MSS EUR HODGSON/58 Ethnography, geography: routes and settlements 1847-1855
Ethnographic notes including family names of Bahuns (Brahmins) and Bhotiyas, customs and manners of Gurungs, Tibetan and Nepali names of animals and birds, accounts of property and expenses, customs of Ukū Baḥā, Patan, different routes.
1[vol.58 fol(s)1-2] Family names of Bahuns and description of the Khatri (a sub-caste of the Chhetri in the social hierarchy) Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of Bahun (Brahmin) family names, description of KhasaKhatri (offspring of union between a Brahmin man and a Khasa or other lower caste woman or between a Khasa man and other lower caste woman), see [vol 51/14 fol.200-203][vol 56/02 fol.21-24][vol 103/18 fol.151-55] , comparison of man and woman with black bee and flower; Nepali title description.
2[vol.58 fol(s)3] Account of land and property of a common householder in the Tarai and the price of grain and other goods 1846 Nepali hand-made paper.
Avadi/Maithili
Account relating to land, grain and other property of a poor Tarai family, price of different types of grain and other goods.
3[vol.58 fol(s)4-14] List of animals and animal bones 1854-1856 Nepali hand-made paper, some pencil writing.
Nepali Hindi Tibetan Avadi/Maithili
List of animals (with names given in Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan and Maithili or local language), animal bones, horns and skulls.
4[vol.58 fol(s)15b-16] Description of birds of the Nepal Tarai (?) 1854 Nepali hand-made paper, very poor writing.
Hindi Avadi/Maithili
Description of fourteen kinds of birds of Nepal's Tarai referred to by local dialect names with a brief note written in English added by the writer.
5[vol.58 fol(s)17-18] Different family names of ethnic Tibetans of the Eastern Himalayan region of Nepal Nepali hand-made paper.
Hindi Tibetan English Hindi
Family names of people of Tibetan origin from the Eastern Himalayan region of Nepal with English transliteration; Nepali title description.
6[vol.58 fol(s)19-22] Account of Hodgson's personal expenses 1857 Nepali hand-made paper, very rough note in mixed scripts.
Hindi
Hodgson's account of kitchen and other expenses incurred by Lachuman (Laxman) in the year 1857, including names of Hodgson's regular paid workers (kullis).
7[vol.58 fol(s)23-26] Animal names in Tibetan Nepali hand-made paper.
Tibetan Hindi Nepali
Tibetan animal names (some with Nepali equivalents), written in Tibetan script and Nepali transliteration.
8[vol.58 fol(s)27] Account of the customs ofRudravarnamahavihara (Oku-vahā) of Patan Nepali hand-made paper.
Newari Hindi
Description of the customs of Oku-vahā, mostly relating to the system of managing officials of the vihāra or monastery known as daśanāike, bhanī and viset. Source of income, feasts and festivals, relation between the monastery and the Bandya community.
9[vol.58 fol(s)28-32] Standard questionnaire and list of key points for investigation Machine-made paper, language is a mixture of local dialects similar to Hindi-Urdu, Maithili and the script is Kaithi rather than Nagari.
Mixed
Detailed questionnaire and list of key points for investigation (Hodgson's research method) in different districts with comprehensive coverage including geographical introduction, settlements, population, castes and communities, properties (land, houses), history, historical sites, arts and artisans, routes-roads, trails, trade and commerce, markets, hunting and related equipment, land and agriculture, weaving, system of justice and courts, land revenue, flora and fauna. The questionnaire and list of key points were prepared by Hodgson and his research assistants.
10[vol.58 fol(s)33-38] Family names of different ethnic communities and popular legends relating to their origin Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Description of Thapa (Chhetri), Magar, Khadka, Budathoki, Sunar, Karki, Khulal, Katuwal, Gurung, Khas-baniya and Kirati.
11[vol.58 fol(s)39-44] Traditional festivals of Buddhist and Hindu Newars and daily duties of Newar husband and wife Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali Newari
Traditional Newar festivals in the 12-month cycle; Nepali and English title description (translated copy under English section, see [vol 20/05 fol.241-278] ).
Regular duties of Newar husband and wife throughout the day from early morning bathing, house cleansing and spiritual puja to the late night oil massage provided by a housewife to her mother-in-law and husband, includes description of the requirement for a married couple to share single bed with single quilt or blanket.
12[vol.58 fol(s)45-56b (f. 57 blank)] Customs and manners (kūlācār) of the Gurungs 1904 Nepali hand-made paper, dismantled folio order.
Nepali
Stories relating to the origin of Gurungs, areas of settlement, different family names, life-cycle rites, other socio-religious activities, dresses and ornaments; Nepali and English title description. Source of the data (Ramsing Gurung of Tajima village in the Raginas area of Gorkha).
13[vol.58 fol(s)58] Customs and manners (dharma-karma) of the Bhotes Nepali hand-made paper.
Hindi
Very brief note on different groups and their hierarchical relationship, religion, death rites, food and drinks, dishes and other household utensils; English title description.
14[vol.58 fol(s)59] Content of papers sent to India from Kathmandu since VE 1881 (1821) Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of documents dealing with different subjects including the salary of army personnel, description of wars fought at different dates and places, routes, record of guns stored in different regions of the country, occupational castes, life-cycle rites, agricultural products including grain, fruits and vegetables, old military weapons, mines, genealogies of different ruling dynasties and ministerial families, marriage (royal ?) expenses.
