Medieval Nepal, Volume I: Early Medieval Period 750-1530 A.D. [Second Edition] 9788129110985, 8129110989

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MEDIEVAL NEPAL

MEDIEVAL NEPAL Volume I Early Medieval Period 750-1530 A.D.

D.R. Regmi

in association with Dilli Raman Regmi Memorial Library

First Published 1965 Copyright © Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi Published by Rupa & Co. in association with Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi Foundation Published 2007 by ~.,(}, 7/16, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002 Sales Centres:

Allahabad Bangalooru Chandigarh Chennai Hyderabad Jaipur Kathmandu Kolkata Mumbai Pune All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Printed in India by Gopsons Papers Ltd. A-14 Sector 60 Noida 201 301

To The Revered Memory of My Parents

Introduction I feel greatly honoured and take pride in introducing the great works, philosophy and life of a 'Great Son of Nepal' - The late Dr Dilli Raman Regmi. Dr Regmi, for his whole life as a politician, fought for peace, nonviolence and democracy. As a matter of fact, he proved it true that, to be a successful politician, it is not always necessary that one needs to be in power. Gandhi never took the reign of power in his own hands, but he is remembered every moment by the whole world. Dr Regmi was a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Buddha for their role as an apostle for peace. On Buddha, I personally have advocated an alternative title since 1995, as 'Light of the Universe' in place of the present title 'Light of Asia'. In fact, if Dr Regmi was living today, he would have whole-heartedly supported this notion, for, he was a champion for peace. He even celebrated October 2, Gandhi's birth anniversary andBuddhapoornimaa, Buddha's birth anniversary, every year. At this juncture, I strongly believe that we need 'Light of Peace' even in this age of so called Space-War. Politically speaking, Dr Regmi fought against Nepal's 104-year-old-Ranaautocracy and stood firmly in favour of democracy during post-1950-period also. In between, he also became Minister of Education, Foreign Affaires, Health and Home Affaires, etc. But in his later part of life, he rejected even the post of the Prime Minister. The then King Mahendra, after his infamous Royal Coup against the then elected B.P. Koirala Government in 1960, had offered him the post of Prime Minister of Nepal. He also rejected the late King Birendra's offer to be PM several times during Panchayat System and even, to lead the post in the 1990 interim government. These instances remind me of a Sanskrit verse from the oriental philosophical base of Geetaa: -;;('qs-g' ~ ~ "'f

m

"'11"'~

~:1'.5f~~a:mf:~

(natwaham kaamaye raajyam, na swargam na punarbhawam kaamaye dookha taptaanaam praaninaam aartah naashanam) Meaning that I personally do not have any interest of having a nationstate, neither I want heaven, nor a re-birth in a high family; rather I want to work for the suffering people to relieve their pain ... Pragmatically, this school of thought tallied with Dr Regmi's later part of life leading towardsVodhisattva.

