HPAS Notes: The Gurkhas and the British

Rising Tensions and Frontier Crises

• The expansion of the East India Company in Northern India clashed with Gurkha ambitions to extend their territory south of the foothills.
• First Crisis: The Gurkhas announced their intention to occupy villages in the plains of Sirhind, claiming they originally belonged to Sirmaur and Hindur (which they had conquered).
• The British agent objected, wanting this area to be a “buffer zone” between the two spheres of interest.
• Second Crisis (Mid-1813): Gurkha men seized six villages.
  • Two of these villages belonged to David Ochterlony’s Sikh proteges (Patiala and Hindur affirmed they belonged to their lowland possessions).
  • Amar Singh Thapa counter-claimed that the villages belonged to Sirmaur and Keonthal, states he had conquered, and thus belonged to him.
  • This “misadventure” was strongly objected to by David Ochterlony.

HPAS Notes: The Anglo-Gurkha War (Part 1)

Declaration of War (November 1, 1814)

British Motives (Policy of 1814)

• Economic & Strategic: To counter Gurkha control over Himalayan trade routes (as noted in the previous section).
• Border Issues: To stop “marauding Gurkhas” and the uncooperative attitude of the Nepali government.

The British Proclamation

• The British “adventure” was backed by the local hill rulers, who were “fed up with Gurkhas” and wanted to restore their lost territories.
• The British issued a proclamation to all hill chiefs, offering “reinstatement under British guarantee” in return for aid against the Gurkhas.

The British Offensive (Four Divisions)

Battle of Kalinga / Nalapani (Dehra Dun Sector)

• British forces under Major General Rollo Gillespie (4400 men) marched from Saharanpur to Dehra Dun.
• The Gurkha commander was Bala Bhadra Thapa, positioned at the fort of Kalinga (or Nalapani).
• A pitched battle ensued.
• Result: Gillespie was mortally wounded, but the British were ultimately victorious and captured the Kalinga fort.

Battle of Jythak (Sirmaur Sector)

• The Gurkha commander in Nahan was Ranzor Singh Thapa (son of Amar Singh Thapa).
• He left Nahan and took a strong position at the Jythak fort, on a ridge overlooking the town.
• British Attack (December 19, 1814):
  • British troops launched an attack.
  • The Gurkhas, in a planned move, evacuated the fort and then launched a sudden counter-attack on the exhausted and disorganized British troops.
  • The British suffered “severe losses,” and no further initiative was taken for a month.

Campaign at Ramgarh

• Amar Singh Thapa, with help from the Raja of Kahlur, was determined to resist the main British force under David Ochterlony.
• The British attacked the Gurkhas at Ramgarh.
• Result: The attack “boomeranged.” The British forces, led by Major Mcleod and Lt. Col. Thompson, suffered “heavy casualties.”

New British Strategy

• Realizing the difficulty of the terrain, the British changed strategies.
• With the help of the Chief of Kahlur (Bilaspur), they constructed a road from ‘Khandri’ to ‘Naharto’ to outflank the Gurkhas, who were positioned on a high, fortified ridge.

HPAS Notes: The Anglo-Gurkha War (Part 2) – The Main Offensive

The Northern Front (Jubbal & Bushahr)

While the main British army advanced, separate campaigns and local resistance efforts were underway in the northern hill states.

Local Bushahr-Kullu Offensive

• Gurkha forces were besieged at ‘Nawagarh’ by the combined forces of Bushahr and Kullu.
• With supplies cut, the Gurkhas attempted to retreat to Rawingarh but were forced to surrender to the Wazir of Bushahr at ‘Saran-Ka-Tibba’.

Fraser’s Campaign in Jubbal (Feb-Mar 1815)

• Based on a suggestion from the British Political Agent, William Fraser, a force of about 500 irregular troops was assembled.
• 12th March 1815: The force, led by Fraser, crossed the Choordhar peak and reached Sarahan (in Chopal).
• They were secretly joined by two chief men of Jubbal, Dangi Wazir and Primu.
• Capture of Chopal: They surrounded the fort of Chopal (a Jubbal stronghold held by 100 Gurkhas), which surrendered after negotiations.
• Capture of Rawingarh:
  • The force then proceeded to ‘Rawingarh fort’, a stronghold under Gurkha commander Ranzor Singh Thapa.
  • On 17th March 1815, they were joined by more Jubbal troops (under Dangi Wazir) and Bushahr forces (under Tikam Dass and Badri).
  • Fearing the combined army, the Gurkhas evacuated the fort, which was then occupied by Fraser’s irregulars.
• In the Rampur-Kotgarh region, the Gurkha force occupying the Hattu Range was under the command of Kirti Rana.

The Main Offensive: Ochterlony vs. Amar Singh Thapa

British Advance (Oct 1814 – Jan 1815)

• End of October 1814: Major General David Ochterlony entered the foothills from Ropar.
• 5th November 1814: He proceeded to Nalagarh, which surrendered. The nearby Taragarh fort also fell.

Shifting Alliances

• Amar Singh Thapa moved his headquarters from Arki to a strong defensive ridge stretching from Ramgarh to Malaon.
• At this critical stage, Raja Ram Saran Singh of Hindur (Nalagarh) joined the British with his troops.
• The Raja of Kahlur (Bilaspur) also “forsook the Gurkhas” and allied with the British. Ochterlony was key in forming this alliance.

The Battle for the Ridge (Jan 1815)

• 16th January 1815: Ochterlony, now with his new allies, launched a major attack on the Gurkha positions.
• He sealed the Eastern, Southern, and Northern approaches, compelling Amar Singh Thapa to evacuate Ramgarh fort and concentrate his forces at Malaon fort.
• After Ramgarh was evacuated, British 18-pounder cannons were brought up the mountain by Lt. Tenant, and the fort quickly surrendered.

The Siege of Malaon

• Ochterlony’s forces then focused their attack on the main Malaon fort.
• During the siege, Bhakti Thapa, “one of the bravest officers in the Gurkha army,” was killed.
• This was a “great loss” to Amar Singh Thapa and a significant blow to the Gurkha defense.

HPAS Notes: Anglo-Gurkha War (Conclusion)

The Gurkha Surrender

• The Gurkha position was fatally weakened by the news of the fall of Kumaon.
• This news led to Amar Singh Thapa’s men deserting him.
• Unwilling to surrender but “under the compulsion of circumstances,” Amar Singh Thapa finally surrendered with honour.
• His surrender also covered Ranzor Singh Thapa (his son), who was defending the ‘Jythak’ fort in Sirmaur against Major General Martindell.

Treaty of Sagauli (A.D. 1815)

(As detailed in the provided text)

• Date: November 28, 1815.
• Signatories: Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa and British Major General David Ochterlony.
• Terms:
  • The Gurkhas were allowed to return to Nepal with their private properties.
• Outcome (Most Important Fact): The entire hill territory from the river Kali to the Satluj came under the sovereignty of the British.