BRAHMANI DAK OF MEWAR STATE

BRAHMINI DAK  OF MEWAR STATE UDAIPUR

BRAHMINI DAK POST MARKS

In 18th century a prvate postal system existed in the States of Malwa and Mewar in India. It is known as Brahmini Dak because it was run by Brahmins which wa streated as the highest caste in Hindus and they were held in high esteem. In those days the safest way sending letters was to entrust it to a travelling Brahmin. A Brahmin named Keshoram Sharma is said to have organised this popular method of sending mail in  Mewar State and in Malwa region which . This post was in due course was called Brahmini Dak. In Mewar State this postal system continued even after India became independent and all the Princely States merged.

In Mewar State Maharana Sajjan Singh granted a monopoly for carriage of internal mail service  to Jadu Ram the son of Kashi Ram.  The agreement was dated Jeth Sudi Dooj of Vikram Samvat 1906 ( Gregarian calebder 24th May, 1849 A D Wednesday) .

SANAD DATED JETH SUDI 2SAMVAT1906MAP BRAHMINI DAK POST OFFICES and Routes in MEWAR STATE

During this period Imperial post office also served in Mewar State. However it didnot connect all the remote places . Therefore , Brahmini Dak filled this lacuna. Mail was carried by Hakaras (mail runners), camels, horses, bullock carts till the railway and motor bus service came in to operation. Brahmnini Dak was a well orgaised postal system. A nominal amount was charged for this service. The rates were uniform irrespective of the distance. Ordinary “Post paid” letters were charged upto 5 tolas weight were charged 4pies Chittori upto 1942 A D .* Pies Chittori upto 1948 and 9Pies Kaldar Chittori upto 1950 A D . The local currency was Chittori or Kaldar Chittori, where Two Annas chottri was equivalent to one and a half annas imperial . The registered letter rate was 2 Annas Chittori upto1941 A D  and 4 Anaas Chittori upto 1950 A D . The parcel post was introduced in 1931 A D and chraged according to weight and distance carried. Teh document illustrated below is a picture of the last receipt book for the Registered letter posted on 25-3-1950 from the Brahmini Dak Post Office in Udaipur.

BRAHMINI DAK last day in its Udaipur p'o'

The postage could be paid in cash by the the sender and such letters were marked as “MAHSUL CHUKA “(महसूल चुका  ) in Hindi; and it could be paid by the receiver of the letters in which case the covers were marked as ” MAHSULI” (महसूली )in Hindi .

Hand stamps were introduced in1871 A D. Postmarks were not uniform in all post offices. Early postmarks were crude in form but later on they were improved and somewhat looked like imperial postmarks with vernacular script for dames and date slots etc. There are interesting array of these postmarks found in various clours like blue, green, black violet etc. After 1939 A D imperial type of  post marks are found.

BRAHMINI DAK RARE POST MARKSPOST MARKS of Brahmini Dak

This system operated for almost101 years.

It is a very interesting subject of collecting the postal history material of this Pincely State of India. I illustrate some items from my collection of Brahmini Dak:

IMG_0003

"MAHJAMA"मह्जामा intaglio Post Mark

Any further information provided by the readers will be thankfully acknowledged and included in the blog. 

Thank you