DOCSLIB.ORG

Dinesh Raj Pant the Institution of Slavery in Nepal and Its Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Dinesh Raj Pant the Institution of Slavery in Nepal and Its Analysis Dinesh Raj Pant The Institution of Slavery in Nepal and its Analysis Based on the Dharmasastras 1. A Survey of Sources 1.1. The history of Nepal that can be written based on documents begins 1500 years ago under the Licchavi kings. About two hundred inscriptions of the Licchavi period have been found. Of them, one deals with the institution of slavery. There is a temple of Anantalingesvara on a hill located south of Suryavinayaka in Bhaktapur and north of the town of Lubhu. The inscription was set up by Narendradeva (ca. 643-680),1 a famous king of the Licchavi period. The site, nowadays famous under the name of the iaiva deity Anantalingesvara, belonged to Hamsagrhadranga during the Licchavi period. There was a temple dedicated to the Vaisnava deity Lokapalasvamin, and Narendradeva, in administering the affairs of the temple, assigned ten male and twenty female temple slaves2 to it.3 Since many letters have worn away in the passage on this stone inscription where the slaves are described, it is not possible to understand everything that was written, but it is clear that provisions were made for the slaves to receive grain and sums of money.4 This is the only clear mention of the institution of slavery during Licchavi times to have come to light. Something now will be said, however, about a further sign of its existence found in another inscription. There is an inscription near the Buddhist caitya of Chabel, located somewhat east of Pasupatinatha Temple. In this inscription, the date of which has not been ascertained, it is stated, in connection with the subject of controlling one's sense organs, dasavat tani sandharyai ('bringing them under control like slaves'), and this is an indirect indication that the institution of slavery existed. 1.2. Following this discussion of the practice of slavery in the Licchavi period, we come to two documents from the second half of the 11th century. These two legal documents, 1 This paper furnishes for kings their reign, and for other persons their lifetime. 2 With regard to how devabhrtyanam and dasinam (D. Vajracharya 1973:486) have been described in this inscription, it appears at first as if only devadasa ('male temple slave') and dasi ('female slave') are described, but not female slaves of God. However, 'female slave' is used here for female slaves of God, being described along with devadasa in a religious context. D. Vajracharya has written 'female slaves of God' in some places and 'female slaves' in others (ibid,-.487, 488) in translating this inscription. 3 D. Vajracharya 1973:486. 1 Ibid. 5 D. Vajracharya 1973:1. 136 Dinesh Raj Pant dating to 1051 and 1061, are located in the Rudravarnamahavihara (Okubahal) in Patan. The document of 1051 records the case of someone who pledged himself to bondage for five years in exchange for having received both cash and kind,6 and the document of 1061 stipulates a three-year period of service under the same conditions.7 As these are private documents, the name of the king is not on them; nevertheless, the first document dates to the reign of Baladeva (ca. 1049-1060), and the second one to either Baladeva or Pradyumnakamadeva (ca. 1063-1066). 1.3. We come to the troubled times that followed upon the Licchavi period. From the reign of Anandadeva (II.), there is a legal document, dated 1313, which says ioxit pdtra-s from Gabahal in Patan freed two persons.8 Now although the paramount kings residing in Bhaktapur was recognized as such, in Patan the traditional rule was one of patra-s, and since it was they who issued it, there is no mention of any king. As sense cannot be made of all the sentences, the exact situation is not clear; still, when things are put into context, it is seen that what is being referred to is manumission. This conclusion is reinforced by the fact, furthermore, that the word mukatapatra (muktipatra = 'writ of emancipation') is written on the back side. 1.4. The evidence continues after a gap of more than three centuries. King Siddhinarasimha Malla (1619-1661) of the kingdom of Lalitpur (Patan) was the one who built the famous Krsna Temple at the darbar square of his capital. In an inscription set up there in 1637 when the temple was dedicated, along with the various gifts Siddhinarasimha gave during a kotihoma he performed for forty days, mention is made of a gift of male and female slaves.' From this it is clear that, in making gifts of slaves in this manner, he was gaining merit. 