Rise of Brave Gorkha Commander Amar Singh Thapa

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -20

  

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -539

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

  Mother Queen and Care Taker (Nayab) Rajya Lakshi sent an army led by 31 year old commander Amar Singh Thapa for defusing the combined attack of Chaubisi Kings. Amar Singh Thapa was son of Bhim Sen Thapa who was effective commander of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Prithvi Narayan Shah appointed Bhim Sen as ruler of Nichauk under Gorkha Kingdom. Amar Singh Thapa was brave, courageous and war expert as his brave father. Amar Singh participated in many wars led by Prithvi Narayan Shah.

        Chaubisi Kings fought battles at Chinnauti, Sriha, Nichauk and Jyamruk to stop Amar Singh Thapa. However, Amar Singh Thapa won the Jyamruk territory. After winning Jyamruk, Amar Singh Thapa army won the battle of Tarkughat and captured Balibhanjan the army commander of Parvat Raj Kingdom and Bhakti Thapa the army commander of Lumjung Kingdom in the battle. Bali Bhajan died in prison. Bhakti Thapa accepted Gorkha command and he was offered a nominal position in Gorkha army. Later on, on west Campaign,  Bhakti Thapa was right hand of Amar Singh Thapa. In 1782, Tinhu and Lumjung Kingdoms were included into Gorkha Kingdom.

   In 1785, Amar Singh Thapa captured   Nuwakot West, Dhunvakot and Paiyun Kingdoms. Another commander Abhiyan Singh captured Palpa , Tanhu, Bhirkot and Rising regions.

 Rajya Lakshmi died in 1786. Her brother in law Bahadur Shah never gave chance her to be in peace. However, the Iron Lady Rajya Lakshmi saw that Gorkha Kingdom continued to expand its Kingdom. She has respectable name in Gorkha History. Rajya Lakshmi was so busy in day to day interference of Bahadur Shah that she could not pay attention in educating her son Ran Bahadur Shah. Therefore, Ran Bahadur Shah could not become a strong ruler. After death of Rajya Lakshmi, Bahadur Shah returned to Kathmandu and became again the Nayab or Care Taker King.

** Read more about Gorkha King Ran Bahadur in next chapter….

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com21/1/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -540

(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 

Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173

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