119-879: The Battle of Nalapani was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–1816, fought between the forces of the British East India Company and Nepal , then ruled by the House of Gorkha . The battle took place around the Nalapani fort, near Dehradun , which was placed under a month-long siege by the British, between 31 October and 30 November 1814. The fort's garrison was commanded by Captain Balbhadra Kunwar , while Major-General Robert Rollo Gillespie , who had previously fought in
238-402: A "shocking state, full of the remains of men and women killed by the shot shells of our batteries; a number of wounded were likewise lying about, and the stench was intolerable." Upwards of 90 dead bodies were found and cremated, while the wounded were sent to British hospitals; the rest of the fort was then razed to the ground. During the fighting, the British were impressed by the conduct of
357-1100: A Tour Through Part of the Snowy Range of the Himālā Mountains, and to the Sources of the Rivers Jumna and Ganges . London: Rodwell and Martin. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Prinsep, Henry Thoby. (1825). History of the Political and Military Transactions in India During the Administration of the Marquess of Hastings, 1813–1823, Vol 1 . London: Kingsbury, Parbury & Allen. Anglo-Nepalese War British victory. 100,000 Indian troops during both campaigns. The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as
476-528: A desire to “eliminate one of the few remaining threats to British dominance in northern India.” Therefore, the Company’s security concerns also aided in causing the war. In the early nineteenth century before the Anglo-Nepalese War, Nepal’s land stood directly north of Bengal, the heart of British administration. This posed a threat to the British. The Company feared that anti-British prejudices among
595-533: A determined resistance from the Nepalese, Colonel Sebright Mawbey, who was next in command of the British troops at Nalapani, retired to Dehra until 24 November so that heavy guns could arrive from Delhi. After the reinforcements had arrived, the fighting resumed on 25 November and for three days the fort was bombarded until, at noon on 27 November, a large section of northern wall finally gave away. The British forces, seeing their opportunity, twice tried to charge into
714-910: A driving cause for war, following from the Company's deep concerns about Nepal’s fluid borders in the preceding years and decades. The acquisition of the Nawab of Awadh 's lands by the British East India Company brought the region of Gorakhpur into the close proximity of the raja(king) of Palpa – the last remaining independent town within the Nepalese heartlands. Palpa and Butwal were originally two separate principalities; they were afterwards united under one independent Rajput prince, who, having conquered Butwal, added it to his hereditary possessions of Palpa. The lands of Butwal, though conquered and annexed, were yet held in fief, or paid an annual sum, first to Awadh, and afterwards, by transfer, to
833-507: A geo-political necessity to secure the foothold of the Company in the Indian sub-continent. The initial British campaign plan was to attack on two fronts across a frontier stretching more than 1,500 km (930 miles), from the Sutlej river in the west to the tista river in the east. On the eastern front, Major-Generals Bennet Marley and John Sullivan Wood led their respective columns across
952-597: A high sense of duty, supported by unsubdued courage. This, and a generous spirit of courtesy towards their enemy, certainly marked the character of the garrison of Kalunga, during the period of its siege. Whatever the nature of the Gurkhas may have been found in other quarters, there was here no cruelty to wounded or to prisoners; no poisoned arrows were used; no wells or waters were poisoned; no rancorous spirit of revenge seemed to animate them: they fought us in fair conflict, like men; and, in intervals of actual combat, showed us
1071-415: A large part the wall. The garrison maintained a heavy bombardment from the walls, and heavy showers of arrows and of stones rained down on the assailants. Women inside the fort also threw missiles, exposing themselves to British fire. Gillespie's men fell back and on seeing this, he moved forward from the artillery line to personally rally his men. With three fresh companies of the 53rd Regiment , he reached
1190-505: A pivotal role in spurring conflict between Nepal and British India. Throughout its history, the Himalayas served as a site of political malleability and entangled agrarian entitlements. As such, Nepal’s boundaries remained porous. As opposed to fixed territorial lines, Nepal possessed “an unbounded space” that facilitated heterogeneous movements of trade and people. Nepal’s borders experienced frequent shifts in administration determined by
1309-461: A scene, which was recounted by the Scottish traveller James Baillie Fraser : While the batteries were playing, a man was perceived on the breach, advancing and waving his hand. The guns ceased firing for a while, and the man came into the batteries: he proved to be a Ghoorkha, whose lower jaw had been shattered by a cannon shot, and who came thus frankly to solicit assistance from his enemy. It
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#17327828887431428-435: A spot within 30 yards (27 m) of the wicket, where, "as he was cheering the men, waving his hat in one hand, and his sword in the other," a Nepalese marksman shot him "through the heart, and he fell dead on the spot." The General's death forced the British to temporarily cease their attack and withdraw. Total British casualties for the day were 32 dead and 228 wounded, some of whom subsequently died. Not having expected such
1547-471: A train of seven 6- and 3-pounders, and four mortars and howitzers. The third division , was formed at Meerut , under Major-General Gillespie; and it was purposed to march directly to the Dehra Dun ; and having reduced the forts in that valley, to move, as might be deemed expedient, to the eastward, to recover Srinagar from the troops of Amar Singh Thapa; or to the westward, to gain the post of Nahan ,
1666-619: A train of two 18-pounder, ten 6-pounders, and four mortars and howitzers. Lastly, beyond the Koshi River eastward, Major Latter was furnished with two thousand men, including his district battalion, for the defence of the Poornea frontier. This officer was desired to open a communication with the Raja of Sikkim, and to give him every assistance and encouragement to expel the Gorkhas from
