Amar Singh Thapa’s Response to the Nepal King

British Campaign for Capturing Himachal -4

            Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -287

            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -817          

                                                           

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

          At that time, Amar Singh Thapa got a copy of a letter from Nepal King for  Ranjor Singh in which Nepal King instructed Ranjor for having Treaty with British. Nepal King authorized Ranjor Singh for offering Bhabhar, Tarai of Central Himalaya including Dehradun and west of Yamuna region to British in exchange of Treaty with British. On 2^nd March 1815, Amar Singh Thapa sent a letter in response of the King writing letter to Ranjor. British spy snatched the letter from the Gurkha messenger. The letter was as-

      “After British making such huge war preparation British would not be ready for small territories. Even after having treaty, British would capture Nepal as British did with Tipu Sultan. Initially British took territory of 6 Crores income land from Tipu and after some time, British captured whole of Tipu Kingdom.

   If we leave those potential territories it would be difficult for maintaining such huge army. I f we reduce army strength British would capture our Kingdom. If we leave Bushehr, the Bhateda (inhabitants of Bhatwari) will meet enemy. Garhwal being near Dehradun and Ravain, we shall loose Garhwal too.  By that logic we shall loose Kumaon, Doti, Dulu, Dailakh etc one by one.

  Ranjor defeated British in Jaithok. The inhabitants of this region and their Rana, Rao, Raja (Chieftains) are now with British. I am surrounded by British from four directions. But I want to defeat Ochterlony for two times. After my win, Ranjit Singh, Maratha and Nabab of Awadh will go against British and will fight with British.

           We should not worry. This is not time for treaty and bent upon before enemy. It is suitable for surrendering smaller disputed territory.  Please don’t ask me going for such shameful acts. Please call me (old one) to Kathmandu than making treaty with British.

  From the time you seized the Vriti /scholarship/donation of Brahmins they are spending life in poverty. You promised to offer back the Vriti to Brahmins at the time of capturing Kangra fort. However, after capturing Kangra Fort you did not return the Vriti to Brahmins.  By pleasing Brahmins will  pray for your defense  and your prosperity. Astrologers told me that Baishakh (April) will be lucky for Gurkha. Till that time, I am delaying head on with British. I shall campaign from Baishakh. You get help from China, Lams of Lhasa by sending diplomatic letter.”

          Thapa cleared that Nepal should not offer more territories to British. Amar Singh Thapa was ready for disobeying his King and was ready for war with British. However, he neither could guess the exact strength of British nor could inspire Hindu brigade to fight with British together.

                British capturing Taragarh and Chamba

       After capturing Ramgarh, Cooper established made main depot at Ramgarh in place of Nalagarh. On 11 th March, British army fired on Taragarh. On 12^th March, British found that Gurkha soldiers ran away from Garhi in night.

         On 16^th March, British fired shells by 18 pond gun on Chambagarhi. The wall was demolished within a hour. Most of Gorkha soldiers ran away from Chambagarhi. The remaining soldiers requested British cmmanders that they should be kept there as arrested soldiers and they were not ready for going to Malau. Their families were in Malau. Cooper ordered for gun firing on garhi till a couple of Gurkha bring back families of surrendered Gurkha soldiers from Malau.

          

(From writings of Atkinson, Preamble, Sanwal, Saxsena, Fraser, Balchandra Sharma, Letter of Bamshah for Amar Singh Thapa etc) 

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com 4/6/2016

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -818

*** 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

Saxena, Historical papers related to Kumaon

Paper Respecting Nepal War by East India Company (papers in Stock)

Basu, Rise of Christian Power in India)

Moti Lal Ghosh, an article in Amrit Bazar Patrika

XXX

History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal; Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal; Sirmour Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Kangara Himachal Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Baghat Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal; 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 Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal;  History of Nepal, History of Doti Nepal, History of Nepalese/ Gurkha regime

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha ka Kumaon par  Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal Ruthless Gurkha/Nepalese Administration in Himachal