Revenue and Expenditure from Garhwal, Tehri and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime

History: Economical Administration of Garhwal, Kumaon in Gurkha Rule -6

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 55

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -118    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -639

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

     Revenue from Gangawar (Today’s Pauri, Chamoli and Rudraprayag Garhwal)

                    Pau’s  Garhwal Settlement Report states the following revenue from Pungadi, Salami, Gheekar, Mijhari, Tandkar, Sonyafagu , Addhanni, Daftari, Khair, Bamboo, Sal, Woods , Asmani Farman etc Taxes were fixed for 1811 to 1815 annually  –

Pargana-------------------Gorkhali rupees

Barahsyun---------------12010

Chanudkot--------------6025

Devalgarh---------------1957

Nagpur------------------11104

Gangasalan--------------11634

Painkhanda--------------4700

Chandpur ----------------20426

Badhan------------------9902

Talla Salan---------------5960

Malla Salan---------------7132

Total---------------------91250

Sayar or Import –Exxport Tax-----10900

Mines and Taksal---------2401

Grand Taotal---------------104551

According to Wiliums , Memoir of Dehradun,  the following annual tax was fixed for 1811-1815 for Doon region-

Pargana-------------------Total Tax

Santaur-----------------------11703

Kalyanpur-----------------------2761 ½

Basantpur----------------------3134 ½

Saudi-----------------------------5335 ½

Sahajpur /Sahaspur ------------2069

Grand Total--------------------- 25003 ½

History, Revenue from Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime

According to Tehri Darbar Record the income from Gangapar or Tehri, Uttarkashi region) was for Gorkhali rupees- 67500.

The income from Bhabhar forests was 20000

The income from Dehradun forests was 16000

Therefore, the total annual income from 1811-1815 was Gorkhali Rupees 233054 ½

                 Other source of Incomes

There were following other tax collected as –

Maro Kar- if a person dies without son, the state used to take the property. Local Gurkha officers used to take this tax for his personal benefits as no record is available. Gurkha Officers used to sell the daughters of such dead person.

Rahta or balance Income- If a person became absconding due to non paying tax oe punishment tax, Gurkha officer used to sell his property. Gurkha used to sell his children wives as slave in Haridwar or Nazibabad. No record is available for Rahta Income.

Bahta Income- If a accused person brings back wealth and he leaved the same due to state fear, and Gurkha officer could able to find such wealth it was taken as state property.

Kalyan Dhan- In Gurkha regime people used to dig jewelries under ground and if Gurkha officers found those jewelries it was taken by them as Kalyan Dhan.

Slave selling income- Gurkha officers used to sell slaves and would get income.

 Farmers were unable to pay tax in time or forever and there were always dues from State on Kamin (local Garhwali administrator).

A letter written by Bhakit Thapa describes that The Kamin of Dhangu Ghmandu , kalya raut, Gablu, Sobanu and Bhagdeu Bisht did not pay taxes as follows (Dabral)-

1805, Balance taxes of Tikabhent, Pagari and Sumangi was due for Gurkha rupees – 647 ¾

1806 , Pagari Sumangi tax balance for g rs. 664

Total 1311 (Gurkha Rupees)  

The record of Dhangu Kamin confirms that there was balance due on villages in 1811. The details are as follows (Dabral)-

Total villages ------------------------------------------------------123

Number of villages those paid tax above decided tax------------18

Number of villages those paid exact tax-----------------------------5

Number of villages those paid taxes half ------------------------------975

Number of villages those could not pay paid tax at all ----------------3

This is an example that villagers were unable to pay tax as they did not have income sources.

                     Year wise Income

In 1811, Dahsrath BhKhatri and Bahadur Bhandari decided annual tax collection target for Rs 91250 for Gangawar region and the real collection was as under

1811- Rs 71815

1812-57735

1813—51623

The collection target for 1815 was 91250 for Gangawar region but in reality the tax was collected Pargana wise as follows all in Gurkha Rupees-

Pargana-------------Targeted Tax collection ------------Actual collection

Barahsyun---------------12010-------------4577

Chanudkot--------------6025-------------3069

Devalgarh ---------------1957------------1334

Nagpur------------------11104-------------3033

Gangasalan--------------11634----------5384

Painkhanda--------------4700------------1750

Chandpur ----------------20426-----------7763

Badhan------------------9902------------------3612

Talla Salan---------------5960---------------3147

Malla Salan---------------7132------------4037

Total---------------------91250---------------37706

      The above report shows the incapable administration process of Gurkha regime. If any government do not pay attention on increasing income of citizens then there is bound to be imbalance in targeted income and real income for the state.

        Expenditure of Gurkha Administration in Garhwal

  Dr Dabral could procure the following details of expenditure all in Gurkha rupees of Gurkha rulers as follows-

Salaries for soldiers of 15 companies --------130080

Salaries of 3 captain commanders of three battalions----------15015

Daftaris of Gangapar---------------------------------1495

For temples of Shrinagar -------------------------------1003 ½

Tribute to Badrinath Temple ---------------------------280

Total expenditure-------------------------------------------147873

There are no records available for expenditure of Daftaries in Dehradun Tehri region. There would have been definitely other expenses too.

  

                                 Bankrupt Economy of Gurkha Regime

Due to cruel methods in administration, farmers did not produce the agriculture production as per potentiality and could not pay tax to the state. Due to less income, Gurkha rulers could not pay salaries to soldiers and soldiers increased more cruel methods on the subjects. That worsens the situation. The medicines (cruel administrative methods) increase the problems in Gurkha regime.

 The Gurkha regime became bankrupts from all angles in Garhwal and Kumaon. The villagers were debt born in Garhwal at the end of Gurkha Rule.

  Garhwal and Kumaon were not poor regions from any angle and Gurkha never paid attention improving situation except exploitation and Gurkha regime had to pay for their poor administration and poor behavior on the subject.

** Most of references and details were taken from Dr Dabral

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com15/6/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -640

*** 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 a Five Years Residence at Nepal Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

Minyan Prem Singh, Guldast Tabarikh Koh Tihri Garhwal

Patiram Garhwal , Ancient and Modern

Tara Datt Gairola, Parvtiy Sanskriti

XXX

History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Sirmour Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Kangara Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Baghat Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Punar Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Uttarkashi Garhwal, Bageshwar Kumaon, Uttarakhand;  Nahan Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Dehradun Garhwal, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History Himachal; 

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ka Kumaon par  Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal,

Xx

History, Revenue from Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Pauri Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Chamoli Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Rudraprayag Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Gangawar Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Tehri Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime; History, Revenue from Uttarkashi Garhwal and Dehradun in Gurkha /Gorkha Regime;