<title>Notes on a Buddhist Monastery at Bho.t Bagan in Howrah.</title>
<center><h2>Notes on a Buddhist Monastery at Bho.t Bagan in Howrah</h2><p><h4>
Gaur Das Bysack<br>
Journal of the Asiatic Society of Vengal<br>
Vol. LIX. 1890<br>
pp.50-99<br>
.
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P.50
Notes on a Buddhist Monastery at Bho.t Bagan (Howrah),
on two rare and valuable Tibetan MSS. discovered
there, and on Puran Gir Gosai.m, the celebrated
Indian Acharya and Government Emissary at the
Court of the Tashi Lama, Tibet, in the last
century.--By GAUR DAS BYSACK.
(With two Plates.)
Opposite to Calcutta, on the right bank of the
river, is the village of Ghusa.ri.(1) Ascending the
flight of steps of a gha.t at this place, a visitor
is struck at the sight of a range of temples, behind
which is a building of a peculiar structure,
exhibiting marks of old construction with subsequent
additions. It is a two-storied house of worship with
a boundary wall, having in its centre a gateway
facing the river, and affording a passage into the
main quadrangle within the enclosure. The special
feature in the construction is the absence of arches,
and its partaking of a Tibetan character. A garden is
attached to it, and the lands which formed part of
the demesnes are let out to tenants on permanent
leases; on one of the holdings, stands the "Goosery
Cotton Mill." The following is a detailed description
of the building for which I am indebted to the
kindness of Mr. W. B. Gwyther, A. R. I., B. A., of
the Public Works Department, who very readily
complied with my request to visit the place and
examine the structure. (See Plate I.)
"The structure, in the main, consists of the
"principal courtyard for religions, and a back-yard,
"for domestic purposes. The former is towards and
"entered from the riverside by the gateway which
"forms the subject of one of the sketches. A casual
"visitor arriving at the gha.t would, on glancing at
"this face of the structure, find his attention first
"drawn to the portion over the entrance where the
"primitive trabeated form of construction is now seen
"in its original character, despoiled of course to a
"great extent by the hand of time."
"Without speculating upon the details and forms
"in any minute degree, if must be expected, from the
"history and associations of the Tibetan visitors who
"established this place of worship, that a feeling
_____________________________________________________
(1) Ghusa.rir.tyaa.mk (
sometimes
spelled 
ghusu.rir, Ed.), 'the
turning jut of Ghusa.ri,' and the
Vishaalakshmir* daha or Visaalaakshir¡Ş daha 'the
whirlpool of disastrous water' or 'whirlpool of
the broad eyed (Durgaa),' are the Scylla and
Charybdis of the Hughli river between Calcutta
and Barrackpur, the maelstrom being near
Titaghar. The dangers in doubling the.tya.mk are
illustrated in the familiar song of the East
Bengal boatmen. They are now not so much dreaded
as in former days.
* Visha 'water,' alakshmii 'misfortune.'
¡Ş Vi`saala, large,' akshi 'eye.'
p.51
"and peculiarity common to their own architectural
"instincts must have been imported: but there is
"nothing at present known which can show how much was
"originally built, and when and by whom subsequent
"additions were made. It cannot, however, be
"questioned that the portion closest to the river
"presents those peculiarities which might be looked
"for in a structure built under Tibetan influence. A
"plain wall, pierced here and there with small
"openings, forms the outer boundary, in the centre of
"which is the doorway. Over this doorway is a sort of
"gallery which overlooks the river on one side and
"the principal court on the other. Just within the
"enclosure wall is a double-storied construction: the
"ground floor, about a foot high, extends from that
"wall to the edge of the court; about a yard back, a
"row of massive square pillars, about 7 feet high,
"stand carrying a wooden architrave which forms the
"outer support to the beams, resting on the wall at
"one end end cantilevered forward at the other to
"form a projecting verandah."
"The same construction is repeated on the upper
"story. The projecting ends of the beams are in some
"cases moulded ogee or doubleogee fashion and
"protected by means of an eaves-board, the lower edge
"of which is ornamented with a tooth or saw profile.
"The moulded beams and particularly the eaves-boards
"have come down to us from the original structure.
"The saw-edges are those which merely have triangular
"pieces cut out so as to leave a row of consecutive
"triangular points. In the tooth form, the face of
"the projecting points is dressed back towards the
"apex and a line or groove cut longitudinally where
"the teeth spring from."
"The construction of the roof over the gallery
"appears to be a feature of no small significance.
"The strictly trabeated arrangement, to the exclusion
"of the arch, the use of which is suggested by the
"circumstances of the case, and the manner of
"obtaining height and prominence to this central
"portion by stilting the roof, are decidedly classic
"in idea. That classic influence extended to Kashmir
"and North Western India is well-known, and it is
"quite as possible as not that a careful examination
"of existing buildings in Tibet would reveal traces
"of several features associated with European
"architecture.
"The windows which pierce the enclosure wall
"already mentioned, and others which look out into
"the quadrangle, are peculiar in their construction,
"and must have been put up in the first instance,
"being made up on the lines given to the builders by
"Tibetan architects. The outer frame is cross-braced
"by means of a vertical and a transom bar, which
"divide the opening into four equal spaces. In some
"cases ordinary square bars are interspersed
"vertically for the sake of security.
p.52
"The two leaves of the window, which open inwards,
"close up against the stouter bars."
The locality goes by the name of Bho.t Bagan,(1)
the structure is called Bho.t Mandir or Ma.th, the
priest in charge of it is styled Bho.t-Gosain(2) or
Bho.t-Mahant,(3) and the gha.t passes under the
designation of Bho.t-Mahant's Gha.t.
Inside the Ma.th are to be seen a lot of idols of
the Hindu and mostly of the Tibeto-Buddhist
mythology. Among the former may be mentioned those of
Vish.nu, Durga, Vindhyavasini, Ga.ne'sa, Gopala,
Salagrama, and 'Siva-lingas of various sorts,
including the rare oviform ones of three different
colours, also 'Siva's bull; and among the latter
those of Arya Tara, Mahakala Bhairava, Sambhara
Chakra, Samaja Guhya, Vajra Bhruku.ti and
Padmapa.ni.(4) There are also a stamp of Kapila
Muni's foot, and a pair of kha.rams or wooden
sandals. A description of the first five Tibetan
divinities, by my friend Babu Sarat Chandra Das, is
given below. Such a room full of images is designated
Lha-khang(5) in Tibet. On the ground immediately be-
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(1) Bho.t Baagaan, lit., 'Tibet garden.' Bho.t or Bho.d
is the name by which the Tibetans call their
country; bagan is the Bengali form of the plural
of the Persian bagh, 'garden.'
(2) Bho.t Gosain, lit, Tibet Gosain. Gosain (properly
gosai.m
) is the vernacular
form of Goswami, which has several literal
significations such as master or possessor of
kine, controller of the organs of the senses, the
comprehender of the Gayatri, the lord of the
earth or of the heaven. In these latter
significations the term implies a holy man, a
religions teacher or a saint. Among the Saaivas,
or followers of S'iva, the Udaasiis, or
non-householders, prevail more than in any other
sect, and they pass ander the designation of
Sannyasis or Gosai.ms, though the latter
appellation is appropriated in Bengal by the
Vaish.nava gurus, specially the followers of
Chaitanya, the descendants of Adwaita and
Nityananda. In the Upper Provinces the term Sadhu
is applied to the Vaish.nava Udasis, and Gosain
to the 'Saaiva Sannyaasiis. The people of the two
persuasions are easily distinguished by their
tilakas or lines painted on the forehead.
(3) Bho.t Mahanta, lit. a mahanta or chief or
superior of a Tibetan monastery. The term Mahanta
generally signifies the head of a religious
establishment of the mendicant orders.
(4) This is the name of the Boddhisatva who
incarnated himself as Gedun-tubpa, a reformer,
who received the spirit of.the previous reformer
Tsong-khapa in 1419, and built the monastery of
Tashi Lhunpo in 1445 and repeatedly appeared as a
Tashi Lama.
(5) Lha-Khang
Lha is the
Tibetan for gods and spirits who, by
transmigration into other bodies in blissful
regions, reap the rewards of their meritorious
deeds. They are invoked and revered. There are
six places for the transmigration. of the soul of
every living being.
P.53
hind the Ma.th is a low roofed small house, which may
be characterised as a temple. Within it is a cubiform
samaadhi-stambha(1) ro tomb, which the Tibetans would
cap a Dungten or relic repository. It is surmounted
by the usual lingam or phallus of Siiva or Mahaadeva.
The services performed in the Maths consist of a
mixture of Hinduu and Tibetan rituals.
No. I. TARA.
"The principal deity is Arya Tara. She is
identified by the Nepalese Buddhists with Praj~naa
Paaramitaa or transcendental wisdom and is universally
believed to be the mother of all the past Tathaagatas,
or Buddhas, in Tibet. According to the esoteric
doctrine of the Tantric school of the Northern
Buddhists, she is the wife of all the present, past
and future Buddhas, in which case she resembles the
female energy or 'Sakti of the Indian Tantrics. The
Tibetan name of Tara is Grolma. Her image is made of
copper, gilt with Chinese gold. It was evidently
brought from China (Peking) by Puran Gir who
accompanied the Tashi Lama to Peking.
"During my stay at Peking I paid a visit to the
image manufactories near Hwangs-se or the yellow
temple, which is situated at a distance of three li
to the north of the Antaman gate, where I saw images
resembling this (image) in construction The goddess
Tara holds a mendicant's bowl filled with gems in her
left hand. With her right hand she holds a lotus. She
wears a crown with five spires all of which are
studded with rubies and turquoises. Her locks are
coiled, in the Indian Buddhist fashion, at the crown
of her head, at the top of which there is a beautiful
gem, called Norbu-mimbar. Her dress is different from
that of the Tibetan image of Tara. She wears a
Chinese petticoat with broad and loose sleeves, and a
pair of Chinese embroidered shoes like a, Manchu
lady. The image is about two feet The daughter of the
Emperor Tai-tsung of the great Tang dynasty was
married to the first Tibetan king in 630 A. D. She
_____________________________________________________
(1) Samaadhi-stambha. Its familiar meaning is a tomb,
with a stambha or monumental column erected on a
samaadhi-kshetra or burial ground. But this term
samaadhi, in its esoterio signification, is the
absorption of the jivatma or vital principle in
the paramatma or supreme soul of the universe, as
stated in the verse 
Though the burning of the dead is
now the principal custom among the Hinduus, yet
among most AAkha.raadhaarii Vairaagiis and Saaiva
Sanyaasiis,burial or throwing the corpse into the
river is the unvarying custom. In Benares, Mirzapur
and other districts in the North-West, the deed body
is often put into a stone coffin before depositing
it into the earth.
p.54
was an acknowledged incarnation of Taaraa. The image
probably represents her figure."(1)
No. II.
"The most ingeniously constructed image is that
of Mahaakaala Bhairava. It represents him in a hideous
mood, with his .Sakti in his embrace. His nine heads
on all four sides, with a central one on the top, his
thirty six arms and eighteen legs, his weapons, and
the string of skulls hanging down his neck to the
extremity of his belly, give him a truly horrible
appearance. He is the principal guardian of the
Tibetan Lames, particularly of the Tashi Lama."
No. III.
"Sambhara Chakra is the chief of the Tantric
deities of Tibet. He has ten arms, but one head. He
also has the 'Sakti in his clasp. He stands on the
breast of a vanquished demon, probably the devil
Mara. He is painted with yellow. The image is of
copper gilt, about nine inches high."
No. IV.
"Samaja Guhya is another Tantric deity, with
three faces and six arms. He clasps his consort
.Sakti who also has three faces and six arms."
No. V.
"Another form of Tara is called Vajra Bhruku.ti.
The figure of it, evidently cast in Nepal, represents
the second wife of king Srongtsan gampa. She was the
daughter of king Prabhavarma of Nepal, who reigned
between 630 and 640 A. D. There is a saint's glory
round her head."
There is an inscription on the door top of the
tomb in the Bengalii language and character. It
states, in very ungrammatical and corrupt language,
that the principal Mukhtiyaarkaar(2) and chelaa (or
disciple) Daljiit Gir Mahant placed the symbol of
Mahaadeva on the samaadhi of the late Puuran Gir Mahant,
and enjoins that all people should honour and worship
this shrine and the Mahaadeva; a Hinduu not doing so
would incur the sin of braahmanicide, and a Musalmaan
and others, for the like offence, would go to dozakh
(hell), as affected with guilt at the seat of
_____________________________________________________
(1) On the pedestal of the statue is inscribed in
Bengali the name .Srii Khaas Kaaminii (
or female energy and
chief, favourite),
and the date, perhaps of the consecration, Sa.mvat
1852, 15th of the light half of the month of Marga'sira
(November). Then follows the name Bhola Giri of
Lhasa in the country of Bho.takshetra.
(2) Mukhtiyaarkaar is the Ar.
"a superintendent."
P.55
Khodaa-ta'aalaa or the most high God. The date of the
consecration is given as Sa.mvat 1852, 'Sakabda 1117,
Bangabda 1202,(1) 23rd Vai'sakha, Sunday, within 12
da.n.das(2) of the Pur.nima. This date corresponds
with the 3rd May 1795.
This cursory examination of the place, and its
important objects suggest most important enquiries
such as these: what is the history and origin of the
Buddhistic temple on the river side so near to
Calcutta, established in the early days of the
British power in India? How comes it that images of
Hindu gods and goddesses are mixed up with those of
Tibet and receive due worship? Who was Puran Gir
Gosain Mahant, claiming worship and honour from
Hindus, Musalmans and other religionists?
My request to the present head of the
establishment Umrao Gir Gosain Mahant for any papers
and documents in his custody that may throw light on
these questions, was very readily end kindly complied
with. His presentation to the Society, at my
suggestion, of two rare and valuable Tibetan
manuscripts was noticed at the January meeting. He
produced four Persian sanads or grants and a passport
in Tibetan, of which I have taken copies; and these,
with translations, in the annexures appear, I
believe, for the first time before the public.
Nos. I and 2 show that the former grants, free of
rent, 100 bighas and 8 biswas(3) of land on the river
side, made up of one portion situated in Mauza
Barbakpur, Parganah Bore, and of another portion
situated in Mauza Ghusa.ri, Parganah Paikan, unto
Puran Gir Gosain,(4)
_____________________________________________________
(1) [The Bangabda, or B. S. (Bangali Sa.mvat) is the
same as what is commonly known as the "Fazli
year." See the Tables in General Sir A.
Cunningham's Book of indian Eras, p. 196, ED.]
(2) Da.n.da, one-sixtieth of a day and night; hence
equal to 24 minutes.
(3) Biswa, lit. a twentieth part of a bigha. Hence it
is equivalent to a ka.t.tha.
