An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of GorkhaHamilton, Francis
History
An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha
Hamilton, Francis
Nepal -- Description and travel; Nepal -- History
The chief of Lamjun was descended from a younger son of Kaski, and was
originally powerful, the sum appropriated from the land revenue, for his
family expense, being 22,000 rupees a-year; and he was not only followed
in war by his kinsman the chief of Kaski, but by the Raja of Tanahung.
Lamjun, after the loss of Gorkha, was a cold country bordering on the
snowy peaks of Emodus, and inhabited by Bhotiyas, with some Brahmans and
Khasiyas in the warmer vallies. It contained no mine of any importance,
nor any town of note, except the capital; and the chief advantage, after
the loss of Gorkha, that the Raja enjoyed, was the commerce with Bhotan
or Thibet, which was carried on through a passage in Emodus called
Siklik. Many goods were conveyed by this route to Lamjun, and from
thence, by the way of Tarku, Tanahung, Dewghat, and Bakra, into the low
country; but this trade has been interdicted by the present government of
Nepal, which is very jealous of the Raja of Tanahung, to whom Bakra still
is secured by the Company’s protection. Siklik, however, is still the
residence of a Subah or civil governor, and is probably the place called
Seshant in the map of Kanak. The name merely implies a frontier place,
but among the hills is used to imply a place inhabited by barbarians;
that is, such as reject the doctrines of the Brahmans. In both meanings
the term is applicable to Siklik, as its inhabitants, Bhotiyas and
Gurungs adhere to the Lamas, and it is the frontier town towards the
empire of China.
One of the Lamjun Rajas, according to Prati Nidhi, had a younger brother
named Darbha Sahi, who as usual held the office of Chautariya; but
rebelled, and took to himself Gorkha, the southern part of the
principality, paying 12,000 rupees of the 22,000 that came to the chief
for his support.
Gorkha is rather warmer than the valley of Nepal, and its chief
inhabitants were Brahmans and Khasiyas, in about equal numbers, with
rather fewer Magars, the Brahmans being the chief cultivators, and the
Khas and Magars the fighting men. The capital Gorkha is situated on a
very high hill, and was the only place of note in the territory. It is
said to contain about 2000 houses, and the temple of Gorakhanath, who is
one of the tutelar deities of the reigning family. From this
circumstance we may perhaps infer, that the proper name of the place is
Gorakha, and that, previous to having adopted the doctrines of the
Brahmans, this family had received the Zogis, or priests of Gorakhanath,
as their spiritual guides.
Colonel Kirkpatrick {244} states the old boundaries of Gorkha to have
been the Trisulganga (Tirsoolgunga) on the east, and the Marichangdi
(Mursiangdi) on the west. In place of the former he should have stated
the Gandi; but from what he says, (in page 122,) it would seem that he
confounded the Gandi with both the Setiganga and Trisulganga.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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