INTRODUCTION
THE POST-MAHENDRA PAL ERA
ASKOTE AND THE PAL FAMILY
REMNANTS OF OLD CULTURE
FINAL REMARKS   
GENEALOGY OF THE PAL FAMILY


INTRODUCTION

On the northern fringe of the present day Uttar Pradesh province of India, at the Indo-Nepal, Indo-Tibetan border, there was a small state called Askote. This state had been created and owned by a splintered branch of Katyuri kings in the 13th century A.D. A well-written history of the Katyuri kings and their empire is not available. However, in 1875, E.T. Atkinson was appointed by the British government to prepare a detailed district-wise report on the then northwestern province of British India. According to him the Katyuri Empire once extended in the east from Bhagalpur, district Bihar (in India) to Kabul (in Afghanistan) in the west. According to a legend prevalent in the Pal family of Askote and as recorded by Atkinson, one Shaliwahan Dev had gone to the Himalayas from Ayodhya and settled in Joshimath, near Badrinath (Garhwal). One of his descendants, Basu Dev, once went out for hunting and upon returning to his residence found a man sleeping in his bed. Enraged by his insolence, regional wars and revolutions, which led to destruction and burning of villages houses and old documents. Atkinson personally met with Pushkar Pal, Rajwar of Askote in 1871, who gave him details about his dynasty and the family history, including the genealogy. Based upon this information and some available copper plate inscriptions, Atkinson wrote about the Askote family in the Himalayan Gazetteer.

The Katyuri Dynasty was at its zenith around the sixth and seventh century A.D. Thereafter came a phase of decline, probably owing to bitter family disputes and lack of coordination and leadership. In 1279 A.D., Abhay Pal Deo, son of Trilok Pal Deo and grandson of Emperor Brahm Deo, broke off from the family and migrated to a peaceful but remote secluded area near what is now known as Askote. This area was covered by a thick forest and sparsely populated.

Having thus abandoned his family mainstream, Abhay Pal Deo decided to delete the surname Deo. Ever since, all of his descendants adopted Pal as their surname. In due course the Pal family rehabilitated itself as a modest kingdom and established a total of eighty (Assi) small forts (Kote), and assigned the name Assikote or Askote, as it is known today.

The period from 1279 A.D. has no record or references in the Pal history. This was a difficult period for the Pals, who were persevering to regain their strength and importance in a rough and inhospitable area by defeating the Ban Rawats (aborigine tribes) and subjugating small khas community settlements. During these years they managed to develop a state of their own but no name was assigned to it. The capital of this unnamed state was at a place called Lakhanpur. The exact location of Lakhanpur is debatable. According to Cunningham (a writer), it was o the bank of the Ramganga River. Others suggest Johar and Palipachaon as the possible location. Badridatt Pandey mentioned Lakhanpur very briefly in his book.

I believe that the old capital of the Pal family could not have been remote from Askote, the place where the Pals have since settled and lived. In fact, only about four kilometers to the east of Askote is a place called Lakhanpur. On its east is a steep and awesome rock called Lakhanpur ka kantha, about one kilometer in length and touching the Kali River. A flat plateau on the top of this rock could have been the most appropriate place to feel safe and secure from any impending enemy attacks during those uncertain and unsettled times.

It was here that the Pal family settled during the 14th or 15th century A.D. Today it is abandoned and uninhabited, quite unsuitable for modern-day living standards. A narrow footpath used to lead from the top of this rock to the bank of the Kali River. A motor road now passes through this rock, leading all the way to Kalapani near the Tibetan border.

About a kilometer south of Lakhanpur and adjacent to a river is the village called Bagrihat, where the Pal Rajas had their courts and a local market. Bagar in the local dialect implies "riverside" and hat is a "temporary market." An old family building in Bagrihat with farmland still houses some members of the Pal family. Atkinson documented in his Himalayan Gazetteer that in 1581 Askote fell under the sovereignty of the Raja Rudra Chandra of Almora, a nearby principality. Pursottam Pant, an officer of this Raja, conquered the Rajas of Sor, Sera and Askote.

In 1588, Rajway Rai Pal of Lakhanpur was murdered owing to his involvement with a woman. It is said that while hunting, Raja Rai Pal got thirsty and approached a water spring, where he saw a woman bathing at a secluded spot. Under the circumstances he could not resist the temptation ad handled the woman in an inappropriate manner. The woman happened to be the wife of Gopi Ojna, a Brahmi. This event caused Gopi Ojna to be highly upset and incensed and he went to the court of Raja Rudra Chanda, whose jurisdiction prevailed over the Raja of Askote. Without providing any details of the incident, Gopi Ojna asked the Raja in a symbolic way as to what should be done if a Pipal tree (ficus religiosa) becomes diseased. Hindus consider the papal as a very holy tree, which should not be cut or damaged. Likewise, Brahmins and Hindu Rajas are considered to be sanctuary figures, which can not be harmed. Without knowing the real context of the question, Raja Rudra Chand ordered that the Pipal tree be cut down. Taking this as an order from his Raja, Gopi Ojna returned home and, with the help of others, attacked and brutally massacred Raja Rai Pal and his family.