1785-490: Is expressed by one anonymous British soldier as such: ...The territory subject to Nepal consists of a mountainous tract of country, lying between Tibet and the valley of the Ganges, in breadth not exceeding one hundred miles, but in length stretching nearly along the whole extent of the north-west frontier of the British dominions. Below the hills they held possession of a portion of the plain of irregular width, distinguished by
1904-440: Is unnecessary to add, that it was instantly afforded. He recovered; and, when discharged from the hospital, signified his desired to return to his corps to combat us again: exhibiting thus, through the whole, a strong sense of the value of generosity and courtesy in warfare, and also of his duty to his country, – separating completely in his own mind private and national feelings from each other, – and his frank confidence in
2023-461: The Battle of Java , was in charge of the attacking British troops. Gillespie was killed on the first day of the siege while rallying his men. Despite considerable odds, both in terms of numbers and firepower, Balbhadra and his 600-strong garrison successfully held out against more than 5,000 British troops for over a month. After two costly and unsuccessful attempts to seize the fort by direct attack,
2142-747: The Gorkha War , was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal ) and the forces of the British East India Company (EIC). Both sides had ambitious expansion plans for the mountainous north of the Indian subcontinent . The war ended with a British victory and the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, which ceded some of the Nepalese-controlled territory to
2261-549: The Punjab where Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire had their own aspirations. Territorial conflict represents a significant cause of the Anglo-Nepalese War. First, Nepal’s views on borders and borderlands clashed with the Company’s visions of space and territoriality. Borderlands represent “zones of contact for the management, separation, and negotiation of difference,” and leading up to 1814, conflicts over borderlands played
2380-631: The Tarai towards the heart of the Kathmandu Valley ; at the same time Major-General Rollo Gillespie and Colonel David Ochterlony led the columns on the western front. These two western columns faced the Nepalese army under the command of Amar Singh Thapa . Around the beginning of October 1814, the British troops began to move towards their depots and the army was soon after formed into four divisions: one at Benares , one at Meerut , one at Dinapur , and one at Ludhiana . The division at Meerut
2499-515: The Tarai towards the heart of the valley of Kathmandu. Major-General Rollo Gillespie and Colonel David Ochterlony commanded columns in the western front. These columns were faced with the Nepalese army under the command of Amar Singh Thapa . About the beginning of October 1814, the British troops began to move towards different depots; and the army was soon after formed into four divisions, one at Benares, one at Meeruth, one at Dinapur, and one at Ludhiana. The first division , at Dinapur , being
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#17327828887432618-468: The 1760s contributed to British security concerns. The Treaty of Sagauli showcases British security concerns. Article 6 of the treaty states, “The Raja of Nepal renounces for himself, his heirs, and successors, all claim to or connection with the countries lying to the west of the River Kali and engages never to have any concern with those countries or the inhabitants there of.” This illustrates that
2737-672: The Bible comes the bayonet." Lord Hastings was not averse to exploiting any commercial opportunities that access to the Himalayan region might offer. He knew that these would gratify his employers and silence his critics, because the East India Company was at this time in the throes of a cash-flow crisis. It needed substantial funds in Britain, in order to pay overheads, pensions, and dividends; but there were problems in remitting
2856-733: The British Governor-General of India for help. Anxious to avoid a confrontation with the Chinese, the Governor-General did not send troops but sent Captain Kirkpatrick as mediator. However, before he arrived the war with China had finished. The Tibet affair had postponed a planned attack on the Garhwal Kingdom , but by 1803, the Raja of Garhwal, Pradyuman Shah, had also been defeated. He was killed in
2975-410: The British changed their approach and sought to force the garrison to surrender by cutting off the fort's external water supply. Having suffered three days of thirst, on the last day of the siege, Balbhadra, refusing to surrender, led the 70 surviving members of the garrison in a charge against the besieging force. Fighting their way out of the fort, the survivors escaped into the nearby hills. Considering
3094-695: The British had been expanding their sphere of influence. While the Nepalese had been expanding their empire – into Sikkim to the east, the Kumaon and the Garhwal to the west, and into Awadh to the south – the British East India Company had consolidated its position in India from its main bases of Calcutta , Madras and Bombay . This British expansion had already been resisted in India, culminating in three Anglo-Maratha wars as well as in
3213-420: The British in the hope that they could still be defeated. In the years following the battle, the British constructed two small obelisks that still stand in Nalapani. One was laid in honour of Gillespie, while another was dedicated with the inscription "Our brave adversary Bul Buddur and his gallant men". In Nepal, the story of the battle at Nalapani has gained a legendary status and has become an important part of
3332-407: The British reconnoitred the fort and began planning for the assault. Parties were employed in preparing fascines and gabions for the establishment for artillery batteries, while two 12-pounder guns, four 5.5-inch howitzers , and four six-pounders were carried up the hill on elephants. The British secured the table-land without any Nepalese resistance and the gun batteries were ready to open fire on
3451-453: The British used territorial limitations as a way of curtailing their security concerns – whether it be their concern over Nepal’s relationships with Sikhs, or concerns around Nepal’s possibility of alliance with north India or Bengal. While trade was indeed a major objective of the company, out of it grew a concept of "political safety," which essentially meant a strategy of dissuasion and larger areas of occupation. The evidence does not support
3570-624: The British were striving to annex the hill regions of Nepal and were the ones responsible for creating border disputes. At the border demarcation, the British representative Major Bradshaw disrespected the Nepalese representatives – Rajguru Ranganath Poudyal and Kaji Dalabhanjan Pande , with a view of invoking a war against the Nepalese. In the meantime, the British found that the Nepalese were preparing for war; that they had for some time been laying up large stores of saltpetre; purchasing and fabricating arms, and organizing and disciplining their troops under some European deserters in this service, after