Dr Regmi was a great scholar of Nepal. He never introduced himself as a historian but has seventeen books in total to his credit. He was not only the first D.Lit. of Nepal, but also the first Nepalese to write Nepal's history in a foreign language - English. Both spiritually and materially speaking, whatever he earned on this earth, he gave it all to the nation and the world. He donated all his property including monetary gains to the then His Majesty's Government of Nepal. Presently, Government of Nepal is particularly taking care of his generosity and creativity. Many pundits of History of Nepal regard him as the real 'ItihaasShiromani of Nepal'. Some also decor him as Nepal 'Itihaasratna'. Both seem tending to denote a 'Crest Jewel' among Nepalese historians. We, from Dr D.R. Regmi Foundation, are approaching the Government of Nepal, now, to declare Dr Dilli Raman Regmi as 'Nepal Itihaasratna' posthumously. He had started his serious writing in 1940's. Even though, he belonged to Gurµju Family, very close to the Ranas, but he was. a vehement critic of the Ranas. He had to leave Nepal to write against them. The outcbme was the popular book A Century of Family Autocracy in Nepal. In the early fourties, he was imprisoned by the Britishers for his active participation in the 'Quit-India-Movement.' Thus, he was a 'Freedom Fighter' in Nepal and abroad. But he had to pay a high price for it, for, he lost his first wife Mrs Kalyani Regmi, while he was in British India jail. Late Mrs Kalyani Regmi had a heart attack in her mid-twenties from the fear of the bad news that the Britishers would kill/have killed him. This great soul Dr Regmi offered valuable contributions to Nepal, South Asian Region and the world at large. Considering the high demand of his books in the market, out of his vast treasure of works, we are proudly reprinting and publishing his already out-of-print books: Medieval Nepal (four volumes) and Modern Nepal (two volumes). This volume in your hand is one of the great works of Dr Regmi as a part of his six volumes mentioned earlier. I sincerely hope that the scholars of the world will highly benefit from this master piece. I also take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to Rupa & Co, New Delhi, India, for taking interest to republish these books and my colleagues in Nepal for supporting my mission. 11 December 2006 Gyaanodaya Aashram, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal

Dr Bishnu Hari Nepal Chairman proposed Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi Foundation Umbrella Organization for Dilli Raman Kalyani Regrni Memorial Library Development Board, a Government of Nepal Undertaking

PREFACE

The volume: in hand is the second of the series of the History of Nepal to be completed in four volumes. The volume: deals with events from the: middle of the 8th century to 1760 A.D. For the second volume, the title 'Medieval Nepal, (740~ 1760 A.D.), has been adopted. Here we have two divisions of the: work; (a) Part I, 740 to 1530 A.D.', and (b) Part I~, 'Nepal Divided: A History of the Three Kingdom of the Nepal Valley, 1530~ 1760 A.D.' The: medieval history of the Kama.Ii Basin is given in the first part in conformity to the arrangement of the subdectmatter. This history is an account of the famCJ1lls Khasai Kingdom of the 12th and l3th centuries and naturally came within the scope of the: first part. Ini the: first edition our accCJ1llnt closed with the event of Pratapamalla's father's reign (1641 AD.). But this was an abrupt closing. We have now a scientific basis for the: division of· history of the work covers. We: start the medieval age since about the middle of the eighth century A.D. and end with the rise of P:rthvinarayai:i.a Shah who laid the: foundation of modern Nepal in about 1760-68 A.D. The Part I of the volume covers the period of history beginning: with the end of the Lichhavi period and ending with the divisia.n of the kingdom after Ratnamalla's death. The part II of this volume with the title· 'Nepal Divided: A history of the: Three Kingdoms of the Nepal Valley' narrates the events leading to the rise and establishment of the: three kingdoms in the: Valley of N e:pal and their eventual elimination at the hands of J>rthvinarayai:i.a Shah. Here: we: have made: a slight change in the: scorpe of the subject covered. This new arrangement we: thought was quite logical in view of the: fact that the early history of the: Baisi and Chaubisi states forms the background of the period

