi 1s now called Bhagwan's Khet, a field about a
quarter of a m1le south-west of the Res1dency It belongs to the pr1ests. of '!hamel
and 1s the first spot planted w1th r1ce every year.

92 HISTORY OF NEPAL [cHAP
to his senses, and he returned to h1s rosary. Once more,
however, he forsook it, but on seeing a man attempting
to make a mountain and a plain level with a few handfuls
of dust, he returned to his rosary and completed
his ta,sk. After this he saw an emblem of Siva (the
Linga), and saying, 'It was you who advised me to lose
my hfe/ he began to break every emblem of Siva he
met w1th. At last he ca1ne to Pashupati, who prayed
to Buddh to save him, and through his blessing, and being
provjded with a head-dress of Buddh, B1rfipaksha, instead
of breaking, worshipped him 1 . For this reason every
emblem of Siva is a little bent to one side, except the
one at Pashupati. Then, as Buddhists do not eat when
the sun is gone down 2 , he requested the sun, whom he
caught hold of w1th one hand, not to set until he
had taken h1s meal ; and in this posture he died at
Pashupati."
Having heard all these praises of the country from
the devotee, RaJa Dharma Datta made over the charge
of his c1ty Kanchi to Balketu, one of his ten sons, and
went to the country of Pashupati, with the rest of his
sons, and h1s minister Buddhikshem. He then prayed
to Bagmati at the Sundara Tirtha, who gave him a
blessing, by virtue of which he subdued the K1rat1 Raja
Sankii, and took possession of the country. He then
built a town, extending from Buddha Nilkantha to
Kotwal, wh1ch he named Bisalnagara, and peopled with
the four castes (t e. H1ndus). He reigned a thousand
years, and w1th great rites and ceremonies he built the
1 In commemoration of tlns, once a year 1 on the 8th of Kart1k sud!, the 1mage
of Pashupat11s decorated w1th a head-dtess hke that of the Images of Buddha, and
worshlpped
2 Th1s 1s not now the custom m Nepal1 where the Baudd.hamargis always eo.t
after ?lLllset.
.

I1ISTORY OF NEPAL. (cHAP
mountain, where he had placed an image of Akshobhya
Buddh, to worship Swayambhii 1 • As the water filled the
valley, It rose up to the navel of this itnage, whereupon
Nagarjun caught the Nag that was playing In the water
and mak1ng it rise, and confined him in the cave. Whatever
water -is required In tlus cave 1s supplied by th1s
Nag to the present day, and for this reason the Nag is
called Jalpurit 2 Th1s NagarJunpad Acharya made an
earthen cha1tya, and composed or compiled many tantrashastras1
and discovered many gods. He died 1n the
cave. The mountain then became known as Nagarjun,
and it is considered very sacred. People who are anxious
to obtain salvation leave orders w1th their relatives to
send their skull-bone (the "frontal bone") to this mountain,
where It IS thrown high Into tl1e air, then buried,
and a cha1tya built over it. ..
The valley continuing to be a lake, some say that
Bhimsen (one of the Pandavas of the Mahabharatha)
came from Dolkha and used to amuse h1mself on it in
a stone boat. The daughter of Danasur, see1ng Bhimsen,
ran away. After this Vishnu can1e, and, having lnlled
Danasur, opeu.ed a passage for the water through the
Chaubahar or Kachhapal mountain, and carried off Prabhavati
After Vishnu returned to his Ba1kunth (paradise),
and the other gods to their respective abodes, this valley
of, Nepal again became maccess1ble. When the valley
was changed into a lake by Danasur, some inhabitants
of ManJu-pattan, Sankasya .. nagara, and Bisal-nagara,
saved their lives by fleeing to other places, and some
1 Tlus hlll1s now callea Nagi'i.rJun, and on 1ts northern s1de are numerous caves,
some of wh1ch contatn Images One of these 1s sa1d to be the 1dent1cal cave men ..
twned m the text.
2 Ltteutlly, maktng full of water.