1.5. On the northern side of Talejuchok, Bhaktapur's royal palace, a total of twelve gilt copperplate inscriptions have been affixed in a row to the main beam supporting the rafters. The fourth of them from the left is of relevance to the institution of slavery. It was placed there by Siddhinarasimha Malta's grandson, the Patan king Yoganarendra Malla (1684-1705). Witnessed by the Bhaktapur king Bhupatlndra Malla (1696-1722), Patan's cautdra ('chief minister') and the royal priest of Patan, it tells of Yoganarendra founding a guthi for the Taleju of Bhaktapur. The inscription calls upon slaves and wicked persons not to damage the gilt copperplate, threatening them with Taleju's baleful look if they do, while promising them her look of blessing if they preserve it.10 Srirajapatni Jayalaksmidevi also numbers among those who acted as witnesses. This Jayalaksmi was one of Yoganarendra Malla's concubines. It may be supposed that she had a hand in comparing slaves to wicked persons as a warning to anyone who might offer competition to her, it being the tradition in the society of the time that concubines who had entered the court as slaves might become queens if they pleased the king. 6 B. Kolver 1986:436. 7 Ibid.-Ay?. 8 For this document and the problems of its interpretation, see M. Pant 1990:8. ' Parajuli, Y. Vajracharya and R. Vajracharya 1954:21. 10 levari et al. 1962:29-30. The Institution of Slavery in Nepal 137 1.6. Now for the great incision in Nepalese history, the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley by the Gorkha King Prthvinarayana ¿aha (1743-1775). From his reign onwards, documents relating to slavery become more plentiful. 1.6.1. From Prthvinarayana ¿aha himself, there are four documents, all issued to one ¿rikrsna Pathaka, the king ordering him to give male and female slaves to several different people.11 Three documents concern the traditional giving of slaves as gifts, as though they were gifts of property. A fourth document, however, is of particular interest, and I propose to discuss it in some detail. It was issued in 1766 and shows the king commanding ¿rikrsna Pathaka 'to seize the wife and children of the enemy and give them to Bhlmasena KarkI in exchange for a male buffalo that was confiscated from him and brought to the king.'12 From this document we learn that the value of a mixed pair of slaves was no greater than a single animal. A next group of relevant documents was issued by Prthvinarayana Paha's son Pratapasimha ¿aha (1775-1777) when he was the crown prince. They were also addressed to ¿rikrsna Pathaka, and two of them again concern the giving of a mixed pair of slaves to someone.13 In one document Pratapasimha ¿aha orders ¿rikrsna Pathaka to 'send two couples of slaves if possible and, if not, one, because of some urgent works over here.'14 In 1767 a savdl ( i.e. a 'question,' 'request,' 'desire' etc. — the word is from Arabic) was carried out under the name of ¿rikrsna Pathaka. The term is in common use in Nepali and is used, among other things, in the sense of an affidavit obtained as part of the legal process to expedite court cases. This particular affidavit lists a number of tasks entrusted to ¿rikrsna Pathaka, among them matters concerning male and female slaves.15 The king's name is not on the document, but it comes from Prthvinarayana ¿aha's reign. We do not know much about ¿rikrsna Pathaka, but from other documents it is clear that during the period of the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley, he was involved as a chief officer in the job of exercising authority over newly conquered territory and conquering other new territory. — Interestingly enough, all the documents encountered up to now which command the transfer of slaves are addressed to this single ¿rikrsna Pathaka. 1.6.2. Some light is also shed on the institution of slavery as it existed during the period, by a document written by Prthvinarayana ¿aha in 1771 A. D. to the umard of Agin- chok, Laksmlkanta Upadhyaya. It stipulates that if the owner of a male slave who had committed an act of theft was unable to locate him, then he would become government property, and adds that it was not proper for anyone to appropriate a slave to himself in exchange for an unfinished plough, there being no custom from former times to do 11 D. Pant 1982:54, 56; id. 1985:30. 12 D. Pant 1985:30. 13 D. Pant 1982a:64, id. 1983:2-3. 14 D. Pant 1988:104. 15 D. Pant 1985:31. 138 Dinesh Raj Pant so. Again it is seen that the custom of regarding a slave as the equivalent of an inanimate object still existed at the time.16 1.6.3. In the treasury of the Pasupatinatha temple, there is a copperplate dated 1773 that concerns a donation, made by a Bhirkot Brahmin, of two Newar women as temple female slaves.17 If hitherto we have encountered only examples of rulers being involved in the institution of slavery, we now have proof, from this copperplate, that ordinary citizens were also involved in it.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Logistics Capacity Assessment Nepal
    IA LCA – Nepal 2009 Version 1.05 Logistics Capacity Assessment Nepal Country Name Nepal Official Name Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Regional Bureau Bangkok, Thailand Assessment Assessment Date: From 16 October 2009 To: 6 November 2009 Name of the assessors Rich Moseanko – World Vision International John Jung – World Vision International Rajendra Kumar Lal – World Food Programme, Nepal Country Office Title/position Email contact At HQ: [email protected] 1/105 IA LCA – Nepal 2009 Version 1.05 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Country Profile....................................................................................................................................................................3 1.1. Introduction / Background.........................................................................................................................................5 1.2. Humanitarian Background ........................................................................................................................................6 1.3. National Regulatory Departments/Bureau and Quality Control/Relevant Laboratories ......................................16 1.4. Customs Information...............................................................................................................................................18 2. Logistics Infrastructure .....................................................................................................................................................33 2.1. Port Assessment .....................................................................................................................................................33
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal, November 2005
    Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Country Profile: Nepal, November 2005 COUNTRY PROFILE: NEPAL November 2005 COUNTRY Formal Name: Kingdom of Nepal (“Nepal Adhirajya” in Nepali). Short Form: Nepal. Term for Citizen(s): Nepalese. Click to Enlarge Image Capital: Kathmandu. Major Cities: According to the 2001 census, only Kathmandu had a population of more than 500,000. The only other cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants were Biratnagar, Birgunj, Lalitpur, and Pokhara. Independence: In 1768 Prithvi Narayan Shah unified a number of states in the Kathmandu Valley under the Kingdom of Gorkha. Nepal recognizes National Unity Day (January 11) to commemorate this achievement. Public Holidays: Numerous holidays and religious festivals are observed in particular regions and by particular religions. Holiday dates also may vary by year and locality as a result of the multiple calendars in use—including two solar and three lunar calendars—and different astrological calculations by religious authorities. In fact, holidays may not be observed if religious authorities deem the date to be inauspicious for a specific year. The following holidays are observed nationwide: Sahid Diwash (Martyrs’ Day; movable date in January); National Unity Day and birthday of Prithvi Narayan Shah (January 11); Maha Shiva Ratri (Great Shiva’s Night, movable date in February or March); Rashtriya Prajatantra Diwash (National Democracy Day, movable date in February); Falgu Purnima, or Holi (movable date in February or March); Ram Nawami (Rama’s Birthday, movable date in March or April); Nepali New Year (movable date in April); Buddha’s Birthday (movable date in April or May); King Gyanendra’s Birthday (July 7); Janai Purnima (Sacred Thread Ceremony, movable date in August); Children’s Day (movable date in August); Dashain (Durga Puja Festival, movable set of five days over a 15-day period in September or October); Diwali/Tihar (Festival of Lights and Laxmi Puja, movable set of five days in October); and Sambhidhan Diwash (Constitution Day, movable date in November).
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal Side, We Must Mention Prof
    The Journal of Newar Studies Swayambhv, Ifliihichaitya Number - 2 NS 1119 (TheJournal Of Newar Studies) NUmkL2 U19fi99&99 It has ken a great pleasure bringing out the second issue of EdltLlo the journal d Newar Studies lijiiiina'. We would like to thank Daya R Sha a Gauriehankar Marw&~r Ph.D all the members an bers for their encouraging comments and financial support. ivc csp~iilly:-l*-. urank Prof. Uma Shrestha, Western Prof.- Todd ttwria Oregon Univers~ty,who gave life to this journd while it was still in its embryonic stage. From the Nepal side, we must mention Prof. Tej Shta Sudip Sbakya Ratna Kanskar, Mr. Ram Shakya and Mr. Labha Ram Tuladhar who helped us in so many ways. Due to our wish to publish the first issue of the journal on the Sd Fl~ternatioaalNepal Rh&a levi occasion of New Nepal Samht Year day {Mhapujii), we mhed at the (INBSS) Pdand. Orcgon USA last minute and spent less time in careful editing. Our computer Nepfh %P Puch3h Amaica Orcgon Branch software caused us muble in converting the files fm various subrmttd formats into a unified format. We learn while we work. Constructive are welcome we try Daya R Shakya comments and will to incorporate - suggestions as much as we can. Atedew We have received an enormous st mount of comments, Uma Shrcdha P$.D.Gaurisbankar Manandhar PIID .-m -C-.. Lhwakar Mabajan, Jagadish B Mathema suggestions, appreciations and so forth, (pia IcleI to page 94) Puma Babndur Ranjht including some ~riousconcern abut whether or not this journal Rt&ld Rqmmtatieca should include languages other than English.
