“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” The famous proverb from 18 century English writer William Concreve, is a popular term used to describe women’s anger. However, in the case of Nepal it is more like “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s curse” - in reference to Sati’s curse which has been pervading the Nepali psyche and our political and social scenarios. The curse is so deeply ingrained in our belief that every time there is a political fallout or a national crisis, us Nepalese use the term “sati ley sarapey ko desh.” (a country cursed by Sati)
From the curses of the tombs of the Great Pharoahs of Egypt, to the curses of the ancient Mayan, Aztec and Incan civilisations, “the curse” is a segment of psychological and mental aspect of a nation’s historical belief which cannot be quantified. It does not have proper evidence but it exists and it impacts!! So, who is this woman whose curse is so powerful and why did she curse Nepal so badly?
Before the advent of freedom of speech, history was a one-sided affair. The ruling kings directed what should be written. Many deserving persons did not get their due recognition. Kazi Bhim Malla, the husband of the woman who cursed the country is one such personality in the history of Nepal and his wife is paradoxically the “most famous yet anonymous” woman of this nation. She is just known as Sati because she committed “sati’ and cursed while doing so. What was her name? How old was she? Did she have children? There is no record of her at all and yet her curse has been permeating this nation ever since her death.
Kazi Bhim Malla was a minister during the reign of King Laxmi Narsimha Malla (1620-1641) and his son King Pratap Malla (1641-1674). A man of considerable accomplishment, his contribution to the nation by a minister is so far considered to be the best ever in Nepal. However, some jealous officials persuaded King Pratap Malla that Bhim Malla was aiming to take his throne, and hence, the King put him to death. Distraught and utterly devastated, his wife on the pyre, cursed the country with such vehemence saying, “May there never be ‘bibeka’ (sound judgment) in this durbar.” It is believed that any wish or curse of a woman committing sati comes true. Her curse seems to have struck the country till today.
The rulers upon knowing the truth later were so ashamed and guilty of what they did, that they brushed it aside as much as possible. But a contribution as magnanimous as Kazi Bhim Malla’s cannot be forgotten nor the ill fate of judging him wrongly.
Bhim Malla established the best trade treaty ever. Nepali historians today say, no treaty in our history has been so favorable. Bhim Malla led the war with Tibet and brought Kuti and Kurseoung under Nepal’s control and was able to attain very good conditions for the growth of our economy. Only Nepali currency “Mahendramalli” could be used for trade and the exchange rate in gold, silver and salt was set by Nepal. All traders from the south and the north had to pass through Kathmandu valley and the city was an economic hub comparable to present day Dubai. Nepal reached a golden era of economic and cultural prosperity during Pratap Malla’s reign and 150 years further thanks to the treaty of Bhim Malla.
After the takeover of the Shah dynasty, relations with Tibet took a downturn with the Sino Nepal war (1788-1792) over the case of minting low-quality coins for Tibet and later after Nepal lost the war with Imperial Britain losing two thirds of its land with the signing of the Sugauli Treaty (1814-1816), Kathmandu as a trade hub collapsed.
It’s such a strange phenomenon that a curse of a woman can be so overpowering that it actually affects the “psycho-history” of this country. A term not much given historical validity but very much affecting human behavior, and an individual’s action is what affects a chain of historical events anyways. The story of Sati and Bhim Malla has a deep sentiment about the greatest injustice done to a man whose good intentions were all misconstrued and of a wife who was so overstruck with grief that in her helpless last moments she just cursed with all her might and force. A chain of unsound karmic occurrence thus followed henceforth and belief on karma is what us Nepalese rely on always.
Most of history revolves around men’s might, their warfare and bravado. Waging war, conquering nations, killing for glory and success is what we mostly read, learn and elaborate upon. Do we ever read about women’s pain, grief and the outcome of such emotional suffering? It’s really not considered worth analyzing. It has no tangible outcome worth describing, it is just an emotion which cannot be given historical significance. Yet, there is a sub-conscious impact!!
Just wonder, if history was written by women, how much of emotional intelligence or outcomes of emotional power would be given importance. Would emotional strength weigh as much as physical strength? Or would a woman’s “curse” be given as much importance as a man’s “conquest”? How do you weigh the helpless but ferocious cries of women to that of sheer visible ferocity of men?
Here again what is written in “history” often escapes the intangible nuances of “herstory.”
There is no picture or sculpture of Kazi Bhim Malla. The Bhulukha Dega temple in Yetkha Bahal is believed to have been built by Bhim Malla in memory of his father. There has been nothing built in later years to honor this great son of Nepal.
The Bhulukha Dega temple was recently renovated by the Kathmandu municipality but no trader family of Kathmandu who benefited for generations from his trade treaty contributed to it. Sadly, Bhim Malla, has been forgotten through the ages by a nation who thrives on history and heritage but has limited knowledge about it.
Reference:
Dilli Raman Regmi, Madieval Nepal, Volume 1
Munshi Shew Shunker Singh & Pandit Shri Gunanand, Nepal: History of the Country and the People (New Delhi: Cosmo Publications, 1983)
Anil Chitrakar, Temple Trade, ECS Nepal, August 2010, Issue 21
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