106 HISTORY OF NEPAL
Satya Yuga lasted 1,728,000 years.
men lived 10,000 years, and practised
Vayu, or the princ1ple of hfe, existed
marrow. The abode of men was white.
(CHAP I
In this Yuga
virtue. Pran
in the spinal
Treta Y-aga lasted 1,296,000 years. Men lived in
thiS Yuga for 5,000 years.. Pran Vayu existed l"'l the
bone.
Dwapar Yuga lasted 834,000 years. Men in this
Yuga lived for 1,000 years. Pran Vayu existed in the
blood, fle.sh, and skin.
Kali Yuga will last for 432,000 years. In its first
quarter, Pran Vayu exists in food. In the second
quarter, great eaters will live for 50 years. In the third
quarter, men will live 16 years, feeding on vegetables"
fruit, and flowers. In the middle of Kali Yuga, a Raja,
by name V1jayabhinandana, will bring all kings under
his rule, and he will live 1,000 years. At the end of
Kali Yuga the incarnation of Vishnu as Kalaki will
take place.
The Kirat!s came into Nepal at the 15,000th year
of the Dwapar Yuga, and they ruled over the country
for 10,000 years. The gods came into the country after
the Kirat1s.. Dharmadatta Raja reigned 1,000 years.
After this the country :r,-emained without a king for one
thousand years. Bisal-nagara existed for 2,000 years.
Pingala's adventures extended over fifty years. When
950 years of the Dwapar Yuga still remained, the gods
came to the decision that it was necessary to appOint
a Raja. After this the Kali Yuga commenced.

122 HISTORY OF NEPAL (CHAP
married their aunts through fear of Shankaracharya.
After consultation, these Bhikshus sa1d · a 0 nephews 1
what can we do 1 The people of this place, contented
with their scanty means of livelihood, have kept the
things they- know in therr hearts, and have remained
silent through fear of Shankaracharya; for wruch Slll
they will all be affhcted with goitre 1 • What are we to
do 1 Those who were hv1ng as bh1kshus have been
forced to hve as grihasthas. The rules established by
Bhaskara-barma Raja for this place, and written on a
copper-plate, kept in th1s b1har, have been replaced by
others made by Shankaracharya; and a rule for sacrificing
animals has been added to the copper-plate, which
is now ordered to be ,kept here. If we are obliged to
live as grihasthas, and to obey the rule abo1.1t sacrificmg
animals, we shall commit a great breach of the rules
of our own religion.. We have therefore made 11p our
minds to go elsewhere) and live in a new b1har. Let
those remain here who Wish to rema1n , but we w1ll not
stay. You too have made up your minds to remove, and
we will accompany you."
They then went to Pingala Bahal, and worshipped
with great ceremomes the Iswari N arratma. Then they
made a chaitya for Swayambhii and an image of Sakya
S1nha Buddha; and to keep up the worship of these, they
took blukshus (living now as gnhasthas), the descendants
of those who had followed Sakya Smha 1nto Nepal,
and appointed them as priests. They made these follow
the Tantra Shastras, and settled down along with them.
They rud not make any change in the grili.astha priests,
1 Th1s ongm of goitre 1s stul beheved 1n S1muarly I have heard mtelhgent
and educated Nepalese assert that hydrocele (wh1ch 1S very prevalent there)
or1gmated mth the 1ntroduct10n of the potato as an article of food.

124 lfiSTORY OF NEPAL (cHAP
The RaJii told him to remain as a Bandya, or Banra, if
he d1d not wish to renotlnce the Buddhist rehg1on, and
he would make a b1har for hun on the other s1de of
the Bag1nati. While they were uncertain where to build
the bihar, and where to place the image of the deity, a
peacock came and alighted on a certa111 spot, and when
this was dug, an image of Vishnu was found and taken
out. On this spot an n11age of Bhagavan Sakya Sinha
was placed; and for thls reason the bihar bu1lt there
was called Mayiira-barna (Mayftr·a, a peacock). Some
people call it Vishnuksha B1har 1 •
20. The son of Shankaradeva was Dharmadeva.
Thi.s Raja repaired the Dhanado Chaitya, built by
RajJ, Dharmadatta.
21. HIS son Mandeva.
Some say that Khasa Chaitya was built by this Raja 2 ..
He built Chakra Bihar, near Matirajya, known now by
the name of Mandeva-sanskarit-chakra-maha-bihar 3 •
22. His son Mahadeva.
23. His son Basantadeva-barma.
He was crowned m the Kahgata year 2800.
24. His son Udayadeva-barma.
25. His son Mandeva-barma.
26. His son Gunakamadeva-barma.
27. His son Sivadeva-barma.
Tliis RaJa was crowned before he was married In
his reign the Durbar near Baneswara was abandoned,
and one of nine stories in height was bu1lt in Deva
Patan, where the Raja estabhshed his court After
removing to Deva Patan) he brought Nritya Natha 1
1 Th1s bmldmg 1s at Patan.
! Now called Bodhnath
J In });ttan, near the statue of Balbala.