(4) Puuran Gir Gosain. In the sanads, Puuran is written
but in the Bengalii inscription 
Puraan. I think these are vulgar readings of
the Sanskrit
Puur.na. Gir, of course, is the
vernacular of Giri, indicating that the Gosain
belonged to the Giri sect of the Da`sanaamiis, and
that he was initiated at the Jyosii Ma.th in the
Badarikaa`srama, a fact which is confirmed by the
statement of the present Mahanta of the Bho.t
Baagaan. It is said that the great philosopher
.Sankaraachaarya, towards the end of the 8th
century, tried to introduce reforms based on the
doctrines of the Vedantic school, and for the purpose
of spreading his teachings, founded four ma.thas in
four different places; viz. .S.ringa Giri Ma.tha
near Tungabhadra, where Vyaasa is said to have had
his monastery, Saaradaa Ma.tha in Dwaarikaa in Gujaraat,
Govardhana Ma.tha in Jagannaathapurii, and Jyosii
Ma.tha in the Badarikaa`srama, situated near the
sources of the Ganges. .Sankaraachaarya had at
first four disciples and each of them had several
others: 1, Padmapada who had two followers who
received the titles of Tiirtha and AA'srama:
2, Hastaamalaka who had
P.56
the most sage and wise and the head of all the
seekers of truth, in consideration of his virtue and
piety that he may erect a temple there on and plant a
garden. The latter grants to the same individual in
the same terms, 50 biighaas of land on the same site
in Mau.za Baarbakpuur, consisting of three portions
situated within the properties of Mahaaraaja Nab
Kishan,(1) Raaj Chand Raai, and Raajaa Raam Lochan.(2)
_____________________________________________________
also two with the titles of Vana and Ara.nya: 3,
Mandana who had three designated Giri, Parvata
and Sagara: To.taka who had likewise three with
the appellations of Saraswati, Bharati and Puri.
Dasanami (having ten names) is the name of these
four disciples and their followers collectively.
The first two founded a school of teaching in the
Saaradaa Ma.tha; the second two in the Govardhana
Ma.tha; the next three, including Giri, in the
Jyosii Ma.tha; and the last three in the
.S.ringagiri Ma.tha. The common characteristic
of all the Da`sanaamiis is their regarding .Siva as
another name of Brahma, and their faith mainly
accepts the teachings of the Vedantic philosophy
according to the interpretation of S'ankara's
commentary. The .Siva Sa.mhitaa teaches the
contemplation of .Siva as niraakaara (having no
form), the achintya or inconceivable, the ananta
or infinite, the amara or immortal, the one, the
all-pervading &c. Among the Da`snamaiis were
celebrated characters of great scholarship and
ascetic lives, authors and co mmentators: the
name of Ananda Giri is well-known as the writer
of the S'ankara Digvijaya and of the glosses on
the commentaries of the Vedanta (Sutra and of the
Upanishats; Bama'srama was a commentator of the
Veda, Madhavacharya had the title of Vidyara.nya
Svami. There were also, amongst this class of
ascetics, men who were possessed of indomitable
courage end of extraordinary powers of endurance,
who were greet travellers in India or in the most
distant countries beyond it, as seekers of
knowledge and experience, or as enterprising
merchants. Our Puur.na Giri Gosain and Puur.na
Purii are the names of two most unique characters
reflecting the highest credit on the Dasanamis as
enterprising spirits, combining the qualities of
active benevolence and philanthropy with
knowledge of philosophy, piety, devotion, and in
the case of the latter, of a travelling tapaswi
practising the most astounding austerities. The
life of the former appears in the text, and that
of Pur.na Puri has appeared in the Researches of
the Society and in other books. Captain Turner
saw him and heard much of him from the Regent at
Tashi Lhunpo, and he gives some notices of him in
his report. [See Jonathan Duncan's account in the
Asiatic Researches Vol. V, p. 37ff, VI, p. 102.
With regard to S'ankaracharya and the Dasanamis,
see H. H. Wilson's account, ibid., vol. XVII, p.
178-182. According to him, the Giris, Parvatas
and Sagaras are disciples of To.taka. ED.]
(1) Nab Kishan, corruption of Navak.rishna. The sanad
has only
Nab Kish.
The well-known Maharaja's estate still holds lands in
Barbakpur, on the other ride of the river
opposite to Calcutta.
(2) Raajaa Raam Lochan and Raaj Chand Rai. These persons
were the sons of Raamacharan Rai, who was the
Dewaan of Governor Vansittart and General Smith.
He acquired a large fortune and lived in
Pathuriyaagha.t.ta in Calcutta, his descendants
removed to Andul, and were known as Andul Raajaas.
One of their scions, Raajaa Raajanaaraayana, attempted
to establish the identity of his caste (Kaayastha)
with the Kshatriya, and is said to have put on
the sacrificial thread, but his caste-men
repudiated the prentension, or dared not follow
his example. He was also vain enough to introduce
a new era in his family, styled the AAndulaabda!
P.57
Both these sanads are as usual addressed to
Muta.saddis,(1) Chaudharis,(2) Qanungos, Ta'aluqdars,
&c., their jurisdiction being described as that of
Dari Barbakpur, Parganah Boro, in Sarkar Satgaon,(3)
appertaining to Chaklah Hugli in.Subah
Jannatu-l-bilad(4) Bangalah. Both
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(1) Muta.saddi has various meanings, such as clerk,
accountant, &o., but in the lest century it was
used to signify superior officers in the fiscal
department.
(2) Chaudhari is used both in Hindi and Bengali to
mean the headman of a caste or profession, also
as an honorific title. Mr. Bogle speaks of a.
"chaudri" who came to visit him while he was in
Tibet; and Markham, p. 178, on the authority of
Hamilton, explains in a note that "chauduri" or
'desali' in Nepal is a subordinate revenue
officer under the Fauzdar, and he identifies the
word with chautariya (minister), an officer next
in rank among the Kerantis in Nepal whose title
and office were hereditary. Ha milton also
describes a chauduri as a zamindar acting as a
ministar to a chief among the Kerantis, and says
chautariya is the title of the collaterals of the
royal Gorkha, family who sometimes became
ministers. In Bengal the titular affix chazldhari
is common to names of persons belonging to the
highest as well as to the lowest castes. In the
latter case it bears the sense of headman of a
guild or profession, and in the former it is an
honorific epithet, which is borne out by tracing
it to the Sanskrit chaturadhuri.na "sagacious
chief or manager of affairs" or to chatudhuri.na
"chief of four(departments) ." In the Upper
Provinces the term is applied, I believe, only to
the headman of a trade or guild. In early days,
in Bengal, it was a title of landholders superior
to taluqdars. There are many families whose
ancestors, from one reason or other, had this
title, and among them it has become, like
Majumdars, Sarkars, &c., hereditary.
(3) Sarkar Satgaon. The Muhammadan empire in the time
of Akbar was at first divided into twelve large
sections, called.subahs or viceroyalties, which
were subsequently increased to fifteen. Each of
these was subdivided for fiscal purposes into
sarkars or provinces, each sarkar comprehending a
number of purganahs or mahals. Aggregates of
several parganahs again were Formed into groups
which in the reign of Shah Jahan were designated
chaklahs. In the tables of the taqsim jama' in
the Ain-i-Akbari.su bah Bangalah is divided into
24 sarkars, one of which is Satgaon (Sanskrit
saptagrama), a group of seven villages. In its
relation to chaklah Hugli, as described in the
sanads to the Tashi Lama and Puran Gir, it must,
with the latter district, have formed part of the
dominions of the ancient kings of Tamralipti
(Tamluk) which had been visited by Fahian. It was
formerly of immense size, the residence of kings,
and had a famous place of worship in it. A
reference to the tables of the fiscal divisions
of th e Mughal empire in the Ain-i-Akbari, will
show that Sarkar Satgaon, in which the sanads
speak of the place being comprehended, contain
mahals, two of which me named Barbakpur. One
stands by itself, and the other it! linked to
Kalkatta and to another place Bakua. No doubt the
place opposite to Kalkatta (Calcutta) derived its
name from the one at the Calcutta side. Whether
the names Barbakpur and Bakud were the old
designations of the place, now known as Sutanuti
and Govindpur, which together with Kalkatta,
formed old Calcutta, is a point worthy of
research. As to the Mahal Barbakpur in the 'Ain,
Blochmann indicates in a note to the Persian text
that another reading gives Barikpur. So has Bakua
many other readings, as Macuma &c. Our Kalkatta
is variously named Kaltas, Kalna and Talpa.
(4) Jannatu-l-bilad, the paradise of civilized
nations. This epithet was applied
p.58
of them also bear on the top two square seals.(1) The
date of No. 1 is 12th June 1778, 1st Asha.dha 1185 R.
S., 16th Jumada-l-awal of the 20th year of the
imperial reign; and that of No. 2 is 11th February
1782, 2nd Falgun 1189 B. S.
The two other sanads, marked No. 3 end No. 4,
bear the same dates as, and grant the same quantities
of land as those mentioned in Nos. 1 and 2
respectively. In fact the two former appear to be
duplicates of the latter two, with this very material
difference that, in Nos. 3 and 4, in place of the
grantee's name being Puran Gir, it is Teshi Lamah
Panohan Ardani Bakdeo Panchan,(2) and the attributes
of the latter are exactly those of the former. The
seals also are different: on Nos. 3 and 4,they are
those of the East India Company as dewan and servant
of Shah 'Alam Badshah. No. 3, moreover, bears two
seals, one at the top, the other on the right margin.
Both sanads bear the sign~ttnre of Warren Hastings
almost obliterated.
The simple fade now disclosed are, that in the
years 1778 and 1782, a Hindu ascetic, named Puran Gir
Gosain, and a Buddhist Pontiff conjointly, but by two
sets of grants, one in the name of each, received a
certain quantity of land on the river side, which
aggregated 150 bighas and constituted the area of
Bho.t Bagan, and that the former died in 1795, and
was buried as a saint near his Math there, by his
chela or disciple Daljit Gir Gosain.
This information, though by itself it does not
satisfy but rather magnifies the curiosity already
raised, affords a clue to the line of historical
investigation which would carry us to the goal. The
inquiry, however, leading, as it does, into the most
eventful period of British Indian history, proves
almost unfructuons. Vain is the search for such
apparently frifling incidents as the foundation of
the Bho.t Mandir or the hareer of merely a Hindu
mendicant, in the annals of the
_____________________________________________________
to Bengal by Aurangzib, and in the last century
it was customary to describe Bengal in public
records and formal documents with this title.
Humayun called Gau.r Jannatabad, 'a paradise
settlement,' though when the plague was raging
there, which depopulated it and led to its
desertion, the pun came into vogue az Gau.r ba
gor, "from Gau.r to the grave."
(1) One seal has an inscription in Nagari characters.
See footnote on p. 95.
(2) Teshi 
, so spelled in the
sanads. The Tibetan is bk'sis blama, pronounced
Tashi Lama. The full name of the Lama was
Panchhen Nagwan Lossan Paldan Yeshe. The first
element, spelled panchan, (
)
in the sanads is a compound of Pan 'a pa.n.dita'
or 'learned man' and chan 'great' or
'conspicuous.' Ardanani is a corruption of
Erteni, a gem. The Gem epithet, though not
exclusively applied to a Tashi Lama, indicates,
in his case, perfection and the efficacy of his
adoration. The terms erteni and the Sanskrit
ratna seem to be congeners. Bakdec is the
Sanskrit Vakyadeva, equivalent to the Tibetan
Nagwan.
p.59
statesmen who were laying the basis of the British
Power in India. In practice, "History," says Arnold,
"has been beguiled, so to speak, from its proper
business, and has ceased to describe the life of a
Commonwealth," much more so in respect of the history
of this country under its peculiar circumstances. It
is, therefore, from the bye-ways of history, personal
narratives, accounts of travellers, published
correspondence, and official reports, and authentic
traditions, from materials in fact out of which
history is constructed, that threads have been
gathered and woven into the following story. The
story itself, apart from many of its interesting
features and almost romantic character, has important
bearings upon questions of the greatest moment which
occupied the attention of the infant British Indian
Government, and which still perplex its Council in
its imperial growth.
The first part of the retrospective inquiry leads
to the time when the greet Chhiyattara Manwantara,(1)
as the great famine of 1176 B. S. is called by the
people of Bengal, was raging in its fiercest fury in
the country, and decimating its people by thousands,
when the streets of Calcutta, were strewn with bodies
of the dying and the dead, and when Governor Cartier
was feeding daily 15000 people in the city. A little
(earlier than this catastrophe on the plains, a cruel
and destructive war had broken out on the mountain
heights and valleys on the frontier.
The aggressive incursions of the ambitions
P.rithvi Narayan, chief of the Gorkhas, into the
valley of Nepal, led to that great revolution in this
state which subverted its tripartite rule,(2) and
brought it under
_____________________________________________________
(1) Chhiyattara Manwantara the famine of 1176 B. S.
or 1770 A. D. preceded by three years of
scarcity, and followed by three years of plenty,
it was strictly a one-year's famine, but it was
the moat appalling and disastrous calamity that
ever visited Bengal, or perhaps any other part of
the world. It exhibited, in its course and its
sequel, web harrowing and extensive scenes of
dreadful suffering, pain, misery, disease and
death, as to have obtained in our counry the
singular name of a manwantara, which literally
means a period equal to 4,920,000 years, implying
thereby that it was each a, visitation as recars
only at intervals of aeons, the ordinary names of
famine durbhiksha ('when alms are not
obtainable') and akala 'bad time' not being
thought of sufficient significance. In fact, no
Sanskrit dictionaries that I have consulted
attach to Manwantara famine as its synonym. Some
information on this great famine will be found in
Sir W. Hunter's Rural Bengal and in the letters
of Mr. Bogle * (see Markham, p. cxxxix) who was
himself an eye-witness of the calamity, as well
as in sundry notices and poems.
(2) Tripartite rule of Nepal. Before the Gorkha
conquest of Nepal proper, It was occupied by an
agricultural and commercial race called Newars,
who had borrowed their arts and civilization from
Tibet, and who encouraged trade between Tibet and
India by allowing it to be carried on through the
Nepal passes. Their chiefs had the title of Mall
(Sanskrit malla.) Since the death of the sixth
king of this dynasty, his dominions according to
his directions, were divided into three
p.60
the subjection of that warlike tribe. It is said that
unheard of cruelties were perpetrated in this war,
which were witnessed by two members of the Roman
Catholic Mission. This warfare, brought on by
internecine dissensions, led one of the Nepalese old
dynasties to entreat for aid from the English in
India, with the result of the despatch, in 1769,
perhaps for the first time, of a force under Captain
Kinloch to the frontiers, though it proved
unfructuous. Following close upon the Gorkha conquest
of Nepal, Depa Shidar,(1) the chief of Bhutan, urged
by purely hostile propensities, pounced upon Sikkim,
retained possession of it, for a short while, and
subsequently in 1772, when Warren Hastings had just
assumed the rule of Bengal, invaded the Kuch Behar
Raj.(2) This Raj, in its distress, sought the aid of
that keen-sighted statesman, who lost no time to send
a battalion of native infantry against the
invaders.(3) The Bhutanese, after a desperate
resistance, were utterly routed, pursued into their
fastness es, end forced to sue for peace. Depa,
Shidar entreated the Tashi Lama who was then Regent
of Tibet and
_____________________________________________________
principalities governed by three branches who had
their respective capitals in kathmandu, Lalita
Pattan and Bha.tgaon. These were subverted by the
Gorkha chief. Their religion was Buddhist, but
they recognised caste. Their descendants, now
obscure, still follow the Buddhist faith. The
dissensions of the kings of the three
principalities led to the chief of Bha.tgaon to
seek the aid of the Gorkha P.rithvi Narayan who,
after subduing the enemies of his ally, tamed his
arms against the latter, and after lon g years of
fighting made himself completely master of the
whole country.
