British Army Struggling in Nalapani /Khalanga -2
Khalanga, Nalapani Campaign -18
Anglo Nepalese War with Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -68
History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -187
History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -710
By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)
When a British army soldier informed that he saw a small door at north –west of Garhi (fortress) , three companies of Gillespie and Ludlow with a 6 Pound Canon marched to that place. Due to smoke around huts Gorkha soldiers did not see the British force. The door was open. There was a wall behind the door. There was a Jijal Canon kept on the wall its mouth opening outside. Lieutenant Canady fired the 6 Pound Canon. It destroyed the Jijli Canon. Gillespie ordered 53 Company soldiers led by Ludlow for attacking. Suddenly there was attack of canons from Door. Due to Gun fire, 7 British soldiers were killed. The body parts of dead soldiers fell here and there. British soldiers went backwards. Gorkha soldiers, men, women and children attacked from Garhwali on British soldiers with arrow, pears, stones. A stone injured Ludlow thigh. Gorkha soldiers took the opportunity and came towards British Canon. Gorkha destroyed the Canon.
Ludlow collected soldiers and marched towards door. Only four soldiers came with Ludlow. He asked them for entering the door. All four (Indians in British Army) refused entering into door as they hated Gillespie very much. Gillespie with a pistol marched ahead by inspiring the solders. Gorkha fired Gun on Gillespie and a bullet struck on chest of Gillespie. Gillespie fell down. Same time, Lieutenant O’ Hara and Captain Voirce were also killed.
It was quarter past eleven. Captain John Campbell was waiting for signal at Ashtalgaon. When signal did not reach to him he marched towards Garhi. He reached Tharapani. Gillespie was already killed by that time. Ludlow was ordering soldiers to return back from the site. Due to Campbell British army was able to get back Canon. British army came down from Tharapani hill top.
Colonel Mawby took the charge after death of Gillespie. Mawby decided not to attack on Nalapni or Khalanga till he got Bigger Canons.
Gurkha commander Balbhadra accepted that British could take the dead and injured soldiers. However, Gurkha cut dead bodies into pices and made them naked.
Among European officers, one general and 4 officers were killed and 18 were injured those died later on. Among non commissioned officers, 30 were killed and 213 were injured. Among dismounted soldiers, half of the soldiers were killed or injured. In total, 31 officers were killed and 750 were injured.
Gillespie was responsible for the defeat and his death. He could wait a few hours to get all army soldiers for surrounding the Garhi. In haste he attacked Garhi and was killed. His body was taken to Meerut and buried with full army honor.
Mawrby came back to Khurbura with soldiers.
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com 18/10//2015
History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -711
*** History of Gorkha/Gurkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued in next chapter
(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)
XX Reference
Atkinson E.T., 1884, 1886, Gazetteer of Himalayan Districts …
Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories
Colnol Kirkpatrik 1811, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal
Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda
Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race
Krishna Rai Aryal, 1975, Monarchy in Making Nepal, Shanti Sadan, Giridhara, Nepal
I.R.Aryan and T.P. Dhungyal, 1975, A New History of Nepal , Voice of Nepal
L.K Pradhan, Thapa Politics:
Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021
Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173
B. D. Pande, Kumaon ka Itihas
Balchandra Sharma, Nepal ko Aitihasik Rup Rekha
Chaudhari , Anglo –Nepalese Relations
Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon
Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University Press
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A.P Coleman, 1999, A Special Corps
Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of a Five Years Residence at Nepal Vol.1
Maula Ram/Mola Ram , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya
J B Fraser , Asiatic Research
Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered
Minyan Prem Singh, Guldast Tabarikh Koh Tihri Garhwal
Patiram Garhwal , Ancient and Modern
Tara Datt Gairola, Parvtiy Sanskriti
John Premble, Invasion of Nepal
Chitranjan Nepali, Bhimsen Thapa aur Tatkalin Nepal
Sanwal, Nepal and East India Company
Nagendra kr Singh, Refugee to Ruler
Saxena, Historical papers related to Kumaon
Paper Respecting Nepal War by East India Company (papers in Stock)
XXX
History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Sirmour Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Kangara Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Baghat Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Punar Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Uttarkashi Garhwal, Bageshwar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; Nahan Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Dehradun Garhwal, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History Himachal;
Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ka Kumaon par Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Himachal