The only family survivor was a newborn child, Mahendra Pal, who was saved by his wet nurse of the Giyal family. The nurse hid the child under her skirt and posed as a menstruating woman who could not be touched. As soon as the murders left the premises, the nurse took the surviving Pal child to her house.

Later, Mahendra Pal was sent to the court of Raja Rudra Chand of Almora to be brought up in security and in a proper way befitting a prince. When the Pal child grew up, the Raja of Almora restored the Pal state to him for an annual royalty of Rupees 400.

Mahendra Pal returned to his state sometime in the early part of the 17th century. Rather than settling at Lakhanpur, which was destroyed and deserted, he temporarily sojourned at a place called Bhajbethal, which is very close to the present-day Askote. Later he built a strong fort-like house on a small cliff at Naring Dewal, currently known as Dewal. A temple adjacent to Dewal houses some ancient and unique deities of the area, carved in stone. That old and ancient house stands erect even today and it has been the birth place of all ancestors of today's Pal families that have settled outside Askote in India or even overseas. This house was built primarily for security reasons, probably after the lesson learnt from the Lakhanpur massacre. It is a very strong stone house with low, narrow doors and windows, especially designed to keep any intruding army at bay. There are several areas within the building to hide in the event of emergency. The current Rajwar lives in an adjoining newer building.

Rajwar Mahendra Pal did not forget the services of the wet nurse of the Giyal family for her incredible valor and clever efforts in saving his life. She received some land with a house adjacent to the Rajwar's house in Askote, as a token of gratitude from the Pal family. This house stayed with the descendants of the Giyal family for several generations. Recently the house was demolished and the land sold to others.

THE POST-MAHENDRA PAL ERA

No details are available for five generations after Raja Mahendra Pal except the names of his successors mentioned in the genealogy. The fifth generation after Raja Mahendra Pal was Uchhab Pal, who became Rajwar in 1742 A.D. The genealogical table, given to me by the present Rajwar Tikendra Bahadur Pal, indicates that Rajwar Uchhab Pal had three wives. The eldest wife had one son, the second wife had two, and the third had three. Only the name of the eldest son, Bijay Pal, is known. However, it is mentioned that the two sons of the second wife were helped by the Gorkha and British to claim one-third of the entire state as their share and they separated.

Atkinson writes in Himalayan Gazetteer about a land dispute between Rajwar Mahendra Pal and his uncle Rudra Pal during the Gorkha rule (1790-1815). It also states that Rudra Pal and his younger brother had their share of land separated and given to them. Rudra Pal left Askote and settled in the village of Pungraon. Atkinson further elaborated on the family dispute by stating that in 1832 there was a land settlement. Eighty villages, including Dewal, were entered in the name of Rajwar Mahendra Pal; the remaining 24 villages, which included Helpia village, went to the three sons of Rudra Pal: Mokam Singh, Prithwi Singh and Sarbjit Singh. Their descendants subsequently moved to the villages of Muani and Rawalkhet, where they still live.

According to Atkinson, Mokham Singh and his brother had incurred heavy debts on their 24 villages, which were auctioned and purchased by Krishna Sah. When the new owner went to collect revenue from the villages he was murdered. The total revenue from these villages amounted to Rupees 364, out of which Rupees 237 had to be paid as royalty to the British rulers.

These 24 villages were then auctioned once again, being purchased this time by Tula Ram Sah, a Khajanchi (treasurer) of Almora. The villages were not profitable and were sold in 1855 to Pushkar Pal, the eldest son of Rajwar Bahadur Pal. Thus these villages once again became a part of Askote state.

Upon Rajwar Bahadur Pal's death in 1871, Pushkar Pal became the new Rajwar. At the land settlement of 1881, Askote state consisted of 126 villages, of which 107 were in Talla (lower) Askote and the remaining 19 in Malla (upper) Askote. When the Pal family ancestors settled in this area inn the 13th century, it was very thinly populated. They encouraged their followers and others to clear and cultivate the land and settle there. The increase in population was rather slow until the 19th century.

The Pal rulers did not conquer or occupy any well-established and developed state or country; rather, they created one of their own the hard way. In 1881 the population of Askote was 5879, of which 3139 were males and 2740 were females.