(1) Depa Shidar 
; also called
De-tar-yag or De-tar-ya, the "Deh Terria" of
Turner.
(2) Kuch Behar, a state on the north-east frontier of
British India. It lies between Bengal and Assam,
and is divided from Bhutan by the Duars. In olden
times it was very extensive, and formed the
western division of the ancient Kamrup Raj. The
name of the place is a museum of mythic history.
According to a certain Tantra (the Yogini) Hi.ra
Devi was a, greet devotes of S'iva who incarnated
himself end lived in Kuchinipa.ra, a settlement
of the Kuch or Konch tribe, and the fruit of his
amour with her wa s a chief who became a great
Raja, and as the Raj was the result of S'iva's
vihara (cor. Behar) or 'dalliance,' the State
received the appellation of kuch Vihar. Kamrup is
the mine of the Tantras, and hence these works
spread on both sides, to the hills and the
plains. Wilson, in a note in his translation of
the Vish.nu Pura.na, includes Kuch Behar in the
Matsya De'sa.
(3) Hastings in his two letters to Sir George
Colebrooke and John Purling dated, respectively,
15th January and Slat March 1773, writes of the
famine and of this war. among other things, he
says, "I shall ever oppose remote projects of
conquests, yet I shall sedulously promote every
undertaking which can complete the line of our
possessions or add to its security." The
Bhutanese ''are a resolute and daring people.
They made a desperate defence of the fort of
Behar." (Cooch Behar.) "Many of them meeti ng
death at the muzzle of the sepoys' pieces." (See
Gleig's Memoirs a Warren Hastings, 1. pp. 878 and
295.)
P.61
the guardian of the minor Dalai Lama of Lhasa, to
intercede in his behalf, and the Lame accordingly
sent a, deputation to Calcutta, with a letter to
Warren Hastings in 1773. This letter of mediation was
received by Warren Hastings on the 29th March 1779,
when it was laid before the Board. It is a remarkable
document, end is given in Captain Turner's Account of
an Embassy to the Court of the Tashi Lama in Tibet.
"The affairs of this quarter in every respect
"flourish: I am night and day employed in prayers for
"the increase of your happiness and prosperty. Having
"been informed, by travellers from your country, of
"your exalted fame and reputation, my heart, like the
"blossoms of spring, abounds with satisfaction,
"gladness, and joy. Praise be to God that the star of
"your fortune is in its ascension. Praise be to him
"that happiness and ease are the surrounding
"attendants of myself and and fa mily. Neither to
"molest, nor persecute, is my aim: it is even the
"characteristic of my sect, to deprive ourselves of
"the necessary refreshment of sleep, should an injury
"be done to a single individual; but in justice and
"humanity, I am informed, you far surpass us. May you
"ever adorn the seat of justice and power, that
"mankind may, in the shadow of your bosom, enjoy the
"blessings of peace and affluence. By your favour I
am "the Raja and Lama of this country, and rule over
a "number of subjects, a circumstance with which yon
"have no doubt been made acquainted, by travellers
"from these parts. I have been repeatedly informed,
"that yon have been engaged in hostilities against
the "Deh Terria (De-tar-ya), to which, it is said,
the "Deh's own criminal conduct in committing ravages
end "other outrages on your frontiers, gave rise. as
he is "of a rude and ignorant race, past times are
not "destitute of instances of the like misconduct,
which "his own avarice tempted him to commit. It is
not "unlikely that he has now renewed those
instances: and "the ravages and plunder which he may
have committed "on the skirts of the provinces of
Bengal and "Behar,(1) hare given you provocation to
send your "avenging army against him. Nevertheless
his party has "been defeated, many of his people have
been killed, "three forts have been taken from him,
and he has met "with the punishment he deserved. It
is as evident as "the sun that your army has been
victorious; and that, "if you had been desirous of
it, you might, in the "space of two days, have
entirely extirpated him; for "he had not power to
resist your aborts. But I now "take upon me to be his
mediator; and to represent to "yen, that, as the said
Deh Terria (Deb Raja)(2) is "dependent upon the Dalai
_____________________________________________________
(1) Kuch Behar.
(2) The person who performs all administrative
functions in Bhutan is called
p.62
"Lama, who rules in this country with unlimited sway,
"though, on acount of his being yet in his minority,
"the charge and administration of the country, for
"the present, is committed to me; should you persist
"in offering further molestation to the Deh Terria's
"country, it will irritate both the Lama and all his
"subjects against you. Therefore, from a regard to
"our religion and customs, I request you will cease
"from all hostilities against him; and in doing this,
"you will confer the greatest favour and friendship
"upon me. I have reprimanded the Deh for his past
"conduct; and I have admonished him to desist from
"his evil practices in future, and to be submissive
"to you in all things. I am persuaded that he will
"conform to the advice which I have given him; and it
"will be necessary that you treat him with compassion
"and clemency. As to my part, I am but a Fakeer; and
"it is the custom of my sect, with the rosary in our
"hands, to pray for the welfare of mankind, and for
"the peace and happiness of the inhibitants of this
"country; and I do now, with my head uncovered,
"entreat that you will cease from all hostilities
"against the Deh in future. It would be needless to
"add to the length of this letter, as the bearer of
"it, who is a Gosein,(1) will represent to you all
"particulars; and it is hoped that you will comply
"therewith. In this country the worship of the
"Almighty is the profession of all. We poor creatures
"are in nothing equal to you. Having, however, a few
"things in hand I send them to you as tokens of
"remembrance and hope for your acceptance of
"them."(2)
It will be seen from the letter that the Tashi
Lama alludes therein to a Gosain who heeded the
deputation, and Turner thus speaks of him:--
"Of the persons deputed on this occasion by the
"Lama, two only ventured to encounter the burning
"atmosphere of Bengal; one a native of Tibet, named
"Paima; the other a pilgrim from Hindostan whose name
"I have already mentioned, Poorungheer Gosein."(3)
The request of the Lame was very favourably
received. Warren Hastings became eager to know more
intimately the writer of this letter, which was
conceived in a very friendly spirit and founded on
_____________________________________________________
Deh Raja, also Kusho Depa, while the spiritual
head is called Lama Rinpoche or Dharma Raja. "But
the real power has long been in the hands of the
military governors, or Penlos of east and west
Bhutan, whose capitals are respectively at
Tong-sar and Paro." Markham, Narrative of the
Mission of George Bogle to Tibet, etc., Introd.,
P IV.
(1) This is Puran Gir.
(2) Turner's Account of art Embassy to the Court of
Teshoo Lama in Tibet, Introd., pp. ix--xii.
(3) Turner, ibid., Introd., p. xiii.
p.63
good sense, which evinced high sentiments and
self-respect and, at the same time, conveyed a gentle
menace, couched in the most humble language. He
perceived in it also the best opportunity to carry
out his cherished view for the extension of British
intercourse with the terra incognita on the Himalayan
heights.
A treaty of peace was accordingly entered into
and ratified between the Governments of Bengal and
Bhutan, on the 25th of April, 1774. By the different
articles of this treaty it was, among other things,
agreed that the English would relinquish the Deb
Raja's possessions acquired by conquest; that they
would deliver up the Kuch Behar Raja Dwijendra
Narayan and his brother Devan Deo who had been taken
away as prisoners of war; that the Bhutanese Mahants
shall have their former privilege of duty-free trad e
and allowed to visit Rangpur annually; that the
Bhutanese shall not cause incursions into the
country, nor molest the rayats (or subjects) of the
Company; whatever Sannyasis are considered by the
English as enemies, the Deb Raja shall not allow to
take shelter in any pert of the districts now given
up, nor permit them; to enter into the Honourable
Company's territories or through any part of his.(1)
This treaty having been concluded in the interest
of Kuch Behar end the Company on the one hand, and in
that of Bhutan on the other, whereby the Lame's
intercession was completely respected, Warren
Hastings' mind was turned upon commercial schemes,
which were not a little matured at the sight of the
presents which the Lama had sent by his deputation.
He conceived the idea of sending a mission to the
Lama in Tibet, and accordingly framed a letter to
him, proposing, among other things, a treaty of amity
and commerce between the Bengal and Tibetan states,
end entrusted it to a deputation composed of Mr.
George Bode, servant of the Company, and Dr.
Hamilton, with Puran Gir Gosain, as their sincere and
faithful friend.
This is the first of a series of missibns which
Hastings successively sent to the cis- and
trans-nivean states on the frontier heights, and it
is from among the incidents of this initial
deputation that the main facts which led to the grant
of the sanads, the foundation of the Bho.t Mandir,
and the consecration of the motley group of idols
there, are to be gleaned. In this mission as well as
in the second attempted embassy to Tibet under Mr.
Bogle in 1779, in the third, under Captain Turner in
1783, end in the last, under Puran Gir Gosain
himself, just at the closing %: period of the same
statesman's career in 1785, are to be sought all the
important services that the great Gosain has rendered
to the British Government, and the conspicuous traits
of his remarkable character, and
_____________________________________________________
(1) Captain R. Boileau Pemberton's Report on Bhutan,
App., p. 178.
p.64
some portions of the concluding history of the Bho.t
Bagan down to the period of the chivalrous Gosain's
tragic end. a rapid sketch therefore follows, of the
broad features of these missions, bearing upon the
present subject, based mainly upon the records left
by Mr. Bogle, which form the narrative of Mr.
Markham, and upon Turner's report.
It was moreover from the proceedings of these
missions that the first adminstrator of India
obtained a thorough knowledge of the wonderful
politico-religious influence which, emanating from
Tibet, operated, with more or less effect on China,
and Mongolia, and on its then protected state of
Sikkim, and the semi-independent principality of
Bhutan as well as on Nepal.
The communication of the Lama stirred the fertile
brain of Warren Hastings, to conceive a consummate
policy of peace end friendship with the hierarchical
chief, believed to be an incarnation of Buddha
himself, seated in his snow-clad mountain home. By
this policy he aimed at the commercial prosperity of
Bengal. Through two successive missions to Tibet, and
four to Bhutan, he succeeded, in some respect, to
re-establish the old trade routes and re-open, in a
partial way, that active commercial intercour se
which had subsisted and prevailed, from before the
Muhammadan rule, between the plateau of Tibet and the
plains of Bengal through the passes of Nepal, Bhutan
and other channels, but which were sadly interrupted
and checked by diverse causes.
The first mission under Mr. Bogle started from
Calcutta in 1774, end, after proceeding to the hills,
called Nagarko.t in Bengal and Bo.dla(1) in Tibet,
which form the common boundary of these two countries
in the north, Bogle says, the only scanty information
about the roads, the climate end the people which he
there received, was from the Sannyasis.
Proceeding, stage after stage, Mr. Bogle, with
his party, arrived at Tashi Chhoijong,(2) the capital
of Bhutan, and met the Deb Raja,(3) who gave him a
good reception, but greet obstacles having been
raised in respect
_____________________________________________________
(1) Bo.d (native name of Thibet) + la 'a pass' = 'The
pass into Thibet' Markham, ibid., p. 15.
(2) Tashi Chhoijong is the modern capital of Bhutan,
106 miles from the town of Knob Behar. There is
in it a palace and a citadel. The latter is a
lofty stone building of seven stories, in the
fourth of which the Deb Raja of Bhutan resides.
(3) Deb Raja. according to Sir Ashley Eden, the
country, now called Bhutan, was formerly occupied
by a people from Kuch Behar, who were, three
centuries ago, driven away by an invading army of
Tibetans over whom a Lame of the Red sect named
Dugwang Sabdung acquired paramount influence as
"Lama Rinpoche or Dharma Raja. On his death
"Sabdung became incarnate in a,little child at
"Lhasa who was conveyed to Bhutan. When this
child "grew up, he confined himself to spiritual
"concerns and appoited a Regent called the Deb
Raja." He is now elected by a council of sir for
three years.
p.65
of his intended visit to Tibet by a concatenation of
influences ultimately emanating from Chins, they were
finally removed by the zealous, persevering and
masterly services of Puran Gir Gosain. The party
accordingly left that capital, on the 13th October,
end came to a place called Phari-jong,(1) where were
observed the boundary-marks that separate Bhutan from
Tibet. Thence they rode up, on the 8th November, to
the gate of Tashi Rabgya,(2) the palace of the Tashi
Lama. After severed interviews with him, end
residence there for some time, they, at his desire,
accompanied him to his next palace and monastery,
Tashi Lhunpo. Here, during a sojourn of dye months,
Mr. Bogle picked up some knowledge of the Tibetan
language, acquainted himself with the religions
tenets and practices of the people, studied their
character, habits and manners, noted their unique
marriage customs, penetrated into the mystery of
their peculiar hierarchical government, threaded his
way into the mysterious laby rinth of their polities,
and, with cautious or rather furtive observation,
acquired a partial knowledge of the pro ductive
resources and the trade routes of the country, old
and new, but could carry out the object of his
mission in only a limited way. and the little that he
was able to do in this last respect, was due to his
frankness end ability to understand the people and
above all to conform to their ways that were
innocent. He himself says, "The Lama need daily to
"send a priest to me in the ea rly morning, with some
"based and tea or some boiled rice end chopped
"mutton, of which last, as I always like to do at
"Rome as they do at Rome, I need to eat very
"heartily." He need even to put on "a Tibetan dress
"consisting of a purple satin tunic lined" with
"Siberian furskins, a yellow satin cap, faced round
"with sable, and crossed with a red silk tape and a
"pair of red silk Bulgar hide boots." He followed the
Lama's example and gave alms to the Sannyasis and
Faqirs. He was not only admitted into the churches
where he saw the idols, and the nature of the holy
service, but introduced to the ladies of the Lama's
household; and thus there grew up between 1: Mr.
Bogle and the good Lama a real personal friendship.
Puran Gir Gosain, who enjoyed the esteem and
confidence of both these persons, contributed in a
great measure to bring about this desirable state of
things. The deputation left Tashi Lhunpo, in April
1775, and returned in June following. Warren
Hastings, in order to keep up an inter. course with
the Himalayan states, so anspiciously opened, sent
Dr.
_____________________________________________________
(1) Phari-jong is a pass at the head of the Chumbi
valley which was need both by Bogle and Turner.
Near it is the city of Pare which Mr. Bogle
selected as a trade mart for the merchandise of
Bengal and Tibet.
(2) Tashi Rabgya is a small place in which the Tashi
Lama temporarily resided, when small-pox broke
out at Tashi Lhunpo.
p.66
Hamilton, who had accompanied Mr. Bogle to Tibet, to
Bhutan on two successive missions, one in November
1775, and the other in July 1771. With these the
present theme has no concern.
