British Strategies for Destroying Trio Hindu Powers -1

Anglo Nepalese War with   Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -13

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -134   

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -655

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student) 

     When in early 1814, Governor General Hastings and others came to know about Butwal massacre by Nepalese it was obvious that British had to go for war to retain the territory and lost prestige. However, the common people and many Company officials and supporters had perception that Nepal would calm down after a couple of altercations.

           Nugent the Ex Army Chief of East India Company had an opinion that the war would not be bigger and Company had been winner in small disputes with Nepal. Hastings had already sent the reports of altercations with Nepal to the Company Directors. In February 1814, Company Directors sent order to Hastings for using arms against Nepalese encroachments. Directors were of opinion that the action would be small time battle. However, Hastings had another strategy. Hastings planned long term war with Nepal from various fronts and Directors were unaware about Hastings opinion.

                    Has Directors would be aware of Hastings strategies they would have never given permission to Hastings for starting war with Nepal (Premble).

              Hastings was of opinion that Nepalese small altercations were not small ones but they were indication of danger for Company’s existence. Hastings had large army experiences and had support from Court and prince. Hastings had plan to capture all Indian Kingdoms for East India Company. His aim was expanding British Rule.

      Hastings studied and analyzed that Three Hindu Powers were eager to take place of Mogul Empire- Maratha, Sikh and Gurkha. Those Three Hindi Powers had surrounded the Company Territory from North, South and West. Hastings had opinion that there must be secret treaty among those Three Hindu Powers.

               Nepalese Ambassadors in Maratha and Sikh Kingdoms

  There was no doubt that Nepal Court and its members were always eager for deputing its ambassadors to other Kingdoms especially Maratha and Sikh courts.  In April 1813, the Nepalese diplomat Padmapani reached to the camp of Daulatrav Scindia at Gwalior. In August 1814, he sent a letter to Bhim Sen Thapa that Daulat Rao Scindia had assured that Daulat Rao would help Nepal in Nepal-British war.

   In February 1815, the Nepalese Diplomat Prithvivilas took letter from Amar Singh Thapa to Ranjit Singh Court. Amar Singh Thapa suggested a long strategy against British. A letter from Amar Singh Thapa to Nepal court suggests that there was a secret treaty between Thapa and Ranjit Singh (Chaudhari, Indo-Nepalese Relations). The treaty was that if Amar Singh Thapa became successful against British, Ranjit Singh would also attack on East India Company.

  When after Sigauli treaty, the East India Company ambassador Edward Gardner reached to Nepal Court he also informed that there was secret Treaty among Nepal, Scindia and Ranjit Singh against British. Historian Chaudhari also vouched that there was secret accord among Nepal, Scindia and Ranjit Singh before Anglo-Nepalese war. After war, it came out that Pune Peshva also encouraged having war with British. Peshva was hopeful that in case Company was engaged with war in hills  he would take advantage against British.

  Nepalese Historian Chitranjan Nepali (General Bhim Sen Thapa ar Tatkalin Nepal) writes that Nepal was not only having interested to have treaty with Indian Kings but with the rulers of China, Burma, Tibet and Persia to go against British. When Anglo Nepalese war started in 1814,  BhimSen Thapa asked help from various Indian Kings and rulers of China and Tibet. Maratha, Sikh, Rohila were dissatisfied with British polices of expansion and Nepal Prime minster sent his emissaries to various parts of India and other countries.

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

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com2/7/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -656

*** 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

Balchandra 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

Nagendra kr Singh, Refugee to Ruler

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,