The Battle of Nuwakot also called Siege of Nuwakot or Invasion of Nuwakot was fought in Nuwakot in 1744. Nuwakot was controlled by the Kingdom of Kantipur and it was an important location as it had a trade route to Tibet. The Gorkha Kingdom previously attacked twice by Nara Bhupal Shah and his son Prithvi Narayan Shah respectively. To prepare for the war Prithvi Narayan Shah visited Varanasi to get war materials, ammunition, acquire weapons, train the soldiers, and Pilgrims. He improved his army personnel and included people from any caste including the blacksmiths, cobblers, sweepers, Damai, and anyone who was bodied and physically fit was able to join the crew.
The Gorkha Kingdom attacked Nuwakot on 26 September 1744 as astrologer Kulananda Dhakal said it was the auspicious day for launching the attack. The day before, Shah commanded KajiKalu Pande to be ready for a strike. The Gorkhas, got together with their weapons, and the king split the army into three groups. Gorkha won the battle on 1 October 1744.
Background
Nuwakot was controlled by the Kantipur (known today as Kathmandu) after king Ratna Malla annexed it.[1][2] Nuwakot was an important location for Kantipur as it had a trade route to Tibet and it was the western gate to the Nepal Valley.[3] Gorkha was a petty kingdom in the confederation of Chaubisi rajya (24 principalities), located in present-day western Nepal founded by the brother of Narahari Shah of Lamjung, Dravya Shah, in 1599.[4] Later Ram Shah became the king of Gorkha and expanded the borders of the kingdom through marriage and wars.[4] In 1739, Nara Bhupal Shah signed a peace treaty with Lamjung which made the east flank safe with plans to capture Nuwakot.[3] After the treaty, Maheswor Pant and Kaji Jayant Rana Magar of Gorkha were commanded to attack Nuwakot, however, they were defeated.[3] Upon defeat, the blame was put on Jayant Rana Magar by Nara Bhupal. Jayant Rana Magar was stripped of his titles position and he went to Kantipur to seek shelter.[3]Jaya Prakash Malla of Kantipur appointed him to defend attacks from Gorkha as former Kaji of Gorkha Jayanta Rana Magar had inside information on their strengths and weaknesses. [3]
Later Prithvi Narayan Shah ascended as the King of Gorkha after the death of his father. Upon being crowned, he started to prepare for a war against Nuwakot.[5] Shah made Gorkha Bhardars Biraj Thapa Magar the commander. As he did not want to make the same mistake as Jayant Rana Magar, so the troops stayed camped at Khimchet.[5] Nobles, and Bhardars who supported Maheswor Pant criticised that Biraj Thapa Magar was a coward for spending a long time to attack.[5] They incited Prithvi Narayan Shah by telling him that he could capture Nuwakot by mounting an attack.[5] So, he sent another force led by Pant who reached the Trishuli River and they climbed the steep slope but Kantipur soldiers had planned that to let the forces climb the hill so they could unexpectedly mount an attack against the Gorkhalis.[5] When the soldiers climbed the hill, Mallas aggressively attacked them and defeated them.[5] Shah realised he needed more military technology and manpower to capture Nuwakot.[6]
To prepare for the war, Prithivi Narayan Shah visited Varanasi to get war materials, ammunition, acquire weapons, train the soldiers, and Pilgrims.[6] Shah hired some people to drill and practice his soldiers and with the help of craftsman he availed himself to make gunpowder, arrows, shafts, Khundas (sword), and Khukuris.[6] He increased the military personnel and gave them proper training to make them more efficient.[7] The army included people from any caste including the blacksmiths, cobblers, sweepers, Damai, and anyone who was bodied and physically fit was able to join the crew.[7]
Shah began to set up friendly relations with neighbouring kingdoms due to the danger to Gorkha if he attacked Kantipur.[7] He also sent messengers to ask for assistance in his attempt to capture Nuwakot, Chaubisi Rajyas and others rejected to provide military aid but Kingdom of Lamjung established a friendship with Gorkha.[7] Shah and king of Lamjung signed an agreement that stated that they would attack when Gorkha moves towards the east of Nuwakot.[7] After winning over the Nepal Valley, Gorkhali king would provide Lamjung one lakh twenty thousand mohars.[8] Shah undertook to receive war materials, increasing the manpower, and getting support from the people for the imminent war. [8]
In September 1744, Kulananda Dhakal, an astrologer was ordered by the king to find the auspicious hour to go to war with Nuwakot.[9] Before going to war, Prithivi Narayan Shah, tasked trusted noble Bhardars and commanders to manage the state affairs.[9] The same month, the Gorkha Kingdom with advisers, king, and 1,300 soldiers went to invade Nuwakot.[9] Shah had desired to invade Nuwakot in the wet season because the opponent would not except any attack during the season.[9] The Gurkha troops disguise themselves as farmers to make the impending battle a secret, and they get to the shores of the Trishuli River.[9] Upon getting to Khimchet, the troops faked making a canal from the river to a field, and the opponent did not understand the motive of these farmers.[9] The army led by Shah arrived from Borlang, Charange, Tambai, to Khimchet in the fourth day, and they waited at Khimchet for the auspicious day to attack.[9] For the time being, king Prithivi Narayan Shah wrote a letter to commander Jayanta Rana Magar to join Gorkha, mentioning his ex-relations, however, he declined to join his side, adding "I am yours, but I have already eaten the salt of Jaya Prakash. Now I would die for him".[9][10]
Prithivi Narayan Shah assigned a Jaisi Brahmin, Kalu Adhikari, to perform a Tantric ritual which included burying a nail to opponent's soil believing that they could win the battle.[10][11] Adhikari arrived at Nuwakot by pretending that he had left Gorkhas and came there to seek asylum, and he was granted a shelter.[11] Later, he buried a nail at Mahamandal during the auspicious time, then Adhikari went back to Gorkha, who were impressed by this.[11] The enemies became aware of an incoming attack, Jayanta Rana Magar, assigned his son Shankha Mani Rana Magar to defend Mahamandal and Nuwakot, and he went to Kantipur to get more soldiers.[11] At the same time, Prithivi Narayan Shah was trying to find where to launch an attack, not to repeat the past mistake, by crossing Trishuli River Bridge.[11] He found Shubha Ghat to attack from as it was easier to go up to the hill to reach Mahamandal and it couldn't bee seen by much people from Nuwakot.[11] Jaluwa Manjhi, concurred with Gorkhas to ferry them across the river.[11]
Kulananda Dhakal informed Shah that the 26th of September was the auspicious day for launching the attack.[11] Day before, Shah commanded KajiKalu Pande to be ready for a strike, the Gorkhas, got together with their weapons, and the king split the army into three groups.[11] The king told them to mount an attack from three directions.[11] There was a chance that Nuwakot defenders would not be aware of an incoming attack if Gorkhas launched from the north and northeast since they believed that west and south were the suitable directions for an attack.[12] Prithvi Narayan Shah planned to surprise them by attacking from an unanticipated way, he told the first group to go to Mahamandal through northeast route by using Gorkhu, the second group to attack Mahamandal from Dharampani, and the third group to assault Nuwakot directly from using Tindhare route.[12]
Kalu Pande, ChautariaMahodam Kirti Shah, and Prithivi Narayan Shah led the first to third groups, respectively.[12] Three groups met at Shubha Ghat, Jaluwa Manjhi, transported them across the Trishuli River, the force also included the brother of the king Dal Mardan Shah, royal preceptor, priest and astrologers, who were given weapons.[12] Nuwakot was guarded by few soldiers but they were on the alert to fight back the Gorkhali forces and they were on defensive positions.[12] They did not have much advanced war materials, only a few guns, and they had the traditional weapons like bow and arrows, Khundas, swords, and spears.[12] This was because it was hard to obtain guns and ammo and thus they were used in small quantities.[12]Indra Jātrā, one of the biggest festival, was being celebrated by the people of Kantipur and consequently, Jayant Rana, did not get any troops.[13]
On 26 September 1744, the first group climbed up the hill to reach Mahamandal from the north, when soldiers of Nuwakot were sleeping.[13] Kalu Pande launched an unexpected attack so they could not counter-attack, and capture or kill commander of Nuwakot Shankha Mani Rana Magar who commanded deepeners initially.[13] When Gorkhali arrived at Mahamandal, they jumped at defenders and yelled battle cry "Jai Kali", "Jai Gorakhnath", and "Jai Manakamana".[13] The defenders started to run away without fighting back as they were unprepared, seeing this, Shankha Mani Rana Magar,[14] motivated them to attack but they did not listen.[13][15] Remarkably, wounded Sankha Mani Rana Magar charged the Gorkhali soldiers with a sword then they surrounded him, and he challenged Dal Mardan Shah.[15] Shah chopped his head off and more soldiers fleed to Belkot after witnessing their commander's death. Many defenders and some Gorkhali soldiers also died on the spot.[15] Many praised Dal Mardan Shah as the victory was decided by the death of a commander.[15] The second group led by Mahodam Kirti Shah became victorious as defenders ran away and some dying.[15] Prithivi Narayan Shah's group received a message saying that Mahamandal was captured thus the king went to attack the fort, Nuwakot Gadhi.[15] The fort defenders could not resist the attack by the Gorkhali in the darkness and rather than fighting they fleed to Belkot as well since they already received the news about the death of their commander Sankha Mani Rana Magar.[15] On 1 October 1744, Gorkhalis won the battle.[16] Kalu Pande with Ashok Bari, and Mahodam Kirti Shah arrived at the fort, the king went inside of the fort then inside of the palace with advice of astrologers.[17] He also gathered his soldiers and they went to Nuwakot Bhairavi to esteem the deity.[17] Few days later, in the Battle of Belkot, Jayanta Rana Magar was captured, imprisoned, and was skinned alive with people from Nuwakot, and Gorkha spectating his death.[10][18]
Aftermath
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The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu kingdom in South Asia, formed in 1768 by the expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom, which lasted until 2008 when the kingdom became the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. It was also known as the Gorkha Empire, or sometimes Asal Hindustan. Founded by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha monarch who claimed to be of Thakuri origin from chaubisi, it existed for 240 years until the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008. During this period, Nepal was formally under the rule of the Shah dynasty, which exercised varying degrees of power during the kingdom's existence.
