Syuraj and Butbal Dispute between Nepal and East India Company

Anglo Nepalese War with   Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -8

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -129    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -650

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

               It is believed that disputes for Syuraj and Butbal between Nepal and East India were the main causes for Anglo Nepalese war. Initially Nepal Tarai regions Syuraj and Butbal were under Awadh. But Nabab offered that Land to Palpa in exchange of regular tax from Palpa to Awadh Nabab. Nabab handed over his territory to East India. Therefore, Syuraj and Butbal came under East India Company.  On those days, Palpa King Prithvipati Singh was in Gurkha Prison in Kathmandu. The Palpa King Representative assured through a letter to Gorakhpur Collector that Palpa King would pay annual tax for Rs thirty two thousand to Company regularly for the Syuraj and Butbal. After release from Kathmandu, Palpa King vouched the condition. However, again, Gurkha King Ranbahadur captured Palpa King and put in prison in Kathmandu. After murder of Ranbahadur, Bhim Singh Thapa killed Palpa King in Kathmandu.  Bhim Singh Thapa sent his father General Ambar Singh for administrating in Palpa.  Palpa King Family escaped to Gorakhpur and took asylum under Company.

           For some time Gurkha paid tax to East India Company. However, in later stage, Gurkha stopped paying tax to the Company. Ambar Singh started intervening in Syuraj and Butbal. He sent his representatives with soldier for collecting tax from Butbal (Sanwal).

       Governor General sent letter to Nepal King and asked not to disturb Butbal and asked him to call back his representative from Butbal. Governor General also requested Nepal Government to pay tax for Syuraj. Nepal King challenged right of Company on Syuraj and promised to pay tax for Butbal as Palpa King used to pay. Governor General Barlow refused argument of Nepal.

             The new Governor General Shore also wrote letter to Nepal King for taking back Nepalese army from Butbal.  Ambar Singh Thapa refused to obey request from the Company.  Gurkha was getting annual tax from the region for Rs one lakh.  With time, Gurkha soldiers were capturing villages of Butbal region regularly.

            There were letters from Company and situation did not improve. In 1813, when there was meeting in Gorakhpur for solving the border dispute, Gurkha captured more villages in Saran district.

                   

                                   Protest from Minto

             In 1813, Governor General Minto wrote a protesting letter that Company was acting patiently for resolving the border disputes but Nepal government acting opposite of resolving tactics. Minto wrote Gurkha and accept their faults. Minto wrote that Gurkha Government should punish the culprits (Malcolm, The Political History of India). The letter shows that Minto wanted peaceful settlement for border disputes with Nepal. Perhaps, Minto was ready for hard decisions. However, Minto had to leave India and Lord Hastings came in his place.

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

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com27/6/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -651

*** 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

Sanwal, Nepal and East India Company

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,