File BHH/1/83 - Letter from Pahalman (servant) to Brian Houghton Hodgson, [1853-1854]

Identity area

Reference code

GB 891 BHH-BHH/1-BHH/1/83

Title

Letter from Pahalman (servant) to Brian Houghton Hodgson, [1853-1854]

Date(s)

  • [1853 - 1854] (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Letter from Pahalman (servant) to Brian Houghton Hodgson in which he gives an eyewitness report from Nepal after the seizure of power by Jang Bahadur in 1846. He congratulates Hodgson on his marriage (to Anne Scott) in England. He writes about Nepal's preparations for a war to be fought by the next year with Tibet etc. (Susan Hodgson's title description of this letter in the Autograph Book of Brian Hodgson refers to Pahalman as a servant in Nepal (back page of IXVI). However, from the content, language and style of writing of the letter it seems that Pahalman was not just a regular household servant, but rather a quite literate person either from northern India or possibly from Nepal Tarai. The letter also states that Pahalman was intending to leave Nepal but was advised by his son living in India to stay that year and wait until Hodgson came back from England. Thus Pahalman is likely to be a staff member at the British Residency in Kathmandu who was employed by Hodgson during his tenure and close to Hodgson and his family.) Handwritten in Khas (Hindi), 2 sides, dated [1853-1854]. With accompanying envelope, handwritten in English.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • Hindi

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Status

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Accession area