Prithvi Narayan Shah, was the last king of the Gorkha Kingdom and first king of the Kingdom of Nepal. Prithvi Narayan Shah started the unification of Nepal.
The Gorkha Kingdom, also known as the Gorkha Confederation or the Gorkha Empire, was a member of the Chaubisi rajya, a confederation of 24 states, located at the intersection of Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent. In 1743, the kingdom began a campaign of military expansion, annexing several neighbors and becoming present-day Nepal.
The unification of Nepal was the process of building the modern Nepalese state, from fractured petty kingdoms including the Baise Rajya and the Chaubisi Rajya, which began in 1743 AD. The prominent figure in the unification campaign was Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Gorkha. On 25 September 1768, he officially announced the creation of the Kingdom of Nepal and moved his capital from Gorkha to the city of Kathmandu.
Basnyat/Basnet family or Basnyat/Basnet dynasty was a Khas-Chhetri and a warlord clan family involved in the politics and administration of the Gorkha Kingdom and Kingdom of Nepal. This family got entry into Thar Ghar aristocracy group of Gorkha at the time of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. It was one of the four noble families to be involved in active politics of Nepal together with the Shah dynasty, Pande family and the Thapa dynasty before the rise of the Rana dynasty. This family is descended from Shivaram Singh Basnyat, the commander of Gorkhali forces and a member of Shreepali Basnyat clan of Gorkha. This family was maritally linked to Kala (Black) Pande section of the Pande dynasty through Chitravati Pande who married Kaji Kehar Singh Basnyat. This family was the last Kshatriya (Chhetri) political family to be wiped out from the central power by Jung Bahadur Rana of Kunwar family during the Bhandarkhal Massacre in 1846 for the conspiracy to take the power leading to people suffering from 104 long years of the Rana rule.
Chaubisi Rajya, Chaubise Rajya or Chaubisye Rajya, were sovereign and intermittently allied petty kingdoms ruled by the Magar and Thakuri kings located at the intersection of Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent. One of these kingdoms, Gorkha, annexed the others, becoming the present-day country of Nepal. This conquest began soon after Prithvi Narayan Shah ascended to the Gorkha throne in 1743 AD. The Chaubisi Rajya were annexed during the unification of Nepal from 1744 to 1816 AD. A parallel group of 22 small kingdoms, Baisse Rajya, existed to the west of the Gandaki Basin.
Damodar Pande was the Mulkaji of Nepal from 1803 until March 1804 and the most influential Kaji from 1794 to his execution on March 13, 1804. He is also arguably referred to as the first Prime Minister of Nepal. He was the youngest son of famous Kaji of Prithivi Narayan Shah Kalu Pande. He was born in 1752 in Gorkha. Damodar Pande was one of the commanders during the Sino-Nepalese War and in Nepal-Tibet War. He was among the successful Gorkhali warriors sent towards the east by Prithivinarayan Shah.
Kaji was a title and position used by nobility of Gorkha Kingdom (1559–1768) and Kingdom of Nepal between 1768 and 1846. Many other contemporary kingdoms used the same title for their ministers.
The Battle of Kathmandu or siege of Kathmandu or siege of Kantipur occurred during the Unification of Nepal. It was fought in Kathmandu in 1768, and resulted in the defeat of its king Jaya Prakash Malla by conquerors Prithvi Narayan Shah, king of the adjoining Gorkha Kingdom.
Vamshidhar Pande known by Alias Kalu Pande was a Nepalese politician and general who was appointed as Kaji of The Gorkha Kingdom. He was born in 1713 A.D. in a Gorkha family. He was the commander of the Gorkhali forces during the Unification Campaign of Nepal who died in the first Battle of Kirtipur in 1757 A.D. Pande's real name was Banshidhar Pande. He was a son of Kaji Bhimraj Pande who was minister during reign of King Prithivipati Shah of Gorkha. He was descendant of Minister of Gorkha and Dravya Shah's accomplice Ganesh Pande. He had three sons: Dewan Kajisaheb Vamsharaj Pande, Sardar Ranasur Pande and Mulkaji Sahib Damodar Pande.
