Lawforms

Digitised Legal Documents from the Indo-Persian World

Statement of Rudrappa Sethi to Hiroji Deshmukh regarding mercantile rights and certain dues associated with a new market area

Rudrappa Sethi, a merchant based in a market (peth) in Solapur, states that in conjunction with the demolition and construction of a new market area, he agrees to transfer the office of market superintendent (sethiya) to the landlord (deshmukh) Hiroji along with small amounts of betel-nuts and oil and customs charges levied on the coming and going of gunny sacks.

Functional document type: Private Deeds

Formal document type: Mahzar Nama

Themes: Disputes, Petitioning, Taxation and Tribute, Trade

Date:
Hijri-qamri calendar: 1097
Gregorian calendar: November 1685 – November 1686

invocation (top centre): Persian

ا

Alif

endorsements (top left): Persian

قاضی سید احمد خادم شرع محمد ۱۱۰۳

[Round black ink seal] Qazi Sayyid Ahmad servant of the law of Muhammad 11031

main text: Persian


1منکه رودرپه ولد ویرپه ستهه پتهه یک شنبه واقعه سولاپور صوبه خجسته بنیاد   ام چون بهیروجی دیسموکهه
2قلعه سولاپور را محضر نوشته میدهم که نزدیک دروازه تلجاپوری اهالی موالی و مهاجن قصبه وغیره
3همه [اتفاق]2 شده پتهه نو اباد نمودند متصدیان پتهه یک شنبه آمده در [سکنه] نو اباد آمده سکونت
4گرفتند بعدزان بنده و مهاناده نزد شما آمده کیفیت پتهه جانب خود را به عنوان ظاهر
5نموده بایشان قرار کرده که اگر چه پتهه نو اباد  که نزدیک دروازه است ايشان تلاش
6نموده ویران سازند پتهه اینجانب را اباد نماید موافق شد امد دستور بازار شده باشد
7وطن مهاجنکی پتهه مذکور خواهم داد قرار نموده ایشان بموجب اظهار انجانب بحاکم و
8و مهاجنان قصبه را گفته پتهه نو اباد را ویران نموده پتهه یک شنبه اباد نمودند بنده
9با اتفاق رعایاء انجا بحضور اهالی موالی آمده برضاء و رغبت وطن مهاجنکی
10پتهه مذکور بشما نوشته داده شد


1I am Rudrappa, son of Virappa Sethi of the Sunday peth occurring in Solapur in the suba Khujasta Bunyad [Aurangabad].
2Whereas I am writing a mahzar to Hiroji Deshmukh of the Solapur fort: that near the Tuljapuri gateway all the people and the mahajans of the qasba, etc.
3 [resolved] together and appointed a newly constructed peth. The mutasaddis of the Sunday peth came and entering in [the dwellings] of the new construction, they
4became content. Afterwards, the servant [Rudrappa] and the mahanad came to you and presented an account of their own peth in a clear manner,
5and came to an agreement that although they have investigated the newly constructed peth that is near the gateway,
6they shall demolish [it]. And the peth of this party [Rudrappa] should be populated. It is agreed [that] the [income] of the custom of the market [that] would have been,
7I will give the patrimony of the mahajan rights of the aforementioned market. Presenting an agreement, they, on the basis of my statement, said to the hakim and
8the mahajans of the town that the new construction should be demolished, and the Sunday peth should be constructed. The servant [Rudrappa],
9by the consent of the subjects of that place, came into the presence of all the people and, with satisfaction and regard,
10wrote to you [to give] the patrimony of the mahajan rights of the aforementioned market.

particulars: Persian


1کما فصلت

2عقب ستهه نام و سر و پاو 

3بروز بازار
4فی دوکان تلی  ۹ تانک
5فی دوکان [بقال ان] یک [سوپاری]

6فی گونی پنجروه منجمله یک روه


1Particulars

2the title of renowned sethi and robes of honour

3On market days
49 tanaks [of oil] per oil shop 3
5one [betel nut] per [provisions] shop

6Concerning the gunny-bags, out of every five rukas, one ruka

main text: Persian

بدینموجب مان وغیره خورده وطن مهاجنکی را تا که افتاب و ماهتاب در دنیا قائم اند مینموده باشند سنه ۱۰۹۷ هجری

On the basis of enjoying [these] perquisites, etc., they shall be the patrimony of the mahajan rights as long as the sun and moon remain fixed in the world. The year 1097 Hijri.

main text: Marathi


1सुरत हाल महजर पत्र राजश्री हिरोजी देसमुख कीले सो-
2लापूर
सां || मजकूर सुबे खोजस्त बुनीयाद यांस प्रती
3 रुद्रपा वलद वीरपा सेटी व|| पेठ आदीतवार उरफ किले मजकूर 
4सन हजार १०९७ कारणे लिहून दिलहे महजरपत्र यैसाजे
5 क|| मजकुरीचे हाकीमानी व माहजनानी तुलजापुरचे दर-
6वाजा नजीक नवी पेठ वसीवीले आपली पेठ व बाजार मोडू-
7न राहिले वरी आपण आपले पेठेचे माहनाड तुम्हापासी येऊन
8आपले पेठेचे वर्तमान सांगोन तुम्हास करार केला कीं नवी
9पेठ तुम्ही तलाश करून हाकीमास सांगोन सुदामद प्रमाणे
10आपले पेठेचे बाजार करार हावें नवी पेठ मोडावें यैसें
11केली यांनी तुम्हास आपले पेठेचे माहजनकी द्यावी यैसे
12करार केले त्यास तुम्ही करार प्रमाणे हाकीमास सांगोन बहुत
13तलाश करून तुम्ही नवी पेठ मोडून आपले पेठेचे बाजार
14सुदामद प्रमाणें करार करून दिलहे त्यावरून आपण व 
15माहनाड हालीमवाली हजूर येऊन आपले रजावंदीने माहजन-
16कीचे महजरपत्र वतन तुम्हास दीधले असे तं||


