Anglo-Nepal War
Since their arrival in India, the English colonizers had been attracted to
Nepal. They were tempted mainly by Nepal’s cool climate, natural resources such
as forests and its crossroad position W between India and Tibet. However, their
plan couldn’t be out immediately. While the English were still
expanding their colonies in India, Nepal was being united.
The unification was
naturally against their interest and plan. Nepal’s growing army strength was
looked upon by the English as a threat. Besides military build ups hi at home,
Bhimsen Thapa had wanted to drive the English people away not only from India
but also from the whole continent. He had been trying to form an alliance of
Asian states, including Maratha and Punjab with due understanding established
with them. So Bhimsen Thapa’s activities were highly opposed to the interest of
the English. Moreover, the defeated Baise and Chaubise kings, taking shelter in
India, spared no pains to instigate the English to go in war with Nepal and to
defeat it so that they could regain their lost territories.
The English
authorities were impatiently seeking for a suitable moment to attack Nepal. So
they picked dispute over the issue of two states Butwal and Syuraj under Nepal
that had been annexed together with Palpa at the time of unification operations.
The English Governor, Marquis of Hastings sent a threatening letter to the
government of Nepal for the immediate return of these states to them. But
Bhimsen Thapa was not a coward administrator to yield to the threat. Under his
strong leadership, Nepal was firm not to part with Butwal and Syuraj. As a
result, the Governor General, on November 1, 1814 declared war with Nepal.
The
war went on nearly for two years. Nepali warriors like Balbhadra Kunwar, Bhakti
Thapa and Amarsingh Thapa fought ' bravely and resisted the English attacks in
many places such as Nalapani and Jitgadh gallantly. Still the overall
development of the war went against 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 Sngauli Treaty under humiliating circumstances on
December 2, 1815. The treaty was handed over to the East India Company with
King’s approval only on March 4, 1816.
According to the treaty, Nepal had to
relinquish one-third of the total territory including cool places such as
Kumaon, Gadhwal, Nainital and Darjeeling. Following the treaty, the Indian
ambassadors to Nepal began to interfere into the internal affairs of Nepal
despite the opposition made from time to time by the Governor Generals.
Internally the Nepali warriors who had come back from the battlefield indulged
in politics of conspiracy for power. As agreed in the treaty, Nepali youths were
increasingly recruited into the British army. This process is still on in our
times. The treaty, however, had some advantages for Nepal. It marked the formal
end of the Anglo-Nepal conflict.
The two sides became friendly and mutual
cooperation started in the subsequent yam. Now the United Kingdom is one of the
biggest donors to Nepal. Immediately, Nepal could prevent the further loss of
its territory and life and property by agreeing upon the treaty.
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