Published by: Mandira
Published date: 18 Jan 2022
Introduction
Since the 17th century, there has been British rule in India. It was known as British East India Company. The colony had been ever expanding. Since their rule established in India, the British wanted to capture Nepal and expand their colonial territory. They always favored the rulers in Nepal who wanted to please them and didn't seem to cause any resistance to their plan of colonization. As per their long-cherished plan, they fought against Nepal from 1814-16 AD.
Political causes
While the English were still expanding their colonies in India, Nepal was being united. The unification was naturally against their interest. Immediately after victory won over Kathmandu and Patan, king Prithvi Narayan Shah had driven out all the Capuchin risk for themselves. The defeated baise and chaubisi kings, taking shelter in India, spared no pains to instigate the English to go in a war with Nepal and defeat it so that they could regain their lost territories.
The English authorities sent their trade delegates to Nepal time to time to solve their political and commercial interests. The teams of delegates, headed by James Logan, Fox Craft, Kirkpatrick, Maulavi Abdul Kadar Khan, W.O. Knox, etc. had come to Nepal for the purpose, but in vain.
Bhimsen Thapa was deadly against English. He had bitter experience of the activities done by English people in India when he had been to India to give company to Rana Bahadur Shah. Bhimsen Thapa wanted to drive the English people away not only from India, but as much from Asia so during the days of his term of office, he was trying to form a union of Asian states, including Maratha and Punjab with due understanding established with them. He had also tried to bring Tibet and Burma on his side. He also gave much attention to the military strengthening of Nepal. So Bhimsen Thapa's activities were highly opposed to the interest of the English.
Economic causes
The forests of Nepal were abundant in various wood species. The East India Company wanted to establish shipping industries in India through the use of wood brought from this forest. The East India Company wanted to expand its trade from India to Tibet through Nepal. But the government of Nepal was not favoring the entry of foreign traders into Nepal for various reasons.
Natural causes
Since the English people were from the cold country it was difficult for them to run the administration from their station in India, which is a tropical country. So they were in search of cold places like Nepal. Besides, the crossroad position of Nepal between India and Tibet also tempted them to go in war with Nepal.
The immediate cause
The dispute over the issue of Butwal and Syuraj was the immediate cause of the Anglo-Nepal war. Since early days, the king of Palpa had been occupying those territories in the terai region. On the condition of paying revenue to Nawab Bajir of Abadh. The Nepalese force had taken over Butwal and Syuraj along with Palpa at the time of unification operations. In the mean time the English Governor, Marquis of Hastings gave a threatening letter to the government of Nepal for the immediate return of Butwal and Syuraj to them. But Bhimsen Thapa, stubborn in nature was not coward. Administrator to yield to the threat of the government General. The English battalion enters the territory of Nepal 8 days earlier than the formal declaration of the war was made.
The war went on for nearly 2 years. Nepali warriors fought bravely and resisted the English attack in many places. Still overall events of the war went to Nepal. Bhimsen Thapa had expected help from Punjab, Gwaliyar, and Maratha but in vain. So Nepal was compelled to sign a surrender treaty i.e. the Sugauli Treaty under humiliating circumstances on 2 December 1815 AD. The treaty was handed over to the East India Company with King's approval only on 4 March 1816 AD.
The Anglo-Nepal war or the treaty, in particular, had the following consequences.
The treaty, however, had some advantages for Nepal. It marked the end of the Anglo-Nepal conflict. The two sides became friendly and mutual cooperation started in the subsequent years. Nepal could prevent further loss of its territory and life and property by agreeing to the treaty.
Contribution of Nepalese Warriors in Anglo-Nepal War
Balabhadra Kunwar
Six miles from Dehradun of India in the northeast on the way to Mussoorie, there is a place, called Nalapani. It had been the territory of Nepal long before Anglo-Nepal War. Balabhadra Kunwar had built a fort on a height of 500 feet at Nalapani, which was known by the name of Khalanga fort.
At the time of Anglo-Nepal War, Gillespie, the general and Maubi, the Colonel had gone to the khalanga fort with 3500 soldiers and 15 guns in their arms. They were divided into four groups for the attack on khalanga fort, Sir Robert Rolls Gillespie wrote a letter to Balbhadra, asking him to surrender. But Balbhadra tore the letter without going through it and said, "We don't read a letter at night, I will meet with Gillespie shortly." In the next morning, the English side attacked the fort with guns, arrows and bricks. Mr. Allis, lieutenant, was advancing to the battlefield to encourage the English force, was killed in the gun firing of Nepalese soldiers.
At this, Gillespie, the Major General went straight to the fort with his cap in one hand and sword in the other. He was also killed in the same way as Allis at the hand of Nepalese soldiers. The number of wounded and killed on the English side reached a figure of 266. At the escape of the English force at the defeat, Balbhadra Kunwar sent a letter to Kathmandu with a request for more army help, but no help was made available from Kathmandu. The route of Nahan, through which Nepalese soldiers were advancing to Khalanga for its security, was blocked by the English force.
The well-equipped force led by, Colonel Mauvi made the second attack on the Khalanga fort. The Nepalese army force was responding with bricks and stones, thrown at their enemies. The Nepalese women were highly appreciated for their bravery shown in the battlefield. After the war, many of the wounded women and the dead bodies were taken out from the ruined walls of the fort. The furious English soldiers had blocked the source of water to the fort. The men and women left behind in the fort, came out, opening the doors by themselves to get rid of their thirst of water and of the foul smell of the dead bodies.
The brave Nepalese women quenched their thirst with the water of the nearby river even amidst the dreadful situations of the gun firing.
Turning to the English before leaving the place, Balbhadra said to them in a loud voice, "it was impossible for you to have victory over the fort, but I leave it on my own accord."
The Englishmen had, in honour of the bravery of the Nepalese people, written in a memorial stone the words like " a tribute of respect for our gallant adversary BULBUDDER, commander of the fort and HIS BRAVE GOORKAS....."