HPAS Notes: The Sikh Gurus and the Himachal Hill States

The Ten Sikh Gurus

Here are the 10 Sikh Gurus:

1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji
2. Guru Angad Dev Ji
3. Guru Amar Das Ji
4. Guru Ram Das Ji
5. Guru Arjan Dev Ji
6. Guru Hargobind Ji
7. Guru Har Rai Ji
8. Guru Har Krishan Ji
9. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
10. Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1st Guru)

• The first Sikh Guru and founder of Sikhism.
• During his 3rd Udasi (journey) in 1514, he travelled to several hill areas.
• He crossed the Dulchi Pass and visited Ladakh, Kangra, Jwalamukhi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Tibet, Sirmaur, and Garhwal.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (5th Guru)

• The 5th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1563-1645).
• He is said to have sent Bhai Kaliana to the hill states to collect funds for the Harminder Sahib.

Guru Hargobind Ji (6th Guru)

• The 6th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1595-1645).
• He travelled extensively in the hill states.
• He built the town of Kiratpur on a plot of land gifted by Raja Tara Chand of Kahlur (Bilaspur).
• He helped Raja Tara Chand to defeat the Nawab of Ropar.
• He also helped Dharam Chand of Hindur in a succession war in 1618.

Guru Har Rai Ji (7th Guru)

• He vacated Kiratpur due to fear of a Mughal attack.
• He stayed in the Sirmur state with Raja Karam Prakash for 13 years.

Guru Teg Bahadur Ji (9th Guru)

• The 9th Sikh Guru (A.D. 1664-1675).
• He visited the state of Kahlur (Bilaspur) to express condolences on the demise of the prince.
• He purchased some land there and established himself in the village of ‘Makhowal’.
• This village later developed into the Sikh town of ‘Anandpur Sahib’.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji (10th Guru)

Initial Relations & Paonta Sahib

• The 10th Sikh Guru. He was invited to Sirmur by Raja Medini Prakash and resided there, founding Paonta Sahib.
• His growing following and crusade against the Mughals was misunderstood by the Rajas of Kahlur and Hindur.
• A source of bitterness was the fact that the Guru’s army included some rebel Pathan deserters from the Mughal army, who reportedly raided the territory of Bhim Chand of Kahlur.

Battle of Bhangani (A.D. 1686)

• Fought between Guru Gobind Singh and the allied forces of Raja Bhim Chand (Kahlur) and Raja Hari Chand (Hindur).
• The battle was fought at ‘Bhangani’ near Paonta Sahib.
• Guru Gobind Singh emerged victorious.
• In this battle, Hari Chand, the Raja of Hindur, was killed by an arrow from Guru Gobind Singh.

Battle of Nadaun (c. 1691)

• Cause: Emperor Aurangzeb sent Alif Khan to collect annual tribute from the hill Rajas. Raja Bhim Chand of Kahlur refused to pay.
• Alliance: Bhim Chand sought help from Guru Gobind Singh. The allied forces of the Guru and hill chiefs fought the Mughals.
• Opposing Forces: Alif Khan was supported by Raja Dayal Chand and Raja Kirpal Chand.
• Result: The allied forces defeated the Mughal army at ‘Nadaun’. Following the battle, the Guru and Raja Bhim Chand became friendly again.

Post-Nadaun Mughal Expeditions

• The Mughals considered Guru Gobind Singh the reason for their defeat at Nadaun.
• First Expedition: The Subedar of Lahore, Dilawar Khan, sent his son Rustam Khan. He was defeated by the Guru’s forces.
• Second Expedition: Dilawar Khan then sent Ghulam Hussain Khan. Raja Gopal Singh of Guler helped the Guru, and the Mughal force was again defeated.
• A separate Mughal expedition (1696 A.D.) led by Mirza Beg was sent to crush a rebellion by the hill chiefs, plundering the country.

Creation of the Khalsa (A.D. 1699)

• Date: Baisakhi, 13 April 1699.
• Location: Anandpur (in Kahlur).
• Event: Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa, a military order.
• Impact: This created panic among the hill rulers, who viewed the new military force as a “standing menace to their princely order.”