covered by the third volume, and fits in well to be incorporated there. The rise of the Baisi and Chaubisi dates from the early 14th century A.D. Just a little earlier to this time the ancient chronicle ( Gopala V arhsavali.) introduces into the main History events of Khasia and Magar invasions from the Valley of Nepal. But they do not occur since about 1326 A.D. As it appears from our history of the Karnali Basin, the Khasa Kingdom fell to pieces in the 15th century and new Rajput principalities took its place. These were later known as the Baisi (twenty two) princes. I think that about the same time the Rajput dynasties had firmly settled in parts of the sub-Himalayan ranges in the west of the Nepal Valley. These were called the Chaubisi (twenty four). All these start their own history as they grow up. As we have already observed there was a flourishing Khasa kingdom in the Karnali Basin since the early 11 th century A.D. We have no evidence to prove the suzeranity of Nepal rulers over this state. We do not know if ever the jurisdiction of the central kingdom in Nepal proper extended to the areas occupied by the Khasa Mallas and their neighbours of the Ga.I)Q.ak Basin. Of course, with regard to ancient history no political entity other than the one existing in the Valley of Nepal has beei:i traced for the entire stretch of the territories between the Sapta Ga.I)Q.aki and Sapta Ko8i and this entity functioned more or less in Nepal proper and the areas immediately surrounding it in the four directions. Quite possibly the Nepal rulers in the climax of power ruled over a kingdom not as much extensive as the present day Nepal and sometimes even not larger enough than the Valley of Nepal with the outlying territories outside on both sides between the Budhi Gai:iQ.ak and the Sun Ko5i or the Tama Ko5i. Probably the same boundaries continued to exist in early medieval age so that excluding the region of the Baisi, farther west, the history of Nepal proper of the time could very well pass as the history of Nepal with its traditional frontier lines between the Gai:iQ.ak and the Tama Krni. But the same could not hold ground in regard to the later medieval

period. The Sapta Gat)c;laki Pradesh had by this time become a scene of new activity and potentially rival political states had emerged to the detriment of the power in the Nepal Valley. In this context the status of the usually functioning state of Nepal had greatly changed. It was no longer a powerful and dominating state as it used to be. .Moreover under a condition of division, the unique personality of the state disintegrated. Now the Nepal Valley states formed just noticeable entities in the vast conglomeration of petty !>tates. Their history was not the history of Nepal. This was the reason that we give the title 'A History of the Nepal Valley' to the work dealing with the history of the later period. The Lichhavi dynastic history came to an end if not with Jayadeva II definitely with his successor Sankaradeva, for the epigraphic records of the period are not available after 740 A.D. If the dynasty had existed further then the few inscriptions coming after 740 A.D. should have appeared with the usual titles of the Lichhavi kings, but these do not. The absence of any records in their name is dear evidence of the dynasty ceasing to rule since about 740 A.D. As records were abundant for the period preceding we are confirmed in our view that the Lichhavi rule could not exist in the absence of any kind of records. In the arrangement of the text as it was my view that the Lichhavi period was over with Jayadeva's successor, I completed my first volume with Ancient Nepal as its title bringing the narrative to a close upto c. 740, which could be the last date of the Lichhavi dynasty. With the same consideration I have started my narrative of the medieval history of Nepal since the mid eighth century A.D. I did not follow such writers who take the epoch year of the Nepal era as the starting point in this respect. By not following them I could cover the history of the hundred years left between. J ayadeva II and Raghavadeva. It will appear later that from 1755 onwards the history of the entire central Himalayan region is in a way the history of Gorkha's ruling dynasty which had acquired immense resources and power to become the sovereign of a new political unit 'A-ith

Nepal as capital. Now in the context of the rise and growth of Gorkha all these Baisi, Cha.ubisi and Nepal Valley states lose their importance as separate entities as well as the positions of that nature. At this stage their history is intimately bound up with the history of the different phases of the rise of the principality of Gorkha which was to become the kingdom of Nepal. As we describe the events of Gorkha's rise to stature, facts are narrated dealing with the history of all the states in the area for the time. But this goes to the third volume of our series, which specifically deals with the history of Gorkha becoming Nepal. The narrative in the second volume covers events of the history of the Nepal Valley only upto the rise of Prthvinaraya,i:ia Shah, the Gorkha ruler. The work has 10 chapters in Part I and 8 in Part II. All these chapters provide political history of the period, while the last chapter in each part gives an objective study of the social and economic condition of Nepal at the time under consideration. I express my gratitude to all those who have given me their unstinted cooperation in the preparation of this work, which is a pioneer attempt in the field of Nepalese historical research. In particular I am. indebted to Mr. Shubha Bir Pandey for typing the manuscript and laboriously undertaking allied duties and to the publisher for the publication of the work.

