History: Administration of Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Kaji Bahadur Bhandari in Garhwal

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 10

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -75    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -594

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

             Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Kaji Bahadur Bhandari in Garhwal (1811-12)

                        Improvement of Land Administration in Kumaon

        After Gurkha/Gorkha capturing Kumaon, Gurkha/Gorkha administrators acted suppressive and oppressive cruel methods for administrations. Villagers started leaving villages and villages started become human less. Nepal Court took step and Governor Bamshah altered the land administration of Kaji Revant. Bhotiya also started shifting to Tibet and Captain Bhakti Thapa was sent to improve situation and he reduced the taxes. However, Nepal court and Garhwal administrators did not take notice for improving situation in Garhwal.

                              Mendbandi in Garhwal

 Meend or Mend means the dividing line of two portion of land. Mendbandi means land management. The taxes were imposed on land not by productivity of land but agues work on the income.

 Gurkha/Gorkha administrators had a principle that there is only one way of administration and that is cruel methods or oppressions.

             Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Kaji Bahadur Bhandari in Garhwal (1811-12)

  Nepal Court sent Kaji Bahadur Bhandari and Bakshi Dashrath Khatri for improving land management and administration in Garhwal. Subedar Singhbeer Adhikari and Bakhtwar Singh basnyat were also sent with them in Garhwal. According to Mola Ram ?Maula Ram, RAndhwaj Thapa, Balnar Singh , Bhimbahadur and Gatbahadur were also administrators in Shrinagar at different positions.

 The Sanad Patta (order) of 1Jnauary 812 in Kamleshwar Temple of Shrinagar state that Bakshi dashrath Khatri, Subedar Ajab Bhandari, Daftari Krishna Nand Khanduri, Jamadar Harku Gurung and Havaldar Bagdar Khatri were officer in charges of land management in Garhwal under Kaji Bahadur Bhandari.  Sardar Bhairon Singh was Army Chairf or Senapati inagrhwal.

                   Tax according to Land Fertility

                    As per instruction of Kaji Bahadur Bhandari, village land was divided into five divisions as per fertility -

Abbal – Best

Dom or Doyam –Second class

Som

Chahar

Sunkhbasi or barren non irrigated etc

 The tax were decided as per above fertility rates. This was first scientific system of tax in hills of Garhwal. The analysis was sent to Nepal Court. Nepal Court put Seal as acceptance of the new system. Those records were called ‘Lal Dhanda’.

                        Checking of Past Orders

 The new administrators Bahadur Bhandari and Dashrath khatri checked the old state orders about Jagir , Temple agriculture land and other lands. They cancelled most of orders of Garhwal Kings.  They issued new orders for Jagir. New Copper instructions were issued. For example , Gajadhar Khanduri (Son of Ramapati) and Krishnadatt Khanduri (Son of Dharnidhar Khanduri), Krishnanad and Harshpati were issued new orders in the name of King Geevarnyudhvikram Shah.

   Kaji Bahadur also cancelled Jagir and other allowances of Mola Ram/Maula Ram those he got from Nepal. Perhaps later on, Maula Ram got back allowances by half.

   Nepal Court called back Kaji Bahadur Bhandari from Garhwal in 1812. Dashrath Khatri was handling the job of Bhandari after  Bhandari left for Nepal.

** History, Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal...Remaining part, read in next chapter

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com27/3//2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -595

*** History of Gorkha/Gurkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued in next chapter  

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

XX

                    Reference

Atkinson E.T., 1884, 1886 , Gazetteer of  Himalayan Districts …

Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories

Colnol Kirkpatrik 1811, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal

Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda

Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race

Krishna Rai Aryal, 1975, Monarchy in Making Nepal, Shanti Sadan, Giridhara, Nepal

I.R.Aryan and T.P. Dhungyal, 1975, A New History of Nepal , Voice of Nepal

L.K Pradhan, Thapa Politics:

Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173

B. D. Pande, Kumaon ka Itihas

Sharma , Nepal ko Aitihasik Rup Rekha

Chaudhari , Anglo  –Nepalese Relations

Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon

Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University  Press

Minyan Govrdhan Singh , History of Himachal Pradesh

A.P Coleman, 1999, A Special Corps

Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of aFive Years Residence at Nepaul Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

XXX

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ks kumson psr Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal, Uttarakhand;कुमाऊं , उत्तराखंड काइतिहास ; गढ़वाल , उत्तराखंड का इतिहास ; डोटी , पूर्व उत्तराखंड का इतिहास;गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का कुमाऊं पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं कागढ़वाल पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का हिमाचल पर अधिकारइतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का  इतिहास ; नेपाल इतिहास

Xx

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Pauri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Chamoli Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Rudraprayag Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Tehri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Uttarkashi Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Dehradun Garhwal; 

History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Old Pauri Garhwal , History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Old Tehri Garhwal,     History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Dehradun, Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Old Pauri Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Tehri Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Dehradun Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Kumaon