Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah Winning Kirtipur and Defeating East India Company

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -11

  

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -530

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

                          Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah Winning Kirtipur

          Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah captured Dhulikhet, Chaukot, Panauti, Khangyur and Benapa. Afraid from Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah, collectively the Kings of Lumjung and Chaubisi attacked on Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1763. However Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah defeated them and they ran away from battlefield.  In 1761, Sur Pratap the brother of Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked on Kirtipur. This was second attack of Gorkha on Kirtipur.

 Kirtipur army fought bravely and defeated Gorkha Army. Kirtipur soldier threw an arrow on Sur Pratap Shah and he lost his eye. Gorkha army returned back.

          Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah was in rage. He surrounded Kirtipur from all side and stopped food and other supply for Kirtipur.  Army of Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah entered into Kirtipur fort. The Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah army assured the Kirtipur people to surrender and there won’t be any harm to them. People surrendered before Gorkha army.

 However, cruel Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah sent message to his brother Surupratna to cut the nose and lips of all people barring children. Gorkha army cut the nose and lips of people with force. He also ordered that cut nose and lips should be preserved that he would see those in his visit to Kirtipur.

 Gorkha army cut nose and lips of Kirtipur people. Many people did suicide as they could not bear the shame of nose-lessness and lip-lessness.

  Christian Missionary Father Michel requested to stop the inhuman deeds but Gorkha army was bent to cut nose and lips of people. It was said that the weight of cut nose and lips was 17 Dharni or 40.61 Kilograms.

           

           Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah defeating east India Army

     After winning Nuvakot and Makwanpur, Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah blocked the channel of trade of East India Company with Nepal region and Tibet. Nepal region used to export rice (two lakh Man per year (one Man =40 Kg app)) , Grains, Ghee, oil seeds, leather, spices, copper, live stock  and other materials. Indian goods as cotton and cotton dresses, suger, salt were exported to Nepal.

 Indian traders and East India Company’s agents had stocking stores and houses in Nepal.

 East India Company was interested to export goods from India to China and Tibet via Nepal.

 Due to economic blockade by Prithvi Narayan Shah, Bhadgaon, Patan and Kathmandu experienced economic depression.

 Kathmandu King Jay Prakash Mall was aware about Hills Kingdoms were not capable to help him, So, Mall  sent his emissary to East India Company for help against Prithvi Narayan Shah in April 1767.

       Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah was keeping watch on Jay Prakash Mall. Prakash Narayan Shah sent a letter to east India Company. Jay Prakash Mall was ready to pay for the expenses of East India Company army. East India Company got Baksar under them in 1764. Gorkha army used to attack on Baksar and loot there.

 On 30^th April 1767, Company sent a warning letter to Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah to lift the economic blockade on Kathmandu. Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah did not care for East India Company.

 Under the leadership of Captain Kinloch, East India Company sent army of 2800 soldiers to Nepal without judging the hill situation.  Kinloch reached to Sindhuligadhi via Janakpuri. Kinloch marched ahead and his troop faced the problem of food supply on the way to Kathmandu. The soldiers had to live without proper food. In the mean time, rain season started. Many soldiers ran away. There was flood in the way. The Bridge of Bagmati River fled. The loaders also ran away from the troop. Kinloch started to return back to Baksar. Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah army followed the East India Company Army till Tarai. Gorkha army killed East India Company soldiers. Out of 2800 soldiers, only 800 soldiers could return to Baksar.

   

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com6/1/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -531

(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

L.K Pradhan, Thapa Politics:

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;