15[vol.58 fol(s)59b] Copy of Hodgson's letter sent to the King (?) regarding the collection of birds Nepali hand-made paper, pencil written.
Nepali
Shipment of a new species of bird to Hodgson in Darjeeling, Rajman Chitrakar's (Rajmansing) role in selecting and recommending birds for shipment and drawing them, Hodgson's suggestion to send to Darjeeling all living and dead birds coming from Tibet.
16[vol.58 fol(s)61-63] Sikkim history and administration Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of Khampa kings of Sikkim and their supporting Lamas, war with Gorkha, territorial changes, internal court conflict and killings, administrative setup, revenue and taxation.
17[vol.58 fol(s)64] Fragment of a note on the funeral of the Murmis (Tamangs) Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Details of funeral process and subsequent death rite of the Murmis, incomplete fragment.
18[vol.58 fol(s)65] Content of manuscripts from sack No. 8 of the original shipment Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of manuscripts relating to customs and manners of different ethnic communities.
19[vol.58 fol(s)60] List of rivers and streams from the Eastern Tarai Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of 24 rivers and streams; title description in Farsi (Persian).
20[vol.58 fol(s)67] Personal letter to Hodgson describing different aspects of Sikkim, including its borders Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Border and distances between Mechi and Sikkim, Sikkim and Assam, Sikkim and Bhutan, administrative and general details, ethnic groups (Bhote, Limbu, Lepcha), high and lower class people, internal conflicts.
21[vol.58 fol(s)68] Description of army units, guns and gunners under different officials, offices and administrative centers Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Distribution of army units, guns (nāl) and gunners (golandāj) under generals, ministers, kajis and different important offices and administrative centres; English title description.
22[vol.58 fol(s)70] Route, river-crossings or ghāṭas and bridges on the way to Palpa from Kathmandu Nepali hand-made paper, folio 69 is a very small piece of paper with a chart of measurements in kos and hāt attached to it).
Hindi Nepali
List of ghāṭs, bridges, Saptagandaki rivers and principalities located west of the Trishuli (Triśūlgaṅgā); English title description.
23[vol.58 fol(s)71-73] Routes, forts and distances, distribution of military and their equipment 1855 Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Description of routes, forts, distances, distribution of army and equipment throughout Nepal; collected by Shankar; English title description.
24[vol.58 fol(s)74-76] Extensive list of villages, towns and major ghāṭas of Eastern Nepal and a brief list of Chautariyas and other high-ranking officials Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
List of townships, villages, major ghāṭas (river crossings) in Eastern Nepal and the Kathmandu Valley, list of Chautariyas (collateral brothers of the Shah rulers of Nepal) and other high-ranking officials (kājis, subbās, khajāñci); Nepali title description.
25[vol.58 fol(s)77-88] Inclusive description of routes connecting Kathmandu, Salyan and Jajarkot Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Description of routes including information on villages and townships, people, rivers and streams, river crossings (ghāṭs), hills and jungles, temples, water spouts, resting places (pāṭi-pauvā), small shops, open market palaces, customs and mail offices.
26[vol.58 fol(s)89-96] Towns and villages assigned for the upkeep (salary or khāngi) of the Srīnāth Kaṃpu, a regiment of the Kathmandu garrison of the Nepal Army
Army salary with detailed list of villages and townships throughout Nepal (total number 568) from which revenue was assigned as payment to the Srīnāth Kaṃpu; English and Nepali title description.
27[vol.58 fol(s)97-98] Draft copy of Hodgson's personal letter sent from Darjeeling to his family friend or helper in Kathmandu, named Pahalman 1854 Nepali hand-made paper, rough writing with very big and bold letters, incomplete copy, probably final page is missing.
Urdu Hindi
Mostly Hodgson's personal affairs, trip to England and first marriage with Anne Scott, temporary settlement in Darjeeling, enmity with the Mahapatras, their threat to B. B. Ferguson (Robert or Bob Ferguson?) and his property in the Nepal Tarai, request to his friend to provide help to Ferguson, expression of thanks to Pahalman for congratulations sent on his marriage, disallowing of his request to visit the Hodgsons in Darjeeling but assurance they will be able to meet during his trip to other Indian cities in the same year, personal observation of great and rapid change in England within a decade; incomplete copy (RAS, London has Pahalman's original letter sent from Kathmandu to the Hodgsons) addressed probably to Hodgson's son Henry) in Darjeeling in 1853 which includes the marriage congratulations to Brian HodgsonHodgson MSS.RAS 01/52/169. Another manuscript in Kaithi writing (with a barely readable copy attached in Roman transcription) related to a land transaction in the Jaleshwar (Janakpur) area of Nepal's Tarai has a clear reference to an English official (land tax collector) named Robert Ferguson, see [vol 84/04 fol.157, 163] . In addition to this, a draft copy of Hodgson's response to Ferguson's letter and proposal of English settlement in India and the Himalayan region is also preserved in the Hodgson collection at the RAS, London01/72/238-239. A name list of several other feudals like the Mahapatras from the Jaleshwar area of the Nepal Tarai who were against Ferguson's jamindārī in and around their territory can be found in the BL collection, see [vol 60/23 fol.219] .
28[vol.58 fol(s)100-103] Route to Peking 1822 Nepali hand-made paper.
Nepali
Route to Peking used by the delegation headed by Kaji Dalbhanjan Pande in VE 1879, description includes distances in kos, major overnight halting places, lakes, mountains, rivers, bridges, forts, mountain passes. For this mission, see [Manandhar_2004:II, 13-14].