MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

                    Customary laws
                  British Administration in Garhwal   -143
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -163
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -998
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
  Trail and his couple of successors remained Commissioners of Kumaon for long.  Those officers got fair knowledge of customary laws of Garhwal and Kumaon. Initially, they applied all customary laws for taking judiciary decisions as disputes for properties among heirs. Later on the doors for Board of Rand High Courts were opened. Then, Lawyers started exploiting the situations by suggesting people for going to higher court against local judiciary decisions. 
   Mostly, in Garhwal,  Khaspeople used Khas  system of offering rights to heirs was applied even in initial British rules. However, after 1835, the government sent officials from plains to Garhwal, Kumaon. They applied laws of Indian plains as ‘Mitakshary. They believed that till solid proofs were not there court should not take decisions. Officials from plains assumed Khas as part of Hindus.
     There was unrest among people for applying rules of plains in hills.
    Tehri Riyasat published Narendra Hindu law written by Prime Minister Hari Krishna Raturi in 1917.
   United Province Government appointed Panna Lal for studying customary laws of Kumaon. Panna lal wrote a book ‘ Kumaon local customs’  and government published that book  in 1920. UP government published works of Dr L.D. Joshi as ‘Khas family law’ in 1929.  Kumaon courts took references of those books for settling Khas disputes for heirs.
    Even, crooks started taking disadvantages of book by Panna Lal.

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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333
 2- Pannalal , Customary laws in Kumaon , page 6

                    Shrinagar Social Structure   
                  British Administration in Garhwal   -146
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -166
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -1000
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
                  According to Trail, Shrinagar was prosperous town/city. He stated that Shrinagar was greater than Almora in terms of area and population. However, due to earthquake, flood, and Gorkha rule, it lost its glory. After British took over, the business in Shrinagar weakened. The business link with Tehri from Shrinagar also diminished. The business from east north Garhwal weakened as business links shifted to Kumaon. The businessmen of Shrinagar started shifting to Kumaon or Tehri. Shrinagar Businessmen now, depended on summer pilgrimage only.
      In 1821, the social structure was as follows in Shrinagar-
Total houses – 562 and numbers of house owners were as follows-
Dom- 96 Houses
Muslims- 28
Hindus – 438
Brahmin – 120
Gusain – 73
Shopkeepers and goldsmith – 84
Prostitutes – 39
Small farmers and others -122
  Surprisingly, Trail did not include Dom (Scheduled caste) among Hindu and did not count Rajput separately.
   The statement of  Shripur Lila a hand written booklet  that there were 5000 house of Nagarkoti, 1000 houses of Brahmins, 1200 houses of Rajput, Business community and Untouchables , 60 houses of Muslims, 10 houses of metal smiths , 10 houses of Chhopiyon , 5 of mining community, and 5 of Mussbaron seems be totally exaggerated
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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 332-456
2-Scatch of Kumaon 147-158

                    Shrinagar Social Structure   -3
                  British Administration in Garhwal   -148
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -168
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -1002
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
 
      Jwalaram the son of famous painter and poet Maularam portrayed a picture showing Shrinagar. Jwalaram showed Dhumki, Kamleshwar temples and other small temples; Palace; Kothi –the house of Baldock and houses. On top of portrayal, there is Gorakhnath cave more than geographical ration.
    A Shrinagar resident Bhairab Datt Dangwal Shastri illustrated Shrinagar in his hand written booklet ‘Punyakshetra Shrinagar’. Dangwal’s detailing for Shrinagar are more authentic than Moorcraft and Trail.
    Shastri stated that he saw Shrinagar in his childhood. He described that there was old Shankar math near Kamleshwar temple. The minister Shankar Dobhal built Shankar math on the Padari land. Just nearby Shankar Math, there was Kedarghat wherein big Shiv Ling was under big banyan tree.  There were houses under banyan tree. Trail buil a hospital from ‘sadavrata’ money that was in east of Kedarghat. In east of hospital, there was Bharav Nath temple.  Dobhal community settlement was there in south of Bhairav Nath temple. There were a Dharmshala and a wrestlers Akhara in north of Bhairav temple.
    The palace was in east outside of street of Bhairav Nath temple. Down to the palace, there was State Funeral Ghat at Alaknanda bank. Opposite of Rajghat  by crossing Alaknanda , there was Rajrajeshwari temple in Tehri territory. 
 There was a stone platform at four way crossing in south of Bhairav teertha. The sellers used to sell vegetables, fruits brought from Tehri region. Trail described the platform as ‘Sayar Chabutara’. In fact, the place was called as ‘Bayalpata’. Bhadrakali temple was in south of Bayalpata.  Harvansh Giri haweli and Mahendra Giri haweli were there nearby Bayalpata. Maularam described about Harvansh Giri haweli at the Kirti Shah period. In north of Bayalpada, there was Akhada Bada wherein Sadhu, Siddh  and Aughar used to stay. Dhoka built by Gorkhas or western door of Shrinagar was there near Aughar Bada. Vishnumandir (temple) built by Madhodas King was there in south nearby Aghorbada.
    In west of Vishnu temple, there was Shitaladevi temple wherein nath , Siddh used to stay. Nearby Shitala temple, there was Bighadhara wherein  priests of Satyanath sect used to stay. Saints or mahatmas used to stay nearby caves.  Gardn of Khanduris was there in east of Bighadhara. Rajput Khaikars used to do farming there as Khaikar. In east, there was land of Rajguru Nautiyal families. Bisht Rajput were Khaikar of Nautiyal land. At south corner of Khanduri garden, there was Pitroda of Khanduri. Joshis the Purohit of Khanduris used to live nearby Khanduri Pitroda   

