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A P ilar Of Modern Nepal : Bhakti Thapa
By Mrs Laxmi Thapa
“ 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.
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
“ 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."
Why Bhakti Thapa Fought a Losing Battle.
Bhakti Thapa must have firmly believed that the Nepalese force fighting in the west must continue to engage British force in the battle fields until Nepal reaches an honorable settlement with the British Government to end the Anglo-Nepal War. It was not difficult to predict that the British force would be able to build more pressure on Nepal to accept their terms and conditions to end the war if the Nepalese force fighting in the west capitulated. Thus it was absolutely necessary that Nepal should have continued to engage the British force in the west.
Bhakti Thapa had played a crucial role in the expansion of Nepal from the Bheri River to Punjab. He was governing as an administrator and military commander of a vast territory of the Great Nepal to the west of the Chepe-Marshyangdi in 1790s. At that time he was given virtually free hand to decide Nepal’s foreign relations also. Thus at the time of Anglo-Nepal War Bhakti Thapa might not have failed to notice that Marathas were also on the brink of an outright war against the British India. British position in Central India was becoming extremely precarious. It was not a surprise that the British Government was drawn into a war against the Marathas as soon as the Anglo-Nepal War ended.
It was obvious that the British Government too had great limitations. Britain was not in a position to wage war against Nepal over an indefinite period. Under no circumstances the war could have lasted much longer if Nepal had succeeded to engage British force fighting in the west over some more time. Britain would have been forced to recognize Nepal’s legitimate right over its entire territory if the Nepalese force had succeeded in holding back the British force in the west.
Bhakti Thapa might have hoped that the courage and bravery of a man of his age would inspire other Nepalese commanders also to continue fighting against the enemy. This could be the reason why he had decided to fight a losing battle. Unfortunately the subsequent events took a turn for the worst. Nepalese force fighting in the vast region to the west of the Mahakali River capitulated and the army units operating in that region were completely disbanded. General David Ochterlony, Commander of the British force in the west was able to divert his full attention to Central Nepal and launch a fierce attack on the capital of Nepal with renewed vigor and added strength against greatly weakened defending Nepalese force. It was an irony of fate that when Nepal was bleeding in want of experienced fighting force to defend the Capital against the invading British force led by General David Ochtorloney, many commanders of the disbanded Nepalese force in the west had joined the army of the Sikh king Ranjit Singh Let us see what historians say about this episode in Nepal’s history.
Historian C.B. Khanduri
Just a few days after the Deothal Battle Bam Shah, Nepalese Governor in Kumaun surrendered to British force. Thus the Nepalese force fighting in the vast region to the west of the Mahakali River was completely encircled. Historian C.B. Khanduri writes about it “ … In the case of Bam Shah, though he always looked unsure of himself as against the British effort to buy his loyalty, he could not think of falling back to the more formidable defenses of Garwal, which were within three days turn round. Instead, he created the grand opportunity of surrendering Kumaon and paving the way for Gorkha exit. It is seldom realized that Almora became the undoing of Gorkhas. Without Almora there could have been no Malaun ( Rajgarh) and without Maluan it is difficult to believe there could have been a Makwanpur or a Treaty of Sugauli.”
In the Aftermath of Bately after the 1792 Sino-Nepal War. At that time Mr. Kirkpatrick was not welcome at Kathmandu. His visit was arranged despite the reluctance of Nepalese government. Historian L. F. Stiller writes that initially Mr. Kirkpatrick was not allowed to proceed further than Azamgarh. The team of Bam Shah found that Kirkpatrick was a wise and good man and only thereafter he was allowed to proceed to Kathmandu. Thus Bam Shah is seen to be favorably disposed towards ately after the 1792 Sino-Nepal War. At that time Mr. Kirkpatrick was not welcome at Kathmandu. His visit was arranged despite the reluctance of Nepalese government. Historian L. F. Stiller writes that initially Mr. Kirkpatrick was not allowed to proceed further than Azamgarh. The team of Bam Shah found that Kirkpatrick was a wise and good man and only thereafter he was allowed to proceed to Kathmandu. Thus Bam Shah is seen to be favorably disposed towards British rulers in India from very early time.
It is quite likely that the appointment of Bam Shah to the post of administrator was intended primarily to block further activities to launch the next phase of the unification campaign. Kathmandu must have felt even at that time that the Bam Shah is not the man cut out to handle the defense of a vast territory about two third the size of the Great Nepal. Thus, Bhakti Thapa, according to the historian M.C. Regmi continued to perform the duty of chief of army and diplomatic affairs. Bam Shah appeared to be lacking strong willpower and firm determination to defend the Great Nepal. His decision to capitulate to British force completely ignoring the fate of the country amp ly proves his great weakness.
In Conclusion
The Great Nepal crumbled soon after the death of Bhakti Thapa because its major players did not follow the daring path shown by Bhakti Thapa. However, a big proportion of the Great Nepal continued to remain free. Perhaps Britain must have dreaded that many more brave Nepalese of the Bhakti Thapa type would come forward in future to fight against the British expansion if Nepal is further squeezed.
(Thapa writes on history)
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