Post-Khalsa Conflicts

• First Battle of Anandpur (c. 1701): The alarmed hill rulers allied with the Mughals. Emperor Aurangzeb sent commanders Adina Beg and Paind Khan. The Hill Rajas helped the Mughals, but they were defeated.
• Battle of Nirmohgarh (c. 1702): Another leader, Azmatullah, joined the Mughal-Hill Raja alliance. After prolonged battles, the Sikhs were defeated and forced to evacuate Nirmoh.
• Following the defeat, the Guru retreated to Basholi, which was in the dominion of Raja Dharampala.

The Great Siege of Anandpur (A.D. 1704)

• The Guru reoccupied Anandpur and began regrouping his army.
• On the specific instructions of Aurangzeb, Mughal forces, with the help of the hill rajas, laid a long siege to Anandpur to starve the Guru and the Khalsa into submission.
• After being assured of safe evacuation by the Mughals (on an oath they later broke), the Guru left Anandpur on 21st December 1704.

Evacuation and Final Battles

• Battle of Chamkaur (A.D. 1704): Immediately after evacuating Anandpur, the Guru’s small band was pursued and cornered at Chamkaur. In this desperate battle, his two elder sons (Sahibzadas), Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, were martyred in combat.
• Martyrdom at Sirhind (A.D. 1704): The Guru’s two younger sons, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, were captured and executed (bricked alive) at Sirhind by the Mughal Governor Wazir Khan for refusing to convert to Islam.
• Battle of Muktsar (A.D. 1705): The Guru’s final major battle. A group of 40 Sikhs (the Chali Mukte, or “Forty Liberated Ones”) who had previously deserted him, returned to defend him and were all killed. The Guru blessed them, tore up their letter of desertion, and named the place ‘Muktsar’ (the pool of liberation).

Struggle and Death (A.D. 1708)

• His struggle, fortitude, and personal losses (including all four sons) are often compared to those of Maharana Pratap.
• Cause of Death: He was mortally stabbed while asleep by a Pathan who was taking revenge for the murder of his father.
• Date of Death: Thursday, 18th October 1708.
• Location of Death: Nander (in Maharashtra), on the banks of the Godavari river.

HPAS Notes: Banda Bahadur and the Hill States

Bahadur Shah and the Gurus

• Emperor Bahadur Shah (A.D. 1702-1712) was friendly with Guru Gobind Singh, who had provided military assistance in his struggle for the throne.
• The Guru accompanied Bahadur Shah on his Deccan tour.

The Rise of Banda Bahadur

• At Nander (in the Deccan), the Guru met a Bairagi named Madho Das.
• Madho Das became a devotee and was sent North to fight the “enemies of Khalsa.” He came to be known as Banda Bahadur.
• Banda’s forces were highly successful, capturing Sirhind, Amritsar, Kasus, Batala, Pathankot, and looting Lahore.

Mughal and Hill State Response

• To stop Banda’s army, Emperor Bahadur Shah sent Amin Khan.
• Banda was besieged in the fort of Lahagarh but managed to escape on 10th December 1710.
• The first hill state to face the wrath of Banda Bahadur was Kahlur (Bilaspur).
• This attack ax demoralized the other hill chiefs, who then voluntarily submitted to Banda Bahadur, paid ‘Nazrana’ (tribute), and assured their loyalty.

HPAS Notes: Post-Mughal Chaos & Rise of Sikh Misls

Fall of Banda Bahadur (A.D. 1715-1716)

• The Rajas of Chamba and Mandi were the first hill chiefs to surrender to Banda Bahadur.
• Emperor Farrukh Siyar (who had ousted Jahandar Shah) ordered his general, Abdus Samad Khan, to punish Banda.
• Banda, who was in the hills, fought a fierce battle with Mughal forces for eight months during 1715 A.D.
• He was finally captured and executed in June 1716 A.D.