Kathmandu, June lst, 1961

D.R.

REGMI

CONTENTS CHAPTER I

Page INTRODUCTORY

Territory and Geographical Situation The Name: Nepal and Newar The People .. The Language and the People

1 10

15 16

CHAPTER II

Sources for the Early Medieval History Source Materials The Ancient Chronicles Later Chronicles Manuscripts Other Source Materials .. Coinage Inscriptions .. The Medieval Calendar

19

21

23 28 37 42 44 46

49

CHAPTER III EARLY MEDIEVAL HISTORY

(c. 740-1146 A.D.)

The Nepal Era of 879 A.D. and the Event The Event of the Era ..

51

59

II

75

The Founder of the Era III Genealogy before Raghavadeva Date of Jayadeva II Manadeva III

79 83

85 IV

The Socalled Pala Suzerainty in the 9th and lOth Centuries

87

Mahipala and Nepal The So-called Thakuri Lineage of Raghavadeva

101 105'

v Raghavadeva's Successors Narendradeva - Udayadeva Rudradeva . . Laksmikamadeva Jayadeva Bhaskaradeva Cultural Influence of Atisha's Visit . . Baladeva Pradyumnakamadeva and Nagarjunadeva Sankaradeva and Vamadeva Vamadeva . . Harsadeva . . The So-called Domination of Ramapala Nanyadeva's Invasion . . Ramadeva and Emperor Ramapala Simhadeva . . Sivadeva Jayendrasimhadeva, Indradeva, Manadeva and Narendradeva

106 113 114 11 S 120' 121 128 129 130 13& 138 141 144 149 156 158 161 166

CHAPTER IV HOUSE OF StMHADEVA

(1146-1200 A.D.) 175 181 184 186 188 191

Anandadeva Rudradeva .. Amritadeva .. Somesvaradeva Some South Indian Kings And Nepal Chaos Before Arimalla .. CHAPTER V ARIMl\LLA

To

]AYANANDADEVA

(1200-1329 A.D.)

The Line Of Arimalla ( 1200 -1258' A.D.) Mallas in Ancient History Malla As An Epithet . .

200 200 202

305

Pasupatimalladeva More About Devaladevi and Anekarama

306

iI 309 309 312 323

Jayarajadeva (1347 -1361 A.D.) Eve Of Muslim Invasion

III 324 324 337

Jayarjunadeva (1361--1382 A.D.) 'Succession And Colophons Death Of Jayarjuna CHAPTER VII

I ]AYA STHITIMALLA AND

His

SuccESSORS

345 346 369 370

Jaya Sthitimalla Jaya Sthitimalla's Parentage Character And Personality Of Sthitimalla Death Of Jaya Sthitimalla

II Joint Reign Of The Sons Of Sthitimalla ( 1395 -

1408 A.D.)

372

Bhotta Feudatories: Absolute Ministers And Pretender Kings Facts Of The Nepal-China Relations Of The Time Rabuttas Of Pharping . .

382 394 409

III

IV Jyotirmalla .. Jyotirmalla And Patan's Mahapatras

412 423

v Yaksamalla (1428-1482 A.D.) Yaksamalla's Achievements More About The Feudatories Of Patan

425 446

447

CHAPTER VIII

45Z

After Yaksamalla Epilogue

47& CHAPTER IX

SocIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITION OF NEPAL IN THE MIDDLE AGES. UPTO THE 16TH CENTURY A.D.