n] SURY.ABANSI DY'NASTY 129
one day met a bhik.shu, who was living in the Banprastha
state. He made this bhikshu his Guru, and built a
bihar, in which he placed images of Swayambhii and
Sakya Sinha Buddha.. and then he hirnself became a
bhikshu. Four days after becoming a bhikshu, the Raja
told h1s Guru that 1t was impossible for a man, who had
enjoyed the comforts and luxuries of a kmg, to lead that
kmd of hfe. He therefore begged him to show him
some means, by which he could hve comfortably in this
world, and yet obtain salvation In the next. "It is
written," rephed the Guru, "in the Dharma-shastra,
that a bhlk:shu can return to the grihastha mode of
l1fe, and is then called a BaJradhrlk or BaJriicharya .
.Also, that those who are descendants of Sa.kya 1\Iuni,
are, after the ten sanskaras or ceremonies, Bandyas or
Blukshus, and they can also worship Kuliseswara, and
still lead a grih:=tstha hfe." Having said this, the
Guru took off the ochre-dyed cloth from the RaJa's
body, and performed the ceremony of Acharyabhisheka.
The RaJa then, "vith the sanction of the Guru, built
a bihar near his o'Yn, and lodged the Guru in it. For
his maintenance he assigned some land, which up to the
present time 1s giVen only to those who live as bhlk:shus
1n that b1har 1 • The RaJa then, with his Guru's sanction1
placed an Agama .. devata or Buddha in h1s own bihar,
meditated there da1ly, and performed his devotions and
worsh1p there. He then married, and many sons and
daughters were born to hun. It was his datly custom
to srt before the K uliseswara or Buddha, which he had
erected, and one day, while thus meditating, his skull
burst, and his soul escap1ng, he obtained salvation.
1 S1vadeva's blbar 1s m Patan
WN 9

132 HISTORY OF NEPAL (cHAP II J
The RaJa then, having received the permission of
the gods and the people, went back to UiJain, and
having brought the god of three Shaktis, or attributes,
named Harsiddhi, placed him near Nil-tara. From this
the village of Harsiddhi took its origin 1 • The Raja
then, under the direction of the goddess 2 , brought all
the gods of Nepal to that place, with great ceremonies,
and dramatic performances, and vocal and instrumental
music. It is well kno-wn that there is no dramatic
performance equal to that of Harsiddhi. The people,
in gratitude to the Raja for having paid off all the
debts of the country, promised t.o continue the Harsiddhi
perrormance. .After this Raja VlkramaJit obtained
salvation. Being a stranger, he left no son in Nepal,
so that Ansu-barma, who had married the daughter of
Viswadeva-barma, and was about to ascend the throne
when prevented by the descent of VikramaJit, now became
king, (and thus began a new dynasty).
1 About halfway between Patan and GodaV'ari
a Hart:nddhl 1s a delty of both sexes