After 1869, when the 24 separated villages were repossessed within Askote state, the British rulers issued a notification called the Oudh Estates Act. This act was based on the law of primogeniture. In accordance with this act the first-born son had the right to inherit the entire property. The eldest son was obliged, however, to make proper and adequate provision for the livelihood and maintenance of all the remaining members of the family. The Rajwas used to allot land and villages to the other members of the family for their maintenance. In 1881, the total land revenue of Askote state was Rupees 1250. Revenues generated by Askote in 1994 amounted to several lakhs of Rupees (one lakh is one tenth of a million).

Atkinson's Himalayan Gazetteer reports that the younger princes of Katyur Dynasty were called Rajwar. A land grant document given out by Indra Dev Rajwar in 1202 A.D. was found in the valley of Ajatyur. Perhaps at that time it was customary to address princes as Rajyabar, implying "honorable prince" in Hindi, just as another Hindi word, Manyabar, was often used to address important people. Rajyabar later became abbreviated to Rajwar in the local Askote dialect.

The available genealogical tree of the Pal family only records the names of the eldest son or successor until Uchhab Pal. Although he had six sons, only the name of his eldest son, Bijay Pal, is documented. However, Atkinson's Himalayan Gazetteer reveals the name of another son, Rudra Pal, who fought his nephew Mahendra Pal for a share of the land. The names and fate of the remaining brothers are unknown.

Rajwar Bijay Pall's only son, Mahendra Pal, who succeeded his father as Rajwar, had five sons: Bahadur Singh, Cheem Singh, Tej Singh, Lakshman Singh and Himmat Singh. Cheem Singh lived in Askote at a place called Badghar. The remaining sons moved to the villages of Bagrihart and Bhelia, where their descendants continue to live.

Pushkar Pal became the new Rajwar when his father died in 1871. His only son, Gajendra Pal, had six sons: Bhupendra Singh, Bikram Bahadur, Jung Bahadur, Mandhata Singh, Ram Bahadur and Jeet Bahadur Pal. The eldest son, Bhupendra Pal, had no heir and died in 1924, while his father was still alive.

After Gajendra Pal's death in 1929 his second son, Bikram Bahadur Pal, became the Rajwar of Askote. He, in turn, had three sons: Tikendra Bahadur, Hariraj Singh and Chitravan Singh Pal. All three sons were still minors when Rajwar Bikram Bahadur Pal died in 1939. Therefore, the Government of United Provinces (Uttar Pradesh) placed the state under the management of a court of wards and sent the three sons and the rest of the family to Almora. The boys were educated I Almora, Nainital and Lucknow.

After the Second World War the British rule ended and India became an independent country on August 15, 1947. Five years later the Uttar Pradesh Government recognized the eldest son, Tikendra Bahadur Pal, and Askote state was handed over to him. However, independent India started to abolish all the big and small princely states within India. In accordance with the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Act and subsequently in 1964 the Kumaon Zamindari Abolition Act, the separate entity of Askote state came to an end. All the villages and most of the land became a part of Didihat subdivision of District Pithoragarh.

ASKOTE AND THE PAL FAMILY

There are not many Khshatriya (Rajput) dynasties in India that can claim as long a genealogy as that of the Pal family of Askote. This fact has been recognized for hundreds of years and that is why the Pals have enjoyed respect and security.

The Chand, Gorkhas and the British rulers who occupied the area from time to time had traditionally recognized the uniqueness of the Pal family as an historically important clan. The Pals have been traditionally awarded a very respectable status and exclusivity by all the conquerors of the region. They are the descendants of the Katyuri royal family.

The importance of the Askote state and its Pal rulers did not come from power or wealth. When Abhay Pal migrated to the area in 1279 A.D., it was mostly a forest with a probable population of a few hundred individuals. In 1881 A.D., 600 years later, the total population of this state was only 5879.

The lifestyle during those days was altogether different. Earlier land revenue used to be collected only in kind, which was a third of the farmers' total produce. It was called "Sirti" and the farmer was termed "Sirtan." The subjects were required, in addition, to provide free food and transport to the Rajwas and his entourage, while he toured his state. Petty fines imposed on the offenders were also a source of income. There were very few crimes or litigations hence revenues from the judiciary sector were meagre.

The Rajwars usually had several wives, plus servants, maids, followers, sycophants and hangers-on. Resources were supplemented by cultivating personal farms and animal stock. Thus the life of the Pal family in the middle ages was simple and pristine. There was, presumably, no outside impact or interference until the later part of the 16th century.

In 1681, an officer of the Raja of Almora subjugated the adjacent rulers of this part of India, including Askote state. During the last decades of the 18th century the Gorkha rulers of Nepal invaded their western neighbours of India and subjugated the rulers of the hill states up to Kangra (now in Hamanchal Pradesh). They did not interfere with Askote state except that they increased the royalty from Rupees 400 previously fixed by Chand Rajas, to Rupees 2000.