Mr. Bogle was again appointed an envoy to Tibet
in April 1779, and Puran Gir Gosain, who had returned
with him, was also to have accompanied the mission as
before, but it was postponed on account of the
arrival of the news that the Tashi Lama was, at the
invitation of the old Chinese Emperor Kunglung, about
to start for Peking. During this delay Mr. Bogle,
with all the persevering seel he possessed in the
cause of the Government, made the grand project of
presenting himself before the Chinese Court, th rough
the influence of the Lama, that he might thereby
explain matters in a proper way, in the hope of
removing Chinophobia from the Tibetan authorities in
the matter of dealings with foreigners. and in this
affair also, as on other important occasions, Puran
Gir, the trusted and favourite agent of the Lama and
the Bengal Government, was desired previously to join
the Lama before he left Tibet. This the Gosain
accordingly did, when the Lama had already started on
his journey, and accompanied the Lama to he Chinese
capital where his most importarnt services will be
described farther on. There was the greatest
probability of the success of Mr. Bogle's most wisely
conceived scheme, which was founded upon the previous
assurances he had received from the Lama while at
Tashi Lhunpo, and which, as the sequel will show on
the evidence of Puran Gir, the good honest Lama had
almost brought about, but the death of the Lama in
November 1180 from small-pox at Peking, and of Mr.
Bogle at Calcutta in April 1781, preven ed the
realisation of this great object.(1)
According to the politico-religious theory which
regulates the elective hierarchical Government of
Tibet, end of its dependencies, and of the
territories which acknowledge a theocratic sway, a
grand Lama revivifies himself after his death in some
infant form which is discovered by some signs, and
the child becomes the succeeding Lama. There are two
principal Lamas in Tibet: one the Tashi Lama, at
Tashi Lhunpo, the other the Dalai Lama at Lhasa, with
equal authority, but the latter, on account of the
esidence of Chinese officials and troops at his
capital, is assumed to be the superior.
At the time of Bogle's mission in 1774, the
Dalai Lama was a minor, and the Tashi Lama was his
Regent, end on account of his learning, piety and
great virtue, was deservedly esteemed and revered
throughout Buddhadom. On his death, his brother
Chanjo Kusho was ruling at Tashi Lhunpo, as Regent
during the interregnum.
This Regent communicated to Warren Hastings the
sad intelligence
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., Introd., p. lxx.
p.67
of the death of the Tashi Lama at Peking by a letter
which was received an the 12th February 1782. In this
letter, among other things, the Regent spoke of his
fervent hope in the return of the boar "of
trans"migration, that the bodies may be speedily
exchanged, and our depart"ed Lama again be restored
to oar sight."(1)
The happy news of the discovery of the spirit of
the Tashi Lama, incarnated in an infant in the valley
of Painom,(2) was soon received by Hastings, end he
determined to seize the opportunity of communicating
to the Regent his congratulations on this anspicious
event, as the best occasion for sending another
mission to Tibet. He accordingly selected Captain
Samuel Turner for this purpose, who, with Lieut.
Samuel Davis and Dr. Robert Saunders and the
inevitable Puran Gir Gosain as their guide and
adviser, left Calcutta on the 9th January 1783.
Captain Turner followed the previous route of Mr.
Bogle, and on arriving at Tashi Chhoijong transacted
such affairs relating to Bhutan as he had been
instructed to attend Co, and after a stay of three
months at this capital, proceeded to his destination.
Early in the morning of the 22nd September, dazed at
the sight of the resplendent beams of the rising sun
reflected from the gilt tops of the monasteries, end
regaled with "the deep tone of many sonorous
instruments which were "summoning the religions to
their morning orisons," the party found themselves
ushered into the very splendid apartments of the
Tashi Lhunpo palace.(3) The Regent gave the
(Governor-General's envoy a hearty and respectful
reception, assured him of the identity of the Lama
who, in his previous existence, had been a great
friend of Hastings', and informed him of his
regeneration having been acknowledged by the Emperor
of China. The mission had indeed arrived in Tibet at
one of its most important eras; it was at a time when
the nation was preparing by a grand demonstration to
announce their acknowledgment of the regenerated Lama
who was then being removed into the Tharpa Ling
monastery for that customary training and education,
for which the Chinese Emperor had issued strict
injunctions. The Captain witness. ed here most
interesting objects and scenes, and collected
materials by his intelligent observation and inquiry,
whereby he confirmed and widened the knowledge
regarding the country which had been laid open by his
predecessor. hen the time came to leave the place, he
was introduced to the infant Lama, then only a child
eighteen months old, and he gives the most surprising
and most romantic account of this audience, and of
the manner in which this little Avatar comported
himself. Throughout the whole period of the sojourn
of the mission our Puran Gir was most
_____________________________________________________
(1) Turner, ibid., p. 450.
(2) Turner, ibid., p. 240.
(3) Turner, ibid., 230.
p.68
actively engaged in all such departments of business
in which he could prove himself useful. At length on
the 2nd of December the mission departed from Tashi
Lhunpo on the return journey to Bengal, where they
reached Patna in March 1784, and there the Captain
submitted to Mr. Hastings his official report
detailing an account of the result of his mission.(1)
At the commencement of 1785 Warren Hastings
contemplated appointing Puran Gir Gosain as a
diplomatic agent at the Tibetan court, and delivered
to him despatches for the new or rather regenerated
Tashi Lama and the Regent. On the 8th of February
1785, he resigned his Governor-Generalship and
embarked for England. Captain Turner introduced the
Gosain to the officiating Governor-General John
Macpherson, and he was allowed to proceed on his
mission which started in March of the same year.
Passing through Bhutan and transacting business
there, the Gosain arrived at Tashi Lhunpo. He too had
come here on a momentous occasion, he saw the removal
of the child Lama from the Tharpa Ling monastery, and
his installation on the throne of his predecessors,
who in fact were believed to have been different
corporeal forms of his own spirit. He had frequent
interviews with the Regent and various Tibetan
authorities, during which he did his best to confirm
the friendship between the Bengal Government and the
Tashi Lhun po Court, under the shadow of which he
remained for five months, and then returned to
Calcutta, with letters from the Lama and the Regent,
which together with his own report he delivered to
the above statesman.(2)
Thus ends a brief summary of the salient points
of the missions to Tibet under Warren Hastings' rule;
and in fact Puran Gir's diplomatic agency is the last
of the missions which the British Government has, up
to this moment, been able to send to that land of
mystery.
The Bho.t Bagan originated from the incidents of
the first mission in the following way. Mr. Bogle in
relating the conversations he had with the Tashi Lama
at Tashi Raabgya, says, that on one occasion the Lama
assured him that " his heart was open, and well
disposed towards "the English, and that he gave no
credit to the representations which "had been made to
their disadvantage."
"'I Wish to have a place on the banks of the
'Ganges to which I might send my people to pray. I
'intend to write to the Governor on this subject, and
wish yen would second my application.'" "I replied
"that as I knew how desirous the Governor was to
"cultivate his friendship, I was persuaded on this or
"on any other occasion he would find him very ready
"to gratify him as far as in his power."(3)
____________________________________________________
(1) Turner, ibid., pp. 326--358.
(2) Torner, ibid., p. 419.
(3) Markham, ibid., p. 138.
p.69
Mr. Bogle in his letter to Mr. Hastings of the
5th December, which perhaps he wrote from the above
place, alludes to the Lama's desire of founding a
religious house on the banks of the Ganges, and adds
what he had heard from the Lama. "About seven or
"eight hundred years ago, the Tibetan Pontiffs had
"many monasteries in Bengal, and their priests used
"to travel to that country in order to study the
"religion and languages of the Brahmans and to visit
"the holy places in Hindustan. The Musulman, upon
"conquering Bengal, plundered and destroyed their
"temples, and drove them out of the country. Since
"then there has been little intercourse between the
"two kingdoms. The Lama is sensible that it will
"throw great lustre on his pontificate, and serve to
"extend his fame and character, if he can, after so
"long an interval, obtain a religious establishment
"in Bengal, and he is very solicitous about this
"point. He proposes, also, to send some of his
"Gylongs, during the cold season, to wait up on you
"at Calcutta, and afterwards to go on pilgrimage to
"Gays and other places, and has written to Chedzum
"Tamba,(1) at Peking, who has great interest with the
"Emperor, informing him that the English are now
"masters of Bengal; that you, their chief, have shown
"him great favour; that the English allow every one
"to follow his own religion unmolested; and advising
"him to send some persons to wait upon you, and to
"visit the principal temples in Bengal. I own I
"encouraged all this, in the view of strengthening
"the intercourse and connection with Tibet, and
"thinking it would be of advantage to the Company to
"open any channel of communication with the Court of
"China; and although I am not so sanguine as the Lama
"about the success of his endeavours, however
"sincere, to obtain leave for you to send a person to
"the Emperor, I do not altogether despair, by your
"favour, of one day or other getting a sight of
"Peking."(2)
Again, in the course of the first visit which Mr.
Bogle paid to the Tashi Lama, on his return to Tashi
Lhunpo, the latter referred to his previous proposal
in respect of forming a religious house on the
Ganges, and on receiving the reiterated assurance of
the former, as to its compliance, the Lama spoke of
the Chankya Lama,(3) the high priest at Peking, and
of his great influence at the Chinese Court, and of
his intention to
_____________________________________________________
(1) Properly Jetsun Dampa, identified with the
Taranath Lama. He is the third Pontiff of the
Gelugpa or yellow cap sect, and resides north of
Tibet among the Khalka tribes of enter Mongolia,
near Urga.
(2) Markham, ibid., p. 134.
(3) The Tashi Lama always spoke to Mr. Bogle of this
high priest of China with great respect, and
described him as having great influence over the
Chinese emperor. Through his mediation an attempt
was made for resort of Chinese trading pilgrims
to Hindustan.
p.70
write to this personage, to the effect that the
Feringis(1) were masters of Bengal, and had shown him
great favour, and added that he thought it probable
that the priest would send some of his people to
visit the principal religious places, and expected,
in the event of his doing so, that the Governor would
give them a good reception.(2) at another interview,
the Lama desired that Mr. Hastings should send an
embassy to the Dalai Lama, when he would come of age,
and that, in the event of his obtaining a grant of
land on the banks of the Ganges, he would place Puran
Gir Gosain there, and if he should stand in need of
any small matter, he trusted the Governor would
supply him.(3)
On Mr. Bogle's inquiry as to whet site he would
prefer, the Lama said, he would like some place in
the neighbourhood of Calcutta, that the people to be
sent down might have opportunities of seeing the
Governor, to whom and to the Pandits he would leave
the matter; the only thing he would press for, was
that it might be near the Ganges. He further
explained his idea on the subject of building a
house there, end said, "I propose that Puran Gir who
"was then down in Calcutta should settle it. I do
"not wish it to be a large house, and let it be
"built in the fashion of Bengal." Be intimated, that
he would give the necessary instructions to Puran,
who, he said, "has served me well, and I have II not
"found him guilty of so many lies as most other
"fakirs, and I hope the Governor will show him
"favour." He here mentioned the name of another old
Gosain 'Sukh Deb' who, he said, "has also asked me
"leave to go down to Calcutta, he will accompany
you; and I have also "written to the Governor about
him, and I hope he will favour him."(4)
On another occasion the Lama showed Mr. Bogle the
images with their dress which he intended to send
down to Bengal, through Puran Gir, to be put up in
the proposed temple, and inquired particularly about
the situation of a town called 'Sambhal.(5) The
reason assigned by the
_____________________________________________________
(1) Feringis, a term usually applied in most parts of
Asia to Europeans. It is said to have been
derived from Frank. A stranger is generally
called Peling.
(2) Markham, ibid., p. 146.
(3) Markham, ibid., p. 164.
(4) Markham, ibid., p, 165.
(5) Markham, ibid., p. 168. S'ambhal is a fabulous
city, the Utopia of the Northern Buddhists, on
which Babu S. C. Das has supplied the following
information. The Tashi Lama wrote a book called
Shambalai Lamyig, i. s., a, journey to Shambala
According to the Tibetan work "Selki-melon," the
name S'ambhala is derived from that of king
S'ambhaka of the S'akpa race. Literally it means
" one who melee happy," end 'Sambha is the name
of I'swara. According to the Tibetans the
position of the country of 'Sambh ala is as
follows. It is a vast plain of the shape of a
lotus of eight petals, entirely surrounded by a
wall of snowy
p.71
Lama for his fondness for Bengal was that "although
"in the different periods of his reviviscence he had
"chosen many regions for the places of his birth, yet
"Bengal was the only country in which he had been
"born twice; for which reason, he said, he had a
"predelection for it beyond any other, and was
"desirous of making it a place of his abode,
"apparently esteeming the sanctity of the Ganges, as
"a consideration of inferior importance."(1)
The religions prejudices which endear Bengal to
the Tibetans, are again thus explained by Turner,
who bases his information upon what he had heard
from the Regent and Sopon Chenpo:(2)--"But Bengal is
"ren dared peculiarly dear to them by the powerful
"influence of religions prejudice. The regeneration
"of their Lama is said to have taken place, in times
"of remote antiquity, near the site of the ancient
"and ruined city of Gowr, and all those places held
"in veneration by the Hindoos, as Gya, Benares, Mahow
"and Allahabad, are equally objects of superstitious
"zeal, with a votary of the Tibet faith, who thinks
"himself blessed above his fellow disciples, if he
"can but perform a pilgrimage to these hallowed
"spots."(3)
After Mr. Bogle's return to Calcutta, the Lama,
as he had proposed in his first conversation with him
on the subject of his proposed temple, wrote to Mr.
Hastings on the subject,(4) and Mr. Bog]e in his
general report, speaking of the apprehension of Tibet
merchants, in respect of the heat and unhealthiness
of Bengal, urged that "prejudices of this kind are to
"be cured only by habit, and your compliance with the
"Teshu Lama's desire of founding a monastery and
"temple on the banks
_____________________________________________________
mountains, and conveniently intersected by many
great rivers. At the centre of this great country
stands as the filament of a lotus, its capital,
the city of Kalapa, with extensive gardens and
parka round it, which are protected by a circular
wall of very lofty snowy mountains with four
gates. Four rivers issuing from the snowy
barriers, water the city and its garden, and then
flow into two lakes, called Upasagara and
Pu.n.darika, which adorn the earthly paradise o f
Kalapa. At the southern extremity of the city
stands the garden of Malaya, with the palace of
the Chakravarti Raja Chandra Bhadra. The mansions
of the 25 Kulika emper- ors, who followed the
line of the seven Dharma Rajas, stand on the bank
of the river and line the lotus. The first
Chakravarti emperor of 'Sambhala was Suryaprabha.
In each of the eight petal-like divisions of
S'ambhala there are 12, 000, 000 cities, in
consequence of which 96,000,000 of cities cover
th e entire empire. The Enropean scholars Of
Northern Buddhism are inclined to identify
'Sambhala with Europe, making London (the
Western) Kalapa.
(1) Turner, ibid., p. xv.
(2) Sopon Chenpo was cup-bearer and minister to the
Tashi Lama; he wee during the Regency of Chanjo
Kusho second in rank at the court of Tashi
Lhunpo.
(3) Turner, ibid., p. 268.
