Opinion (Spotlight Weekly)

PRIOR TO ANGLO-NEPAL WAR: BHAKTI THAPA

By Mrs. Laxmi Thapa et al

In mid 1790s, Nepal was seen to be in a great hurry to launch the next phase of the national unification campaign to extend the western boundary of the Great Nepal beyond Jamuna River (now in India). A very careful analysis of the letters written by King Rana Bahadur Shah to Bhakti Thapa, who was leading the unification campaign, helps explain it. Nepal must have noticed that it was the most appropriate time to carry out that type of operation because the British rulers in India were not in a position to offer any resistance against our campaign to expand the territory of the Great Nepal unless they themselves were directly attacked.

Why British Rulers Avoided Conflict?

There was unrest all across the Europe in 1790s. The biggest event of that period was the French Revolution that shook the whole world. France declared war against the England in 1793. Napoleon Bonaparte was made commander of the French army in Italy. He was intending to invade England. In 1798, to strike at British trade with the East, he led an expedition to Ottoman-ruled Egypt, which he conquered. His fleet, however, was destroyed by the British admiral Horatio Nelson, leaving him stranded. At the same time the destruction of the French fleet guaranteed the naval supremacy of the British throughout the Mediterranean yet it was only after the victory of Trafalgar in 1805, the combined fleet of France and Spain was completely wiped out placing the French and the Spanish colonies at the mercy of the British fleet

British rulers in South Asia started to follow more rigorously the policy of noninterference towards the middle of 1790s as soon as they realized that France was posing a serious threat to the continuance of the British rule in Indian Sub-continent. They might have had afresh in their mind the past memory how the prestige of England was depressed beyond all due reasons by the capitulation of Yorktown (during the war of the USA independence) because at that time the power of the adversary ( France ) was grossly under-estimated During the middle of 1790s, the British rulers in India had declined even when their own closest ally the Nizam of Hyderabad prayed for help. When the Marathas discovered that the English would not help the Nizam, they found some pretext to attack Hyderabad. The Nizam wrote to the Governor-General, but Sir John Shore, the Governor-General, replied that he could not help. All Marathas joined in a grand attack on the Nizam. There was a great battle at Kurdla in 1795, and the Nizam was defeated. He had to give up to the Marathas half of his country.

Nepal In a Great Hurry

Nepal was seen to be at that time ( around 1795 ) in a great hurry to launch the next phase of the national unification campaign. A study of the letters written to Bhakti Thapa by King Rana Bahadur Shah helps explain it. Bhakti Thapa stationed at Almora was given full authority to handle foreign affairs, as a result he must have noticed that it was the most appropriate time to carry out expeditiously the unification campaign because the British rulers in India were not in a position to offer any resistance against our move to expand the territory of the Great Nepal unless they themselves were directly attacked. Bhakti Thapa was given full authority to call up for military service suitable people living in a vast region stretching from the Chepe-Marshyangdi to perhaps as far as the Jamuna River. Unfortunately at that time Nepal failed in its bid to transform itself into one of the mighty powers in Asia entirely due to our own internal problems. Nepal made its next attempt in 1804. By that time British had made their position in North India quite strong.

Expansion of British Rule

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 serious threat to further expansion of the British Empire in South Asia. Britain started the task of further expansion of the British Empire.

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 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.

British Agents Spying on Nepal

British rulers were doing their best to learn everything about Nepal’s defense system. British officers even made good friendship with Nepalese commanders. According to Hamilton, in 1802 Governor General Wellesley had deputed Gott to visit Kumaon on the pretext of examining the forest. But at that time Nepal did not grant him permission to visit Kumaon. In 1815 Nepalese commander Hasti Dal had defeated invading British force and captured its commander Hearsay who had attacked Kumaon with a big force. It turned out that Hearsay was in that region more than once before that invasion. Once Hearsay seemed to have saved Hasti Dal from being killed by a wild bear. In 1808 Hearsay was intercepted by Nepalese army at Srinagar and accused of espionage. Hasti Dal had helped him to be released.

Some historians say that David Ochterlony was anti-Nepal from the beginning. It was he who thoroughly incited the Governor General Moira to declare war against Nepal through his reportages and plans to eliminate. David Ochterlony was responsible to arrange the signing of the Amritsar Treaty with Ranjit Singh of Punjab in 1809 that was to a great extent directed against Nepal. He was a British agent at Ludhiana in 1811. Externally he tried to develop cordial friendship with Nepalese commanders who never suspected his sincerity.

Historian C.P. Khanduri has described in his book how David Ochterlony could cash in by intercepting the letters of Amar Singh Thapa during Anglo-Nepal War. “ The British historians see it ( capture of Rajgarh) as a result of Ochterlony’s strategic brilliance. But the fact belies such claims as tall. It was due really to the interception of Kazi Amar Singh’s letters, that gave him the chance ( to learn ) of entire plan, redeployment on the Rajgarh from Arki and Ramgarh and the reinforcement plan, etc. It was all that anyone would have wanted to plan military maneuver enabling him to employ his thirty time superior force. One needed no genius in this case. So if he switched his axis of attack, there was nothing so extraordinary in it…..”

Aftermath of Retreat from Kangra

Until the loss of Kangra the Nepalese fighting force must have been seen to be invincible. Neither the British rulers in India nor the Sikhs would have really believed that Nepal could be forced to retreat. In the past British rulers in India had to gulp the humiliation of defeat in the battle against Nepal even when our country was at its very early infancy. Prithvinarayan Shah had routed the British army sent under the command of Kinloch at Sindhuli in 1767. Before this in 1763, Mir Kasim, the Nawab of Bengal had sent his army to attack Nepal. Prithivi Narayan Shah had checked the advance of the troops led by Mir Kasim’s general, Gurgin Khan, at Makwanpur, destroyed his army and forced him to retreat.

The loss of Kangra proved to be very much damaging to the credibility of our country. From this time the British rulers in India learnt of the inherent weakness of our system of reinforcement and the absence of powerful guns. They were convinced of the need to penetrate into the secrecy of our defense establishment which was our main strength.

(Thapa writes on history)