Kehar Singh Basnyat or Kehar Singh Basnet was a Nepalese military commander and war hero who laid down his life in the Unification battles of Nepal. He was born in the illustrious clan of Shreepali Basnyats as a member of Kshettriya (warrior) class.
Ram Krishna Kunwar or Ramakrishna Kunwar was a military commander (Sardar) of Gorkha Kingdom during the Unification of Nepal at the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. He was born circa 1728 AD to Ashiram Kunwar in the Kunwar family. His descendants went on to found the Rana dynasty of Nepal. He was a successful general in King Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign of Nepal. He defeated British forces at Hariharpur Gadhi on 25 August 1767. He died in the Mechi Campaign in 1771 A.D.
Vamsharaj Pande was a Nepalese politician, military officer and minister of state. He was a significant army commander of Kingdom of Nepal in the second half of the 18th century. He was a follower of Bahadur Shah of Nepal and had a significant rivalry with Swaroop Singh Karki.
Bir Bhadra Thapa or Birabhadra Thapa also spelled Virabhadra or Virbhadra, was a politician, courtier and military officer in the Gorkha Kingdom during the 18th century. Born in the medieval Tanahun Kingdom, he left his ancestral property there and migrated to the uprising Gorkha Kingdom. He got entry into the minor ranks of military of King Prithvi Narayan Shah due to being a nephew of Sura Prabha, the wife of military commander Shivaram Singh Basnyat of the Basnyat dynasty. Thereafter, he took part in the various battles of Unification of Nepal throughout his life. Among his grandsons, Bhimsen Thapa went on to become the Mukhtiyar of Nepal for 31 years and founder of Thapa dynasty.
Kashiram Thapa was the army commander of Jaya Prakash Malla. King Jagajjaya Malla had appointed him as Umrao of Nuwakot. He had wide control over Palanchok preventing Prithvi Narayan Shah to evade Bhadgaon. He was considered to be a courageous and ambitious person who was good in dealings and organizing. When Gorkhali king Prithvi Narayan Shah plundered Nuwakot, he was sent to defend the area. He lost the battle on 1746 AD and was thought of deceiving the Kantipur Kingdom. Previously, he had won the Naldum area from Gorkhali and gained the confidence of King Jaya Prakash. So, the King was confident on Kashiram as Prithvi Narayan Shah had on Kalu Pande. However Kashiram lost and got the King angry for which he was assassinated. His brother Parashuram Thapa sided to Gorkha Kingdom when his brother was killed without justification.
Swarup Singh Karki or Swaroop Singh Karki, was a Nepali politician, courtier, military commander and minister. He was popular for his singing prowess and court conspiracies. He was selected as Dewan in the reign of King Pratap Singh Shah and a significant politician in the regent rule of Queen Rajendra of Nepal. He was one of the most influential court politician in the rule of King Pratap Singh and Queen Rajendralaxmi, others being his rival Bahadur Shah of Nepal and Vamsharaj Pande. Vamsharaj was his perceived career rival. His life and career ended when Prince Bahadur Shah was appointed as regent in 1785.
Tularam Pande was a Nepalese military personnel, diplomat and politician in the Gorkha Kingdom. He was a diplomat who served King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. Two of his diplomatic missions were with Dolakha and Kathmandu while the latter remained unsuccessful. He also served as the national military commanders in the forces of Prithvi Narayan Shah. He was the patron of the Gora Pande clan, a minor faction of the Gorkha-based aristocratic Pande family. Some of his patrilineal descendants became influential politicians such as Ranajit Pande and Dalabhanjan Pande in the Nepalese history through their marital ties with the Thapa dynasty. His matrilineal descendants became significantly influential; Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal went on to become Queen Mother of Nepal and Mathawar Singh Thapa – the Prime Minister of Nepal and Jang Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji – the latter period ruler of Kaski and Lamjung and Prime Minister of Nepal.
Kaji Jayant Rana Magar was a Gorkhali general of the Gorkha Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Kantipur who commanded one battle for Gorkha, and two battles for Kantipur against the invasion of Nuwakot. He died in 1744 after ordering to be skinned alive by Prithvi Narayan Shah, first King of Nepal.
The Battle of Sindhuli was fought on 6 November 1767 near Sindhuli Gadhi. The battle was part of the unification of Nepal led by Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Gorkha.
Mahoddam Kirti Shah was a Prince of the Gorkha Kingdom. He was active during the Unification of Nepal military campaign led by his brother, King Prithvi Narayan Shah.
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