    [Show full text]
  • Lumbini Buddhist University
    Lumbini Buddhist University Course of Study M.A. in Theravada Buddhism Lumbini Buddhist University Office of the Dean Senepa, Kathmandu Nepal History of Buddhism M.A. Theravada Buddhism First Year Paper I-A Full Mark: 50 MATB 501 Teaching Hours: 75 Unit I : Introductory Background 15 1. Sources of History of Buddhism 2 Introduction of Janapada and Mahajanapadas of 5th century BC 3. Buddhism as religion and philosophy Unit II : Origin and Development of Buddhism 15 1. Life of Buddha from birth to Mahaparinirvan 2. Buddhist Councils 3. Introduction to Eighteen Nikayas 4. Rise of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism Unit III: Expansion of Buddhism in Asia 15 1. Expansion of Buddhism in South: a. Sri Lanka b. Myanmar c. Thailand d. Laos, e. Cambodia 2. Expansion of Buddhism in North a. China, b. Japan, c. Korea, d. Mongolia e. Tibet, Unit IV: Buddhist Learning Centres 15 1. Vihars as seat of Education Learning Centres (Early Vihar establishments) 2. Development of Learning Centres: 1 a. Taxila Nalanda, b. Vikramashila, c. Odantapuri, d. Jagadalla, e. Vallabi, etc. 3. Fall of Ancient Buddhist Learning Centre Unit IV: Revival of Buddhism in India in modern times 15 1 Social-Religious Movement during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 2. Movement of the Untouchables in the twentieth century. 3. Revival of Buddhism in India with special reference to Angarika Dhaminapala, B.R. Ambedkar. Suggested Readings 1. Conze, Edward, A Short History of Buddhism, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1980. 2. Dhammika, Ven. S., The Edicts of King Ashoka, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1994. 3. Dharmananda, K.
    [Show full text]
  • A Connectivity-Driven Development Strategy for Nepal: from a Landlocked to a Land-Linked State
    ADBI Working Paper Series A Connectivity-Driven Development Strategy for Nepal: From a Landlocked to a Land-Linked State Pradumna B. Rana and Binod Karmacharya No. 498 September 2014 Asian Development Bank Institute Pradumna B. Rana is an associate professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Binod Karmacharya is an advisor at the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS), Kathmandu, Nepal Prepared for the ADB–ADBI study on “Connecting South Asia and East Asia.” The authors are grateful for the comments received at the Technical Workshop held on 6–7 November 2013. The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of ADBI, ADB, its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms. Working papers are subject to formal revision and correction before they are finalized and considered published. “$” refers to US dollars, unless otherwise stated. The Working Paper series is a continuation of the formerly named Discussion Paper series; the numbering of the papers continued without interruption or change. ADBI’s working papers reflect initial ideas on a topic and are posted online for discussion. ADBI encourages readers to post their comments on the main page for each working paper (given in the citation below). Some working papers may develop into other forms of publication. Suggested citation: Rana, P., and B.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Dev ( Deo/Chaudhary )
    History of Dev ( Deo/Chaudhary ) .... Before Nepal's emergence as a nation in the later half of the 18th century, the designation 'Nepal' was largely applied only to the Kathmandu Valley and its surroundings. Thus, up to the unification of the country, Nepal's recorded history is largely that of the Kathmandu Valley. References to Nepal in the Mahabharata epic, in Puranas and in Buddhist and Jaina scriptures establish the country's antiquity as an independent political and territorial entity. The oldest Vamshavali or chronicle, the Gopalarajavamsavali, was copied from older manuscripts during the late 14th century, is a fairly reliable basis for Nepal's ancient history. The Vamshavalis mention the rule of several dynasties the Gopalas, the Abhiras and the Kiratas—over a stretch of millennia. However, no historical evidence exists for the rule of these legendary dynasties. The documented history of Nepal begins with the Changu Narayan temple inscription of King Manadeva I (c. 464–505 AD) of the Licchavi dynasty. During the time of Gautama Buddha, the kings of the Lichchhavi dynasty were ruling over Baisali (Muzaffarpur, in modern Bihar in India). Baisali had a partly democratic form of government. According to the later inscription by King Jaya Dev II, Supushpa was the founder of the dynasty, but he was defeated by Ajatashatru, the powerful Magadha king, in the fifth century BC. When the kings of the Kushan empire became powerful in India, the Lichchhavis migrated to Nepal. The twenty-fourth descendant of King Supushpa, Jaya Dev II, re-established the rule of the Lichchhavis in Nepal.
