Anglo Nepalese War

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -122    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -643

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

              Main Reasons for Anglo- Nepalese War

    There had been disputes between East India Company and Nepal from the start and both were in expansion mood. On first November 1814, Lord General Moira declared war with Nepal. The main reasons for war were as

1-East India Company wanted expansion its trade with China and Tibet and Nepal was in between. Economic benefits were main reasons for conflicts.

2-Ther was continuous disputes for a few villages of Bhabhar of Kumaon and Garhwal.

 3-Hastings planned to finish Three Hindu Powers Maratha, Sikhs and Nepal one by one.

         Attraction for Trade from China and Tibet

                   In eighteenth century, East India Company was more anxious for trade with China. However, Chinese Government allowed British for trading only in Kaintnagar. British could have trade only with authorized Traders by Chinese Government. East India Company had to pay through Gold for buying Chinese products as spices etc. British had to pay by Gold for its import in India and British employees used to send money to England in Gold form only. British needed Gold. Tibet was a source of Gold supply.

      British wool did not have demand in India and East India wanted to sell its wool to Tibet and other Himalayan region of China. The tail of Chanvar Caw of Tibet was being used for lace in Britain. There was high potentiality for trade with Tibet. By logic there were high chances of profit by opening trade with Tibet.

    In Past, East India Company lost heavy army for war with Gurkha That war became end point for British to have trade with Tibet/China through Nepal.

                Trade through Bhutan

     It was not possible for British to win over Nepal King Prithvi Narayan Shah and open trade with Tibet through Nepalese Territory. In 1774, Governor General Hastings sent George Bogle for Bhutan to getting permission using Bhutan for British Traders visiting Tibet.  Bogle was also asked to get firsthand knowledge about Chanvar Gay tail etc in Bhutan. Bhutan King cooperated with George.

 As soon as Prithvi Narayan came to know about Bhutan visit by George Bogle, he wrote letter to Puncheon Lama and officers of Tibet be aware from British. Nepal King cautioned Tibet administration that the trade road should be as of past.

 Tibet and China were conscious of deceptive tactics of British people. They were not comfortable with East India as Nepal was not.

              Nepal as Trade Road

  British could not get success in trade link with Tibet through Bhutan. Nepal was the only way for r doing business with Tibet. In 1775, East India Company sent Maulvi Abdul Kadir for finding potentialities.

 Maulvi Kadir found –

Indian Hindu businessmen were not ready to visit Tibet directly as there was no food available for Hindu and caw meat was a must for feeding.

Nepal never offered protection to Indian Businessmen or traders.

The Nepalese traders used to get following huge profit by trade between Tibet and India-

Articles -------------------------------------Profit Percent Nepal------------PP through Lhasa

Broadcloth, Dress materials by Mahu,

 Kharua Cotton, Bengali tusser,

Balance and watt etc ---------------------------------25 -------------------------60

Shield --------------------------------------------------25--------------------------60

Gems --------------------------------------------------37---------------------------75

Diamond , Indigo -------------------------------------25--------------------------100

 The traders of Newar, Nepal were commission agents for Tibet and Indian businessmen and used to ear by being agent. Therefore, Nepal government was not ready that East India Company did business with Tibet directly

 Kadir suggested that Company should open Stores in the following border places-

1-Baksaduar in Koochbihar

2-Champaran of Bihar

3-Butbal in Nabab Vajir Kingdom

4-South of Kumaon (Kashipur)

5- Laldhang, Haridwar and Kankhal

Those places were having amicable season for Tibet traders. The aim was that Tibet traders would come there for buying and selling and escaping Nepalese traders margins of profits.

** Most of references and details were taken from Dr Dabral

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com19/6/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -644

*** 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 a Five Years Residence at Nepal Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

Minyan Prem Singh, Guldast Tabarikh Koh Tihri Garhwal

Patiram Garhwal , Ancient and Modern

Tara Datt Gairola, Parvtiy Sanskriti

John Premble, Invasion of Nepal

Chitranjan Nepali, Bhimsen Thapa aur Tatkalin Nepal

XXX

History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Sirmour Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Kangara Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Baghat Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Punar Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Uttarkashi Garhwal, Bageshwar Kumaon, Uttarakhand;  Nahan Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Dehradun Garhwal, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History Himachal; 

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ka Kumaon par  Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal,