Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah: First King of Unified Nepal

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -6

  

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -525

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

 Prithvi Narayan Shah (1743-10January 1775) was born in 1723 and coroneted in 1743. At the same time his father in law the King of Makwanpur invited Prithvi Narayan to take his wife (daughter of Makwanpur King) . Prithvi Narayan reached to Makwanpur. However, Pritvi Narayan created conflict there for a pity matter. Prithvi Narayan Shah returned without wife.

                                             Attack on Nuvakot

   Returning without wife, Prithvi Narayan was feeling insulted. He sent his army chief Biraj Thapa with big army for capturing Nuvakot. Nuvakot army defeated Gorkha army. Rattled with defeat, Prithvi Narayan sent another force under Maheshwar Pant. There was competition between Thapa and Pant to defeat Nuvakot. Nuvakot army generals were devoted to their Kingdom and wisely they defeated both the Gorkha army.

                    Collection of Arms and Ammunition by Prithvi Narayan Shah

            Getting defeat from Nuvakot, Prithvi Narayan was forced to pay attention on his force, arms and ammunition and strategies.

   In the mean time, Rohilla captured Kumaon. Till then, Hill Kingdoms were supposed to be unwinnable by army from plains. The stories about weakness of Kumaon and looting by Rohillas spread all over Hill regions.

         It was known that Rohillas used guns and gun powders taken from British people. The Christian missionaries and tourists from Varanasi also told to people of Gorkha that British guns are more lethal than conventional weapons.

 Prithvi Narayan handed over the Kingdom to his confident minister Kalu Pande and came to Varanasi with his aids. There with the help of his father in law Ahiman Singh and a Avsthi sage, Prithvi Narayan Shah purchased gun powder and guns in ample quantity and came to Gorkha. He got trained his men for gun powder arms. He opened to factories for manufacturing gun powder and guns in Gorkha land. The trainers Sheikh Jabar, Muhmmad Takki, Bhairav Singh were called from plains. They trained Gorkha army for using guns etc.

 Prithvi Narayan Shah made army training for every male citizen compulsory.

Rea more about Prithvi Narayan Shah in next chapter….

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com31/12/2014 

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -526

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

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                    Reference

Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories

Colnol Kirkpatrik 1811, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal

Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda

Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race

Krishna Rai Aryal, 1975, Monarchy in Making Nepal, Shanti Sadan, Giridhara, Nepal

I.R.Aryan and T.P. Dhungyal, 1975, A New History of Nepal , Voice of Nepal

Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

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History of Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Dehradun Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Uttarkashi Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Nainital, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Almora, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Uttarakhand;  Gorkha Rule over Bageshwar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Champawat, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh; History of Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Gorkha Rule over Himachal Pradesh;