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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 332-456
2-Haimilton, description of Hindustan vol. 2 page 639

                    Shrinagar Social Structure   -5
                  British Administration in Garhwal   -150
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -170
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -1004
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
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             There was a temple at corner of Kui ka bagan. In west of street of temple, there was palace.  The palace was one ferlang long and slightly lesser wide. The tourists from Jaipur, Delhi and other places used to surprise watching four storied building built by stones and decoration of palace.   
     Ranivas (queen’s rooms) was at Lal Mori part in palace. The servants used to stay in rooms at either sides. The main door was built only by four huge stones. The King used to enter into palace through elephant. The door was so strong; it was as it was in Birhi River flood. The door fled in 1924 flood. At south corner, there was Hathikhana elephant yard. In an excavation, people found three elephant skeletons.
  Khanduri’s Chakkarkhola was in north of east of Hathikhana. Dangwal khwal was in south of Khanduri’s Chakkarkhola.
    Nearby bazar, there was Guru mandir. Perhaps Fatteshah built that temple for Guru Ram Rai. Nearby Guru temple, there were Uniyal’s Khwal and Gairolas khwal.
     There was Jogi settlement called ‘Chunyamunya in the east of Ramghat. In east of Chunyamunya muhlla, Keshoray ji built a big temple and five small temples. He called Lakshmi Narayan , Ganesh, Shiv, Vishnu , Surya idols for those temples. Idols reached to Shrinagar. However, Keshoraoy died suddenly. Idols could not be established in temples. Nobody could arrange rituals in those temples. Temples ruined with time. The temple was the biggest in Shrinagar. There was scripture on door of temple that showed time samvat 1682 (1825 AD). It means the temples were built in Mahipat period.
  In east of Keshoray Math, there was ‘Tamotyana’ ( metal smith community houses). Tamota used to produce and repair metal vessels.
    Further of ‘Tamotyana’, crossing rivulet, there was a dharamshala. People established a garud idol near Dharamshala. Later on, people brought  Garud idol at main Shrinagar. Theives theft the idol. 
   
   
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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 332-456
2-Dangwal, Punyasthal, Shrinagar

                    Joshimath  Social Structure   
                  British Administration in Garhwal   -152
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -172
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -1006
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

      Joshimath was said to be beautiful place. Joshimath was an auspicious pilgrimage place and still is important religious place . The houses were built by brown stone and roofs were built by grey flat stone (Patal). The houses were beautiful.  Hamilton stated that there were 150 houses in Joshimath. Trail informed about 119 houses and those numbers would be correct.
          The Joshimath street roads were of stone.
 There were water driven flour mills in rows in ascending ways. The water was carried by engraved wood canals. 
  There was winter house for chief priest of Badrinath (Rawal). Narsinh temple was near Rawal house. There were idols of Vishnu, Sun, Ganesh, Naudurga in various temples.
    There were oak and pine forests surrounding hills of Joshimath.
  Vishnuprayag the conferencing of Alaknanda and Vishnu Ganga  Rivers was near Joshimath. There was rope way bridge on Dhauliganga (Alkananda). However, there was no temple at this Prayag.
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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 332-456
2 Hamilton, Description of Hindustan, Vol 2, page 639-48