    [Show full text]
  • The Guthi System of Nepal
    SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2019 The Guthi System of Nepal Tucker Scott SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Asian History Commons, Asian Studies Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, East Asian Languages and Societies Commons, Land Use Law Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Scott, Tucker, "The Guthi System of Nepal" (2019). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 3182. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3182 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Guthi System of Nepal Tucker Scott Academic Director: Suman Pant Advisors: Suman Pant, Manohari Upadhyaya Vanderbilt University Public Policy Studies South Asia, Nepal, Kathmandu Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Nepal: Development and Social Change, SIT Study Abroad Spring 2019 and in fulfillment of the Capstone requirement for the Vanderbilt Public Policy Studies Major Abstract The purpose of this research is to understand the role of the guthi system in Nepali society, the relationship of the guthi land tenure system with Newari guthi, and the effect of modern society and technology on the ability of the guthi system to maintain and preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Nepal.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Reviews
    HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 3 Number 2 Article 11 1983 Book Reviews Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation . 1983. Book Reviews. HIMALAYA 3(2). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol3/iss2/11 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VU. REVIEWS Slusser, Mar y Shepherd. Nepal Mandala- A Cultural Study of the Kathmandu Valley. 2 Vols . Princeton: 1982 Princeton University Press. Maps, dra wings and plans, 1 color plate, 600 bla ck and white plates,appendices, bibliogra phy, index. xix, 491 pp. $1 25.00 Reviewed by : Ronald M. Bernier University of Colorado In plate 500 of this long-awaited study, Dipankara Buddha is shown by Mary Shepherd Slusser in the form of an over life-sized portable sculpture and "mask," with man inside, walking down a Bhaktapur street at the time of the Panch- dan festival. Like this remarkable photograph, Nepal Mandala, the product of nearly 15 years of research in Nepal, presents works of art and architecture in the full context of human life, land, and time. It is a precisely documented reference work and a remarkable account of history, but it is also a lively study that brings together the earthly and heavenly occupants of the Nepalese universe.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Ana and One Modem House: a Spatial Ethnography of Kathmandu's Urbanizing Periphery
    I Four Ana and One Modem House: A Spatial Ethnography of Kathmandu's Urbanizing Periphery Andrew Stephen Nelson Denton, Texas M.A. University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, December 2004 B.A. Grinnell College, December 2000 A Disse11ation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology University of Virginia May 2013 II Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: An Intellectual Journey to the Urban Periphery 1 Part I: The Alienation of Farm Land 23 Chapter 2: From Newar Urbanism to Nepali Suburbanism: 27 A Social History of Kathmandu’s Sprawl Chapter 3: Jyāpu Farmers, Dalāl Land Pimps, and Housing Companies: 58 Land in a Time of Urbanization Part II: The Householder’s Burden 88 Chapter 4: Fixity within Mobility: 91 Relocating to the Urban Periphery and Beyond Chapter 5: American Apartments, Bihar Boxes, and a Neo-Newari 122 Renaissance: the Dual Logic of New Kathmandu Houses Part III: The Anxiety of Living amongst Strangers 167 Chapter 6: Becoming a ‘Social’ Neighbor: 171 Ethnicity and the Construction of the Moral Community Chapter 7: Searching for the State in the Urban Periphery: 202 The Local Politics of Public and Private Infrastructure Epilogue 229 Appendices 237 Bibliography 242 III Abstract This dissertation concerns the relationship between the rapid transformation of Kathmandu Valley’s urban periphery and the social relations of post-insurgency Nepal. Starting in the 1970s, and rapidly increasing since the 2000s, land outside of the Valley’s Newar cities has transformed from agricultural fields into a mixed development of planned and unplanned localities consisting of migrants from the hinterland and urbanites from the city center.