3689-574: The British. During the regency of Rani Rajendra Laxmi, towards the close of the 18th century, the hill country of Palpa was conquered and annexed to Nepal. The rajah retreated to Butwal, but was subsequently induced, under false promises of redress, to visit Kathmandu, where he was put to death, and his territories in Butwal seized and occupied by the Nepalese. Bhimsen Thapa , the Nepalese prime minister from 1806 to 1837, installed his own father as governor of Palpa, leading to serious border disputes between
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3808-557: The Captain and other officers asked them to sign a pledge to fight to the last. Eighty-four soldiers signed. However, that night the Mleccha Kalanala Company, which had arrived as reinforcements and was stationed at a portico east of Nalapani, secretly abandoned their post, taking with them their arms and colours. Seeing this, some of the men who had signed the pledge followed. The 50 or 60 men that remained, overcome by
3927-431: The Chinese market; buy tea with the proceeds; then ship the tea for sale in Britain (all tea at this time came from China. It was not grown in India until the 1840s). So when Hastings told the directors of the Company about an alternative means of remittance, a rare and precious raw material that could easily and profitably be shipped from India directly to London, they were at once interested. The raw material in question
4046-588: The Company embarked on surveys and mapmaking projects. These activities involved carving political and administrative boundaries in Nepal to render the territory “more legible for colonial rule.” These maps were then produced by the Revenue Surveys in the nineteenth century, serving as a strategy for the Company to divide land into non-overlapping, fixed spaces. Clashing ideas around borderlands and spatiality, therefore, played an instrumental role leading up to
4165-657: The EIC. The British war effort was led by the EIC against the Kingdom of Gorkha. Most of the Kingdom of Gorkha's war effort was led by the two Thapa families: the Thapa dynasty and the family of Amar Singh Thapa . In the mid-eighteenth century, the British East India Company actively traded with Nepal. Viewed as an opulence hub, Nepal supplied the Company with commodities such as rice, butter, oil seeds, timber, dyes, and gold. In 1767, British concerns around this partnership grew when
4284-463: The English "sirdar", assuring him that he would soon visit him in his camp. The Nalapani fort was situated on a 500–600-foot (150–180 m) hill that was covered in dense jungle. The approach to the fort was very steep in most directions and the top of the hill, which formed a tabletop feature, was about .75 miles (1.21 km) in length. Its highest point was to the south, where the town of Kalanga
4403-601: The General to fall back to Gorakhpur. About 70 Nepalese lost their lives in Nuwakot pakhe Gadhi. Meanwhile, more than 300 of the enemy perished. No special military action had taken place in Hariharpur Gadhi fortress in the first campaign. Major General Bannet Marley and Major General George Wood had not been able to advance for an offensive against Makawanpur and Hariharpur Gadhi fortresses. The Battle of Nalapani
4522-511: The Gorkhas ascended their power and leadership in Nepal. In 1768, the Gorkhas conquered Kathmandu Valley and became Nepal’s ruling force, paving the way for a declining relationship between British India and Nepal. In 1801, the Company established a British Residency in Kathmandu to seek a stronger hold over the region. As 1814 approached, however, the British found themselves concerned by
4641-405: The Gorkhas with confidence, which possibly caused them to underestimate their opponents in future wars. Victory and the occupation of the Kathmandu Valley by Prithvi Narayan Shah, starting with the Battle of Kirtipur , resulted in the shift of the capital of his kingdom from Gorkha to Kathmandu, and the empire that he and his descendants built then came to be known as Nepal. Also, the invasion of
4760-477: The Governor-General failed to solve the problem. The Nepalese Commissioners had remarked to the British the futility of debating about a few square miles of territory since there never could be real peace between the two States, until the British should yield to the Nepalese all the British provinces north of the Ganges, making that river the boundary between the two, "as heaven had evidently designed it to be." However, Nepalese Historian Baburam Acharya contends that
4879-667: The Kathmandu Valley had been referred to as Nepal . The confederacy requested help from the East India Company , and an ill-equipped and ill-prepared expedition, numbering 2,500, was led by Captain Kinlock in 1767. The expedition was a disaster, and the Gorkhali army easily overpowered those who had not succumbed to malaria or desperation. The ineffectual British force provided the Gorkhali with firearms and filled
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4998-539: The Keree Pass leading into the Dun Valley. He then proceeded to Dehra unchallenged. A letter was sent by the British to Balbhadra, summoning him to surrender the fort. Upon receiving the note, Balbhadra tore it up. The letter having been delivered to him at midnight, he observed that "it was not customary to receive or answer letters at such unseasonable hours". Nevertheless, he responded by sending his "salaam" to
5117-599: The Makawanpur and Hariharpur axis. A big attack base was established but Major General Marley showed reluctance to take risks against the Nepalese. Some skirmishes had already started taking place. Similarly, Major General George Wood, sometimes known as the Tiger of the British Indian Army, proved exceedingly cautious against the hard charging Nepalese. Colonel Ranabir Singh Thapa , brother of Bhimsen Thapa,
5236-556: The Nawab Vizier's family, for which guarantee of the British Government had been pledged, and the payment of which, without vexatious retardments, was secured, by the appropriation of the interest to the specific purpose. The sum thus obtained was thrown into the general treasury, whence I looked to draw such portions of it as the demands of the approaching service might require. My surprise is not to be expressed, when I
