Bhakti Thapa Was A Legend

By Mrs. Laxmi Thapa

Eighteenth century was a period of great political turmoil in the Indian subcontinent. The powerful Mogul empire had come to an end at the very beginning of this century. The colonial powers like England and France were doing their utmost to increase their presence by exploiting the weaknesses of the rulers of small states recently broken off from the Mogul empire. To the west of the Sub-continent was the Iran under the rule of Nadir Shah described in the history as the most hated man of his age who massacred people in uncounted thousands and plundered the country and after his death his successor not too different from him It does not appear illogical to regard that at that time the peoples living in the Himalayan region must be finding themselves very insecure. So it looks perfectly credible to subscribe to the view that the enlightened peoples living in different parts of the Himalayan region must have sensed the urgency to be united. Because, without being awakened to the realization that the unification of the whole region is a matter of the utmost importance to the peoples across the Himalayan region, it would not have been possible in a very short period to bring together under a common umbrella peoples living in a vast region demarcated on the west by the Sutlej and Bias rivers and on the east by the Tista The final outcome of such unification was the creation of the Great Nepal.

Leadership of Bhakti Thapa

The territorial unification in the west beyond Jumla was much faster than anybody could have reasonably anticipated. In a short period of just two years from 1789 to 1791 the western boarder of Nepal had been shifted from the Bheri river almost across a distance of about 400 kilometers to a region not far away from the Sutlej river. By this time Nepal had already become a strong Himalayan power. So Nepal 's neighbors might have been alarmed. Our country's ambition to expand further brought us on a collision course with our powerful neighbors. The 1792 Sino-Nepal War was the first such incidence of clash. Fortunately this confrontation was amicably resolved. More such clashes were expected to occur in future also. Nepal must not have failed to realize that the capacity of our country to conduct the Unification Campaign must be significantly enhanced for making Nepal into the strongest Himalayan power. Nepal might have learned a good lesson from the experience of the contemporary British policy that good administration should be directly linked with a strong arm force for successful accomplishment of military campaigns. In 1784 Lord Cornwallis had been appointed by the British Government to hold the dwell responsibility of the Governor General of India and also the post of Commander-in-Chief. Exactly ten years later in 1794 Nepal appointed Bhakti Thapa to the most sensitive position to hold the dwell responsibility of commander-in-chief and the governor of the vast region comprising two provinces of present India ( Garwal now Himanchal, and Kumaun now Uttaranchal) including Western, Midwestern and Far Western regions of Nepal.

Early Life of Bhakti Thapa

According to recent historians Bhakti Thapa was born in 1741. The name of his father was Amar Singh Thapa. Bhakti Thapa’s family lived in a remote village in Lamjung. Very little is known about the childhood life of Bhakti Thapa. There was, however, an unbelievable incident in the early life of Bhakti Thapa. That incident is virtually like a description from the children’s story book. The full details of that incident had been passed down over the generations. Still many old people in Lamjung are seen to be telling about that incident to their youngsters. That incident is described below.

Bhakti Thapa was still a very young boy. One day he was sleeping on a big boulder not far away from his house in a remote village of Lamjung while his flocks of goats grazed the buckwheat field of the neighbor. The old neighbor woman stormed out of her house into the place where Bhakti Thapa was fast asleep in a rage cursing him for his misdeeds. What she saw at that time chilled her blood. Bhakti Thapa was sleeping on a big serpent coiled up on the boulder raising its wide hood high above casting shed that protected the young Bhakti Thapa against the scorching heat of the midday sun. The serpent slowly uncoiled without waking up the boy and descended from the boulder. It disappeared from the sight after slipping into the bushes nearby.

The parents of the Bhakti Thapa were terribly distressed when they learnt about the whole incident. They thanked the God for saving the life of their beloved son. The old neighbor woman who saw the whole incident had a completely different opinion. She was convinced that Bhakti Thapa was no ordinary man. He possessed some sort of divine power. She was quick to realize that one day Bhakti Thapa would become a very famous person. The news of this incident quickly spread across the Lamjung and beyond.

The big boulder near the native home of Bhakti Thapa in Lamjung is linked up twice with the events in his later life. After some years a grand ritual was performed to solemnize brotherhood relationship ( in Nepali METAIRI) between Bhakti Thapa and that big boulder. The third event that linked Bhakti Thapa with that big boulder near his native home was the last in his life. It is said that at that very moment during the Anglo-Nepal War when Bhakti Thapa fell in the Deothal Battle field on April 16, 1815, the big boulder near his native home also cracked with loud explosion. The cracked boulder is still lying there.

Conduct of Unification Campaign

In his first major military operation itself Bhakti Thapa demonstrated his exceptionally brilliant skill in launching a very successful operation under the most adverse condition that was sure to astonish anyone. He changed the strategy of the predecessors and led an attack on Jumla from the difficult north route. The result was a swift victory and the life of many people was also saved. A letter sent by the king highly commends Bhakti Thapa for the skill displayed in successful accomplishment of the Jumla operation. The letter also cautions Bhakti Thapa not to advance further without completing the process of consolidation over the entire newly added territory. The capital appeared to be gripped by the fear that further advance to the west would be very difficult and also risky. So it was clearly explained in the letter to the Bhakti Thapa that the whole operation would be in a mess if the further advance is allowed to continue without fully completing the task of consolidation. It implied that the operation to extend the territory of Nepal further to the west would have to be suspended for next two to three years to complete the task of consolidation. After the successful completion of the Jumla operation Bhakti Thapa appeared to be highly encouraged and eager to advance swiftly to the west. Immediately after the unification of Jumla Bhakti Thapa was seen to have shifted his attention to the west to integrate with renewed vigor and determination new territories into the Great Nepal despite the warning of the Capital against such move. Poet Jayaratnakaran of that period has described in one of his books how Bhakti Thapa himself had led the operation to integrate Doti into the Great Nepal by defeating the king of Doti.

