Warfare Management, Skill, campaign, Salary of Gurkha Army in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 57

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -120    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -641

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

                  Warfare Skill of Gurkha Army

            In Kathmandu, army administration used to have drill for soldiers and there was arrangement for training soldiers for discipline and warfare management. Such management raining was not accomplished in other parts of Gurkha Kingdom that is in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal. The real power of army did not depend on combined force of Nepali army but individual Gurkha soldier’s courage and do and die for King Attitude (John Premble).  Gurkha soldier was guerilla soldier by birth. Gurkha soldiers used to surround enemy by three fronts and used to believe cut the food supply and create scarcity in forts.

 The Gurkha soldiers were fast in building temporary shade by cut trees, mud and stone. From that temporary shade, Gurkha used to attack suddenly and were perfect in  defending the enemy force.

               Due to regular war and campaign, Gurkha became expert in making strategy immediately as per need.  Gurkha soldiers did not care for small or big difficulties. The soldiers were never afraid of death for protecting King’s interest. King’s prestige and Kingdom was main priority of each soldier.

                     Temporary Shades and Gadhi /Fortress

                There was no police system in Gurkha regime. The army used to look after local administration, judiciary too. Higher cadres used to keep soldiers in Gadhi or fort after winning the place. Most of fort in hills of Garhwal and Kumaon were normal house built by mud, stone and wood. Most of Gadhi used to be ninety feet long and twelve feet high. There was protecting structure on courtyard. .In many Gadhi water source used to be far and water was fetched from nearby water source (Nauli/Dhara). There used to less food grains etc than the need and looting nearby villages was the custom for satisfying the needs of soldiers.

                            Gadhi in Kumaon

 In Kumaon, there were following forts or Gadhi-

Pithoragadhi

Champawat

Lalmandi and

Naithana

Lalmandi was built by Gurkha and 400 soldiers used to be there. In Naithana Gadhi (Ramganga bank), there used to be around 150 soldiers.

                     Gadhis in Garhwal

 In Garhwal major Gadhis were Lobha

 Chandpur

 Gujdu

 Painkhanda

 Shrinagar

 Langurgadh, etc.

Atkinson reported that 150 soldiers used to be in Lobha and 100 soldiers in Langurgarh.

               Gadhis in Doon Valley

  There were following major Gadhis (Fort) in Dehradun

Dhamagarhi near Guru Ram Rai Durbar

Khalanga or Nalapani gadhi at Song River bank

Gurkha soldiers used occupy Moranigadhi in Sirmaur (that time old Garhwal).

          Gadhis or Forts of Gurkha in Himachal Pradesh

 Following major forts were there in Himachal occupied or built by Gurkha-

Dhar Mountain Fort built by Gurkha

Malan Mountain Fort built by Gurkha

Banasar for t built by Gurkha

Sabathu fort

Knagra Fort temporary fort

Parwanoo fort

Arki fort, Solan

              Campaign System of Gurkha Army

 The officers and soldiers used to take minimum requirements with them in army campaign, Besides, arms the soldiers used to take three time food materials, minimum of mattresses etc. The soldier used to have slave, chhokra –chhokri for transporting campaign materials. Soldiers and officer could rest /sleep under temporary camp made by three for legs and leaves.

 There was a system that the food need would be satisfied by taking foods from won villages.

The gun and gun fire machines were transported by slaves.

        Salary System of Soldiers of Gurkha Army

 The positioning in Gurkha army was adapted from Bengal army of East India Company. Army chief, or commander in chief, captain commander, colonel, mejhar, kaptan, laftan, subedar, dafedar, faujdar and sardar were positions of army personnel in Gurkha army.

The captain of battalion used to get salary for rs 5005.

Usually 100 soldier used to get salary of annual Rs 8672.

The reocord of Dhangu Kamin shows that the salary of each soldier was not same and the reord is as under (dr Dabral)-

 Shri ISht Devta Sharan Bhakti Thapasy Mudra

 Shri Durga 1 Swastishri Sardar Bhakti Thapsy patram age Dhangu ka Kamin Ghamdu Kalya Raut Gablu Sovanu Bhagdeu Bisht ke Jathochit prant … tesma hamile tanushagari pthanko chh heri frda vamojin deun –

Muktiram adhikar samet jana ---------------- 3 ke bali Ru 113

Prabal Thapa ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru 101

Chamu Thapa ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru 101 chatu patri ke 23

Lachiman Thapa ke samet jana -------------------1 ke bali Ru 21

Nari Shtri ke samet jana ------------------- 2 ke bali Ru 76

Indubhan Shatri ke samet jana ------------------- 3 ke bali Ru 185

Ramkrish Bhandari ke samet jana -------------------1 ke bali Ru 42

Shiv Choshal ke samet jana -------------------  1ke bali Ru 21

Ramasi Rana ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru 21

Bhyun Raj Thapa ke samet jana ----------------- 1 ke bali Ru 21

Arjun Sahi ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru57

Ransur Uchai ke samet jana -------------------1 ke bali Ru 57

Sundar Ghati  ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru 31

Banshidhar 6 ki sal 63 ko bali -------------------1  ke bali Ru 34

Sarvjit Thapa ke samet jana ------------------- 1 ke bali Ru 49

Bandeu Thapa ke sal 63 ko bli -------------------1 ke bali Ru 21

Pareshwar Rana Tularam sarv 63 Kaithai ------------------- ke bali Ru 181

                                                               Javan 25 ke bali ru 1152 sal 63 ke

 Bharibahrai Leshya mafik Vuktigari deu iti sambat 1864 sal ka chaitr ka 14 gate shubh

(From Awatar Singh Rawat Personal collection)

                   Bad behaviors of Soldier s with Citizens

              Gurkha solders had very bad behaviors with citizens. The soldiers and officers knew only exploitation of citizens only. They used to take citizens for transportations, and other works. In Garhwali King period, Brahmins were not used for transportation and Gurkha soldiers had argument that the foot of Brahmins are worshipped not the heads. The soldiers used to loot food materials without any compensation. Soldiers used to take house furniture to burn and making meal. The army men used to cut fruit trees to harass people. Fear conscious was the game of Gurkha soldiers.

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

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com17/6/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -642

*** 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,

Xx

Warfare Management, Skill, campaign, Salary of Gurkha Army in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal; Warfare Management, Skill, campaign, Salary of Gurkha Army in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal; Warfare Management, Skill, campaign, Salary of Gurkha Army in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal