Kaji (Nepal)

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Kaji Vamshidhar Kalu Pande, Kaji of the Gorkha Kingdom and one of the widely known Kaji from Nepal

Kaji (Nepali: काजी) was a title and position used by nobility of Gorkha Kingdom (1559–1768) and Kingdom of Nepal between 1768 and 1846. During the era of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the primary high-ranking titles given to close advisors and commanders were Chautariya, Kaji, and Sardar hajuriya and even something rajguru like pandit ranganath paudyal 1846 the rank was given to Rana close members and by 1951 the rank has vanished and became some English ranks like general colonel or captain or even an lieutenant.

Etymology

Historian Mahesh Chandra Regmi suggests that Kaji is derived from Sanskrit word Karyi which meant functionary.[1] The word Kaji can also be drived from middle eastern countries like when it is used when Muslims communities it is often spelled as Arabic word "Qadi" or persian word "Qazi" which means a judge who rules administrative justice or Japanese word Kanji.

History

Gorkha was the Frist kingdom who use the title Kaji. Ganesh Pandey was the first Kaji under King Dravya Shah of Gorkha Kingdom.[2] He helped Dravya Shah to become King of Gorkha and was later appointed Kaji of Gorkha[note 1] in 1559 A.D.[3][4] Also according to some sources darbya Shah lienge comes a man named bhupal Singh who came from india during an attack since Muslim rule over India so he knew the rank of Kaji. As fur the title is stayed to be lower mulkaji and Higher than Sardar and could be referred as General while some sources say when Mulkaji was formed it was gernal and Kaji was conerl and sardar was caption.Another significant Kaji of Gorkha was Kalu Pande born in the family of Ganesh Pande.[1] He was son of Bhimraj Pande who was also a Kaji during the reign of King Nara Bhupal Shah.[1] During Nara Bhupal Shah's reign, Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar also served as a highly important Gorkha Bhardar and the first Army Commander of Gorkha who successfully ascended the King to the throne. Kalu Pande led Gorkhalis in the Battle of Kirtipur. He had set up a base on Naikap, a hill on the valley's western rim, from where they were to mount their assaults on Kirtipur.[5] He was killed in the battle after being surrounded by enemy forces.[6][7] The ministers and officials of Kantipur Kingdom also had the title of Kaji. Following the defeat of Jayanta Rana Magar in 1744, Kashiram Thapa was a Kaji and army commander in the reign of King Jaya Prakash Malla.[8][9]

Both as per Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and Dilli Raman Regmi, there were 4 Kajis forming the government in Nepal.[10] In the rule of King Rana Bahadur Shah, 4 Kajis were appointed and were to work under the direction of King and Chautariya.[11] The number of officers including Kajis changed after King Rana Bahadur abdicated in favour of his minor son Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah.[10] During the reign of Bhimsen Thapa, there were inner and outer circle of Kajis who acted as decision-making body and military commander and governors respectively.[12] Kaji along with Chautariya and Bada Hakim were appointed to run the administration as governors.[13] No single family had full dominance in the position of inner circle of government. All Thapas, Pandes and Basnets held similar shares in the inner circle.[14][15]

Mulkaji

Chief (Mul) Kaji was considered equivalent to Prime Minister of Nepal before King Rana Bahadur Shah created the position of Mukhtiyar in 1806 and carried executive powers of nation to completely control Nepalese administration.[16] In 1794, King Rana Bahadur Shah came of age and appointed Kirtiman Singh Basnyat as Chief (Mul) Kaji among the newly appointed four Kajis though Damodar Pande was the most influential Kaji.[11] Kirtiman had succeeded Abhiman Singh Basnyat as Chief Kaji.[17] Kirtiman was secretly assassinated on 28 September 1801, by the supporters of Raj Rajeshwari Devi[18] and his brother Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat, was then given the post of Chief (Mul) Kaji.[19] Later Damodar Pande was appointed by Queen Rajrajeshwari as Chief Kaji.[20] After the execution of Mulkaji Damodar Pande in March 1804, Ranajit Pande was appointed as Mulkaji (Chief Kaji) along with Bhimsen Thapa as second Kaji, Sher Bahadur Shah as Mul Chautariya and Ranganath Paudel as Raj Guru (Royal Preceptor).[21][22]