5355-467: The Nepalese and prevent them from concentrating their fire on any one point, allowing the attackers to gain an advantage. However, after the attack began only two columns, those under Carpenter and Ludlow, responded to Gillespie's signal to assault, which was given some hours earlier than was intended. Under the cover of fire, pioneers twice swarmed up to the walls, only to be cut down by the enfilade fire of Bal Bhadra's cannons that were positioned along
5474-586: The Nepalese as a challenge to British supremacy — "Opinion is everything in such a country as India: and whenever the natives shall begin to lose their reverence for the English arms, our superiority in other respects will quickly sink into contempt." The Governor-General looked towards the Nawab of Awadh to finance the impending warfare with Nepal: two crore (20 million) rupees were solicited. Of this matter he writes: ...Saadut Ali unexpectedly died. I found, however, that what had been provisionally agitated with him
5593-524: The Nepalese government to allow them trade access to fabled Tibet through Nepal. Despite a series of delegations headed by William Kirkpatrick (1792), Maulvi Abdul Qader (1795), and later William O. Knox (1801), the Nepalese Durbar refused to budge an inch. The resistance to open up the country to the Europeans could be summed up in a Nepalese precept, "With the merchants come the musket and with
5712-453: The Nepalese had several advantages over the British including knowledge of the region and recent experience fighting in the mountainous terrain. However, the British had numerical superiority and far more modern weapons. In the meantime, the Governor-General also naively believed that "the difficulties of mountain warfare were greater on the defensive side than on that of a well conducted offensive operation." Soldiers like Rollo Gillespie saw
5831-417: The Nepalese managed to cut through and make a successful escape. Thus, after days of thirst and continuous bombardment, the Nepalese were forced to evacuate the fort on 30 November. Bal Bhadra refused to surrender and with about 70 of his surviving men he was able to fight his way through the besieging force and escape into the hills. When the British troops entered the fort, it was found, as Prinsep writes, in
5950-436: The Nepalese might result in either an attack on Bengal that would strain British communication with North India, or may result in Indian states uniting into an anti-British alliance. Gorkhas’ impressive conquests of the Kathmandu Valley further supplied the British with an exaggerated view of Nepal’s strength, contributing to the British viewing Nepal as a security threat. Gorkhas’ strong resistance against British pressure since
6069-439: The Nepalese soldiers during the battle who, according to British accounts, exhibited fair conduct towards them. This endeared them to the British, who were willing to reciprocate by giving medical aid to wounded and captured Nepalese. The confidence the Nepalese exhibited in the British officers was significant: they not only accepted, but also solicited surgical aid, even while continuing to fight. This gave rise, on one occasion, to
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#17327828887436188-523: The River Mitchee including the fort and lands of Nagree and the Pass of Nagarcote leading from Morung into the hills.” These high levels of specificity, once again, showcase the Company’s highly fixed perceptions of borders and borderlands. As a result of the Anglo-Nepalese War and the subsequent treaty, Nepal lost approximately one-third of its land. Disputes over territoriality, therefore, constituted
6307-489: The Terai regions during the latter half of the eighteenth century, however, was viewed by the British as a threat to the Company’s trading plans. British economic interests, therefore, played a major role in causing the Anglo-Nepalese War. The Treaty of Sagauli illustrates these economic interests, as seen by Britain ceding Nepali lands that covered these attractive trade routes. The British had made constant efforts to persuade
6426-491: The aftermath of the war, he writes: The richest portion of the territory conquered by us bordered on the dominions the Nawab Vizier. I arranged the transfer of that tract to him in extinction of the second crore which I had borrowed. Of that crore the charges of the war absorbed fifty two lacs: forty eight lacs (£600,000) were consequently left in the treasury, a clear gain to the Honourable Company, in addition to
6545-461: The benefit of precluding future annoyance from an insolent neighbour. This was in contrast with the Nepalese who had spent huge amount of resources on the first and second wars against the Tibetans, which had led to the gradual exhaustion of their treasury. To the British, who were used to fighting in the plains, but were unacquainted with the terrain of the hills, the formidability of the topology
6664-482: The bodies of the dead and wounded, they permitted them to lie untouched, till carried away; and none were stripped, as is too universally the case. The battle also had significant political repercussions, shaking the British army's confidence. The fact that the siege had taken so long exposed the British forces' vulnerabilities and encouraged the native Indian states – in particular the old Maratha Confederacy in central India – to continue their struggle against
6783-399: The breach that day, but were repelled and pinned to an exposed position just outside the wall. An attempt was then made to fire one of the light guns into the breach to provide obscuration with gun smoke to cover a further attack, but that too proved unsuccessful. The day ended with the British assault force withdrawing after spending two hours pinned outside the wall, exposed to heavy fire from
6902-495: The chief town of Sirmaur , where Ranjore Singh Thapa held the government for his father, Amar Singh; and so sweep on towards the Sutlej , in order to cut off that chief from the rest, and thus to reduce him to terms. This division originally consisted of his Majesty's 53d, which with artillery and a few dismounted dragoons, made up about one thousand Europeans, and two thousand five hundred native infantry, totaling 3,513 men. The fourth, or north-western division , at Ludhiana ,
7021-541: The city. He withdrew from Dehradun and moved his force of about 600, including dependents, to a hill north-east of the city. He subsequently took up a position in the small fort of Nalapani, Khalanga. His force was ethnically diverse, consisting of Magar soldiers belonging to the Purano Gorakh Battalion and soldiers that had been recruited from Garhwal and nearby areas. On 22 October, before the British declaration of war on 1 November 1814, Gillespie seized
7140-568: The claim that Hastings invaded Nepal only for commercial reasons. It was a strategic decision. He was wary of the Hindu revival and solidarity among the Marathas, the Sikhs, and the Gurkhas amid the decaying Mughal empire. He was hatching pre-emptive schemes of conquest against the Marathas in central India, and he needed to cripple Nepal first, in order to avoid having to fight on two fronts. That it