The Rise of the Misls

• After the death of Banda Bahadur, the Sikhs organized themselves into 12 groups (commandants) known as Misls.
• During this period of Mughal dissolution, Ahmad Shah Durrani invaded Punjab ten times between 1748-1768.
• The last Mughal Qiladar (Fort Commander) of Kangra was Nawab Saif Ali Khan, appointed in A.D. 1740.
• A.D. 1752: The Mughal emperor ceded Punjab and the hill states to Ahmad Shah Durrani.

Ghamand Chand and the Sikh Misls

• Raja Ghamand Chand of Kangra took advantage of the chaos to recover all ancestral territory, *except* for the Kangra fort.
• A.D. 1759: Ahmad Shah Durrani appointed Ghamand Chand as the Governor of the Jalandhara Doab.
• This gave him supremacy over the hill states between the Sutlej and Ravi.
• Ghamand Chand was successful in expelling Sikh intruders from the hills.
• He defeated Jassa Singh Ramgarhia in a pitched battle.
• When Jassa Singh attacked a second time, in collaboration with Jai Singh Kanheya, Ghamand Chand repulsed them again.

Sikh Misl Supremacy in the Hills

• Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was the first Sikh chieftain to successfully invade the Kangra hills, making Kangra, Nurpur, and Chamba his tributaries.
• A.D. 1775: Jassa Singh was defeated on the plains by Jai Singh Kanheya.
• Jai Singh Kanheya then seized control of the “Kangra group of states,” including Datarphur, Siba, and Nurpur.

Sansar Chand II and the Capture of Kangra Fort (1781-1787)

• Despite the rise of the Misls, the Kangra fort was still held by the dying Mughal Governor, Saif Ali Khan.
• 1781-82: Sansar Chand II called for aid from Jai Singh Kanheya to lay siege to the fort.
• A.D. 1783: On the death of Saif Ali Khan, the fort was surrendered, but by a “stratagem,” Jai Singh Kanheya seized it for himself.
• Jai Singh held the fort for four years.
• A.D. 1787: Sansar Chand, with the help of other Sikh leaders, finally forced a reluctant Jai Singh to surrender the fort.
• With the fort in his possession, Sansar Chand began his “ambitious designs,” marking a glorious chapter for Kangra (1786-1805) by subduing Guler, Siba, Jaswan, Kahlur, and Mandi.

HPAS Notes: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Hill States

Early Life of Ranjit Singh (A.D. 1780 – 1798)

Birth and Early Years

• Born: November 13, 1780, at Gujranwala.
• Father: Mahan Singh, chief of the Sukerchakia Misl.
• First Taste of Battle (Age 10): Accompanied his father in the siege of Sodhran against Sahib Singh Bhangi of Gujarat.
• Proclaimed Chief (Age 10): While his father was on his deathbed, Mahan Singh invested Ranjit Singh as the new chief of the Sukerchakia Misl.
• First Victory (Age 10): Routed the Bhangi Sardars who had come to rescue Sahib Singh at Sodhran. This was the last news Mahan Singh heard before his death.

Regency and Internal Strife (A.D. 1792)

• Mahan Singh died in 1792, when Ranjit Singh was 12.
• His mother, Raj Kaur, became his natural guardian, assisted by Diwan Lakhpat Rai.
• A rival faction emerged, led by his mother-in-law, Sada Kaur, and his uncle, Dal Singh.
• This led to “intrigues and counter intrigues” between two clear groups: (1) Raj Kaur and the Diwan, and (2) Sada Kaur and Dal Singh.

Personal Life and Matrimonial Alliances

• Ranjit Singh grew up illiterate but was fond of military activities.
• Marriage 1 (Age 16: 1796): Married Mehtab Kaur, daughter of SADA kaur, uniting his Sukerchakia Misl with the powerful Kanhaiya Misl.
• Marriage 2 (A.D. 1798): Married the daughter of Khazan Singh Nakai, further adding to his strength. This second marriage annoyed Sada Kaur and Mehtab Kaur.