During 1814-1815, a war broke out between the British rulers of India and the Nepalese Gurkha rulers, which led to several pitched battles fought between the hills of Kumaon and Garhwal. The Gurkhas were finally defeated and forced to give up all the area west of the Kali River, which runs adjacent to Askote. In accordance with the Sighauli treaty of 1816 all of that area, including Askote, became part of the British Empire. When India attained independence, Askote became part of independent India.

REMNANTS OF OLD CULTURE

Despite all the difficult times, hardships and massacre of the family, this branch of the Katyuri dynasty managed until the mid-20th century to maintain the sanctity and serenity of its religion, ancient manners, rituals and traditions of its royal descent.

All religious dictates were scrupulously followed and observed. Boys and girls were taught from very early childhood to behave properly and respectfully towards their parents and elders. Special attention was given to cleanliness. No member of the Pal family was allowed to eat or drink before a routine morning bath and worship. Children had to wash their hands, feet and faces prior to the meals. Adults had to take off their usual attire and put on a clean dhoti (a cotton or silk cloth of about three metres in length) before entering the kitchen, where places were marked for each person to sit, without touching each other. The food was cooked only by a high caste Brahmin, who was supposed to be physically and spiritually very clean and hygiene conscious. There were several other customs as well, which made the members of the Pal family very distinct from the ordinary people of the area.

FINAL REMARKS

Rajwar Pushkar Pal informed historian E.T. Atkinson in 1871 that he was in the 221st generation from Uttanpad, the younger son of Manu, who had written the well-known Hindu book, Manusmriti. Rajwar Pushkar Pal received a very rudimentary education since there were no facilities for higher education in the proximity of Askote at that time. The genealogical table provided by Pushkar Pal appears to have been prepared from remembrances passed down from generation to generation. Systematic documentation was not customary in those days. Momentous dates, key names and events were committed to memory and subsequently passed on to the younger members of the family to memorize and reciprocate. Unfortunately, several discrepancies I=exist in the genealogical table. For instance, Rajwar Pushkar Pal is indicated as the 104th generation from Shaliwahan Dev, the founder of Katyuri dynasty. Abhay Pal Dev of the 49th generation is reported to have migrated to the Askote region in 1279 A.D.

A generation could be considered to last 25 years, considering a relatively short life span of the heirs at that time. Thus, between 1279 A.D. and 1882 A.D., about 600 years, there could not have been more than 24 generations. If the serial numbers shown in the genealogy are correct, there were 56 generations during this 600-year period. On the other hand, Pushkar Pal told Atkinson that he was the 221st generation from Uttanpad and 104 from Shalivahan Dev to Pushkar Pal. Calculations based on 25 years for each generation indicate that the time of Uttanpad comes to be around 5500 years, and of Shalivahan Dev to be about 2600 years from that of Pushkar Pal. If this theory were correct, there would be only 48 generations within 2000 years, as against 56 generations within 600 years. I procured a copy of the genealogical table from the present Rajwar Tikendra Bahadur Pal. This document bears no names of Rajas from the serial number 54th to the 80th generation. I believe that these missing 27 Rajas were prior to Abhay Pal and not after him.

It is obvious that the genealogy before Abhay Pal is inaccurate. This also explains why the Katyuri kings, who are inscribed on the copper plates, are missing in the genealogy table. This confirms the earlier conclusion that the genealogical table seems to have been prepared from remembrances passed on successively to the young ones by the elders. It is easy to remember the number of generations but not quite precisely hundreds of names of the forefathers.

Furthermore, according to the Hindu religion every highborn male is required to pay homage to his ancestors once a year I a ceremony called "Shradha," which is at the death anniversary and during a fixed period of a fortnight, every year. On this occasion one has to remember the names of three deceased immediate ancestors on the father and the mother's side, and make ritual offerings. Thus it was not impossible to remember the number of generations.

It may be plausible that there were only 29 generations from Abhay Pal to Pushkar Pal, 104 generations from Shalivahan Dev and 221 from Uttanpad. Abhay Pal must have been in the 76th generation from Shalivahan Dev and not in the 49th generation. A thorough research is needed in this area to authenticate the exact dates and names that existed in the Uttarakhand part of the Himalayas for several centuries.

The name Pal does not indicate a particular dynasty. It is a surname adopted by this branch of the Katyuri dynasty after its separation from the main stream. Its members call themselves "Suryavanshi" Kshatriya of Saunak Gotra (followers of the sage Saunak). They worship all the deities of the Hindu pantheon especially Shiva or Mahadev. It remains to be seen how long this clan will retain and maintain its unique identity. The future depends on the will and determination of the living members of the Pal family.

Gajraj Singh Pal Nainital, India 1995
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