I The Medieval System Of Administration In Nepal as it existed Till The 15th Century A.D. Divine Rule Queen And Queen Mothers Solar Line . . Feudatories . . Powerful Mahasamantas Court Aristocracy The Mahath Mulami The Rabuttas Feudal Class Other Offices Of Responsibility ·Forts And Defence Outposts Subordinate Feudal OT Administrative Units The Three Cities Of The Valley . . The Name, N epala Some Other Aspects Of Administration The Army . . End Of A System External Attacks And Civil War Taxes

482' 483 487 488: 490 492 495· 496 498 501 502' 503 505 506 508 512 515 516517 518 527

II

Exchange And Economy The Problem Of The Medium Of Exchange Weight And Measures Agriculture .. Functional Groups

529 531 533 534 538

III Polity And Religion

539

Arimalla (1200-1236 A.D.) Abhayamalla (1216-1255 A.D.) Ramasimha's Invasion .. Ranasuradeva Jayadeva (1255-1258 A.D.)

204 210 217 219 221

II

Jayabhimadeva ( 1258-1271) And Jayasiharnalla ( 1271-1274)

226

III Anantamalla (1274-1310 A.D.) . . Khasia Invasions Of Nepal In The Time Of Anantamalla Jayadityadeva Character Of The Khasa Invasions More Troubles Ahead . . Impious Act Jayasaktideva And Jayatungamalla Death Of Anantarnalla . . Final Remarks on Anantamalla's Reign Invasion of Nepal By Ripumalla . .

230 240 243 244 245 24 7 248 249 251 251

IV J ayanandadeva ( 1310 - 1328 A.D.)

252

v On The Tirhutiya Invasion Of Nepal Harasimha's Ancestors Dis Nanyadeva's Successors Rule Over Nepal ? Harasimha's Date The So-called Conquest of Nepal By Harasimhadeva Date Of Harasimha's Flight Harasimha's Dynastic Successors

258 259 265 268 271 288 293

CHAPTER VI jAYARIMALLA, jAYARAJADEVA AND jAYARJUNADEVA

Jayarimalla (1320-1344 A.D.) Another Khasia Invasion After Rudramalla In Bhatgaon Nayakadevi and Her Gaurdians

296 299 300

Religion Saivite Deities Religion Of The Royal Family The Pasupatinatha Only One Siddha A Tibetan Monk On Nepalese Buddhism The Viharas The Stupas .. The Svayambhu Chaitya The Khasti Chaitya Lokesvara, Manjusri And Other Buddhist Deities Seven Mortal Buddhas, Five Celestial Buddhas .. Saiv.a And Visnuite Deities In Buddhism Respects For Brahmanas And Cows Rituals Ritual Performances From Birth To Death Individuals And Popular Welfare ..

541 549

553 556 558 559 561 564 565 571

572 576 581 583 584

591 592

IV Architecture Temple Architecture Temples The Mahabuddha In Patan

594 596

599 602 -V ART

606 615 617

Sculpture Metalic Sculpture Painting VI 0rHER CULTURAL AcTIVmEs

Nepal as a Centre of Learning The Message Of Nepalese Culture Literary Activity Indian Scribes In Nepal

628 629 634 640

VII Castes In The Middle Ages: Sthitimalla And Castes

641

Criticism Of Castes As Laid Down In The Chronicles Dharrna Sastra And Nepalese Castes Further Considerations On Castes The Guthi . .

661 6S6 698 706

CHAPTER X EARLY MEDIEVAL HISTORY OF THE The Khasa Kingdom In The Middle Age Prithvimalla's Documents The Empire And Its Achievements Sanskrit And Parbatiya . . Predecessors Of Prithvimalla Abhayarnalla The Origin Of The Khasas

GLOSSARY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS • • BmuooRAPHY

INDEX

KARNALI BASIN

..

