NEPAL WAS AVANT-GARDE
By Laxmi Thapa
At a time when almost the whole South Asian region was being swiftly converted into the colony of the European countries, Nepal was able to rise from a scratch to be a formidable Himalayan power within a very short time. Nepal had gathered enough strength to move forward to protect the peoples dwelling in this vast region from external threats. However, the build up of Nepalese strength brought her on a collision course with the colonial power of that time. Colonial power Great Britain had good reason to fear that if the Nepalese build up continued for some time, the colonial rule of Britain could soon come to an end in South Asia much the same way as in the North America a short time before.
Unification Stood the Severest Test
The process of unification of the Himalayan region started by Prithivinarayan Shah had spread like wild fire across the Himalayan region. In 1792 a war broke between China and Nepal. It was the most unfortunate event for the newly emerged Great Nepal. Most of the troops stationed in the western part of the country had to be pulled back to defend the capital Kathmandu. The Chinese offensive was directed straight towards the capital. China has remained a major superpower all along and thus the Chinese attack might have at that time badly shaken the people living across the entire Himalayan region. There could not be other better opportunity for those opposed to the unification campaign to break away and again form independent states. But even during this period of great threat to the Himalayan unity except for few minor incidences nothing untoward happened that could seriously undermine the integrity of the Great Nepal. Thus the Himalayan unity stood the severest test and encouraged those fighting for the cause of such unity not to be complacent about the achievements; there was still a lot to be done.
Expansion of British Rule
The way new territories in South Asia were brought under British control and ruled in those days had provoked even the British public. British Parliament had gone completely against it.
The Marquis Wellesley became in 1798 the next British Governor-General of India. In 1998 the French fleet was defeated by the British admiral Horatio Nelson significantly weakening its strength. After the 1998 naval victory British rulers in India must have felt that France would not anymore be able to pose a serious threat to further expansion of the British Empire in South Asia. Britain started the task of further expansion of its territory.
Governor General Wellesley played decisive role in the expansion of the British Empire in India. Colonel Wellesley, the younger brother of the Marquis Wellesley, had also come to India. Colonel Wellesley had fought under General Harris in the battles to defeat Tippu Sultan.
Colonel Wellesley defeated Marathas at Assaye in 1803. He again defeated them at Argaum the same year.
Colonel Wellesley afterwards became Sir Arthur Wellesley, and then Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon in Waterloo Battle. Later on he became the Prime Minister of the Great Britain.
Oude Nawab Cedes Do-ab to Britain
Governor General Wellesley used every possible means to expand British Empire in South Asia. Wellesley asked the Nawab of Oude to agree, like the Nizam, to cede to Britain some of his territories in exchange for British protection. At first the Nawab would not agree, but at length, when he saw there was no use of trying to resist, he gave in. British army was sent to Oude, and to pay for it the Nawab gave up the Do-ab or the country between the Jamuna and the Ganges. Meanwhile Wellesley turned his attention to Delhi. In 1803, General Gerard Lake captured Delhi and Agra.
It was very clear that British rulers in India did not want Nepal to become a strong power. They must have realized that sooner or later they would have to wage a war against Nepal. British and Nepalese forces were virtually standing eyeball to eyeball in the west after the Wellesley’s conquest of the North India. However, British rulers must not have liked to risk getting caught in battles against Nepal in unknown high mountain terrains without penetrating into Nepal’s defense system in advance.
Nepal Boldly Defended Her Freedom
It was early 1810s. Great Britain was the most powerful country in the whole world. Its vast empire had already stretched across all five continents. Britain finally decided to implement its plan to make Nepal also one of its colonies. Nepal was attacked without formally declaring war. Britain hoped that Nepal could be quickly subdued in a blitzkrieg invasion.
Needless to say that those were the worst days in the history of our country. The war stretched over a period of three calendar years in sharp contrast to the expectation of the British Government. Nepal bravely defended its independence. Many patriotic Nepali laid down their life in the battles fought against the British. Our enemy was forced to abandon its grand design to enslave Nepal though we lost some of our territories.
Our forefathers were able to protect the honor of our country while almost all other countries in Asia and Africa failed. Nepal was able to defend its independence because of our forefathers’ great sacrifice. They must have visualized that their great sacrifice would be paid off. They might have been hoping that their descendants would not have to be humiliated by colonial rulers of those days if they bravely defended their country. Let us look at India. Jawaharlal Nehru has clearly written in his famous book “ The Discovery of India” how India fared while that country was a colony of the Great Britain.
Nehru Writes Indians Were Treated as Slaves
Jawaharlal. Nehru has expressed in an extremely touching way the pitiable condition of Indians under the British rule in this famous book “ The Discovery of India” first published in 1946. He has written that the Indians were living in enslaved condition in their own country until 1947 when India became a free country. The text from his book is presented hereinafter.
“In Bombay there is a well-known club which did not allow and so far as I know, does not allow, an Indian (except as a servant) even in its visitors’ room, even though he might be a ruling prince or a captain of industry.”
“Racialism in India is not so much English versus Indian; it is European as opposed to Asiatic. In India every European, be he German, or Pole, or Rumanian, he is automatically a member of the ruling race. Railway carriages, station retiring-rooms, benches in parks, etc., marked “Europeans Only”. This is bad enough in South Africa a or elsewhere, but to have to put up with it in one’s own country is a humiliating and exasperating reminder of one’s enslaved condition.”
“ Bengal had the first full experience of British rule in India. That rule began with outright plunder and a land revenue system which extracted the uttermost farthing not only from the living but also from the dead cultivators.”
“A gold lust unequalled since the hysteria that took hold of the Spaniards of Cortes’ and Pizarro’s age filled the English mind. Bengal in particular was not to know peace again until she has been bled white. It was pure loot. This process was called trade later on but that made little difference. And it must be remembered that this lasted, under various names and under different forms, not for a few years but for generations.”
Why Nepal was Avant-Garde?
Nepal was in the avant-garde among the countries succeeding to defend themselves from the threat of being enslaved by colonial powers. At that time there was no other country to help us. Our country alone had to face the intruder many times superior to us in strength. In this struggle a large number of patriotic Nepali had to sacrifice their life. But those of us living now should be ashamed that we could not live up to the expectation of our forefathers to transform Nepal into a reasonably developed country, despite the fact that at present the world situation is quite conducive for it.
(Thapa writes on history)