n] THAKUR! DYNASTY. 139
formmg all the requisite ceremonies, he named N arendrarleva..
He then caused his son to be crowned, and being
himself old, he ascended into Heaven.
7.. N a1 endra-cleva reigned 7 years.
This RaJa built a bihar near Lomri-devi, whom
Bandhudatta ..A.charya had brought and placed there for
the protection of the country. After nammg 1t Tirtha,
because the Acharya came from Tirtha, he gave it to
the spiritual gmde of his father. He then gave much
away in charity, and settled down at Madhyalakhu.
He had three sons, the eldest of whom was named
Padma-deva, the second Ratna-deva, and the youngest
Bar-deva. Tbe Raja sent the eldest to become a
bandya in the Pingala Bahal, where there were at one
time six hundred bandyas. The second he put under
the guidance of Bandhudatta in the Tirtha Bihar. The
third was anomted as Raja.
Bandhudatta placed Padmantaka 1 in the Tirthabahal,
and then brought ten Krodha-devatas, 'Or avenging
deities, from Kamuni, and also placed them there,
along w1th Asta-pithas and .Asta-smashans 2 • At the
north-east corner of the Tirtha-bahal he placed Mahakala,
whom he brought from Bhot (Tibet). Having
thus placed gods on all the ten sides, the Raja and
Acharya hved happily.
After tlus, the Raja, having lost his love of the
cares of state and worldly riches, went to the distance
of two kos to the east of the city, and built a bihar
there, in wlnch he hved. From his living alone there,
the bihar was nan1.ed Alag-bahal 1 which has been corrupted
into Ak-bahaJ 3 •
l A Bhauava 2 Etght places of '\Olbhlp nud erght bmnmg-gh;Lts.
3 At the boutlJ.eru end of Bha.tgaon.

HISTORY OF NEPAL. [cHAP,
versation between him and his wife The wile asked
the .A.ch3Jrya the cause of the drought and its remedy.
The Acharya repl1ed: "The only one who is able to put
a stop to this is Aryavalok1teswara, who resides m
the Kapotal ... mountain; and he cannot be brol1ght
except by the prayers of the ruler of the country.
Now the Raja is young and foohsh, and the old man
his father, Narendra-deva, is liVIng in a lonely b1har,
because he and h1s son do not agree."
Having -OverheFLrd this, the Raja returned to his
palace, and next morning he went to his father and fell
at his feet. He brought the old RaJa home w1th him,
and having sent for the aged .L\.charya, asked hrm to do
something to relieve therr d1stress. The Acharya said
that he would do all he could to help them, but that, as
he could not be successful through a priest alone, without
h1s yajamana, he must take the father N arendra-deva
with him. They then took a large supply of offerings,
and taking a mali and malini (gardener and his wife)
with them1 they took leave- of Raja Bar .. deva. They
halted at the spot where Dolana 1 has been erected,
and with great ceremonies and offerings performed
purascharanas, at :first one thousand, and then up to
ten millions in number. After thjs, Bandhudatta,
N arendra-deva, the carrier of the articles of worship,
and the malini with the kalas 2 remained there, and
Bandhudatta performed a purascharana to summon
tlogambara-gyana-ctakini After the mantra had been
recjted a crore of times ( connt1ng each one as a thousand),
1 A place where there was a tree, under whwh Ma.chchbindra-natha rested The
old tree bas fallen, but some young ones ha-ve sprung up ar01.1nd 1t The place IS
to the south of Pata?, between the town and the la1ge Asoka cha1tya
fi .A. pot of water earned by a gartlener before mo.rrmge process1ons and 1n
rellgrous ceremonies, &c

HISTORY OF NEPAL [CHAP
griva, Harsiddhi, Lutabaha of Pachhilu village 1 , and
Tyanga. Brahma swept the road, reciting Vedas as
he did so ; Vishnu blew the sankha ; Mahadeva sprinkled
kalas-water on tbe road ; Indra held an umbrella ;
Yama-raj lighted the incense; Varuna sprinkled water
from a sankha, and rain fell; Kuvera scattered riches ;
Agni displayed light; Nairitya retnoved obstacles;
Vayu held the flag; and !shan scared away dev1ls. In
this manner all the gods showed their respect, while
bringing in Aryavalolnteswara-Matsyendranatha. These
gods, however, were not vis1ble to any except Bandhudatta
and N arendra-deva. The people only saw Bandhudp.tta,
N arendra-deYa, the mali and malin!, and the gods
In the shape of birds and beasts.
A plentiful rain now fell 1n Nepal. When the procession
reached a certain spot they sat down to rest,
and here Harsiddhi Bhairava, in the shape of a dog,
barked and said "bu ", which Bandhudatta explained
to the RaJa Narendra-deva to mean "birth-place", and
that they were to consider that Machchhindranatha was
born on this spot.
In honour of the Amaras} or gods, who came so
far in company with them, and of the spot thus mysteriously
pointed out by the dog, Bandhudatta, after
consultation witl1 the RaJa, determined to build a town
und name it Amara pur 2 , and here he placed the kalas
containing Aryavalokiteswara-Machchhindranatha. They
then appointed two priests to worship him in turn.
One of these was a distant cousin of Bandhudatta, and
a descendant of a priest of Swayambhu, who lived 1n the
l On the roo.d between Kotpitl and Pa.tn.n
J Or Eogmnt'i, about three m1les south of Pittan
'