7259-406: The company and partly restored to its previous rulers, would give British merchants direct access to the wool-growing areas. Similarly David Ochterlony, then an agent at Ludhiana, on 24 August 1814 noted of Dehra Dun as a "potentially thriving entrepot for Trans-Himalayan trade." He contemplated annexing Garhwal not so much with the view to revenue, but for security of commercial communications with
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#17327828887437378-423: The country where the shawl wool is produced. The British soon got to know that Kumaon provided a better facility for trade with Tibet. Therefore, the annexation of these two areas became part of their strategic objectives. Although the immediate cause of disputes between Nepal and the British occurred over territoriality, it is unlikely that the Company would have embarked on such an expensive and arduous war without
7497-403: The drama, the patriotism of a Nepalese soldier is depicted when, after being wounded, the soldier seeks help from the British camp. Later he is grateful for the humanitarian assistance provided by the British but refuses an offer to defect to their army. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Fraser, James Baillie. (1820). Journal of
7616-608: The eastern hills, short of an actual advance of troops for the purpose. Captain Barré Latter was sent to the border with Poornea and after a successful mission to confine the Gorkhas to their own territory concluded the Anglo-Sikkimese Treaty of Titalia confirming the Raja's dominions, although the latter lost territory from his border to the Tamur River . The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces
7735-488: The environment, tribute and taxation claims, and landholding patterns. As a result, control over Anglo-Gorkha borderlands – Nepal’s frontiers with British India – oscillated frequently among different agents. In the eighteenth century, these borderlands became an area of deep concern for the British. The British viewed borders as fixed and immutable, leading the Company to interpret Nepal’s fluid boundaries as encroachments on British territory. Motivated by territorial concern,
7854-479: The few people that remained in the fort became desperate and could not hold on any longer. That night, despite threats to their person and property, desertion became rampant. By the following day, 29 November, the garrison's water supply had been exhausted. The walls of the fort had also collapsed and the garrison was exposed, leading to further casualties amongst the Nepali troops. Seeing the disheartened state of men,
7973-455: The fort on the morning of 31 October, at a distance of 600 yards (550 m). The first British attack on Nalapani took place on 31 October, a day before the official declaration of war. Gillespie planned to storm the fort from four sides. The storming party was formed into four columns, support by a reserve: the first, under Colonel Carpenter, consisted of 611 men; the second, under Captain Fast,
8092-455: The fort. Mawbey then instructed his gunners, by now strongly reinforced, to fire into the fort. He also sent scouts to locate and cut off the fort's external water source. The water situation was made worse for the defenders when about a hundred earthen vessels stocked with water, stored in a portico, were destroyed in the bombardment. The eastern and northern walls of the fort were razed to the ground. The continuous bombardment also caused three of
8211-510: The forts in the valley, the plan called for Gillespie to either move eastwards to expel Amar Singh Thapa's troops from Srinagar , or westwards to take Nahan , the largest town in the Sirmaur district , where Amar Singh's son, Ranjore Singh Thapa, controlled the government. Once completed, Gillespie was to sweep on towards the Sutlej in order to isolate Amar Singh, and force him to negotiate. Of
8330-443: The four British divisions mentioned above, Gillespie's was the first to penetrate the enemy's frontier. The Nepalese had anticipated that Dehra Dun would be the first place of assault, and had tasked Captain Balbhadra Kunwar with the fortification of the place. When Balbhadra Kunwar, commander of the Nepalese defence army at Dehradun, heard of the approach of the British Army and its size, he realised that it would be impossible to defend
8449-448: The four cannons installed on the fort's battlements to fall outside the fort, while the other fell inside. The other cannons that the Nepalese possessed were unusable, having either been disabled by misfiring during previous attacks, or because they had been buried under rubble in the British bombardment. Left without any cannons to reply, the garrison suffered heavy casualties. They continued to resist using gunfire and stones, but eventually
8568-426: The garrison, and having suffered significant losses. British casualties for the day amounted to 37 dead and over 443 wounded. After two failed attempts to capture the fort by straight forward attacks, the British resorted to attrition tactics . On 28 November, instead of launching another infantry assault, the fort was encircled from all sides and placed under siege. This prevented Nepalese reinforcements from entering
8687-405: The ground. These were covered by cannons that were placed where they could be most effective, and a wicket gate that flanked a large part of the wall, was left open but cross-barred, to make it difficult for attacking soldiers to enter but also to channel their advance towards a cannon that had been placed at the gate to enfilade its approach with showers of grapeshot . Following their arrival,
8806-492: The height of territorial disputes in 1814 – the onset of the Anglo-Nepalese War. Contents from the Treaty of Sagauli illustrate that clashes over territorial views aided in causing the war. Article 2 states, “The Raja of Nepal renounces all claim to the lands which were the subject of discussion between the two States before the war, and acknowledges the right of the Honourable Company to the sovereignty of those lands.” British forces’ focus on land and territoriality throughout
8925-501: The help of an ousted Palpali king, Major General Wood planned to march on Siuraj, Jit Gadhi and Nuwakot with a view to bypass the Butwal defenses, flushing out minor opposition on the axis, and assault Palpa from a less guarded flank. Nepalese Colonel Ujir Singh Thapa had deployed his 1200 troops in many defensive positions including Jit Gadhi, Nuwakot Gadhi and Kathe Gadhi. The troops under Colonel Ujir were very disciplined and he himself