Institutional role

The Kaji was one of the principal offices within the Bharadari administrative system of the Gorkha Kingdom and later the Kingdom of Nepal. In Gorkha, the term referred to a ministerial office rather than simply a military rank. Prithvi Narayan Shah reorganized the Bharadari after his accession and appointed Kalu Pande as Kaji, while other senior offices included the Chautariya and Sardar.[23]

The responsibilities associated with the office included advising the monarch, participating in the administration of the kingdom, organizing military affairs and overseeing provincial administration. During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Kajis could therefore exercise both political and military authority. The importance of the office increased as the Gorkhali state expanded and its administrative institutions became more complex.[24]

By the late eighteenth century, the office had become part of a collective ministerial structure. Rana Bahadur Shah appointed four Kajis to serve under the king and the Chautariya, while subsequent governments modified the number and relative authority of these officials. In 1794, Kirtiman Singh Basnyat was appointed Mulkaji, or chief Kaji, a position that became one of the most important offices in the central government before the creation of the Mukhtiyar system in 1806.[25]

The office was consequently held by members of several prominent aristocratic families, including the Pandes, Thapas, Basnyats and other Chhetri and Newar political elites. The history of the Kaji therefore provides an important lens through which to understand the development of Nepal's court politics, military administration and centralized state institutions during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.[25]

List of people with title Kaji


List of people with the name Kaji

Kaji was also used as given name and middle name. Notable Nepalese people with first name and middle name Kaji:

See also

  • Mukhtiyar
  • Senapati
  • Sardar
  • Kaji Pratha, a social practice of offering Kaji title to Thakuri, Gurung, Magar, khas caste
  • Mukhiya: A village or local revenue headman responsible for collecting land taxes and maintaining community records

Notes

  1. The position of Kaji in Gorkha hill principality was not of only a mere minister but of the chief or prime minister.

References

  1. Regmi 1979, p. 43.
  2. Shrestha 2005, p. 129.
  3. Regmi 1975, p. 30.
  4. Wright 1877, p. 278.
  5. Vansittart, Eden (1896). Notes on Nepal. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-0774-3. Page 34.
  6. Majupuria, Trilok Chandra (March 2011). "Kirtipur: The Ancient Town on the Hill". Nepal Traveller. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  7. Wright, Daniel (1990). History of Nepal. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. Retrieved 7 November 2012.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) Page 227.
  8. Paodel & Āsā 2003, p. 186.
  9. Khatri 1999, p. 10.
  10. Pradhan 2012, p. 8.
  11. Pradhan 2012, p. 12.
  12. Pradhan 2012, p. 91.
  13. Pradhan 2012, p. 92.
  14. Baral, Lok Raj (2006-01-01). Nepal: Facets of Maoist Insurgency. Adroit Publishers. ISBN 978-81-87392-75-0.
  15. Shrestha 2005.
  16. Nepal, Gyanmani (2007). Nepal ko Mahabharat (in Nepali) (3rd ed.). Kathmandu: Sajha. p. 314. ISBN 9789993325857.
  17. Karmacharya 2005, p. 56.
  18. Acharya 2012, p. 34.
  19. Acharya 2012, p. 35.
  20. Pradhan 2012, p. 14.
  21. Nepal 2007, p. 58.
  22. Acharya 2012, p. 55.
  23. Regmi, Mahesh Chandra (1979). "Regmi Research Series" (PDF). Regmi Research Series. 11.
  24. Regmi, Mahesh Chandra (1972). "Regmi Research Series" (PDF). Regmi Research Series. 4.
  25. Regmi, Mahesh Chandra (1975). Modern Nepal. Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay.

Bibliography