Aftermath Anglo-Nepalese War

1 aftermath

1.1 treaty of sugauli
1.2 mithila after sugauli treaty
1.3 cost of war
1.4 gorkha recruitment
1.5 fate of protagonists

1.5.1 bhimsen thapa
1.5.2 david ochterlony

aftermath
the treaty of sugauli

bhimsen thapa s troops, right, @ segauli, 1816, india pattern brown bess muskets , chupi bayonets.



the treaty of sugauli 4 march 1816. suited ochterlony bring campaign speedy conclusion because of approach of dreaded aul-fever season because number of european troops suffering dysentery.

the treaty of sugauli ratified on 4 march 1816. per treaty, nepal lost sikkim (including darjeeling), territories of kumaon , garhwal , western terai . mechi river became new eastern border , mahakali river western boundary of kingdom. british east india company pay 200,000 rupees annually compensate loss of income terai region. kathmandu forced accept british resident. fear of having british resident in kathmandu proved unfounded, rulers of nepal managed isolate resident such extent in virtual house arrest.

the terai lands, however, proved difficult british govern , of them returned kingdom later in 1816 , annual payments accordingly abolished. after conclusion of anglo-nepalese war, border issue between 2 states not yet settled. boundary between nepal , oudh not adjusted until 1830; , between nepal , british territories remained matter of discussion between 2 governments several years later.

the british never had intention destroy either existence or independence of state usefully interposed between them , dependencies of china. lord hastings had given plan dismember nepal fear of antagonising china – vassal nepal in theory was. in 1815, while british forces campaigning in far western nepal, high-ranking manchu official advanced large military force china lhasa; , following year, after anglo-nepalese treaty had been signed, chinese army moved south again, right nepal’s frontier. nepalese panicked, because memories still vivid of chinese invasion of 1792, , there flurry of urgent diplomatic activity. hastings sent mollifying assurances imperial authorities, , ordered british resident, newly arrived in kathmandu, pack bags , ready leave @ once if chinese invaded again.

mithila after sugauli treaty

bengali rulers defeated sen , kingdom of mithila under control of sen thakuri kings western hills of nepal , area merged chaudandi kingdom. when prithivi narayan shah started unification campaign of nepal in 1743 ad there war between sen , shah dynasty, sen lost war and, chaudandi kingdom became part of gorkha kingdom since part of nepal. nepal lost two-thirds of mithila region india after signing sugauli treaty british india, part mithila region lost nepal popularly known indian mithila , remaining part of mithila held gurkhas part of nepal, popularly called nepalese mithila.

cost of war

despite boast of lord moira british parliament on having increased state coffers, gurkha war had in reality cost more combined cost of campaigns against marathas , pindaris lord moira s administration better known: sicca rs. 5,156,961 against sicca rs. 3,753,789. kind of fact influenced policy of company government in subsequent years. thus, while company government, in theory, thoroughly approved of development of trade, in shawl wool, between western tibet , territories, unprepared take decisive step bring about. preferred leave chinese in tibet own devices, , hoped avoid risk, slight, of expensive hill war.

furthermore, despite british merchants direct access wool growing areas after war, hopes of shawl wool trade never realised. british merchants found late. shawl wool market strictly closed , closely guarded. monopolised traders kashmir , ladakh, , outsider whom dealt maharaja ranjit singh, powerful sikh ruler of lahore. ranjit zealous of privilege, , last person british afford offend @ time of crisis , uncertainty. east india company never did shawl wool. when acquired punjab , kashmir, after sikh wars of 1840s, had long since given trade, , kashmir little valued discarded – sold knock-down price raja of jammu.

gorkha recruitment


gurkahs of 66th regiment in national costume.



the khukuri traditional weapon , tool of gurkhas.

david ochterlony , political agent william fraser quick recognize potential of nepalese soldiers in british service. during war british keen use defectors nepalese army , employ them irregular forces. confidence in loyalty such in april 1815 proposed forming them battalion under lieutenant ross called nasiri regiment. regiment, later became 1st king george’s own gurkha rifles, saw action @ malaun fort under leadership of lieutenant lawtie, reported ochterlony had greatest reason satisfied exertions .

about 5,000 men entered british service in 1815, of whom not real gorkhali kumaonis, garhwalis , other himalayan hill men. these groups, lumped under term gurkha, became backbone of british indian forces.

as ochterlony’s gorkhali battalions, william fraser , lieutenant frederick young raised sirmoor battalion, later become 2nd king edward vii s own gurkha rifles; additional battalion, kumaon battalion raised becoming 3rd queen alexandra s own gurkha rifles. none of these men fought in second campaign.

fate of protagonists
bhimsen thapa

prime minister bhimsen thapa, support of queen regent tripura sundari, remained in power despite defeat of nepal. other ruling families, particularly pandes, decried saw bhimsen thapa’s submissive attitude towards british. prime minister had been able retain power maintaining large, modernized army , politically dominating court during minority of king rajendra bikram shah, (reigned 1816–1847). additionally, able freeze out pandes power appointing members of own family positions of authority.

when queen tripura sundari died in 1832, bhimsen thapa began lose influence. in 1833, brian hodgson became british resident, openly favouring bhimsen thapa’s opponents, , in 1837 king announced intention rule independently, depriving prime minister , nephew of military powers. after eldest son of queen died, bhimsen thapa falsely accused of attempting poison prince. although acquitted, thapas in turmoil. when head of pande family, rana jang pande, became prime minister, had bhimsen thapa re-imprisoned; bhimsen thapa committed suicide in august 1839.

david ochterlony

for part, david ochterlony received both houses of parliament , became first officer in british east india company awarded gcb. lord moira reinstated him resident @ delhi , lived in style appropriate senior figure of company. however, after lord moira left india – succeeded lord amherst governor-general in 1823 – ochterlony fell out of favor.

in 1825 raja of bharatpur died , six-year-old heir throne, whom ochterlony supported, usurped cousin durjan sal. when durjan sal failed submit ochterlony’s demands vacate throne, british general prepared march on bharatpur. did not receive backing of new governor-general however, , after amherst countermanded orders, ochterlony resigned, amherst had anticipated. episode badly affected ailing general died shortly after on 14 july 1825. 165-foot-high memorial later erected in calcutta in memory; however, sir david ochterlony’s greatest legacy continuing recruitment of gorkhas british , indian armies.

soon after ochterlony s resignation amherst himself obliged ochterlony had prepared do, , laid siege bharatpur.