9044-415: The hopelessness of the situation, felt that instead of confronting certain death by remaining in the fort, it was better to escape to the hills and hold their position there. Perhaps unable to convince their commanders with words, the escaping men caught hold of their Captain and other officers by their arms, and dragged them away from the fort. Learning of this new movement, the British renewed their fire; but
9163-623: The individuals of our nation, from the duty he owed his own, to fight against us collectively. The fighting around Nalapani, more than any other battle, established the reputation of the Gurkhas as warriors, and won the admiration of the British. Gillespie had been killed and Balbhadra and his 600 men had held the might of the British and their native Indian troops for a month. Even with only 70 remaining survivors after his water source had been cut off, Balbhadra had refused to surrender, and instead had charged out and successfully fought his way through
9282-451: The largest and most fertile of these constitutes the valley of Nepal Proper. To the westward of Nepal, there is a difficult tract, till the country again opens in the valley of Gorkah, the original possession of the present dynasty. – Westward of this the country is again difficult, till it somewhat improves in the district of Kemaoon. Further to the westward lies the valley of the Dhoon, and
9401-576: The largest, was commanded by Major-General Marley, and was intended to seize the pass at Makwanpur , between Gunduk and Bagmati, the key to Nepal, and to push forward to Kathmandu : thus at once carrying the war into the heart of the enemy's country. This force consisted of 8,000 men, including his Majesty's 24th foot of 907 strong; there was a train attached to it of four 18-pounders, eight 6- and 3-pounders, and fourteen mortars and howitzers. The second division , at Benares , under command of Major-General Wood, having subsequently removed to Gorakhpur ,
9520-553: The late eighteenth century, therefore, the Company turned its attention toward trade between Tibet and British possessions in Bengal. Under the leadership of Warren Hastings , trade missions were carried out to further these trade interests with the goal of establishing commercial relations with Nepal, Bhutan, and, ultimately, Tibet. Tibet represented a source of Chinese silks, wool, dyestuffs, and other attractive commodities. The Gorkha’s conquest of Kathmandu Valley and Nepal’s push into
9639-480: The middle of November, on which account the Council did not apprehend my being subjected to any sudden inconvenience through its disposal of the first sum. Luckily I was upon such frank terms with the Nawab Vizier, as that I could explain to him fairly my circumstances. He agreed to furnish another crore; so that the Honourable Company was accommodated with above two millions and a half sterling on my simple receipt. In
9758-490: The model of the companies of East India's sepoy battalions. The conviction that the Nepalese raids into the flatlands of the Terai , a much prized strip of fertile ground separating the Nepalese hill country from India, increased tensions – the British felt their power in the region and their tenuous lines of communication between Calcutta and the northwest were under threat. Since there was no clear border, confrontation between
9877-425: The name of a valley. The roads are very insecure, and invariably pathways over mountains, or the beds of rivers, the usual means of transport throughout the country being by hill porters. Notwithstanding this general description, spaces comparatively open and hollow, and elevated tracts of tolerably level land, are to be met with, but so completely detached as to contribute but little to facilitate intercourse. One of
9996-652: The name of the Nepal Turrye, but the period at which the acquisition was made is not ascertained. The general military character of the country is that of extreme difficulty. Immediately at the front of the hills the plain is covered with the Great Saul Forest, for an average width of ten or twelve miles; the masses of the mountains are immense, their sides steep, and covered with impenetrable jungle. The trenches in these ridges are generally water-courses, and rather chasms or gulfs than any thing that deserves
10115-408: The nation's historical narrative, while Balbhadra himself has become a national hero. The fighting spirit displayed by the Nepalese in this and other following battles of Anglo-Nepalese War ultimately led to the recruitment of Gurkhas into the British forces. The battle provides the setting to a Nepali musical drama called Nalapanima written by Bal Krishna Sama and composed by Shiva Shankar . In
10234-467: The nature of the Ghoorkhas may have been found in other quarters, there was here no cruelty to wounded or to prisoners; no poisoned arrows were used; no wells or waters were poisoned; no rancorous spirit of revenge seemed to animate them: they fought us in fair conflict, like men; and, in intervals of actual combat, showed us a liberal courtesy worthy of a more enlightened people. So far from insulting
10353-496: The necessary assets from India. Traditionally the company had bought Indian produce and sold it in London; but this no longer made economic sense. The staple Indian export was cotton goods, and demand for these was declining as home-produced textiles captured the British market. So the company was having to transfer its assets in another, more complicated and expensive way. It was having to ship its Indian textiles to Canton; sell them on
10472-494: The new and ambitious Governor-General Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings , the Earl of Moira, the long-standing diplomatic disputes between British India and the Kingdom of Nepal, caused by expansionist policies of both parties, descended into open hostility. The British East India Company sought to invade Nepal not just to secure the border and to force the Nepali government to open trading routes to Tibet, but also for what Hastings saw as
10591-511: The possibility of an alliance between Nepal and Sikhs in northern India. The Company believed that if Nepal was expelled from its Western lands, the “Terai” region, it would no longer pose a danger. In 1814, this is what the British set out to do, alongside a goal of establishing a second Residency in Kathmandu to keep a close watch on the nation. In May 1814, British forces in Nepal temporarily left to escape malaria season. When Nepali forces aimed to reassert power, Company officials were killed in
10710-624: The process. In 1814, Warren Hastings – Governor General of Bengal – officially declared war on Nepal. 16,000 troops were then sent to invade Nepal in September 1814. The Treaty of Sagauli (1816) then marked the end of the Anglo-Nepalese War. The Shah era of Nepal began with the Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah invading Kathmandu Valley, which consisted of the capital of the Malla confederacy. Until then, only
