Hastings’s Preparation for War with Nepal

Anglo Nepalese War with   Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -15

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -136   

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -657

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student) 

                  Fundamental Problems in Tarai for East India Company Soldiers

                  Warren Hastings had already decided that the Company would not destroy Nepal but would weaken drastically. Hastings wanted breaking Nepal backbone. The Company soldiers were experienced of battles in plains. There was long Tarai region between East India Company territory and Nepal Hill region. Tarai region had fundamental problems for human beings. Malaria was very common disease in summer and rainy season.  The dense forests and marsh land of Tarai and Bhabhar in rainy season were hurdles in transporting arms, ammunition and armed forces. It was compulsion that attack on hill regions of Nepal was possible from October only.  Hastings was aware that he had to prepare for war within five months from April. It was essential that the Company Army had to be nearest places of Nepal borders.

                           Major Gurkha Army Centers /Terrains  

                      The Nepal border with India was more than eight hundred miles. It was not easy to suppress such enemy where border was so long. Nepal had following major Army centers –

Kathmandu – There used to be five to six hundred soldiers as it was in centre place.

Palapa- There were around twelve hundred soldiers under Ambar Singh Thapa.

Doti or East of Kali River- In various forts (Gadhi) there were more than thirty five hundred soldiers.

 West of Kali River- There were more than thirty five hundred soldiers in various places of Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal. Out of those 3500 soldiers, Amar Singh Thapa had two third soldiers of those numbers.

          Hastings made plan that in any case, the Nepalese soldiers would not gather at one place and they would also not make riots in company territories. Hastings decided to attack at various strategic places to Nepal Army.

                   War Strategies of Hastings

               Hastings decided to have two major portions for making strategy.

1-East of Kali River- Gurkha captured various Nepalese territories from small Kings. Gurkha were more organized here in Nepal Territory.

2- West of Kali River- Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal were in that territory. The citizens and local administers were totally dissatisfied from Nepalese suppression. The People of Garhwal and Himachal were ready to help those powers who could free them from Gurkha oppression.

   Hastings made war strategy as follows to attack on Major Nepalese Army centers simultaneously

1-Makwanpur Territory- Major General Marley was in charge of First Davison of Dinapur. Major general Marley was to seize the Gandak and Bagmati pas, the key to Nepal and push to Kathmandu.  Major General Marley was commander for 6500 soldiers.

2- Major General Wood the in charge of Banaras was shifted to Gorakhpur army station and he had 4000 soldiers and he was supposed to go forward towards Kathmandu  and try to capture first Tansen and then Palpa. Wood had to break the supply, communication  and transportation line between Doti and Kathmandu and Kumaon-Garhwal to Kathmandu.

            West of Kali River Army Strategy

1-There were permanent 4500 soldiers in Saharanpur with Major General Gillespie and he was supposed to reach to Dehradun and Kiyardoon. Major General had to capture ports of Yamuna and Ganga and should be ready for any help required here and there.

2- Brigadier General Ochterlony (alias Akhtar Loni ) was stationed in Ropar and was having 6000 soldiers. Ochterlony was asked to head on with Amar Singh Thapa in Himachal Hills.

Additional battalion- Major Latter stationed at Titliya south of Darziling was having 2000 army men. He was supposed to look after Koshi eastwards.

Reserve Army- 1550 Rohilla Pathan were appointed by Haider Hearsay and trained.  

The army commanders at Rangpur were supposed to defend East territory as Purniya and Rangpur.

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

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com4/7/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -658

*** 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,