III] THAKURl DYNASTY. 1 55
the west of the country he renewed the worship of
Panchlinga Bhairava, whose jatra takes place on the
5th of Aswin Sudi This Bhairava had come to play
with a Khargini, or Kasaini.
He also brought from Indrani-ghat the goddess Manamaiju-pitha,
and placed her jn the east of the country,
at a place called Agama-choka. To the east is the
Lomri-devi, brought by Bandhudatta Acharya from the
Kamrup mountain. Then he established, or rather
revived, the Hilya jatra, Krishna jatra, and Lakhya jatra.
The last of these was in honour of Sakya Muni having
obtained a victory over Namuchi-mara 1 , when the latter
came to distract his attention, while he was sitting under
a bodhi tree 2 in profound meditation for the purpose
of becoming a Buddha. After his victory Brahma and
other gods caJne to pay their respects to Sakya Muni,
for which reason the gods are represented in these jatras.
He also instituted the Matayata and Sringabh&rl
jatras. The Hllya, Krishna, and Lakhya jatras were iu
existence before the time that Kantipur was founded ..
He then instituted the Indra jatra by erecting images
of Kumaris. Then, in imitation of the Lokeswara
jatra of Patan, he made an image of Khasarppa Lokeswara,
and caused his jatra to be celebrated every year.
He then founded a village named Thambahtl, at the
place where formerly Vikrama-sila B1har stood. The
image of Thambahtl, consecrated by Sinhal Baniya, the
survivor of the party of 501 baniyas, had been destroyed
when the waters of the Bagmati had been stopped up
by Danasur, but it had been replaced by the descendants
of Sinhal.
1 Another name for K&m.deva, or more hkely for Indra.
' The Bhot1ya.s use the seeds of thls txee as beads 1n theu rosar1es.

160 HISTORY OF NEPAL [cHAP Ill J
bulent, that no one would venture to pass that way The
Raja, therefore, in order to put a stop to this trouble,
caused an ernblem of S1va to be placed there by venerable
pandits Thrs emblem, having been erected for the Santi,
or peace, of the Brah1na-p1sd.chas, was called Santeswara
It IS also called NandikesV\,.ara 1 , from Its having been
erected by a Brahman of Bisal-nagara, named Nand1, who
himself after death was de1fied as Mopta-deva or Bh:itbhatyani.
This Ra.Ja, to estab]ish peace on a more secure footmg,
instituted the custorn of a yearly Jatra of the Navasagara
Bhagavati of B1sal-nagara, on the anniversary of the Pretachaturdasl.
The orrgrnal Image of th1s Devi, made by
VIS"\Ya-karma_, was so frightful, that no one would pass
that -way. The people therefore bur1ed It.:o and covered
the place w1th stones
After the seven hundred Brahmans had been massacred,
the rest left B1sal-nagara, and went to live at Deva-patan,.
where they built a house having seven courts.
The dynasty of the V a1s Thakuris of N oakot ends
here A descendant of a collateral branch of the solar race
of the former RaJa Ansu-barma, by name Bama-deva, havrng
ga1ned over the nobles of Lalitapur and Kantipur,
succeeded in expelling the Va1s Thakur! RaJas, and made
himself king ..
1 A large temple on the north stde of the Pashupab roacl

ISO HISTORY OF NEPAL. (CHAP IV]
3. H1s son Sakti-sinha-deva reigned 22 years ..
This RaJa abdicated in favour of his son Shyama
sinha-deva, and took 1.1p his residence at Palamchok 1,
wl1.ence he sent presents to China, whicl1. so pleased the
Emperor that he sent in return a seal, with the name
Sakti-si.nha engraved on it, and 1n addition the title of
Rama, with a royal despatch, in the Chinese year 535.
4.. His son Shyama-sinha-deva reigned 15 years.
In this reign a tremendous earthqualte was felt in
Nepal. The temple of Machchhindranatha and all othe-r
buildings fell down, and innumerable human. beings
perished. This took place on the 12th of Bhadra Sudi,
IJ?- Nepal Sam bat 528 (A D. 1·408).
This Shyama-sinha-deva had no male issue, but only
a daughter, whom he gave in marriage to one of the
descendants of the Malla Rajas, who fled to Tirhiit on
the invasion of Nanyadeva Raja. He then made his
son-in-law Raja.
1 To the east of .Bancpt\.

L
r

' ] I>YN ASTY OF THE MALL.A RAJAS OF BHATGAON 197
Malla compJied with his request, but privately told the
men to spoil it They went to Bhatgaon_, and prepared
to set up the pillar, but wh1le doing so they let It fall,
and broke 1t Into three pieces Seeing that the Raja
was d1spleased at th1s, they JOined the pieces together
aga1n and put up the p1llar. Ra11Jit Malla and Jayaprakasa
1Yialla both. gave the men dresses of honour.
RanJit Malia ded1cated a large bell to Annapiirna
Devi on the 1st ofPhagun Badi, Nepal Sambat 857 (A.D.
1737 ).
At th1s t11ne the RaJas of Bhatgaon, Lal1t-poltan,
and Kant1pur, 'vere on bad terms ·w·ith each other.
Hence Narbhupala Sah, Rfi.ja of Gurkha, laid clain1 to
the throne of Nepal, and crossed the Trisul Ganga to
Invade the country Be1ng, however, opposed and defeated
by the Va1sya-rajas of Noakot, he was obliged to
return to Gorkha, a.fter burning the bridge over the
Trisill Ganga
A jyapu, who owned a field, near a plain to tl1e
south of Machchhindrapur (Bogmat1), called Deva-khel,
lvas one n1ght sleep1ng 1n it, when he saw a strange
sight. So1ne one came and l1ghted a lamp, and then
others came and spread carpets, on wlnch several persons
sat down. At the b1dd1ng of one of these, another
person went to call some one, but returned wrtl1 the
answer that he would come to-morro1v. On this tl1e
rneeting brok:e up Next n1ght the same events took
place, but the vacant seat on the carpet was occupied
by Machchhjndra-natha, who, it seerns, was the person
who had pron11sed to come the n1ght before A
BhairaYa then came forward and asked for food. Machchhindra
told him to go to Gorkha, and enjoy the
sovere1gnty of the country where Go1akhnatha resided.

v] DYNASTY OF THE MALLA RAJAS OF BHATGAON 199
RanJit Malla had several illeg1tilnate sons, who conspired
against the life of Prince Bir-na.rs1nha Malia, and
consulted some ill-disposed persons as to how they m1ght
remove him. These people s::ud that he might be destroyed
by performing a Kotyahuti-yagya and pronouncing
th.a mantras so as to produce a bad effect. The sons
then told the RaJa that, if he would hu.ve a Kotyahuti-yagya
performed, the country would be prosperous
and he would have done a meritorious act. The RaJa
consented, and Pnnce Brr-nars1nha d1ed suddenly at the
age of 32, and w1th h1m the dynasty of the solar race
jn Bhatgaon became extinct.