10829-427: The siege. It set the tone for the rest of the campaign. Fraser recorded the situation in the following terms: The determined resolution of the small party which held this small post for more than a month, against so comparatively large a force, must surely wring admiration from every voice, especially when the horrors of the latter portion of this time are considered; the dismal spectacle of their slaughtered comrades,
10948-485: The small party which held this small post for more than a month, against so comparatively large a force, must surely wring admiration from every voice, especially when the horrors of the latter portion of this time are considered; the dismal spectacle of their slaughtered comrades, the sufferings of their women and children thus immured with themselves, and the hopelessness of relief, which destroyed any other motive for their obstinate defence they made, than that resulting from
11067-621: The struggle in January 1804, and all his land was annexed. Further west, general Amar Singh Thapa overran lands as far as Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, the strongest fort in the hill region, and laid siege to it. However, Maharaja Ranjit Singh , the ruler of the Sikh state in Punjab, intervened and had driven the Nepalese army east of the Sutlej River by 1809. In the years leading up to the war,
11186-678: The subjugation of Mysore, the Marathas, the Pindaris, the Nepalese and the Burmese." When the Kathmandu Durbar solicited Nepalese chiefs' opinions about a possible war with the British, Amar Singh Thapa was not alone in his opposition, declaring that – "They will not rest satisfied without establishing their own power and authority, and will unite with the hill rajas , whom we have dispossessed. We have hitherto but hunted deer; if we engage in this war, we must prepare to fight tigers." He
11305-420: The sufferings of their women and children thus immured with themselves, and the hopelessness of relief, which destroyed any other motive for their obstinate defence they made, than that resulting from a high sense of duty, supported by unsubdued courage. This, and a generous spirit of courtesy towards their enemy, certainly marked the character of the garrison of Kalunga, during the period of its siege. Whatever
11424-545: The territory of Sue-na-Ghur; and further still, the more recent conquests, stretching to the village, in which Umar Sing, a chief of uncommon talents, commanded, and indeed, exercised an authority almost independent. The initial British campaign was an attack on two fronts across a frontier of more than 1,500 kilometres (930 mi), from the Sutlej to the Koshi. In the eastern front, Major-General Bennet Marley and Major-General John Sullivan Wood led their respective columns across
11543-411: The time, effort, and resources spent to capture the small fort, it was a pyrrhic victory for the British. A number of later engagements, including one at Jaithak , unfolded in a similar way; but more than any other battle of the war, the fighting around Nalapani established the Gurkhas ' reputation as warriors. As a result, they were later recruited by the British to serve in their army. In 1814 under
11662-452: The two powers was "necessary and unavoidable". Britain formally declared war on Nepal on 1 November 1814. Economic interests also represent vital causes of the Anglo-Nepalese War. First, the British sought to utilize the trans-Himalayan trade routes through Kathmandu and eastern Nepal. These routes would create access to untapped markets for British manufactured goods in Tibet and China. In
11781-543: The two powers. The occupation of Terai of Butwal from 1804 till 1812 by the Nepalese, which was under British protection, was the immediate reason which led to the Anglo-Nepalese war in 1814. In October 1813, the ambitious the Earl of Moira , assumed the office of the Governor-General, and his first act was to re-examine the border dispute between Nepal and British East India Company. These disputes arose because there
11900-486: The usurpations in Butwal and Sheoraj, and whose family derived most of the advantages. Prinsep estimates that the revenue of the usurped lands could not have been less than a lakh of rupees a year to the Nepalese, in the manner they collected it: the retention of this income was therefore an object of no small importance to the ambitious views of Bhimsen Thapa and the preservation of the influence he had contrived to establish for his family. The Nepalese prime minister realized
12019-516: The various articles of this Treaty exemplifies that territorial concern helped spur the war. Article 3 further states, “The Raja of Nepal hereby cedes to the Honourable the East India Company in perpetuity all the under-mentioned territories,” followed by the listing of five very detailed territorial spaces. When describing one of these ceded lands, for example, the Treaty states, “hills eastward of
12138-425: The walls of the fort still had not been finished, although they had been raised slightly. As a result of the hasty construction work, even at the wall's lowest part, it was high enough that the attacking force would need ladders to reach the top of the rampart. Every point where the fort was approachable, or thought weak by its defenders, was bolstered by stockades made out of stones and stakes that had been stuck into
12257-656: The wealthy Kathmandu Valley provided the Gorkha army with economic support for furthering their martial ambitions throughout the region. To the north, however, aggressive raids into Tibet over a long-standing dispute over trade and control of the mountain passes triggered Chinese intervention. In 1792, the Chinese Qianlong Emperor sent an army that expelled the Nepalese from Tibet to within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of their capital, Kathmandu. Acting Regent Bahadur Shah (Prithvi Naryan's younger son) appealed to
12376-468: Was 363 strong; the third, under Major Kelly, was made up of 541 men; the fourth, under Captain Campbell, had 283 men; while 939 men made up the reserve, under Major Ludlow. It was intended for these columns to ascend from different points, at a signal made through the guns firing in a specific manner, and thus attack the Nepalese from different sides. In doing so, the British hoped to divert the attention of