    [Show full text]
  • Kingdom of Nepal Were Referenced the Country a Dictatorship That Would Last About 100 Years
    Grids & Datums KINGDOM OF NEPAL by Clifford J. Mugnier, C.P., C.M.S. “Nepal has been a kingdom for at least 1,500 years. During most of conflicted with the monarchy’s views of its own dignity and with the that period, the Kathmandu Valley has been Nepal’s political, eco- interests of the army. Instead of condoning or encouraging a mul- nomic, and cultural center. The valley’s fertile soil supported thriving tiparty democracy, King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev launched a village farming communities, and its location along trans-Himalayan coup in late 1960 against Bishweshwar Prasad (B.P.) Koirala’s popularly trade routes allowed merchants and rulers alike to profit. Since the elected government and set up a system of indirect elections that fourth century, the people of the Kathmandu Valley have developed created a consultative democracy. The system served as a sounding a unique variant of South Asian civilization based on Buddhism and board for public opinion and as a tool for economic development Hinduism but influenced as well by the cultures of local Newar citizens without exercising effective political power. Nepal remained until and neighboring Tibetans. One of the major themes in the history of 1990 one of the few nations in the world where the king, wielding Nepal has been the transmission of influences from both the north absolute authority and embodying sacred tradition, attempted to and the south into an original culture. During its entire history, Nepal lead his country towards the twenty-first century” Country( Study, has been able to continue this process while remaining independent.
    [Show full text]
  • Licchavi Caityas of Nepal: a Solution to the Empty Niche by Ian Alsop
    Asian Arts | Articles Asianart.com offers pdf versions of some articles for the convenience of our visitors and readers. These files should be printed for personal use only. Note that when you view the pdf on your computer in Adobe reader, the links to main image pages will be active: if clicked, the linked page will open in your browser if you are online. This article can be viewed online at: http://asianart.com/alsop/licchavi.html Comment by Dr. Alexander Rospatt Licchavi Caityas of Nepal: A Solution to the Empty Niche by Ian Alsop Published: March 17, 1995 Text and images copyright Ian Alsop and Asianart.com: not to be reproduced without permission Among the curious puzzles of early Nepalese sculpture and architecture are the empty niches of the lovely Licchavi stone caityas that dot the Kathmandu valley. These elegant caityas are fully decorated, often with exquisitely detailed carvings, but the niches where one might suppose the figures of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would normally reside, are vacant. fig.1, left Several explanations have been offered for this puzzling detail of these monuments. One is that the figures originally contained in the niches were destroyed during the week-long Muslim incursion led by Sultan Sham ud-din Ilyas of Bengal in 1349. Another, proposed by Ulrich Wiesner in an article on these empty niches, is that the niches were emptied by a single Brahmanical act of religious dominance.1 The physical evidence belies the first explanation, for the niches are carefully carved out, and show no signs of the damaged bits and pieces one would expect from such a fate (fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Aryan and Non-Aryan Names in Vedic India. Data for the Linguistic Situation, C
    Michael Witzel, Harvard University Aryan and non-Aryan Names in Vedic India. Data for the linguistic situation, c. 1900-500 B.C.. § 1. Introduction To describe and interpret the linguistic situation in Northern India1 in the second and the early first millennium B.C. is a difficult undertaking. We cannot yet read and interpret the Indus script with any degree of certainty, and we do not even know the language(s) underlying these inscriptions. Consequently, we can use only data from * archaeology, which provides, by now, a host of data; however, they are often ambiguous as to the social and, by their very nature, as to the linguistic nature of their bearers; * testimony of the Vedic texts , which are restricted, for the most part, to just one of the several groups of people that inhabited Northern India. But it is precisely the linguistic facts which often provide the only independent measure to localize and date the texts; * the testimony of the languages that have been spoken in South Asia for the past four thousand years and have left traces in the older texts. Apart from Vedic Skt., such sources are scarce for the older periods, i.e. the 2 millennia B.C. However, scholarly attention is too much focused on the early Vedic texts and on archaeology. Early Buddhist sources from the end of the first millennium B.C., as well as early Jaina sources and the Epics (with still undetermined dates of their various strata) must be compared as well, though with caution. The amount of attention paid to Vedic Skt.
    [Show full text]