vr] THE MALLA RAJAS OF KATH!v.I:ANDU
The Nepalese KaJIS, noblemen, and sardars wore armour
In the battle the troops of Deva-patan, being encouraged
by their local goddess J a ya bages-vvari, struck the first
blow On the Gorkha s1dej Surpratap lost one of h1s
eyes, and Kalu Panre was k1lled. Th.e battle lasted for
twelve .. gharis (nearly five hours), and both Sides lost rJJany
men. On the Nepalese s1de twelve thousand sepoys,
brought from the pla1ns of Ind1a by Sakt1ballabh Sardar,
were k1lled. MaharaJ Pr1thw1narayana Sah was in a
dola (palanquin), and a sepoy raised h1s khoda to cut
him down, but h1s hand was held by another, who exclaimed
that he was a RaJa and not to be killed A
Duan and a K asa.i then carried the P"aJa in one n1ght to
N oakot. The Raja praised the Duan and sa.td Syabas
pz1t ("Well done, my son"), and from that day the people
of his caste came to be called Putwar and had access to
the king' s person.
Jaya-prakasa now thought that the Go1khalis were
annihilated, and made great reJOicmgs. In th1s way the
Nepalese repulsed the attacks of the Gorkhalis for
eighteen years.
At this time the Raja had put a stop to the yearly
stonethrow1ng at Kankeswar1, but having heard a great
noise at midnight, he was obliged to allow the custom to
be eontinued. He built a house in Kant1pur for the
Kumaris to l1ve m, wh1ch was constructed according to
bastu-chakra, and instituted the1r rath-Jatra.
After some t1me S!tala, the goddess of small-pox, to
brtng r1.un on Nepal, entered Mohan-chok, and J yot1 ...
prakasa, the son of the RaJa, died of that dtsease The
RaJa took the dead body with great pomp to the RaJghat
at Pashupatr and burned 1t
The four Thari:s, be!ng Jeal01.lS of the Tirhutlya BI ah-
15-2

HISTORY OF NEPAL [CHAP
acre. On the 6th of Aswin Sud1, In the san1e year, Sri Sri
b
Jaya Sri Jyoti Nars1nha Malia died His wife Ra1.LI
Chhatramati becctme a sati, and a slave g1rl also Immolated
he1Rel£ The roads to KJntrpur and Bhatgaon
be1ng closed, on account of enmrty, the body was taken
to N1kl1u l{hola to be burned 1
Tins year the Dasfiin was not publicly celebrated, but
the RaJIL and priests only perfor1ned the ceremonies.
The derty was not even b1ought down, and no buffaloes
1vere sacr1ficed The god of Madtchhe (a part of the Durbiii)
was lnought down stairs, and the god of Thanchhomandal
had a buffalo sacrificed to hinl, but the head of
the buffalo was not 1no.,de to dance 2 • No musical instruments
were played on, and the BisarJan, or brddrng
ad1eu to the goddess, was done privately. The Prasthapana
was only made to go seven paces, and the deity was
not taken outside.
InN. S 77 4 (A. D. 1654) the roof of Yappa Pitha was
carr1ed away by a storm, and the fire, with which a dead
body was being burned at the t1me, fell on the Pitha,
and the (sacred) stone cracked In N S 77 4, on
the 1st of Chait Badi, the painters of Bhatgaon did
not come to the Snan-jatra of Machchhi:ndra-natba3;
the image was taken out by Gangaram of Kobahal and
two otl1ers, and the de1ty was bathed by two instead
of four persons. The jatra commenced, but the rath
stopped after advancing a bowshot The next da.y the
same thrng occurred On the sixth day the rath reached
Gwalti-chok. The next day the wheels again stuck in
I A am all stream south of Patan, fallmg mto the 13a.gmati JUSt above Chaubahal
On thla stream the new cannon manufactory and workshops are bUilt
2 After sacrifiomg the buffalo, a man outs o:ff the head and dances Wtth 1t
before the shr1ne
s It was their d1.1ty to take out the Image for batlung

HISTORY OF NEPAL. [CHAP. VIII.]
my hfetime, but in that or-my grandson." Jaya Prakasa
consented, and took the gut. He then said that the
person who should offer a silver jalhar! to Pashupati-natha
would be himself returned to the earth. After saying
this he died, and was absorbed into the southern or
Aghor face of Pashupati-n3ttha.
Tej-Narsinha, the Raja of Lalitpur, thought that all
this evil was brought about by Ranj1t Malia, and that
there was no use in speaking to any one. He therefore
sat engaged in the worship of God., and would not speak.
For this reason he was sent to Lakshmipur, to be kept
in confinement ; and there he died.