710 712 717 721 722 729 732 737 738 741 743

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY I TERRITORY AND GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION

In the absence of sources indicating Nepal's tenitorial extension, it is not only difficult but almost impolflible to detennine how this country stood in ancient days in regard to its frontier line. However, Hiuen Tsang's observation on its peripheral distance may enable us to form an idea of its geographical situation and territory. While Hiuen Tsang during his stay in India (629-644 A.D.). wrote his notes, he showed Nepal (Ni-~lo) as a country situated at a distance of 1400 or 1500 Ii (280 to 300 miles) north-west of a ruined city, which lay about 100 Ii (20 miles) north-east of the capital of the Vrizzi country. According to him Nepal was reached after crossing some mountains and entering a Valley 'about 400 li round'. He noted that the country 'was about 4000 Ii ( 1300 miles) in circuit and was situated among the snowy mountains'. After speaking of Nepal, the Chinese pilgrim says that 'from this going back to V aiSali (Fei-she-li) and crossing the Ganges to the south, we anived at the country of Mo-kie-t'o (Magadha)' 1 • These lines are reproduced from S. Beal's translation of the original of Si-yu-ki. As it must have appeared, Nepal is approached through the capital of the Vrizzis but the journey back from Nepal is made direct through V aiSali. It appears that the route through Vaisali p~ directly northwards to Nepal, while the Vrizzi one was a little circuitous. But from what Hiuen Tsang writes Si-yu-ki: Records of the W eS:tern World, translated by S. Beal> Vol. II, London, 1906., pp. 80-81. 1

2

MEDIEVAL NEPAL

there was no country intervening between the Vrizzi country and Nepal and between the latter and V aiSali. But here are we to take that VaiSali and the Vrizzi republican territory had contiguous frontier with Nepal? All this, however, is not clear from the statement. Apart from that, we are equally left in dark about the route to reach the Valley of Nepal. By not giving a deaiption of the route to and from Nepal Hiuen Tsang has introduced confusion as to the location and southern frontier line of this country. There is yet one more factor in Hiuen Tsang's statement, which creates confusion and this is in regard to the size of the country. Hiue:n Tsang estimated Nepal's circumference to have been 4000 li (1300 miles). This means that the area which Nepal covers at the moment was practically the same which it had enjoyed in the ancient past. But whatever might have been the position in the ancient period, we do not think that it was so in the medieval age. Hiuen Tsang's estimate seems to have been somewhat exaggerated if we are not to suppose that Nepal's size was cut off in the period following Hiuen Tsang. It was thought until recently that as there was no political state in the central Himalayas ether than Nepal and Kartyur (Kumaon-Garhwal) and that Nepal and Kartyur must have been fairly large entities touching each other. However, no one would agree that Kartyur was as extensive so to reach the basin of the Bheri and Ka.n:tfili now lying within West Nepal. But more than that we have seen that since the early ninth century A.D. there had grown a sizable political entity- in this region, which was ruled by a family of the Khasa tribe. This was the Malla kingdom extending far and wide in all four directions. Possibly the frontier of this state touched Nepal at the bank of the Kali GaI).c;lak. We also find that in the eastern Himalayas no political entity comes to our view in this period. But we are yet far from determining the eastern boundary of the state of Nepal. We face several questions in this connection; such as who ruled the Kira ta de§a now constituting East Nepal? Who were masters over the areas known as Sikkim and Bhutan today? We have no evidence of Nepal exercising its sovereignty over these regions. Neither any

INTRODUCTORY

3

other state from the Gangetic plains seems to have hold on them. It was, however, wrong to 8aJY that Nepal in ancient days comprised only the Valley known today as the Valley of Nepal. As we shall argue it might have included more of territory beyond the Valley on four sides. H. C. Ray said that the kingdom was no larger than the areai covered by the Valley. But he is definitely wrong as will be evident from the following discourse. Hiuen Tsang's observation that it was 4000 li ( 1300 miles) in circuit, however, exaggerated goes to refute this suggestion. But it is certain that Nepal had not enjoyed the possession of a much expanded airea to compare with what it has commanded today. As for Nepal's borderline in the Terai, it is also still a matter of conjecture. The graffitto of Ripumalla on the ASokan Pillar in Lumbini suggests that the Khasa kingdom of the Mallas extended as far as the river Gar:i