12495-651: Was Lord Moira. All four divisions composed mostly of Indian Sepoys. Ochterlony's army was the only division without a single British battalion. In conclusion, the Gorkhali Army defeated the British on three fronts consisting the middle and the east whereas lost the remaining two fronts in the west. Major General Marley was tasked to occupy Hetauda and capture the fortresses of Hariharpur and Makawanpur before proceeding to Kathmandu. His frontage of advance lay between Rapati river and Bagmati river. After additional reinforcements, he had 12,000 troops for his offensive against
12614-494: Was a superior-quality wool : the exquisitely soft and durable animal down that had been used since time immemorial to make the famous wraps, or shawls, of Kashmir. This down was found only on the shawl-wool goat, and the shawl-wool goat was found only in certain areas of western Tibet. It refused to breed anywhere else. This explains why, under the terms of the treaty of 1816, Nepal was required to surrender its far western provinces. Hastings hoped that this territory, partly annexed by
12733-507: Was a dedicated and able commander. He was famous for exploiting advantage in men, material, natural resources and well versed in mountain tactics. The British advance took place on 6 January 1814, to Jit Gadh. While they were advancing to this fortress, crossing the Tinau River, the Nepalese troops opened fire from the fortress. Another of the attackers' columns was advancing to capture Tansen Bazar. Here too, Nepalese spoiling attacks forced
12852-440: Was a flawed strategy is explained by P.J. Marshal : "Political safety meant military preparedness. The military expenditure for 1761–62 to 1770–71 was 44 percent of the total spending of 22 million pounds. War and diplomacy rather than trade and improvement; most of the soldiers-would-be politicians and Governor Generals rarely understood. The political safety of Bengal was their first priority and they interpreted safety as requiring
12971-480: Was against the measures adopted in Butwal and Sheeoraj, which he declared to have originated in the selfish views of persons, who scrupled not to involve the nation in war to gratify their personal avarice. This contrasts sharply with the prime minister of Nepal, Bhimsen Thapa – " ... our hills and fastness are formed by the hand of God, and are impregnable." This stance by Bhimsen Thapa is not surprising, as insinuated by Amar Singh, considering Bhimsen Thapa had made
13090-481: Was formed under Gillespie, and originally consisted of one British infantry regiment, the 53rd , which with artillery and a few dismounted dragoons, made up about 1,000 Europeans. In addition to this, there were about 2,500 native infantrymen; this made up a total force of 3,513 men. Once assembled, it marched directly to Dehra Dun , which was the principal town in the Dun Valley . After having captured or destroyed
13209-445: Was killed on the first day of the siege while rallying his men and despite considerable odds, both in terms of numbers and firepower, Balbhadra and his 600-strong garrison, which also consisted of brave women who reportedly shielded the bullets and cannonballs with their bodies, successfully held out against more than 5,000 British troops for over a month. Fraser recorded the situation in the following terms: The determined resolution of
13328-411: Was located. The fort was constructed in an irregular shape, having been built to conform with the shape of the ground upon which it was situated, and at the time the British entered the Dun Valley, its walls had not been finished. Upon their arrival, the British found the Nepalese defenders working to improve the fort's defences and raising the height of the walls. By the time the first attack took place,
13447-520: Was meant to enter the hills by the Bhootnuill pass, and, turning to the eastward, to penetrate the hilly districts, towards Kathmandu, and cooperate with the first division, while its success would have divided the enemy's country and force into two parts, cutting off all the troops in Kumaon and Garhwal from communication with the capital. Its force consisted of his Majesty's 17th foot, 950 strong, and about 3000 infantry, totaling 4,494 men; it had
13566-464: Was no fixed boundary separating the Nepalese and the British. A struggle with the former was unpromising as the British were ignorant of the country or its resources and, despite their technological superiority, it was a received persuasion that the nature of the mountainous tract, which they would have to penetrate, would be as baffling to them as it had been to all the efforts of many successive Mahomedan sovereigns. A border commission imposed on Nepal by
13685-417: Was perfectly understood by his successor, so that the latter came forward with a spontaneous offer of a crore of rupees, which I declined as a peishcush or tribute on his accession to the sovereignty of Oude, but accepted as a loan for the Honourable Company. Eight lacs were afterwards added to this sum, in order that the interest of the whole, at six per cent, might equal the allowances to different branches of
13804-421: Was shortly after informed from Calcutta, that it had been deemed expedient to employ fifty four lacs of the sum obtained by me in discharging an eight per cent loan, that the remainder was indispensable for current purposes, and it was hoped I should be able to procure from the Nawab Vizier a further aid for the objects of the war. This took place early in autumn, and operations against Nepaul could not commence till
13923-409: Was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War. The battle took place around the Nalapani fort, near Dehradun , which was placed under siege by the British between 31 October and 30 November 1814. The fort's garrison was commanded by Captain Balbhadra Kunwar , while Major-General Rollo Gillespie , who had previously fought at the Battle of Java , was in charge of the attacking British troops. Gillespie
14042-492: Was to be the Sector Commander of Makawanpur-Hariharpur axis. He was given a very large fortress and about 4,000 troops with old rifles and a few pieces of cannons. But the British could not move forward from the border. Colonel Ranabir Singh Thapa had been trying to lure the enemies to his selected killing area. But Major General Wood would not venture forward from Bara Gadhi and he eventually fell back to Betiya. With
14161-652: Was to operate in the hilly country lying near the Sutlej: it assembled under Brigadier-General Ochterlony, and was destined to advance against the strong and extensive cluster of posts held by Amar Singh and the troops under his immediate orders at and surrounding arki, a considerable town of Kahlur , and to cooperate with the forces under Major-General Gillespie, moving downwards among the hills, when these positions should be forced, surrounding Amar Singh, and driving him upon that army. The force consisted exclusively of native infantry and artillery, and amounted to 5,993 men; it had
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