(4) Markham, ibid., p. 138, note.
p.72
"of the Ganges will probably tend to remove these
"strong prepossessions against the climate of Bengal,
"and to produce an intercourse with the northern
"nations. The safe return of the people whom the Lama
"proposes to send next winter to visit the holy
"places in Bengal will serve to inspire their
"countrymen with confidence; the fondness to the
"Tibetans for every thing strange or curious,
"strengthened by religion, will probably lead many
"others to undertake so meritorious a journey; and
"these pilgrimages, like the Hajj at Mekkah, may in
"time open a considerable mart for the commodities of
"Bengal."(l)
Warren Hastings, apprised of the Lama's wish by
his direct communication, and urged by Mr. Bogle as
to the paramount necessity of complying with it,
issued the necessary orders under which a piece of
land was purchased end given to the Tashi Lama, and
the construction of a Buddhist temple was commenced
under the direction of Mr. Bogle, who had been
previously trusted by the Lama w h a considerable
remittance in money. Be soon tie it was completed,
Hastings wrote thus on the subject to the Lama, who
had previously sent images to be deposited in it--"By
"the blessing of God it will be the means of making
"your name known in this country, and of
"strengthening the friendship which is between us,
"and you Fill consider it as a mark of the confidence
"and regard which I bear to you".(2)
Mr. Markham discovered a note on the manuscript
of Mr. Bogle which he supposes to be in the
handwriting of A. Dalrymple, Esq. It records some of
the above facts, and adds that "people from Tibet and
"Bhutan constantly resorted to it "(Bho.t Mandir)"
during the time for which my knowledge reaches."(3)
The connection of the British Government in India
with the Bho.t Bagan is now so far revealed as to
make it clear that Warren Hastings at the earnest and
repeated solicitations of one of the.Grand Lamas of
Tibet designated the Tashi Lama, end wishing to
cultivate his friendship in the interest of
Tibeto-Bengal trade, made choice, at his direction,
of (I little upwards of a hundred bighas of land
(either originally rent-free or subsequently made
such), purchased it, and in 1778 by the sanad No. 3
gave it to him formally, and actually to Puran Gir
Gosain as their protege and deserved favourite. It
does not appear in the history of the missions how
the 50 bighas of land, mentioned in the sanads Nos. a
and 4, came to be granted to them in 1783,(4) but
from
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., p. 198.
(2) Markham, ibid., note 1, p. 138, note 1, p. 146,
and Turner, ibid., Introd., p. xv.
(3) Markham, ibid., note I, page 138.
(4) It should be noted here that the Sanad No. 4 for
50 bighas was executed in favour of a Lama in
1783, but his name is identical with that of the
then deceased Lama, who had, while living in
1778, received a grant of 100 bighas by sanad No.
p.73
an episode relating to the Bho.t Bagan, which will be
noticed hereafter, it will be seen that Captain
Turner refers to these 50 highs.s, when he says in
one of his communications to the Governor-General
(John Macpherson) in 1786, that it "is a part of the
"land situated on the western bank of the river,
"opposite to Calcutta, which was formerly granted,
"under a sunnud of this government, to Teshoo Lama,
"for the foundation of a place of worship, and as a
"resort for those pilgrims of his nation, who might
"ccasionally make visits to the consecrated
"Ganges."(1) Be also in the same paper describes the
whole as Puran "Gir's little territory."
History then corroborates the statements in the
sanads that the total area of the Bho.t Bagan is a
trifle upwards of 150 bighas, and shows that the
object of the grant was fully carried out by the
liberality of the Lama, the amount of whose
remittance, received by Mr. Bogle for the
construction of the temple and dwelling, though not
traceable now, is stated to have been 'considerable,'
and hence the structures were no doubt originally
commensurate with the large expenditure that had been
incurred on acc ount of them. There were also
guest-houses, (as the traditions of the place
confirm), in which people from Tibet, some of whom
were important enough to have been introduced to J
Warren Hastings, were lodged. The building that is
now seen, with partial reconstruction of some ruined
portions, must be the remains of what was once of
much larger dimension and extent.(2)
Of the grantees whose names the sanads mention,
one is the Lama, the other Puran Gir Gosain. The
title of the former, as given in the Persian, and as
already set forth, is Teshi Lamah Panchan Ardani
Bakdeo Panchan, which I think would be correctly
Tashi Lama Panchan Erteni Vakya Deva, meaning "the
Tashi Lama Pa.n.dita, the gem of greet Pa.n.ditas,
Vakyadeva (lord of speech.)" It was thus for the
first and last time in the annals of Tibet and
Buddhadom and of Britist India, that an Avatar, the
living divinity, who from his palace on the highest
regions where man can dwell, exercises his
hierarchical away over the largest extent of
territories in the world, condescended to accept
sanads from the representative of the British Power
in India and to become his Jagirdar a hundred and
twenty years ago! The personage who gave the kindest
reception to Mr. Bogle and formed with him a real
friendship,
_____________________________________________________
2. This anomaly may be explained by the fact that
it is not the name of a person, bot the official
designation that is mentioned in both the sanads.
(1) Turner, ibid., p. 432.
(2) The Bho.t Bagan or rather Bho.t Mandir in fact
were constituted a ma.th in which character it is
perhaps the only one besides that of the
celebrated Tarke'swar, in Bengal.
p.74
and who was in fact the formal assignee of the Bho.t
Bagan land, is described by the latter as having been
forty years of age, and of low stature, birer than an
ordinary Tibetan with jet-black hair, and eyes small
and black. He could speak Hinddustani tolerably. His
disposition was open, candid, and generous, and merry
end entertaining in his conversation. Says Mr..
Bogle, "I endeavoured to find out, in his character,
"those defects which are inseparable from humanity,
"but he is so universally beloved that I had no
"success, and not a man could find in his heart to
"speak ill of him."(1) He remarks elsewhere, that the
Lama's thirst for knowledge was insatiable. The other
assignee's name in the sanads appears in Persian as
Puran Gir, and in the Bengali inscription on the
tomb-house door-top in the Bho.t Bagan as Puran Giri
Mahanta.
The next point of inquiry is, how under the
influence of Buddhism, a religion so well-known to be
antagonistic in its main tenets to Hinduism as
derived from the Vedas and Pura.nas--representatives
of Hindu and Buddhist mythology are found mixed up in
the Bho.t Mandir?
In the sixth century before the Christian era
Buddhism was founded in India; three centuries later
it became the state religion of the country, and in
the early part of the fourth century before the same
era, it was introduced into Ceylon where it is
believed to have been preserved in its purest state,
but as missionaries began to spread it in different
countries out of India, great departures from the
original institution began to take place. It was
accepted in China, at the commencement of the era,
and it reached Tibet,(2) in the beginning of the
seventh century through the influence of a, Chinese
princess. It came from China and India in two mixed
streams; from the former country flowing through
successive beds of old religions and indigenous
philosophy, and from the latter, as from its main
source, it came in continuous currents through
translations end retranslations of its hagiology, end
through Puranic and Tantric literature under the
teachings of the Brahmans, and from both weighted
with exhau ess legends since the days of 'Sakyamuni.
Among the holy books imported into Tibet from India
are mentioned the Tantras in twenty-two volumes.
according to the commentary on the Kalachakra Tantra,
after Buddha's death "the compilers writing in three
books the three vehicles (or works on
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., p. 84.
(2) "It is raid that a native king established the
"seat of Government at Lhasa in 617 A. D.; that
he "married a Chinese princess of the Buddhist
"persuasion, and that he Plant his minister to
"India, who returned with the great body of truth
"contained in the Buddhist canonical Scriptures,
"framed the Tibetan alphabet from the Devanagari
"of India, and commenced the translation of the
"canon from Sanskrit into the language of the
"country. Markham, ibid., pp. xlv, xlvi.
p.75
"three fold principles), they expressed all the three
"true repositories of Sutra, of Tathagata, in his
"language. The Praj~nya-paramita and the Mantras in
"Sanscrit; the several sorts of Tantras in several
"languages, Sanscrit, Pracrit, Apabhransha, in that
"of the mountaineers, and all sorts of mlechchhas.
"accordingly all the three Vehicles (yanam) in Tibet
"were written in the Tibetan language."(1) Csoma
Korosi describes four different systems of Buddhism
derived from India.
Mahamaya(2), a revered name in Hindu mythology,
and specially in the 'Sakti doctrine, is also the
name of the mother of Buddha, and as such, around it
have accumulated legendary accretions, which, in
Tibet, have greatly predominated. The incarnation of
the Grand Lamas, though it may at first appear, in
its temporal aspect, peculiar to Tibet,is in its
essence the widely accepted doctrine of
metempsychosis in Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Besides the circumstance of the import of Hindu
'Sastras of different periods into Tibet, its very
situation in the midst of mountains and lofty peaks,
sources of greet rivers and springs, and lakes held
equally sacred by the Hindus and Buddhists, has, from
the remotest times, rendered it the common meeting
ground of pilgrims of both faiths, not to mention the
frequency of such meetings between the mountaineers
and the people of the plains bent upon mercantile
errands, whereby a blending of the two rel igions
became inevitable.
The history of the missions, moreover, brings out
striking proofs of such blending. The very first
thing, at every stage of their journeys from the
duars(3) of Bhutan up to the mountain terraces, to
Tashi Lhunpo, which the two envoys Bogle and Turner
marked, was the very great respect paid by the people
and the chiefs to the Gosains and Sannyasis, the
Gelongs,(4) and even Faqirs.(5) They both saw in the
palace of the Lama, in the temples and monasteries,
and in other places, idols and church services , to
confirm them in the belief that Tibetan Buddhism was
intimately connected with many important phases of
mediaeval and modern Hinduism. Says Bogle "The
religion of the Lamas is somehow connected with that
of the Hindus, and many of their deities are the
same, the Shaster is translated into their language;
and they hold
_____________________________________________________
(1) Hardy's Eastern Monachism, pp. 188-189.
(2) Mahamaya. In one of the Jatakas there is a legend
that king Sanja became Suddhodana, the father of
Gotama Buddha; the queen Phusati became Mahamaya
Devi, his mother. Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, p.
118, 133.
(3) Duars from Sanskrit dvara, door, gate.
(4) Gelong, i. a., dGe-slong, a monk.
(5) Faqirs. Though applied to Muhammadan mendicants,
the term is loosely applied to mendicants of all
religions.
p.76
"in veneration the holy places of Hindustan." In the
gallery of the Tashi Lhunpo palace he saw, among
others, the image of the god of war; probably it was
that of Kartikeya. In speaking to him on one occasion
on the subject of trade, the Tashi Lama said that
"the Lama had temples in Benares, Gaya, somewhere in
"Purneah and at several other places; that their
"priests used to travel there to study the Shaster
"and the religion of the Brahmans; and after
"remaining there ten, twenty, or thirty years,
"returned to Tibet communicating their knowledge to
"their countrymen, and thereby gaining great
"reputation; that about eight hundred years ago
"Bengal was invaded and conquered by the Mussulmans,
"who destroyed and pillaged the temples and plundered
"the people, so that snob as escaped returned to
"their mountains alone; with some Brahmans who fled
"from the persecutions; since which time the
"inhabitants of Tibet have had little connection with
"Bengal or the southern countries." In a conversation
turning specially on religion, the Lama pointed out
the connection between his faith and that of the
Brahman, said, the Tibetans worshipped the three
Hindu *6 gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, bat not their
inferior deities.(1) These three names symbolically
express the three attributes of the deity as
comprehended in the Vedic holy syllable O.m, but the
three emblems O.m Han Hoong which Bogle saw on three
round brass plates on the front of the Tashi Rabgya
palace, are said to refer to Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha.
Turner, when speaking of the places of pilgrimage
in India which Tibetans frequented, says "Gungasaugor
"(Ganga sagara) an uninhabited island situated at the
"confluence of the Ganges with the sea, and the
"pagoda of Juggernath (Jagannatha) on the coast of
"Orissa, are also deemed of equal sanctity." He
notices also the practice of pilgrimage by proxy--he
had heard the late Tashi Lama, having by his agents
pilgrimized to Ka'si, Prayaga, Ganga Sagar, and
Jaggannath Purl. among the assemblage of gods he aw
in Tibet, he mentions the Hindu deities, Durga and
Kali, (Ga.ne'sa and Kartikeya. He refers elsewhere to
a Bhutanese Durga Puja. Thus cumulative proof is
found to justify Tibeto-Buddhism, allowing Buddhistic
and Hindu idols to be worshipped in the same temple,
as it is seen in the Bho.t Mandir.
The public services of Puran Gir commenced, so
far as records show, when as a young Sannyasi, not
more than perhaps twenty-five years old, he received
from the Tashi Lama, the famous letter of mediation
on behalf of Depa Shidar of Bhutan, and with a single
Tibetan companion of the name of Paima, came down the
mountain heights, and " ventured to encounter the
burning atmosphere of Bengal" towards the end of
March 1774.
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., pp. 72, 142.
p.77
We see in our mind's eye this personage in his
ascetic garb with da.n.da and kama.n.dalu in his
hands, and with his tiger skin hung on his shoulders,
ushered into the saloon of our Government House, and
introduced to the first Governor-General as the holy
envoy from the Grand Lama. He presents his
credentials to him, and lays before him the Lama's
presents, which included "talents of gold and silver,
bulses of gold dust, and bags of "genuine musk." Long
and searching were the inquiries which were made by
the inquisitive Mr. Hastings, and the answers he
received were most satisfactory and suggestive, and
led to the mission of Mr. Bogle. When Puran Gir
accompanied Mr. Bogle on this mission, his services
were found of immense value, and almost indispensable
at every important stage of the journey. at Tashi
Chhoijang, while the mission waited to receive the
Lama's permission to proceed to Tibet, Chinese
intrigue and jealousy at Lhasa, operating at the
Tashi Lhunpo Court, threatened to cut short the
progre s of the deputation. The Tashi Lama had
written letters to Mr. Hastings, to Mr. Bogle, and to
Purau Gir, which were received by the Deb Raja. In
the two former, the addressees were informed that
"his (the Lama's) country being subject to the
"Emperor of China, whose order it is that he shall
"admit no Moghul, Hindu stani, Patan or Fringy, he is
"without remedy, and China being at the distance of a
"year's journey, prevents his writing to the Emperor,
"for permission, and desires me therefore to return
"to Calcutta."(1) The communication to Puran Gir
again informed him that he (the Lama) wished to
postpone Mr. Bogle's visit to Tibet on account of
small-pox breaking out there. Suspecting these to be
mere pretences to cover some real cause of aversion
on the part of the Lama to see him, Mr. Bogle now at
most in despair turned towards our Gosain Puran, and
says he, "In this situation all my hopes of seeing
"Teshu Lama were chiefly founded on the Gosain. As my
"journey had been undertaken upon his assurances, he
"was engaged in honour to see it accomplished, and I
"endeavoured to strengthen this principle by powerful
"motives. While he remained at Tassisudon (Tashi
"Chhoijang), he could be of no service, and I readily
"consented to his proceeding to the Lama."(2)
The noble Gosain was keenly alive to a true sense
of honour; he was much trusted by the Lama, and his
words carried weight. He explained to him the true
state of things, and disabused his mind.of wrong
impressions against the English, and at his
suggestion the Tashi Lama wrote to the Dalai Lama 's
Minister, drawing his attention to the courtesy end
high-mindedness of the Feringis in their dealings
with the defeated Depa Shidar in compliance with his
request, and warning him of the consequence of
refusing permission to the admittance of the mission.
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., p. 45.
(2) Markham, ibid., p. 46.
p.78
The permission was granted slid forwarded to Mr.
Bogle through the Deb Raja. Not content with being
instrumental in obtaining passports, he came down to
meet the mission in their journey up, and joining
them at Giansu, conducted them at once to the Lama's
Tashi Rabgya palace.
