History: Administration of Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa in Garhwal

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 9

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -74    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -593

                        By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

          Bhairon Thapa (1808-1811) replaced Hasti Dal Chautariya as Governor of Garhwal. Mola Ram / Maula Ram mentioned him as Bhairavbali.

     Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa was not liberal at all. Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa did not have cordial relation with people of Garhwal. On the contrary he was cruel and suppressive, oppressive. Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa was always susceptive with foreigners and strangers. Though, Nepal court granted permission to East India Company officers for travelling Garhwal, Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa put obstacles before them.

          Assisting officers under Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa

   The available record for assisting officers under Gurkha/Gorkha Governor Bhairon Thapa mentions names –Chhanu Bhandari, Buddhi Thapa, Parshuram Thapa, Jamadar Intirana Gurung. Those Gurkha/Gorkha officers were also cruel, oppressive. After some time, Bhairon Thapa, Buddhi Thapa, Parshuram Thapa had to go to Kangra for capturing the Kangra Fort.

 In his absence ‘Vichari’ and ‘Achari’ were administrating Garhwal.

   Shishth Thapa (son of Bhairon) became chief assisting administrator of Garhwal. Before coming to Garhwal, Shishth Thapa was Bhardar of Kumaon.

                   Assisting Gurkha /Gorkha Officers of Dhangu Region

  Mejor Poto, Subedar Balbhadra Karki, Subedar Gyanved, Jamadar Bagsingh, Jamadar Gangodu, Jamadar Ratandev Pande, Havdar Raghuveir Karki were officers.

Upendra Bhandari , Debya Bisht, Dileram Thapa, Gangaram, Ramsingh, Jyanshidatt, Kalubudha. Bhatubudha, Sobanu Bisht, Pavesur Rana, Bajvaran Thapa, Japu Khatri , Kaviraj, Sarvjit were soldiers or Javan in Dhangu. (Collection of Avtar Singh Rawat and mentioned by Dr Dabral)

         Suppression of People by Regional Gurkha/Gorkha Administrators

             The regional Gurkha/Gorkha administrators were suppressive and oppressive by all means. They were not satisfied by Nepal Court Salary. They added many inventive local levies on the subject.

Chait Kar- In Chait, Every Kamin/Thokdar  of Dhangu used to offer gifts or additional tax to Gurkha officers in the form of three buffalo, two goats

Navratri Puja in Asuj month- Every Kamin/Thokdar  of Dhangu used to offer gifts or additional tax to Gurkha officers in the form of four  buffalo, two goats.

 Timasi- Whenever a Gurkha/Gorkha Subedar or Faujdar used to visit a village, every family had to pay timasi (three ana) as gift.  In the record of Dhangu Kamin, Subedar ki Timasi’ and Faujdar ki Timasi is recorded.

According to Hearsay, Gurkha /Gorkha sold thirty thousand Garhwalis as slave. Due to oppressive method of Gurkha, around eighty thousand Garhwalis fled to plains of Garhwal. The people were not enthusiastic in farming. Many villages became barren and desert.

                  Letter by Mola Ram/ Maula Ram

 It is said that Mola /Maula ram sent a letter to Bhimsen Thapa about oppressive methods of Gurkha officers. Mola Ram requested Bhimsen Thapa to arrest the worsening situation. The local administrator withdrew the Jagir and daily allowances of Mola Ram. Mola Ram went to Nepal and got back his salary and Jagir.

                Arrival of Kunwar Veerbhadra

                Veer Bhadra was son of Kunvar Chandravir and son in law of Amar Singh Thapa. In 1809,Bhimsen Thapa sent Kunwar Veer Bhadra for capturing Kangra Fort.Kunwar Veer Bhadra reached Shrinagar in March. There were many companies of soldiers with Kunwar veer Bhadra. They were singing, dancing and playing various music instruments as Dhol, nagade, Damau etc). Soldierrs were having their won weapons.

 Kumnwar Veer Bhadra celebrated Holi or festival of colors in Shrinagar. Women were dancing before Gurkha/Gorkha soldiers.

  Kunwar Veer Bhadra left Shrinagar for Kangra in April 1809.

           Hemp Production in Garhwal Kumaon for British

  There was British factory in Kashipur. Rutherford was factory manager. In 1807, he paid advances to Kumaonis for growing hemp in farms.

Farmers grew hemp in Lakhnapur, Daron, Raugadh, Salam, Badari, Chaubisi, Acchyur, Mahrur, Gumdesh, Dhyanorau, Talla Chaukot.

 In Garhwal people of Pabola people grew hemp for British in Lobha, Badhan, Chaundkot, Chandpur, Dhanpur, and Devalgarh.

              Resin (Leesa ) Production

 Through a letter on 10^th April 1809, East India Company persuaded Nepal Government for producing Resin (Leesa ) from Pine trees in Kumaon and Doti. Nepal Government permitted East India Company for Resin extraction from Pine forests of Kumaon and Doti and later on Garhwal. Rutherford trained local people to extract Resin from pine trees.

 In 1811, there,  sourness started  in relation between British and Nepal government. By 1814, British caalld back its workers from Forests to Kahsipur.

** History, Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal...Remaining part, read in next chapter

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com26/3//2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -594

*** History of Gorkha/Gurkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued in next chapter  

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

XX

                    Reference

Atkinson E.T., 1884, 1886 , Gazetteer of  Himalayan Districts …

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 ko Aitihasik Rup Rekha

Chaudhari , Anglo  –Nepalese Relations

Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon

Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University  Press

Minyan Govrdhan Singh , History of Himachal Pradesh

A.P Coleman, 1999, A Special Corps

Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of aFive Years Residence at Nepaul Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

XXX

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ks kumson psr Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal, Uttarakhand;कुमाऊं , उत्तराखंड काइतिहास ; गढ़वाल , उत्तराखंड का इतिहास ; डोटी , पूर्व उत्तराखंड का इतिहास;गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का कुमाऊं पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं कागढ़वाल पर अधिकार इतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का हिमाचल पर अधिकारइतिहास ; गोरखाओं /गुर्खाओं का  इतिहास ; नेपाल इतिहास

Xx

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Pauri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Chamoli Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Rudraprayag Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Tehri Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Uttarkashi Garhwal; History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Dehradun Garhwal; 

History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Old Pauri Garhwal , History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Old Tehri Garhwal,     History:  Gurkha/Gorkha Army Administration in Dehradun, Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Old Pauri Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Tehri Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Dehradun Garhwal; History: Judiciary and Executive Gurkha/ Gorkha Administrative Officers in Kumaon