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Tue 09 Jan 201
Boyd Harris -
People & Mountains of North East Nepal
and 18th century
border invasions |
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The first meeting of 2018 for Chorley
Historical and Archaeological Society was also the first meeting
at our new venue of Chorley Trinity Church Hall, Gillibrand
Walks off Devonshire Road. Our previous excellent venue of the
Chorley Library lecture room is no longer available because of a
staff shortage.
The evening presentation was by me
(Boyd Harris) about my exploration into the remote north east of
Nepal and further research into 18th century border invasions. |
New venue at Trinity |
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The British have had a controlling
presence in India with for centuries prior to their independence
in 1947. The East India Company (1757–1857) and the British
Indian Empire (1857–1947) continued to search out trade routes.
The East India Company wanted to expand trade in Tibet and the
main way to was through Nepal. But Nepal would never allow the
British to go to Tibet through her territory. In September 1767
the forces of the British-India arrived in Sindhuligadhi, Nepal.
The local Gorkhalis under the command of Prithvi Narayan Shah
(1723-1775) launched guerrilla attacks on them and many of the
British army were killed and the rest fled leaving behind a huge
amount of weapons and ammunition, which the Gorkha army seized.
The British were defeated and retreated. |
Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16) |
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The following year in 1768 the
victorious Prithvi Narayan Shah and his Gorkhali forces attacked
and defeated the king Jaya Prakash Malla at the Battle of
Kathmandu. Shah's victory marked the establishment of the Shah
dynasty in Nepal and the end of the rule of the indigenous
Newars and unified rule of Nepal.
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Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723-1775)
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Treaty of Sagauli 1816 |
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The Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16),
also known as the Gurkha War, was fought between the Kingdom of
Gorkha (present-day Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal) and
the British East India Company. The British were no match for
the Gorkha forces and their skills at guerrilla warfare. Both
sides had a respect for each other and treaty of Sagauli 1816
was ratified between the East India Company and King of Nepal to
establish the current boundaries of Nepal.
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Beautiful north east Nepal
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The Nepalese Gurkha soldiers later
became incorporated into the British and Indian armies.
The Nepali people who now live in the remote north west of the
country and closer to Tibet then towns in their own county and
so consider themselves Tibetan, in spite of the boundary.
B.H.
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Gurkha battalion 1857
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