During the whole period of Mr. Bogle's sojourn in
Tibet, Puran Gir was not only his cicerone,
interpreter, and adviser, but he was unremitting in
his endeavours to establish a friendly disposition in
the mind of the Tashi Lama, towards the British
Government, and to bring about that intimacy which
grew up between these personages. He was the constant
referee of both on various matters of importance, and
often cited by them as a witness in respect of the
personal dealings of each relating to the missio on
any points in the administrations of Tibet and
Bengal. Bogle asking him to say how tolerant of
religious matters, and how successful in promoting
security of life end property was the Government of
Hastings, and the Lama inviting him to testify how
peace-loving and quiet were his people, and how
grateful were his sentiments towards Mr. Hastings for
his ready compliance with his request, of whom he
said "he (Mr. Hastings) has made him very happy, and
"has done a very pious action. My servants (among
"whom was Puran Girl who went to Calcutta were only
"little men, and the kind reception they had from the
"Governor I consider as another mark of his
"friendship."(1)
It has been already stated that the contemplated
second mission 60 Tibet under Mr. Bogle in 1779 was
prevented by the departure of the Tashi Lama, at the
time to Peking, and by the death of Bogle himself ill
1781, and that Puran Gir Gosain had, at the instance
of the Government of Bengal, accompanied the Lama to
China.
He showed his powers of observation by taking
notes of every important event in the journey of the
Lama, of his interview with the Emperor and of his
reception. He actually wrote out a graphic account of
all this. Who translated it is not known, but a
translation was with Mr. Hastings from whom, through
various channels, Mr. A. Dalrymple obtained it, and
published it in the Oriental Repertory. It is most
interesting and of special value in connection with
the present subject, it, or rather its origin al,
being the literary production of our versatile
Gosain. Among many facts contained in it, those that
should be noted here are: -the extraordinary
veneration and esteem which the Chinese Emperor
exhibited towards the Lama in his repeated
entreaties, whereby he pressed him to come to China
on his having at first declined to go there; in the
grand and expensive preparations that were made
throughout the entire course of a long end slow
journey, and in the assiduous
_____________________________________________________
(1) Markham, ibid., p.136.
p.79
and respectful attentions shown him during his
sojourn in Peking, where, on his arrival, he was
seated on the highest cushion on the imperial throne
on the right side of the Emperor; the proceedings of
the spiritual initiation through the Lama's
whispering of the mantra or sacred text into the
Emperor's ear after the Hindu fashion in the presence
of Changya guru;(1) and the particular interview in
which the good Tashi Lama, true to his word, informed
the Emperor that "in the country of Hindustan, which
"lies on the borders of my country, there resides a
"great prince or ruler for whom I have the greatest
"friendship. I wish you should now regard him also,
"and if you will write him a letter of friendship and
"receive his in return, it will afford me great
"pleasure, as I wish you should be known to each
"other, and that a friendly communication should, in
"future, subsist between you."
The Emperor, on hearing this request from the
much venerated Lama, replied that it was a very small
one indeed, "but that this or any thing else he
"desired, should be complied with. He continued to
"inquire of the Lama what that Prince or Governor's
"name was, the extent of the country he ruled over
"and the number of forces &c." At this stage the Lama
sent for his confidential Puran Gir, presented him
before his Celestial Majesty, and desired him to
answer the inquiries of the Emperor regarding the
overnor of Hindustan "as (he) the writer(2) had often
been in his country, The writer "then informed him
"that the Governor of Hindustan was called Mr.
"Hastings, that the extent of the country he governed
"was not near equal to that of China, but superior to
"any other he knew, and that the troops of that
"country were upwards of three lacks of horsemen."(3)
On another occasion the Lama in the presence of
Puran Gir reminded the Emperor that "he had some time
"before mentioned to him a prince or governor of
"Hindustan, called Mr. Hastings, with whom he (the
"Lama) held strict friendship, and repealed his wish
"that the Emperor should know him and hold friendly
"intercourse with him also by writing to him and
"receiving his friendly answers. Much more was said
"by the Lama, on this subject, to all of which the
"Emperor replied, that he could only assure the Lama,
"he joined most heartily with him in what he wished,
"as it would give him much pleasure to know and
"correspond with the Governor of Hindustan, his
"friend; and to convince him of his sincerity, he
"would, if the Lama desired it, cause a letter
"immediately to be written to the Governor in such
_____________________________________________________
(1) The Chinese high priest.
(2) Puran does not speak of himself in the first
person but as 'the writer.'
(3) Oriental Repertory, VII, pp. 145--164.
p.80
"terms as the Lama should dictate, or if the Lama
thought, it would "be more effectual towards
establishing the friendship, he wished that "the
letter should be in readiness when the Lame took his
departure "from China, and that he should take it
with him, and have the care "of forwarding it, in
such manner as he thought beat, to the Governor "of
Hindustan. The latter mode the Lama made choice of,
end expres"sed much satisfaction."
It was destined, however, that all this friendly
endeavour on the very eve of bearing fruit should be
frustrated, for the Lama was seized, as elsewhere
stated, with small-pox, about which he had
forebodings before he left Tashi Lhunpo, and in fact
had written to the Emperor as one of his
apprehensions which disinclined him to go to China.
Of this disease the Lama died on the evening of the
12th November 1780 as he sat at prayer. Puran Gir,
whom the Lama in his dying hour had sent for and
conversed with, describes his death "to have been
remarkably tranquil."
The Emperor who, on receipt of the sad news, had
come to see the dead body still remaining in a
sitting posture through the help of pillows, was
moved to tears.(1) In that position it was put into a
coffin, then into a large temple-shaped receptacle of
pure gold, with an outer covering of copper, end was
sent in great procession to Tashi Lhunpo, under the
charge of the departed Lame's brother, to whom the
Emperor said that "he trusted to the Almighty soon to
hear of his arrival there, "but above all other
things he would impatiently long to hear of the
"Lama's regeneration," which it was his special
request strictly to inform him of.
Puran Gir accompanied this procession, and saw
the gold cased earthly tenement of the Lame,
deposited in a mausoleum in Tashi Lhunpo, while the
Buddha world in the north remained expectant for the
appearance of an infant, vivified by the departed
spirit of the Tashi Lame to be elected his successor.
The Chinese Emperor Kuen-lung's proceedings with
reference to the Lama closed with a letter which he
addressed to the Dalai Lama, informing him of his
death, and touchingly alluding to the foreboding
which had at first disinclined him to visit China.(2)
_____________________________________________________
(1) The affecting scene described by Puran Gir, when
the Chinese Emperor was shedding tease at the
bedside of the dying Tashi Lame, bears some
resemblance to the great Akbar repairing with his
Hakim to the house of his favourite Faizi the
celebrated poet and scholar, when he found him
breathing his last. throwing away his head gear
as a mark sorrow and bitterly uttering an
extemporised mourning verse.
(2) A translation of this letter by M. Amiot, a
missionary, is also published in the Or. Rep.
vii, p. 279. Mr. Amiot had previously
communicated information to
p.81
The Regent(1) above named as well as the minister
to the late Lama Soipon Chenpo, in two very curious
letters, conveyed to Warren Hastings the melancholy
intelligence of the death of the Lama at Peking,
expressing at the same time a hope for the speedy
incarnation of his soul. In both these letters our
Puran Gir is often and often mentioned with
expressions of great confidence in his character and
ability. The Soipon Chenpo writes-"From the relation
of Puran Gir inform your"self of those things which
past, and of those which are present, and "of those
things which are to come to pass," and the Regent
after giving a brief account of the late Tashi Lama's
visit to China and his melancholy fate and funeral,
says, "Poorungheer Gosein arrived "here in the year
1193, after the departure of the Lama towards China
"and two letters, and nine strings of pearls, &c. &c.
arrived safe" * a "I have communicated other matters,
and other things, to the faithful "Poorungheer by
whom you will be informed of them. In compliance
"with your wishes, you will permit him to remain
under the shadow "of your protection, and favour him
with such marks of your kindness, (' as may enable
him to pass his days in returning thanks for your
good"ness.(2)
There is, in the last letter, allusion in two
places to some "village of the Raja "in respect of
which Hastings had shows the Lama some favour and
likewise with reference to " the certain portion of
land and " the mahsool thereon and in settling the
disputes appertaining thereto." It is obvious that
the allusions refer to the encroachment on the Bho.t
Bagan to be noticed further on. The Regent also
applies for the grant of "a, lot of land(3) in the
noble city of Calcutta, on the bank of the Fiver."
Concerning this affair says he, "I have spoken fully
and " particularly to the Gosein Poorungheer, and he
will make known to you "the whole thereof, and yon
will comply with my request."
Puran Gir, when he accompanied Captain Turner to
Tibet, rendered services in promoting the object of
the mission as valuable as in the case of Mr. Bogle,
and the Regent reposed in him the same confidence as
had been done by the deceased Tashi Lame; and thongh
the Captain does not, in his report and narrative,
refer to him as often as his prede-
_____________________________________________________
a Paris Journal of the imperial preparation for
the celebration of a ceremony on the seventeenth
birthday of the Emperor, to which the Pan-tchan
Erteni, as he calls him, was invited. The Emperor
writes in the above letter, "Althongh I am well
aware that to conte anal to go are but as the
same thing to the Panchan Erteni, yet when I
reflect &c."
(1) The Regent's letter has already been incidentally
noticed.
(2) Turner, ibid., Ap., pp. 449--456.
(3) This seems to have been a, fresh request for land
within the city of Calcutta. It is not known how
it was dealt with.
p.82
cessor did, he always speaks of him with great
appreciation, calls him a Hindu Gosain, a kind of
religious hermit or pilgrim, end says, " Motives "Of
religious duty, which, among the order of Goseins
more specially, "attaches peculiar respect to every
kind and degree of penance, having "occasionally led
Poorungheer among the different tribes of Tartars, he
"had acquired, during his residence amongst them, a
very competent "knowledge of their manners, and of
their language, which he spoke "with apparent ease;
and by the exemplary regularity of conduct he "had
uniformly preserved in his intercourse with the
inhabitants of "these regions, I found that he had
strongly recommended himself to their "notice, and
obtained the favour of all their chiefs."(1) And
again that he as well as the Tibetan Pauima "were men
of acute understanding "and ready information, and
from them much knowledge was collected "both of the
country from which they came, and of the way which
led " to it."
It was a grand and momentous occasion when the
Bengal Mission arrived in Tibet. It was the
celebration of a festival on the Tashi Lama's (a
Boddhisatwa) having sacrificed his Buddhahood for the
behoof of his devotees and reappeared in the flesh,
There was a mighty stir and flutter throughout the
Buddha, domains, extending on the one hand to China
end Tartary, and on the other to Bhutan, Sikkim and
Nepal. Magnificent preparations, calculated to
produce a specta- cular effect, were made to remove
the infant Lama from his house in the Painon valley
to the monastery of Tharpaling for his training.
Turner sought, through the mediation of Puran Gir, to
obtain for him admittance into the arena of the
imposing ceremony, but the assiduous Gosain failed in
his endeavour. Chinese jealousy of strangers was
apprehended, and the Regent's and Soipon Chenpo's
conversation on a former occasion explained this,
when they cited Puran air as witness to L' the
anxiety they It had laboured under, in contriving to
conduct" the Captain to Tashi Lhunpo. Captain Turner
was perfectly satisfied as to the genuineness of this
dread of Chinese influence, though this nation deify
the Lama. He says in the recital of their
embarrassments, " though they are averse "to own any
immediate dependance upon the Chinese, I could
plainly "trace the greatest awe of the Emperor of
China, of his officers "stationed at the court of
Lassa styled Umbas, as well as of the Jasoos, "and
the Raja of that place, Gesub Rimbochay(2) who had
usurped even,
_____________________________________________________
(1) Turner; ibid., p. 38, note.
(2) Properly Gyetshab Rinpochhe (also called which
Turner finds no exact English equivalent, but
supposes it to mean Prime minister and something
more, ibid., p. 245) is a temporal sovereign who,
during the minority of the Dalai Lama at Lhasa,
presides as the Regent. As this minority is of
frequent occurrence, the
p.83
"from the hands of the Dalai Lama, the greatest
portion of his tem"poral power."
The Regent and the minister, however, soon after
the retirement of the Chinese troops and officers,
who had been sent by the Emperor to escort the infant
Lama to the monastery, allowed Captain Turner to
obtain, through the Gosain's endeavour, a ready
compliance With such requests as he made from time to
time. He was admitted into the monasteries, and
allowed to enter the mausoleum of the late Tashi
Lama, the structure, adornments, and riches of which,
end the ceremonies in which, he describe's with great
circumstantiality. He saw depicted, upon the
pedestal, the imperial Chinese dragon--a conspicuous
indication of the suzerainty of this nation. Under
the portico of the mausoleum, sat a priest reading a
book(1) with the greatest attention, indifferent to
what was going around; there were others to relieve
him, it being their duty to pray perpetually upon the
same spot, end keep alive the sacred fire(2) that
burns before the shrine. The departed Tashi Lama,
whose corpse cased in gold was deposited at the base
of the pyramidal tomb, in as upright sitting
devotional attitude, was represented on the top in an
effigy of gold. Puran Gir Gosain and others
"prostrated themselves nine times with devout
humility." The Captain saw also every religions
edifice adorned with the head of the lion evincing
the Tibetan veneration for the animal.
Towards the commencement of December, when, on
the return journey, the deputation came to the foot
of the hill on which was situated the Tharpaling
monastery already noticed, in which the infant Lama,
then eighteen months old had been lodged for
education, Captain Turner was allowed to visit this
Lame, whom he found seated in great form upon his
throne with his parents on each side. The child
turned towards a crowd of visitors that came to
worship him, " end received them all with a cheerful
look of complacency." The father, among other things
said, that the Lame rose earlier than usual, "because
the English gentlemen were arrived, and he could not
sleep." " During the time we were in the room," says
the Captain, " I observed that "the Lama's eyes were
scarcely ever turned from us, and when our "cups were
empty of tea, he appeared uneasy, * * * until " they
were filled again. He took some burnt sugar out of a
golden cup,
_____________________________________________________
Gesab in fact is cousidered as the real
sovereign, the Dalai on coming to years of
maturity often tries to shake off the control of
the ambitious Gesabs, but the latter succeed by
foul means to retain power.
(1) Like the reading of the Chandi in the Hindu
shrines; but the Tibetan practice of unremitting
recitation is unique.
