War Preparation in Doti, Kumaon and Garhwal

Anglo Nepalese War with   Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -19

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -140   

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -661

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student) 

          The Gurkha/Gorkha army officials of Doti, Kumaon and Garhwal became restless by getting information about East India Company’s various war preparation activities in Moradabad, Saharanpur.

         As per instruction from Nepal Court, army officials of Doti, Kumaon and Garhwal started preparation for coming war. Nepalese guessed that east India would be planning for capturing Khairogarh Fort. Gurkha army built a couple of fort by clay and stones in Mundiyaghat and Banvasi at the Sharda River Bank. A few months back Nepal court called back regional Army Chief Hastidal Chautariya from Doti. Doti people liked Hastidal Chautariya. Nepal court sent back Hastidal to Doti. Nepal Court handed over the Khairogarh fort region protection to Hastidal. Vikramshah the family member of the ex ruler of Doti who became regional chieftain of Nepal Court was handed over responsibility for recruiting new soldiers.

                Nepalese regional commanders had spies in Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Barely. Those spies were local people. British officers could not find those spies. There were hundreds of Rohila Pathans in Rampur and Moradabad who used to fight battle on contract basis. They were free at that time. Gurkha commanders appointed those contractual soldiers in their army and put them in Kumaon and Doti.

        In Bhabhar region, Gurkha commanders also appointed sacked Jamindars and landlord or tax Contractors of East India Company for war purposes. Mostly, they were looters, deceivers and cruel. Gurkha appointed such Jamindar for collecting tax from Haridwar Bhabhar to Bilhari Bhabhar. Gurkha had assumption that those cunning men would offer secret knowledge about East India Company from south region of Kumaon and Garhwal.

        Gurkha commanders of Kumaon (including Doti) and Garhwal also started increasing guns and ammunition in the region. For gun powder manufacturing, Gurkha Commanders bought huge quantity of sulfur and Sajja clay from Nazibabad businessmen. Secretly, Gurkha commanders contacted businessmen of Kashipur, Rudrapur, Moradabad, Nazibabad, Kankhal, Saharanpur etc for getting various materials supply. Gurkha commanders were always in search of those businessmen who did have non cordial relation with the Company. Gurkha used to exchange letters in secretes language with their friend in the above Company Territories. East India Company had a notorious businessman Beniram in Kashipur Factory. Company sacked him for his deceives. Benram contacted Bamshah the regional Gurkha Commander of Kumaon. When Company arranged two commercial exhibitions, Gurkha with the help of Beniram arranged two commercial Exhibitions in Kumaon. Beniram got monopoly over export of turmeric and other items from Kumaon. His son started trading plubus, zinc and Sajja clay and started exporting to Kumaon. Beniram and his son earned thousands of rupees in the above transactions.  

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

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com9/7/2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -662

*** 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

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Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories

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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

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Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

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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,