1Statement in the form of a mahzar-patra to the honourable Hiroji Deshmukh of the fort
2 Solapur in the aforementioned sarkar in the suba Khujasta Bunyad [Aurangabad]
3[from] Rudrappa, son of Virappa Sethi, resident in the Adityawar peth, or the aforementioned fort,
4in the Hijri year 1097. Because a mahzar-patra is written as follows:
5The hakims and mahajans of the aforementioned fort
6settled a new peth near the Tuljapur gateway. They demolished and left my peth and market.
7I [and] the mahanad of our peth came to you
8and told you the news about my peth and agreed with you that
9you should investigate the new peth, tell the hakims, and in an orderly fashion,
10an agreement [about] the market of my new peth should take place, and the new peth should be demolished. In this matter it is
11done. They should give the mahajan rights of our peth to you. In this matter,
12an agreement is made. So you according to the agreement told the hakims, made great
13investigations, demolished the new peth, and [for] my market in the peth
14made an agreement in an orderly fashion. On that basis, I and
15the mahanad and all the people presented ourselves and with [my] consent, gave
16the mahzar-patra for the mahajan rights and the patrimony [therein] to you. So, the details:

particulars: Marathi


1सेठीया याचे नाव
2पान सीरपाऊ

3बाजाराचे दीवसी
4दर दुकानास
5तेली याचे दुकानास [अळी][अळी][अळी] ९
6बकालाचे दुकानास सुपारी येक

7गोणी दरा मद बरा-
8मद होईल दर गोणी-
9स रुके [अळी] ५ पैकी
10येक रुका


1The name of sethiya,
2betel-leaf, robes

3On market days,
4from each store:
5from the oil shops, [fractional symbol] [fractional symbol] [fractional symbol] 9
6from the merchants' shops, one betel-nut

7[Concerning] the gunny-bags that will come
8and go, [from] each gunny-bag
9out of every [fractional symbol] 5 rukas,
10one ruka

main text: Marathi


1येणेप्रमाणे मान माननूक खाऊन वतन महजनकीचे तुम्ही 
2लेंकराचे लेकरी सूर्य चंद्र असो जो परीयंत सुखे
3असणें यासी काही नव दीगर गोष्टी करूं तरी आपणा-
4सी श्री ___ साक्षे असे हे लिहिले महजरपत्र सही
5रुद्रपा सेठ लिहीले सही4


1According to the foregoing, enjoy the fees and perquisites, and possession of the mahajan rights
2you and the sons of your sons [under] the sun and the moon [shall enjoy]. So be it. As long as
3you shall be happy, should anyone else raise an issue, I shall be
4[beholden by] the witness of god. This mahzar-patra as written is approved.
5 Rudrappa Sethi [so] written approves.

witness (right margin): Kannada


ಗಾವಿ ಆಂನದಾನಿದೆವರೂ ಮಠ ಅದಿತ್ಯವಾರ [Figure]

ಗಾವಿ ಮಂಚೈಯ್ಯ ಮಠದ ದೆವರೂ ಆದಿತ್ಯವಾರ [Figure]


Witness, Annadani Devaru of the Adityawar matha [Figure (right margin): five-pointed star]

Witness, Manchayya Devaru of the Adityawar matha [Figure (right margin): five-pointed star]

Notes

1. 1103 is later than the date of the main text, which suggests that the seal may have been added later or that this is a copy. [BACK]

2. The word appears to be written التقاق here and in other related documents found in the same rumal. However, we have not found this word attested. On the basis of context, it is possible it is a misspelling of 'اتفاق', meaning 'agreeing', or, less likely, 'التزاق', meaning 'adhering.' [BACK]

3. 1 tanak is about 2 ounces. [BACK]

4. This line is written by a different, and perhaps Rudrappa Sethi's own, hand. [BACK]

province (Mughal term)

an affidavit (also sometimes called a mahzar-patra)

wealthy merchant, moneylender

town, small city

market

local revenue official (As a state post, often in charge of trade and the collection of customs in a city or port. Can also refer to a clerk or accountant.)

market

judicial assembly (similar to gota, majalis)

market

market

market

wealthy merchant, moneylender

governor, official

wealthy merchant, moneylender

wealthy merchant, moneylender

merchant, banker

province (Mughal term)

market

an affidavit (also sometimes called a mahzar-patra)

governor, official

wealthy merchant, moneylender

market

market

judicial assembly (similar to gota, majalis)

market

market

market

governor, official

market

market

wealthy merchant, moneylender

governor, official

market

market

judicial assembly (similar to gota, majalis)

wealthy merchant, moneylender

small unit of currency (measure of currency corresponding to twelfth part of an anna; measure of land corresponding to five or more bighas)

small unit of currency (measure of currency corresponding to twelfth part of an anna; measure of land corresponding to five or more bighas)

wealthy merchant, moneylender

an affidavit (also sometimes called a mahzar-patra)

monastic order

monastic order

Language(s)

Persian
Marathi
Kannada

Source

Bharat Itihas Sansodhak Mandal, SD rumal 4 no. 6
Archival Collection: Solapur Deshmukh collection

Transcribed from manuscript image.

Edited by Elizabeth Thelen and Dominic Vendell

Encoding support and website development by Lizzy Williamson, Eva Bodenschatz, Richard Holding, Julia Hopkin and Gary Stringer