(2) The preservation of the sacred fire is another
old Hindu religious practicee adopted by the
Tibetans.
p.84
"containing some confectionary, and, stretching out
his arm, made a, "motion to his attendant, to give
them to me. * * * * * "I found myself, though
visiting an infant, tinder the necessity of "saying
something; for it was hinted to me, that
notwithstanding "he is unable to reply, it is not to
be inferred that he cannot un- "derstand" He, the
captain, then made a brief speech, beginning with an
allusion to his (the Lama's) death in China end happy
regeneration, and to the joy of the Governor-General
at this last auspicious event, and ending with a
request for an extensive communication between his
votaries end the dependants of the British Nation. 'L
The 'little creature turned," writes captain Turner,
" looking stedfastly towards "me, with the appearance
of much attention while I spoke, and nodded "with
repeated but slow movements of the head, as though he
under"stood end approved every word, but could not
utter a reply. "His whole attention was directed to
us; he was silent and sedate, "never once looking
towards his parents; * * * his be"haviour, on this
occasion, appeared perfectly natural and spontaneous,
"and not directed by any external action, or sign of
authority. * * "He made the most expressive signs,
and conducted himself with asto"nishing dignity and
decorum. * * He had an animated expres"sion of
countenance; altogether, I thought him one of the
handsomest "children I had ever seen." When a watch
on another visit was presented to him, " he admired
it, but with gravity and without any "childish
emotion."(1)
The work performed by Puran Gir, when he himself
as envoy of the Governor-General presented himself
before the Regent of the minor Tashi Lame, has
already been briefly noticed. In his journey through
Bhutan, he received from the subjects of the Deb Raja
the most ample and voluntary assistance to the
frontier of his territory, and experienced upon the
borders of Tibet such an unusually inclement weather
by a heavy fall of snow as to leave him no doubt of
his falling a victim to if, but an early change
taking piece, the party were enabled to advance. The
mission reached Tashi Lhunpo on the 8th May, and
Puran (;Fir immediately presented himself at the
Durbar of the Chanjo Kusho, Panchhen Ertini
Nomankhan, and explained the object of his mission
which was the same as the previous ones. The Gosain
received a most favourable reception, as due to one
in whom the late Lama, the Regent. himself and the
Governor-General of India reposed the utmost
confidence and whom the people of Tibet and Bhutan
venerated. He was introduced into the garden, where
the young Lama(2) was then taking
_____________________________________________________
(1) Turner, ibid., p. 334-86.
(2) Then within his fourth year.
p.85
his recreation, attended by the Regent, his parents
and others. Here he melds his prostration, and showed
other marks of veneration. The despatches were broken
open by the Lama, who examined every article of the
present brought to him, and regarded the Gosain with
a, very kind and significant look, talked to him in
the Tibetan language, and gave his dismissal by
laying his hand upon his head which he had previously
uncovered for the purpose.
Puran, Gir witnessed one of the grandest and most
imposing ceremonies in Tibet, which was the removal
of the child Lame, from the Tharpaling monastery to
that of Tashi Lhunpo, and his installation there on
the throne of his predecessors. Here he saw
ambassadors from China, the Dalai Lama himself from
Lhasa, and deputies from many other countries,
accompanied by numerous trains of attendants and
officers, swelled by an unprecedented crowd of people
whose devotion or the pleasure of sight-seeing had
drawn thither, and he beheld with wonderment
arrangements which were conducive to pomp and parade,
grandeur and magnificence.
The Gosain had frequent interviews with the
Regent and the Tibetan authorities at Tashi Lhunpo,
who all assured him of their desire to encourage the
commercial intercourse established under the auspices
of the late Governor-General, and of the respect they
entertained for the integrity of the character of the
English nation, of which they had been convinced by
intercourse with the agents of Warren Hastings,
specially as the Regent said that "the views of the
English tended to " no scheme of ambition, but were
confined merely to objects of utility "End
curiosity."
With Puran Gir's mission in 1785 ended the
statesmanly and most wisely concerted proceedings of
the first Governor-General of India, to open friendly
and commercial relations between the Tibetan,
Bhutanese and other Himalayan states and Central
Asian regions on the one side, and the British
Government end its subjects on the other-relations
which received a rode shock under the Government of
Lord Cornwallis, when he failed to realise the
importance of promptitude of action in protecting the
Tashi Lama's realm from the unprovoked and wanton
invasion by the Gurkhali dynasty of Nepal, in 1792.
The tardy measures which led to "the despatch of
Captain Kirkpatrick, followed too late after the
Chinese General Sund Fo had vindicated the honour of
the Tashi Lame, end curbed the ambitious chief of
Nepal by a crushing defeat of his army."
It will now be seen that while the establishment
of Bho.t Bagan and the despatch of the Tibet missions
owe their origin remotely to the Gurkha invasion of
Sikkim, followed by the Bhutanese invasion of
p.86
Kuch Behar, in 1769, and the masterly and
conciliatory policy of Warren Hastings; and
proximately to the mysterious doctrine of Lame
metempsychosis end the zealous and faithful service
of a Sivite Sannyasi; the most audacious Gurkhali
invasion above alluded to, culminating in the sack of
Tashi Lhunpo and the flight to Lhasa of the same
Tashi Lama who as an infant had received the Turner
and the Gosain missions, as well as the foresightless
and the masterly inactive policy of the Cornwallis
rule, are to be regarded as immediate causes of the
final closure of the gates for British officials to
the Cis- and Trans-nivean states. It was also within
a short while subsequent to those events that in the
Bho.t Bagan the brave Gosain met his death at the
hands of robbers, as the sequel of the narrative will
show. The Gurkha invasions, therefore, of 1769 and
1792, should be remembered as the two mile-stones of
very important occurrences in the history of British
India.
The important features of the extraordinary
character of Puran Gir, the co-assignee of the Tashi
Lame, have been gleaned from the history of the
missions to Tibet. Be possessed remarkable
intelligence and wisdom, a fund of inexhaustible
energy, a mastery of many languages including Tibetan
and Mongolian, a wide range of experience acquired by
travel in and out of India, a practical insight into
all the commercial relations of Asia of which Tibet
formed the heart, and enjoyed end deserved a
reputation for piety and integrity which made him the
trusted agent of the Tashi Lhunpo authorities and the
Bengal Government.
Of the personal history of this remarkable and
extraordinary. Sannyasi, unfortunately there exists
no record; whatever was known of him, has, like that
of most of our illustrious countrymen, passed into
oblivion. It is a happy thing that so many
particulars end incidents connected with his public
life and such abundant testimony to his character,
capacity and comprehensive knowledge of the important
affairs of the time, have been preserved in the pages
of Markham's "Narrative Of the Mission of George
Bogle to Tibet "-a narrative the materials of which
were traced by the author in the possession of
private individuals, and were not found in the public
records of government; and in the Reports of Captain
Turner as well as of the Gosain himself. The
statement of the Gosain was taken down by Turner and
submitted to the Governor-General Macpherson, and
this forms ar annexure of the Report. But even such
information as is here given from these works is of a
meagre character, and is so promiscuously scattered
rather as digressive matter that it had to be
collected with great circumspection.
Among the papers which were kindly delivered to
me by Umrao
p.87
Gir, the present Mahanta of Bho.t Bagan, is, as
already stated, a passport(1) in Tibetan, which had
been given to Puran Gir by the Tashi Lame, for his
pilgrimage to the celebrated sacred Lake of Mana
Sarovara, the source of the Sutlej, 800 miles from
Lhasa. This document shows what great regard and
respect the Lama had for our Gosain, for whose
comfort and convenience most minute injunctions were
given in it. A facsimile of the text (see Plate II)
with a,translation by Babu Sarat Chandra Das is
annexed.
Some particulars about the Gosain have been
gathered from the statements of the said Mahanta.
According to him Puran was a Brahma.na by caste,
though as a Da.n.di(2) he had cast off his
sacrificial thread. His title Gir (or Girl) shows he
was a follower of 'Sankaracharya's teachings and one
of the Da'sanami da.n.dis, and must have been
initiated at the Jyosi ma.th. In the passport the
Tashi Lama describes him as an Acharya. He was a
young man when he went to Tibet as a pilgrim, he had
fair features, and was tall, strong and sinewy. His
usual dress consisted of the Sannyasi's kaupina, with
a short red ochre-dyed piece of cloth wrapped round
his loins, and a tiger skin thrown over his
shoulders, but on certain public occasions he wore a
kind of toga, and covered his head with a turban. He
was also a, good rider, as testified to by Messrs.
Bogle and Turner, with whom he rode races on the
Himalayan plateau. His habits were simple and his
heart pure, he took a single spare meal, and cooked
his own food consisting of rice and vegetables only.
He never ate before feeding his guests. Pious men of
all sects frequented his monastery, and many of them
lodged there. He used to be entrusted with valuable
commodities, chiefly gold, for sale in Bengal, and he
had a concern of his own also, but he never amassed
any fortune, which he could easily have done, but he
bestowed what he gained in large and open-handed
charities. It was the special wish of the Lama that
in the
_____________________________________________________
(1) The passport granted to Puran Gir by the Tashi
Lame, from Tashi Lhunpo, may be compared with the
one granted by the Dalai Lama, from Lhasa, to an
Armenian in 1868, published with a translation by
Csoma de Koros in the 2nd volume of this Journal.
Though indeed they are for different purposes. It
may be here stated in passing that the seal
attached to Puran Gir's passport is the oral
signet seal of the Tashi Lama, and that on the
Armenian's passport is a square seal of the Dalai
Lame. If the engraving in the latter had been
shown, there would have been an opportunity of
comparing it with the seals on the Persian sanads
given to Puran Gir. Puran Gir is described in the
passport as an Acharya.
(2) Da.n.di, lit. one who carries a da.n.da in his
hand. Though this term applies generally to a
mendicant carrying a staff, it is the peculiar
appellation of a mendicant of that particular
order which follows the teachings of
'Sankaracharya.
(3) Kaupina is a strip of cloth worn crosswise
between the thighs to cover the privities.
p.88
Bho.t Bagan monastery Tibetans, who resorted to
places of pilgrimage in Bengal and its neighbourhood,
should meet with Puran air's hospitability. Captain
Turner himself gives an instance of a tall, emaciated
Sannyasi pilgrim from Tibet, whom he met in the
streets of Calcutta, introduced to the
Governor-General, and made over to Puran Gir to be
lodged in the Bho.t Bagan during the period of his
sojourn in Bengal. Mr. Dalrymple also, as alluded to
elsewhere, testifies to such facts by his personal
knowledge.
In speaking of Puran Gir's last mission it has
already been stated that he returned to Bengal after
its successful prosecution. Captain Turner, in his
most valuable memorandum of information, which he
gathered from the Gosain and which he submitted to
Mr. Macpherson on the 6th February 1786, draws among
other things, the attention of the Governor-Generel
to the important facts which he ascertained with
infinite satisfaction from the Gosain and says "I
learn from the reports "of Poorungheer, the
flourishing state of the lately projected scheme of
"trade; to promote which, he assures me, not anything
has been want- "ing in facility of intercourse; that
the adventurers, who had invested "their property,
had experienced perfect security in conducting their
"commerce, had carried their articles to an exceeding
good market, and "found the rate of exchange
materially in their favour."(1)
When puran Gir was away in Tibet on the
Government service, he had left the Bho.t Bagan in
charge of his chela or disciple Daljit Gir, but when
he returned with despatches from the Tashi Lame, he
found to his mortification that a portion of his, or
the Lama's, property on the banks of the river had
been invaded and taken possession of by a zamindar.
On the subject of this encroachment, the good Captain
Turner thus put in a paragraph in the memorandum
alluded to:--" the "little territory his adopted
chela was left in charge of, having during "his
absence been violently invaded by Raaj Chund, a
neighbouring "zemeendar, and to the amount of 50
begas forcibly taken out of his "hands. Prevailed on
by his earnest and repeated solicitation, I am "
induced to say for him, that in your justice and
favour are his only "hopes of relief from his
embarassments, and he humbly asks your pro"tection in
restoring and securing him in the possession of his
invaded "rights. The liberty of this intercession, I
am confident to think, would "be forgiven, were it
not in favour of one who has rendered various "useful
services to this Government; but though of trivial
importance, "it affords also an authentic instance,
of the encroaching disposition of "inferior
zemeendars. Yet another circumstance, it may not be
improper "to point out; that the ground alluded to,
is a part of the land situated
_____________________________________________________
(1) Tamer, ibid., p. 433.
p.89
"on the western bank of the river, opposite to
Calcutta, which wets "formerly granted, under a
sunnud of this Government to Teshoo Lame, "for the
foundation of a plane of worship, and as a resort for
those "pilgrims of his nation, who might occasionally
make visits to the "consecratad Ganges."(1)
It will be remembered that in one of the sanads
already described, dated 11th February 1783, a
portion of the 50 bighas of land, thereby granted to
Puran Gir or the Lame, is stated to be situated
within the property of Rajchand Rai. Now in the
absence of Puran from his ma.th, this Rajchand,
believing perhaps he was dead and not recognising the
title of his chela to the property, seized not only
the portion of land which no doubt had been purchased
of him or his brother Ramlochan, but the other
portions which, together with it, made up the 50
bighas mentioned in the sanad. It does not appear
what was the result of Captain Tamer's mediation for
the restoration of the lend; probably Puran regained
possession of it.
Our Puran Gir Gosain, now between 1785 and 1786,
settled down for good in his demesne, which, in his
time, it is said, was exclusively bad rigidly devoted
to the purposes intended by the Lama. They were both
religious and secular, that is, the encouragement of
the TibetoBuddhist religion and the promotion of the
interests of the Tibeto-Bengal trade. His little
territory had numerous cottages all around for the
accommodation of pilgrims and traders from Tibet, and
he divided his time between devotion and the carrying
out of mercantile projects, which latter, so far as
he was concerned, he advanced to enable him to
perform those acts of piety and charity, in which the
Lame, his patron, and he took supreme pleasure.
He is said to have understood the esoteric
principles of the 'Sakta Tantras as well as those
which, perhaps in a modified form, found their way
into Tibet or were of indigenous origin there, and he
adopted the ideas of the Vedanta philosophy, as
represented in 'Saivaism by Srtnkaracharya, to the
Giri branch of whose school he belonged. He,
moreover, was constituted an agent to conduct
mercantile transactions in which regular traders as
well as pilgrims from Tibet and Bhutan participated.
With reference to the latter it is stated by Mr.
Bogle and Turner, that Sannyasis used to be entrusted
with "articles of great value bat of little bulk and
weight." His principal agency business was directed
to help the traders or their people in disposing of
their wares and making purchases. The principal
commodities,
_____________________________________________________
(1) Turner, ibid., pp. 431, 432.
p.90
which people from the various regions used to bring,
were gold dust(1) in bambu barrels, musk, &c.; and
the goods they carried back to their countries
consisted chiefly of cotton, Maldah cloth,
broad-cloth, spices, sandalwood, indigo, amber, and
various miscellaneous articles, such as knives, snuff
boxes, &c.
For about a decade since his final return from
Tibet, Puran Gir Gosain lived happily, piously end
usefully in the Bho.t Bagan, enjoying the pious
veneration of all people who came into contact with
him, and the high esteem and regard of the Bengal
Government, The ~overnorGeneral, it is said, used to
visit him at times in his math.
But a terrible catastrophe soon happened which
cut short his extraordinary career end the happy and
useful life he was enjoying under almost the very
shadow of the Government Hones. The fame of Bho.t
Bagan, as a store-house of the richest gold, had
spread far and wide. Dakoities, which in their
terrible aspect, formed the sequel of the great
'famine known to our countrymen as the manwantara of
'76, were then the order of the day. The ranks of the
dakoits(2) were also swelled by roving bands of
sannyasis, who in the guise of mendicants traversed
different countries, and lost no opportunities of
ravaging and plundering them. The offcial
correspondence of the time is rife with statements
regarding them, and projects for their suppression.