HPAS Notes: The Gurkhas and Sirmaur State

Gurkha Ambition in the Hills

• Goal: To establish a Gurkha kingdom stretching from Nepal to Kashmir.
• Territory Conquered (by end of 18th C.): Extended their dominion from Gagra to Sutlej, covering Kumaon, Garhwal, Sirmaur, and the Shimla Hill States.
• Failed Alliance: The Gurkhas approached Ranjit Singh for a joint action against the Durranis in Kashmir. Ranjit Singh refused, as he “had marked out Kashmir as his own prize.”

Sirmaur Succession Crisis (A.D. 1793-1814)

• Raja Karam Parkash (A.D. 1793-1814) of Sirmaur was an “indolent and inexperienced” ruler.
• Raja Ram Saran Singh of Hindur (Nalagarh), his contemporary, began meddling in Sirmaur’s internal affairs.
• The Conspiracy: Influential officials Ajit Singh and Kishan Singh conspired with the Raja’s brother, Kanwar Rattan Singh, to help him occupy the throne.
• They besieged Raja Karam Parkash in the fort of ‘Kangra’ (Note: This is a fort in Sirmaur Dun, 50 km from Nahan, not the main Kangra fort).

Gurkha Intervention in Sirmaur

• The deposed Raja Karam Parkash, despairing of regaining his *gaddi*, Sought help from the Gurkhas.
• The Gurkha commander, Amar Singh Thapa, sent a detachment of 700 men under Bhakti Thapa to quell the rebels (Rattan Singh’s faction).
• This Gurkha detachment was then encircled by a Hindur force (allied with Kanwar Rattan Singh).

HPAS Notes: Gurkha Intervention and Prelude to Kangra War

Gurkha Takeover of Sirmaur

• The first Gurkha detachment (under Bhakti Thapa) was defeated by Hindur forces at ‘Jamata’ and forced to withdraw in 1804 A.D.
• Raja Karam Parkash (the deposed ruler) reminded Amar Singh Thapa of their treaty.
• Amar Singh Thapa then came in person, successfully expelled Kanwar Rattan Singh, and subdued the adjoining states.
• However, Amar Singh Thapa then set up his own government in Sirmaur, leaving Raja Karam Parkash “in no better position than before.”

Role of Hindur and the Anti-Sansar Chand Coalition

• During this period, Raja Ram Saran Singh of Hindur (Nalagarh) grew powerful, winning the loyalty of the ‘Bara Thakuraris’ (12 Thakurais), which had been feudatories of Kahlur.
• He allied with Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra.
• Together, they invaded Kahlur (Bilaspur), occupied land on the right bank of the Sutlej, and built a fort at ‘Dhar Jhanjiar’.
• Raja Ram Saran Singh also sacked Bilaspur town and captured several key forests, making Raja Mahan Chand of Kahlur extremely vulnerable.

The Invitation to the Gurkhas

• Sansar Chand’s aggression against Kahlur, along with his other subjugations, created “bitter resentment” among all the hill chiefs.
• The chiefs formed a coalition against him and sent a joint invitation to Gurkha commander Amar Singh Thapa to invade Kangra.
• By 1804 A.D., Amar Singh Thapa had arrived in the Shimla Hill States.
• The Gurkhas first targeted Sansar Chand’s ally, Ram Saran Singh, defeating the Hindur troops at Ajamgarh and besieging the forts of Ramgarh and Nalagarh.
• Raja Ram Saran Singh (Hindur) fled to the fort of Palasi.
• Seeing the Gurkhas’ success, Raja Mahan Chand of Kahlur also asked Amar Singh Thapa to intervene in the dispute between Kahlur and Kangra over the ‘taluka of Bati’.

HPAS Notes: The Gurkha Invasion of Kangra & Sikh Supremacy

The Gurkha Invasion (A.D. 1805-1809)

The Allied Invasion

• On the invitation of the hill chiefs, the Gurkha commander, Amar Singh Thapa, crossed the Sutlej river in late 1805 A.D. at Bilaspur and Jiuri (Suket).
• He was joined by contingents from the hill states of the Kangra group, Bilaspur, and Basholi, creating a united army of “about one lakh men.”

