History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 56
History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -119
History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -640
By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)
Central Himalaya was difficult terrain for others to win over. However, Nepali/Gurkha soldiers were habitual of such difficult terrain. The Gurkha/Gorkha soldiers were better trained and patriotic than small Kingdoma of Nepal, Doti, Katyur and Chand Kingdoms of Kumaon, Garhwal, and Kingdoms of Himachal. In north India Ranjit Singh had better army than Gurkha in 1814.
Gurkha Soldiers
In Nepal Army, there were Gurkha Chhetri soldiers in lower, middle and high cadres. Thapas were more in numbers than other communities. In lower cadre soldiers, the Magar soldiers were high in numbers and then Gurang. Both the communities belonged to Mongol breed.
Gurkha, Magar and Gurung were idol soldiers in terms of sacrificing their lives for the King. They were simple and were not prejudiced by hard rules of Hindu religion. Those Nepali soldiers could take food in dress opposite of Hindu soldiers who used to take off dresses at the time of taking food. They used to take food in Army mess and could accept anything barring Beef.
Army Training
Gurkha army was totally Infantry army and its structure was based on Bengal Army of East India Company in time Clive. Initially, army was divided into Companies. However, when Bhimsen Thapa reached Nepal from Banaras he created apposition Battalion. He created Captain Position for commanding each battalion. The commanders used to have parade of soldiers in Tundakhet as norms of East India Company parade and commanders used the same training vocabulary of East India Company. The soldiers were as compatible in parading as the soldiers of East India Company (Nepali poet Jadunath Pokharal). Nepali offers quotes of Jadunath who writes –
“Every morning, after Army Siren, the soldiers reached to Tundakhet ground for parade. Enthusiastic soldiers had a flag before each battalion. The Major used to take attendance by pen. If any soldiers found absent due to illness, the officer used to visit the soldiers for remedies.”
The trainers used be those East India Company soldiers who left Company due to any reason.
Though, King Prithvi Narayan used have doubts on foreign commanders he appointed three French Gunmen who used to produce gun fighting machines and used to train Nepali gun men.
Tow Europeans Vairnese and Bel were based in Kathmandu. Vairnese was appointed army trainer too.
When army used to march for new initiative, there was music march before army starts.
Army Dresses
At the end of eighteenth century, Nepali army started having dresses for the soldiers. The dres of soldiers used to be of red Kurti (Shirt) and they used to have white Gurkha cap. The officers used to have dress resembling English officers. The tag on officer’s dress did not have any meaning. Offiers and soldiers used to have Khukri in their waste. Khukhri handle used to be embroided by gold as of Hastidal Chautariya and silver plating of soldier’s Khukri.
Chiranjan Nepali stated that Nepali army did not follow British army for dresses but followed French Army.
Arms and Ammunitions of Gurkha Army
There following weaponries with Gurkha Soldiers-
Swords
Khukri
Bow and Arrows
Shields
Spears
Khanda and Bhujal (Axes, Sickle)
Guns
Khukri was used only to would the opponents.
Gorkhas also got arms as copied from Chinese weaponries.
Gun arms were bought from British or produced there.
Prithvinarayn bought guns from Kolkata. Later on started manufacturing in Nepal. There was fault in manufacturing guns in Nepal.
When there was more demands of guns etc, Nepal government imported guns from Nagina. Nagina was major centre of modern guns at that time.
Numbers of Soldiers
Though, Ranbahadur informed East India that he had 40000 soldiers in 1800. But that information was not correct.
It is presumed that in 1814, the following situation was there for numbers of soldiers (Preamble) -
Region ------------------------------
Kathmandu and Plapya------------------------
East of Klai River, Doti etc ------------------------------
Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal----------------------
-Total------------------------
The permanent army was called battalion. Half the armed forces were kept in Kathmandu as reserve. In each company there were 100 soldiers. A battalion had 500 soldiers.
Each year soldiers were appointed and were replaced every year. The retired soldiers were called Dhakriya and could not get appointment in army for next two years. At needs, the Nepal government could call those Dhakaiya.
Nepal government used to hire temporary soldiers too. In east of Nepal, Kirat and Imbus were kept as casual soldiers. Pindaris were in border. Garhwali and Kumaunis were also appointed casual soldiers.
Those soldiers were not paid salaried but were free to loot at the time of battle or otherwise and get payment by themselves. A few soldiers were given tax free land in place of salaries. According Hiyarse, the numbers of causal soldiers in Kumaon and Garhwal were double than permanent soldiers While Akhatarali stated that the numbers of casual soldiers were half than permanent ones (John Preamble).
** Most of references and details were taken from Dr Dabral
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com16/6/2015
History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -641
*** 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,
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