If will be remembered that, in the treaty with the
Deb Raja already noticed, there is an extradition
clause regarding these sannyasis.
On an unlucky night a gang of dakoits, whether
dakoits or hypocrite sannyasis who had perhaps
experienced the hospitality of the Bho.t Bagan, it is
not known, burst within its precincts and
sacrilegiously entered the ma.th with the intention
of plundering it; but our valiant Gosain, it is said,
snatched a sword, kept the robbers at bay by its
dexterous use, fought for a short while, and at last
was overpowered and fell senseless, pierced with the
thrust of a sarki or bambu spear. The robbers took no
further notice of him, and swept dean the temple and
dwelling of whatever valuables could be found
therein, end decamped as quickly as possible. The
news of this calamity was promptly conveyed to the
Governor-General, who lost no time to send a surgeon
to help the poor Gosain, and if possible to bring him
round, but all the arts of the physician were of no
avail, and the victim of violence and perhaps
treachery and ingratitude, after lingering for about
thirty-seven hours, breathed his last, unfavourably
commenting no doubt on his own statement to the Tashi
Lama and Regent as
_____________________________________________________
(1) It is said a maund of gold dust need to come from
Tibet every year. This quantity at the rate of 16
Its. a told would be worth 51,200 Rs.
(2) Dacoits, properly .dakait, i.e., robbers.
p.91
to the undisturbed security of life and property
under the British raj at that time. This occurred
most probably in the early part of 1795, the date of
the consecration of the tomb being the 23rd Vaisakha
of 1202, 3rd May 1795. at this time his age is said
to have been not lees than fifty years, a statement
which harmonises with the fact, which Mr. Bogle has
incidentally noticed in his narrative, that Puran
Gir, when be first saw him, that is in 1774, was a
young man.
Thus ended the life of the great Puran air
Gosain, the Bho.t Bagan mahant, the linguist,
traveller, religionist, and merchant, the first and
the only ambassador of the Tashi Lame sent to Bengal,
the guide and material helper of the British missions
to Tibet, the companion of the Lame in his journey to
China, where in the court of Peking he stood before
the Emperor, and perhaps in Chinese described to him
the grandeur of the Raj of Hindustan ruled by a great
king of the name of Hastings Sahib who was solicitous
to open a friendly and commercial intercourse between
Bengal and Tibet and his empire, and lastly, the man
who exhibited such strong and repeated instances of
his ability, intelligence, intrepedity and
faithfulness as to be appointed, by that keen-sighted
statesmen Warren Hastings, the sole envoy accredited
to the court of Tashi Lhunpo in 1785.
One may be excused in indulging a hope that had
this Gosain's life been prolonged, he would no doubt
have succeeded, with officers of the style of Bogle,
Turner and Hodgson, to open that desirsable
commercial intercourse between the Himalayan states
generally, and specially the commerce-promoting,
peace-loving and peace and knowledgeseeking Tibet, on
the one hand, and the Indian provinces on the other,
and saved that trouble, expense, end waste of energy
which our ~Xovernment, under one policy or other, is,
up to this time, undergoing to attain that great
object.
Daljit Gir Gosain mahant, the chela and successor
of Puran Gir, formally reported the melancholy news
of his death to the Government. Sharp was the enquiry
and quick the vindication of justice that
followed:-four dakoits expiated their guilt on the
gallows, erected in the Bho.t Bagan itself.
The pious Daljit lost no time in performing the
funeral rites of his guru or spiritual teacher, whose
corpse was laid in a coffin in a sitting posture, as
was the case with the Tashi Lama's dead body, and
interred in a place behind the main portion of the
ma.th. A samadhi stambha or tomb was raised over the
grave with the already mentioned inscription in the
Bengali language and character, and the structure was
crowned at the top with the phallus emblem of
Mahadeva, into whose spirit, as the inscription
describes, that of Puran Gir was absorbed. In
p.92
order to carry the account of Bho.t Bagan and Puran
Gir Bho.t mahanta, down to the present time, I should
say in passing, that the Lame, or rather the Regent,
had requested Captain Turner to take with him to
Bengal the old Suk Deo (Sukha Deva) Gosain, who was
afraid to travel through Bhutan with his wealth
accumulated by his forty years' mercantile journeys
over various distant countries reaching to Siberia on
the north. This old Gosain is said to have lived for
a short time in the Bho.t Bagan monastery.
After Puran Gir's death, his successor Daljit Gir
continued to be the head of the math for nearly
forty-three years, as hip death is recorded on the
said tomb to have happened oh the 6th Magha 1243 B.
S. His place was taken by Kali Gir Mahanta, who built
one of the 'Siva temples in the vicinity of the math
previously noticed, on the 15th A'swina 1254 B. S.,
and died on the 2nd Vaisakha 1264 B. S. One 04 the
two present(1) Mahantas, Bilas Gir Gosain, having
consecrated the said temple in the month of Vai'sakha
1265 B. S., wets installed on the gaddi of the ma.th.
There was some litigation between him and another
Gosain, named Umrao Gir, who, having established his
claim, heft become an associate Mahanta with equal
rights and privileges.
The Bho.t Bagan has gradually lost its primitive
character; for a long time since the murder of Puran
Gir, and the plunder of the ma.th, the place became
notorious as a nest of robbers and wicked people;
guest houses fell into ruins, and hospitality and
charity died away, a mere mummery of unmeaning puja
has been kept up, the lands have been leased away
piecemeal in maurusi and muqarrari tenure, and
nothing but the math now remains, enshrining
grotesque and even obscene figures of Hindu and
Tibeto-Buddhistic mythology, a solitary monument of
the genius and policy of the first Governor-General
India, of the piety of the Tashi Lama, and of the
Tibeto-Bengal trade which flourished centuries ago,
and was restored, though in a stiflect form, a
century ago.
Before concluding this paper I am tempted to
point to certain facts and make some observations,
which the account of Bho.t Bagan and the story of
Puran Gir Gosain suggest. In the first place, the
history of the missions connected with these accounts
unfolds the fact that Tibet from time immemorial, has
been the resort of merchants.
Tibet, in the days of Warren Hastings, was little
known except to readers of the rare works containing
accounts of the travellers ant Capuchin Missionaries,
whom curiosity, love of knowledge, or religious
_____________________________________________________
(1) Bilasa Gir Mahanta, who had been suffering from a
lingering disease for some time, expired on the
28th February 1889, and was duly buried by his
associate Umrao Gir Gosain, who has now become
the sole mahanta of the ma.th.
p.93
zeal impelled to visit that place, and it is said by
his faithful Boswell, Gleig, that he prepared himself
by a study of some of these books to give proper
instructions to the first mission under Mr. Bogle, as
to how he should proceed, and what he should do. With
an eagle's glance he ascertained what wealth the
bleak regions on the summits of the lofty Himalaya
could yield, and through his missions completed his
knowledge of the trade and commerce, end of the most
curious hierarchical form of government existing in
the world that, with the aid of religion, minimises
the dangers of an elective monarchy. His grand policy
was to tap, by a really sincere and friendly method,
the vast productive resources of that region, to link
the trade of Bengal with those com mercial arteries,
which from Tibet as their beast, ramify down the
Himalayan slopes, and extend to China and Scythia,
and confines of Siberia; and well did he, with his
reputed sagacity for selection, choose his officers,
not despising the mendicant Gosain Puran Gir to mage
one of his ambassadors. He moved step by step,
understood the difficulties of his friend, the Tashi
Lama, inspired though the latter was with a natural
and sincere desire to promote Tibeto-Bengal trade, in
the face of Chinese opposition. He understood the
people he was dealing with, an nn ambitious,
peace-loving, peace-seeking race, bent upon promoting
commercial prosperity, and in spite of repeated
attempts by interested P: monopolisers and prejudiced
Chinese, embracing Europeans with open arms, who by
their learning, sincerity and ways of dealing
captivated their hearts.
Great and most powerful are the ties which bind
Tibet to Bengal; the religions associations, the
traditions and remembrance of ancient commercial
intercourse should attract the Tibetans to our
country. If the policy of the first administrator of
India, had been only continuous, our Government
could, by this time, have enjoyed its best results. A
sensitive people like the Tibetans, where a
disturbing object is rightly or wrongly apprehended,
shrinks from contact, as the tortoise draws in its
limbs under a similar instinctive fear. 4
statesmanship with tact, caution, delicacy and
foresight, and guided by a, knowledge of the
political history, religion and customs of the
country, cannot but serve to restore the old policy
of the last century. Nor at times should native
agency, about which Bogle and Hodgson say much, be
despised. Even if sannyasi agency be sought, there
would be no difficulty perhaps to find men who,
though not equal to Puran Gir and Puran Puri,(1) may
be their nob undeserving followers. We lately saw
sannyasis,
_____________________________________________________
(1) Puran Puri. Turner saw him in 1783 in the streets
of Calcutta riding upon a Tangan horse from
Bhutan. He was then forty years of age. Two
Gosains attended him sud assisted him in mounting
and slighting from his horse, for his hands were
p.94
learned in the 'Sastras, with an unquenching thirst
for knowledge, in their mendicant dress, and with
matted hair, orating cleverly in English in the midst
of a large audience at the Town Ball, and at other
places.
And cannot Bho.t Bagan or any other place be
utilised to draw the affections of the Lame, towards
Bengal?
I cannot resist the temptation of quoting here a
kind of peroration and prayer of Mr. Bogle.
"Farewell ye honest and simple people! May ye
long enjoy that happiness which is denied to more
polished nations, and while they are engaged in the
endless pursuits of avarice and ambition, defended by
your barren mountains, may ye continue to live in
peace and contentment, and know no want but those of
nature." and who would not say Amen!
_____________________________________________________
immovably fixed over his head with the fingers
looked into each other. "The cir"culation of
blood seemed to have forsaken his arms, they
were, withered, void of "sensation end
inflexible," but he essured the Captain that he
would recover their use in the Following year
when his penance would end. He is said to have
been a Panjabi of the Kshatriya caste, he started
"by crossing the Peninsula of India, "throngh
Guzerat; he then passed by Surat to Bassore, and
thence to Constanti"nople, from Turkey he went to
Ispahan; and sojourned so long among the
different "Persian tribes, as to obtain a
considerable knowledge of their language, in
which "he conversed with tolerable ease. In his
passage thence towards Russia, he fell in "with
the Kussaucs (hordes of Cossacks) upon the
borders of the Caspian gee, "where he narrowly
escaped being condemned to perpetual slavery: at
length he "was suffered to pass on, and reached
moscow; he then travelled along the nor"thern
boundary of the Russian empire. and through
Siberia arrived at Pekin in "China, from whence
he came through Tibet, by the way of Teshoo
Loomboo " and Nipal, down to Calcutta." Turner,
ibid., p. 271.
(1) Of the two square seals on Sanads I and II, the
red seal is larger than the black one. The
former, which is the Grand Lama's seal, contains
a legend, in three perpendicular lines, in
Lantshan (Nagari) characters, the exterior ones
beings @@@(man-
p.95
________________________
gala), the medial, an illegible monogram. The
latter is the Court seal of the Tashi Lune,
containing an illegible legend in two
perpendicular lines, in the square form of the
ancient Mongolian character, called the Yugar,
used in Mongolia in the 11th end 12th centuries
A. D. In the upper margin of the red seel is
inserted the sign of the lingam, in that of the
black seal the mark .
p.96
p.97
p.98
¡@
Translation of Sanad I.
Know ye, the Muta.saddis of affairs, for the
present and future times, Chaudharis, Qanungos,
Ta'aluqdars, tenants and cultivators of Dari
Barbakpur, etc., in pargapah Bore etc., sarkar
Satgaon, appertaining to chaklah Hoghli, in the.subah
of Bengal, the Paradise of countries, (1)[that 100
bigahs and 8 biswahs of cultivated land, out of which
66 bigahs are situated in mauza' Dari Barbakpur,
parganah Bore, and 34 bigahs and 8 biswahs in mauza'
Ghusa.ri, parganah Paikan,] and all collectively
situated on the bank of the Ganges, are rent-free
granted to (2)[Purangir Gosain], the store of wisdom
and prudence, the head of the unpretending seekers of
truth, and the source of perfect righteousness, in
consideration of his righteousness and devotion to
truth, for the purpose of erecting a temple and
planting a garden, from the beginning of the Bengali
year (3)[1185]. It is desired that in erecting a
temple and planting a garden on the land, he should
possess and enjoy the same. You must know the said
land to be free of rent; you shell not receive the
rent thereof, shall not in any way interfere, and
shall not demand any new sanad. You are to know that
in this matter strict observance is required.
(3)[Dated the 12th June 1778 English, correspond
-ing to the let Asa.rh 1185 Bangali and 16th of the
Inner month Jamadi-l-Awal of the 20th year of the
reign].
Sanad II is identical with Senad I in every
respect, excepting the two portions, marked(1) and(3)
in brackets, which run as follows:
(1)[that 50 bigahs of cultivated land in the said
mauza' Barbakpur, out of which 9 bigahs and 7 biswahs
are on the property of Maharajah Nabkish, 29 bigahs
in that of Rajah Rai Chand Rai, and 11 bigahs and 13
biswahs in that of Rajah Ram Lochan].
(3)[Dated the 11th...... 17.. English, correspond
-ing to the 2nd of Falgun 1189 Bangali].
Sanad III is identical with Sanad I in every
respect, excepting the portion markeds in brackets,
which runs as follows:
(2)[to Teshi Lamah Panchan Ardani Bakdeo
Panchan].
Sanad IV is identical with Sanad II, but contains
the portion, marked(2) in brackets, as given in Sanad
III. The date, which is mutilated in Sanad II, is
perfect in this Sanad, end runs as follows:
(3)[Dated the 11th February 1783 English,
corresponding to the 2nd of Falgun 1189 Bangali].
p.99
Literal translation of the Lam-yig or passport
from Tashi Lhunpo.
To--the districts of Narthan, Gya-chhun, No-dson,
Phun-tshog-lin, Lhar-tse, Namrin and the Lame of
Nerin. Take notice-that one of the servants of this
(Government) Acharya Punagiri with three attendants
proceeds to make ablution in the lake Mapham
(Mansarawara) and to walk round it. in the above
mentioned places, (the party) should be provided with
fuels, earthen ware, &c., cooking utensils, ponies,
cook servants, Be., other necessaries when required,
during morning and night halts.
Four ponies and seven strong beasts of burden
will be required. The relay of ponies should be
arranged from here to Phun-tshog-lin, from
Phun-tshog-lin to Lhar-tse, from Lhar-tse to Namrin,
from Namrin to Sagah-wa. The chief grooms in charge
of the pasture lends in the different districts and
sub-divisions, should, as directed by the letter
preceding this, arrange for relaying strong ponies of
the above named number and also send pony returners
quickly and render (the party) all possible help (in
the journey). The relay of the beasts of burden
should be arranged from the town of Shiga-tse to
Phun-tshog-lin`, from Phun-tshog-lin to Namrin
through, from Namrin to Nerin and from Nerin to
Sagah-wa at once. The party should be furnished at
every stage with returners of the conveyance animals
and an experienced and intelligent guide to accompany
them (in their journey). All possible help should be
rendered to (the party). Similar arrangements to the
above effect should be made during the return
journey. This is important--dated year Earth-Dog,
1778 A.D.