At War With British

The process of expansion of the Great Nepal had spread like wild fire across the Himalayan region. The western boundary of the Great Nepal was pushed across a distance of about 400 km within a very short period of just two years. So it was natural for the British to be greatly alarmed

The Great Nepal was seen all along as a threat to British rule in India till the end of Anglo- Nepal War of 1814-16. Similarly the Marathas in the south were also posing threat to the expansion of British rule in India. From the perspective of the British the direct linkage between the Great Nepal and the Marathas would have posed the most serious threat to their rule in India. Amidst these political developments in the South Asian Sub-continent comes the 1809 Amritsar Treaty between Ranjit Singh and British India. Surprisingly the David Ochterlony who played decisive role in defeating Nepal in 1814-16 Anglo-Nepal War was responsible to arrange the signing of the Amritsar Treaty

The British actively began preparation for the war from the time when F.R. Hastings- Earl of Moira landed in India as Governor General and Commander-in- Chief in 1813. The actual declaration of war against Nepal is recorded as 1 November, 1814, though the war began from middle of October. The decision to declare war had been made six months earlier so the territorial dispute appears to be only a pretext. British force had marched into Nepal across a frontier of more than 1500 km to attack at several points at the same time The eastern British flank was moving north from the Tista area whereas the farthermost western flank from the Sutlej river area. It was indeed a grueling war extended over a period of three calendar years and necessitating to protect the entire region bordering the enemy held territory. The British invasion force, in comparison with Nepalese, had absolute superiority in cavalry, pioneers, and at least the superiority of 10 times in infantry and 100 times in artillery. They also had the advantage of maneuverability in movement of their fighting force.

The Deothal Battle

At a time when Nepal had almost lost hope to win the war fought against the British in 1815, the Nepalese high command in the west appeared to have made up its mind to lay down arms. However, Bhakti Thapa was adamant to fight. He, at the age of 74 years, led the most daring counterattack on April 16. 1815 against the British force at Deothal. Bhakti Thapa and his followers in the counterattack appeared to have vowed to fight to the death. Bhakti Thapa had even handed his infant grandson in the custody of the Amar Singh Thapa just before going to the battlefield. Defiant Bhakti Thapa with a small force of just 400 marched to the battlefield in broad daylight after the sunrise to fight against the entrenched British force armed to the teeth and numbering about 3500. Bhakti Thapa laid down his life in the battlefield. Every one who fought from the Nepalese side was either killed or wounded. The British casualties were also high. Bhakti Thapa was seen himself fighting in the battlefield with a khukuri in his hand along with other soldiers. He had sustained several injuries all over his body before he was hit by a fatal shot. It is said that even after the death his stiffened hand was firmly holding the khukuri. The following day his fingers had to be cut to release the khukuri from his hand before cremating the dead body in the pyre.

A Legend in World History

“ Until there was life in the body of Bhakti Thapa Nepal ’s territory was in a state of great expansion. Soon after his death the Great Nepal crumbled.” This is an excerpt from the sainikitihas which is based on the book “ Vikramjit Hasrat, History of Nepal (Punjab: V. V. Research Institute, 1970)”. Bhakti Thapa had laid down his life at the age of 74 in the battlefield at Deothal.

“ A quite elderly person already at the age of 74 years is bravely fighting in the battlefield. He has already received several wounds and his clothes are soaked in blood. But he continues fighting. Finally he lays down his life for his country fighting in the battlefield. This is the description of a scene of the Deothal Battle and the elderly man is none other than Bhakti Thapa. Even the enemies were full of praise of the bravery of Bhakti Thapa. They returned with honor the dead body of Bhakti Thapa wrapped in expensive shawls for cremation when the fighting stopped. One deserves to be called a real brave if his bravery is admired even by his foes. ….” These are the sentiments expressed by Nepal’s national poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire in one of the books to portray the outstanding bravery of Bhakti Thapa.

Needless to say any further that the British commanders were thoroughly shaken by the bravery of Bhakti Thapa in the Deothal Battle. Bhakti Thapa became a legend even in the eyes of British historians. One of the historians CB Khanduri writes quoting various contemporary British historians " The euphemism of the BRAVEST OF THE BRAVES had been used by Napoleon for Marshal Ney, whose bravery during the retreat from Moscow in 1812 was one of the highest. BRAVE LES BRAVE, said Napoleon of him. British then used this citation for the Gurkhas during and after the Anglo-Nepal War. Such was the bravery shown by Bhakti Thapa that the next legend of the Bravest of the Braves had been created on the day - 16 April, 1815 at Deothal."

(Thapa writes on history)