Battle of Mahal Morian (A.D. 1806)

• In 1806, the Gurkhas (with Raja Mahan Chand of Kahlur) met the Kangra forces.
• Raja Sansar Chand’s army was defeated at ‘Mahal Morian’ (a place now in district Hamirpur, near Bhoranj).

The Four-Year Siege of Kangra Fort

• Pushed back, Sansar Chand first took position at Tira-Sujanpur and then sought refuge with his family in the Kangra fort.
• The Gurkhas laid siege to the fort, but “all their efforts to capture it were fruitless.”
• The Gurkhas plundered and laid waste to the country for four years, causing dreadful “ravages” that forced the inhabitants to desert their homes.

Ranjit Singh’s Intervention (A.D. 1809)

The Treaty of Jawalamukhi

• After four years of struggle, a desperate Sansar Chand appealed to Maharaja Ranjit Singh for help.
• Treaty of Jawalamukhi: The agreement was signed on 20th July A.D. 1809, after a month-long negotiation at the Jawalamukhi Temple.

Expulsion of Gurkhas & Cession of the Fort

• The Sikh army advanced on Kangra, defeating the Gurkhas (whose numbers were reduced by desertion and disease).
• On 24th August 1809, the Kangra fort was surrendered by Raja Sansar Chand to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, not given back to Sansar Chand.

The Aftermath: Sikh Supremacy

• Ranjit Singh appointed Desa Singh Majithia as the Nazim (Governor) of the fort and the administrator of the Kangra Hills.
• With the cession of the fort, the Kangra state, as well as all other states of the “Jalandhara group,” became s subject and tributary to the Sikhs.
• Sansar Chand, his power broken, retired to Tira-Sujanpur as a vassal.

HPAS Notes: Gurkha Consolidation in the Hill States

Actions After Kangra (A.D. 1809)

• After his retreat from Kangra, Amar Singh Thapa pressured Raja Ram Saran Singh of Hindur.
• The advance of British troops to Ludhiana in 1809 saved the Hindur fort of ‘Palasi’ from being captured by the Gurkhas.
• Amar Singh Thapa then established himself at Arki, the capital of the Baghal state.
• This action drove the ruler of Baghal, Rana Jagat Singh, into exile in Palasi.

Conquest of Sirmaur

• Amar Singh Thapa sent a force under his son, Ranzor Singh, to attack Sirmaur.
• Sirmaur’s ruler, Karam Prakash, was defeated.
• Karam Prakash fled first to Subathu (in Ramgarh) and then to ‘Buria’ in Ambala.
• Nahan and Jythak (in Sirmaur) became important Gurkha military posts.

Further Gurkha Expansion (A.D. 1810-1811)

• By A.D. 1810, the Gurkhas had conquered:
  • ‘Hindur’ State (Nalagarh)
  • ‘Jubbal’ State
  • The Pundra area
  • The fort of ‘Nagana’ in Balsan state

Conflict with Bushahr

• Some of the Shimla Hill States requested help from the chief of Bushahr to stop the Gurkha expansion.
• The Raja of Bushahr sent a strong force under his Wazir to subdue them.
• May 1811: Amar Singh Thapa personally marched from Subathu with a large force to counter this new threat from the North.
• He successfully retook Nagana and pushed forward into the Sutlej valley, advancing towards Rampur, the capital of Bushahr.

HPAS Notes: Gurkha Campaign in Bushahr

Invasion of Bushahr (A.D. 1811-1813)

• The Gurkha operation was aided by the death of Raja Ugar Singh of Bushahr.
• His successor, Mohinder Singh, was a minor, but the Wazir of Bushahr foresaw the danger.
• The Wazir escaped with the young Raja and the Rajmata into the dense forests.
• Amar Singh Thapa tried unsuccessfully to capture the Raja until 1812.

Treaty and Aftermath

• Agreement (1812): Amar Singh Thapa finally agreed to leave the young Raja all the country North of the Sarahan mountains and beyond the Sutlej.
• In return, Bushahr was to pay Rs. 12,000 per annum.
• Amar Singh Thapa remained in Rampur (Bushahr’s capital) and its neighbourhood until A.D. 1813, after which he retired to Arki.

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.