Kulanand Jha is one of the personality of Terai during Shah rule. He seems to have a lot of influence in Power. Towards the end of his life, all his property was confisicated by Nepal rulers, including his house to live.
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Kulananda Jha A district-level administrative system emerged only after the beginning of Rana rule. During the first part of the nineteeth century, such essential functions in areas other than Kathmandu Valley as defense against external aggression, the maintenance of law and order, and the collection of revenue were the responsibility of military authorities in far-eastern and far-western Nepal. In the hill areas concern; while the other functions mentioned above were discharged by landlords (birtaowner, jagirdars) and ijaradars of various categories.
In the eastern Tarai, civil administration and revenue collection were both usually assigned to revenue farmers or ijaradars. Ijaradars were not salaried officials of the government; their income consisted between what they had stipulated for payment to the government and what they actually collected from the peasantry. The ijara system, at the same time, did not mean a continual bidding for higher payments. There is evidence to believe that at times ijaradars were also appointed in consideration of their capability, experiences and intergrity. Consequently, an individual who possessed these qualities often discharged revenue functions under the ijara system for long periods of time without any break, albeit not in the same field.
Kulananda Jha appears to have been one of such individuals. On available evidence, his career as an ijaradar stretched over to at least 25 years, from the beginning of the Nepal-British war in A.D. 1814 to the end of Bhimsen Thapa’ Prime Ministership in A.D. 1837. Even thereafter, he was granted an ijara for the collection of revenue on jagir lands of Bhimsen Thapa in the eastern Tarai districts, which the government had resumed after Bhimsen Thapa’s death.
Kulananda Jha probably belonged to the small community of Maithili Brahmans in Kathmandu. Another member of this community, Hiralal Jha, also appears to have followed a similar career as an ijaradar. His career will form the subject-matter of another article.
The information tabulated below is admittedly incomplete. There is a gap between Vikrama 1881 and 1883, but one does not now whether it was in Kulananda Jha’s career as an ijaradar or in the documentation. Additional information about Kulananda Jha will be presented in the Regmi Research Series if and when deteched or obtained.
Vikrama
Marga Badi 1, 1871 to Ijara for collection of rents
Kartik Sudi 1872 and taxes on lands under kut
tenure. (42/79)
Aswin Sudi 2, 1872 Three-year ijara for Sera lands
assigned to hattisar in Tokha,
Kathmandu district. (42/82)
1874 Ijara for collection of Kascharai
tax on cattle grazed on both
side of the Trijuga river, as
well as west of the Kosi river.
(42/284)
Poush Badi 4, 1875 One-year ijara for collection of
revenue from miscellaneous commercial
sources in the central hill region.
(42/459-64)
Bhadra Badi 2, 1875 One-year ijara for collection of
nirkhi tax in central hill
region. (42/352)
Jestha Badi 4, 1875 One-year ijara for collection of
Kapas bhansar and other duties
in the central hill region.
(42/291)
Magh Badi 11, 1875 One-year ijara for revenue-
collection, civil administration,
etc. in morang district.
(42/.477)
1878 Assigned to scrutiny birta
grants and determine boundaries
in the eastern Tarai region,
(43/374)
1879 Ijara for collection of nirkhi
tax until Shrawan 1879.
(43/346)
1879 Ijara for revenue collection,
civil administration, etc.
in Morang district. (43/339)
1880 Deputed to scrutinize accounts
of revenue collections in Bara,
Parsa and Rautahat. (33/491)
Baisakh Sudi 15, 1884 One-year ijara for revenue
collection and civil administration
in Saptari-Mahottari. (43/213).
Bhadra Sudi 5, 1885 Reconfirmed as do. (43/130, 153)
Chaitra Badi 6, 1885 One-year ijara for operation
of mines in Chepe/Marsyandgi-
Bheri region. (43/192)
1892 Chief administrator, Bara, Parsa,
Rautahat, Saptari-Mahottari.
(45/65, 198-99)
Bhadra Badi, 1894 Ijara for collection of revenue
on jagri lands of Bhimsen Thapa
in Bara, Parsa, Rautahat and
Mahottari. (35/493-94)
Kulananda Jha
Some information on the career of Kulananda Jha as Ijaradar had been given in Regmi Research Series, Year 12, No. 11, November 1, 1980, pp. 166-68. Additional information is given below:-
On Jestha Sudi 8, 1872, Subba Kulananda Jha was granted the following two one-year ijaras:-
(1) Ijara for revenue collection in Bhadgaun town for Rs 20,001.
(2) Ijara for collection of customs duties in Naurangiya, Sidhmas, Chisapani, Hitaura, and Parsa-Gadhu for Rs 8,701.
Regmi Research Collection, vol. 39, pp. 652-53.
On Ashadh Badi 13, 1882, Kulananda Jha was granted a one-year ijara for revenue collection in Saptari and Mahottari districts against a total payment of Rs 76,336.
Regmi Research Collection, vol. 34, pp. 96-99.
On Chaitra Sudi 3, 1882, Kulananda Jha was granted an ijara for the collection of the goddhuwa levy in the eastern Tarai districts against a total payment of Rs 41,001.
Regmi Research Collection, vol. 34, pp. 153-54.
In Falgun 1884, Kulananda Jha was functioning as Taksari, or Master of the Mint.
Falgun Sudi 10, 1884
Regmi Research Collection, vol. 34, pp. 172-73.
On Shrawan Badi 14, 1880, Subba Kulananda Jha and Kaji Hiralal Jha had taken up on possessory mortgage 900 muris of rice-lands at Jarayotarfrom Ghatananda Padhya Khatiwada of Bungnam for Rs 6,601. Subsequently, arrears of payment to the government fell due to the government. Guhyalaxmi, Subba Kulananda Jha’s wife, and Prithvilala Jha, his son, retained possession of the lands by falsely representing them as guthi. The mortgage-deed was recovered from among the papers of Subba Kulananda Jha. The mortgage was confiscated, and the lands were placed under the control of the Sadar Dafdarkhana.
An order to this effect was issued in the name of Kharidar Bakabir of the Moth Tahabil Office on Aswin Badi 4, 1919 (September 1862).
Subba Kulananda Jha owned a house at Kilagal in Kathmandu. This house too was confiscated by the government. On Jestha Sudi 14, 1934 (May 1877), an order was issued to register the sale of the house to Lt. Dilli Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, who had offered Rs 7,301 for it. He was permittedto demolish the house and builds new one one the site.
Regmi Research Collection, vol. 69, pp. 749-56.