[ l.HAP
remaining there, and the younger go1ng to the northern
hills.
The latter arr1vecl at R1d1 When setting out fron1
Ujja1n, he took With him his Ishta-clevata (pa.tron. de1ty),
who told h1m to halt and not to go beyond tl1e place where
he put h1m (the devata) upon the ground. In Sak:a 1417
(A.D. 1495) he set out f1o1n R1ch and reached Sargha,
where, being much fatigued, h.e put the devata. on
the ground, and the devata remained tl1ere Bhtlpal
Rana-ji stayed there for a sho1 t t1rne, but, finding that,
withotlt some settled mode of life, 1t vvas difficult for lnn1
to live there, he went to Kh1lum, tt place In Blu1kot, ancl
brought 1ts vvaste land into cultivation. In that place
two sons were born to h1m, Khancha and M1cha. 'Their
bratabandha (talt1ng tl1e brahinanicu.l thread) was performed
there, and daughters of Raghubans1 Raj puts were
brought from the pla1ns for them to marly.
The elder with h1s rani went to Dhor, conquered
Mangrat, and reigned over Garhon, Sathun, Bhnk.ot and
Dhor.
The younger, Micha Khan, went to N uwakot 1 with his
rani, and ruled over it.
The raJ its who ruled over N uwakot were .-
36. Micha Khan 39. Micha Khan
37. Jayan , 40. Bichitra ,,
38 Surya , 41. Jagdeva ,,
Kulmanda.n, the son of J agdeva Khan, obtained the
sovereignty over Kaski. He pleased the Emperor in
something, and received from him the title of Sah. He
had seven sons The eldest succeeded him in the
5overnment of Kaski. The second, Kalu Sah, was asked
1 Not the Noakot near Kathmiindn, but another fa.r to the west

x] HISTORY OF THE GORKHALIS
twenty-fourth year would be very unlucky, and that
he would lose either his throne or his l1fe in it. He
therefore abdicated in his son's favour, m Saka 1721
(A. D. 1799)
56. Sri Girban-juddha Vikram Sah reigned 17 years.
When giv1ng up the gaddi to his son, Ran Ba.hadur
Sah ordered that no change should be made in the
offices of state for the next twelve years, and he appointed
Damodar Pande, Kirtiman Sinha Bashnyat,
Tribhuvan, and N arsinha, to be Kaj!s. After th1s he l1ved
the hfe of one removed from worldly cares
The Kajis, however, did not adhere strictly to the
instructions of the late RaJa, who, on receiving a defiant
reply to some of his angry remarks> thought it best to
remove himself to Kasi (Benares), for fear of an outbreak
on the part of the traitor ministers.
In Benares Bhimasena Thapa became hrs confidant,
through his talents. He advised him to make soroeJarrangement
with the British, and to return to Nepal,
where he would then be able to punish the faithless and
ungrateful, as the unlucky days were past.
The Swami Maharaj then returned to Nepal, after
taking a fr1endJy leave of the British. He k1lled some
of the traitors and dismissed others. After putting
Bhimasena at the head of the government, with the title
of Chief Kaji, he began to seek for seditious persons ; and
Sher Bahadur, a son of Pratap Sinha by a N ewari woman,
fear1ng for rus own l1fe, one night killed the Raja.
Grrban-juddha came to the gadd1 in Saka 1721 (.A.. D.
1799). On the death of Ran Bahadur Sah, lns Junior
rani, Lalit-Tr1pur-Sundari-devi became regent, and
Bht_masena 1nanaged the affairs of state under her orders.

(Plate XV)
SRI SURENDRA VIKRAM SAH,
'M.icllll'e .t Matdolldlu Lull· Lon(tua
THE REIGNING KING OF NEPAL (p Z84)

XVl)
lhr hot t M'lldtlll lid L11Jt Lnudou
MAJOR GENERAL JAGAT JUN G BAHADUR 7 ELD:CST SON OF
SIR JUNG BAHADUR/ ANIJ A NEPALESE GENTLEMAN (p

APPENDIX.