Unusual Army Appointment Rule of Gorkha Kingdom

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -36

  

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -555

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

        The average Gorkha men did not like other profession other than Army Service. Most of Gorkha man was always eager to enter into Gorkha Kingdom Army.

 There was unusual rule for Army soldiers. After completing a year in Army, the soldier was retired from the Army. The soldier was called ‘Jagriya’. Jagriya could not join army for two years of completing one year in Army. This way all the citizens were supposed to be enter into army. Since, everybody was interested to join Army, the retired jagriya joined Army after two years of retirement. In this situation the retired person used to prepare himself for ne w appointment.

Soldiers were totally devoted to the King only.

  Captain Knox offered following armed forces in Gorkha Kingdom in 1800-

Permanent soldiers- 40000

Gunmen---------------6000

Bow and Arrow men—3000

Sword men ---------------6000

Rocket men ---------------200

Big Guns (top) men -------50

Jagriya (were replaced in one year) used to be 13000 and Dhakriya (those were replaced in two years) used to be

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com12/2/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -555

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

XX

                    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

B D pande, Kumaon ka Itihas

Sharma , Nepal kin Aitihasik Rup Rekha

Chaudhari , Anglo  –Nepalese Relations

XX

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;