Greater Nepal
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Greater Nepal is a concept referring to the state of Nepal extending beyond present boundaries to include territories ceded to the British East India Company under the Sugauli Treaty that ended the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814–16.[1] The idea of a modern Nepali state covering the same territories motivates some Nepali nationalist groups.[1]
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[edit] Political situation of the Eastern Society
The eastern administration system was decentralized with Rajauta, Raja, Maharaja, and Badamaharaja ruling villages and states respectively as per the norms of Dharma Rajya. State was not concerned to planning and development, which was a common feature of entire south Asian region. There were more than 565 principalities in the present India alone. Nepal too did have over six dozen Rajya and Rajauta, called Bayeese(22 in Nepali) and Chaubise(24 in Nepali) Kingdom.
Because of the loose union of eastern system, Europeans started colonizing those principalities, taking advantage of the weak political situation. Considering the importance of eastern philosophy, culture and Dharma, King Prithivi Narayan Shah tried to unify Nepal. In those days, Nepal was divided into small kingdoms and kingships.
[edit] Objective of the unification
Prithvi Narayan Shah was a farsighted king and so he decided to galvanize small states into a strong nation with a view to saving Nepal from being one of the colonies of Britain. He did have full support of all right thinking intellectuals and patriots of the time.
[edit] Unification campaign
Prithvi Narayan Shah unified the major principalities into one country, especially important for business with Tibet after the victory over Nuwakot on October 2 1744, Sindhupal chowk, Kabhrepal chowk, and some kingdoms located to the eastern part of it in 1748 AD. He unified Mahadevpokhari, Pharping, Chitlang, Dharmasthali, Naldrum, Siranchowk and Shivapuri during 1745-46. Immediately after the unification of Makawanpur and Simrongad, he unified Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, and Sindhuli Gadhi in 1762. In 1763 he unified Dhulikhel and Banepa. On 17 March 1766 he captured Kirtipur. In 1768 he unified Kantipur. Then, relationship of Gorkha kingdom was established with Government of East India Company. The capital from Gorkha to Kathmandu was shifted in 1868 AD. After it Prithvi Narayan Shah died at the age of fifty three in 1775 AD, while he was planning to annex Chaudandi and Vijayapur. Prithvi Narayan Shah was avisionary person. During the reign of Pratap Shah, the son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, three states like Dang, Kapilvastu and Chitwan were merged into Nepal. Similarly, Lamjung, Tanahu, Palpa, Parbat, Upper Nuwakot, Garahu, Stahu, Bhirkot, and Kaski were conquered in1785. Then, Sarlahi, Mahotttari, Dhanusa, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Sindhuli, and Udayapur were annexed. In 1769 AD, Jajarkot agreed to absorb its kingdom into Gorkha. Pratap Shah died at the age of twenty five in 1777 AD. after the absorption of the Chitwan Valley of Tanahun. Five Valley of Tanahun. Five years after his demise, Koshi, Lamjung, and Tanahun, including Chaubise kingdoms were galvanized into Nepal in 1789 AD after the absorption of all the Baise Kingdoms (twenty-two principalities), located in the western part of the Kali Gandaki. Then, Salyan, Palpa and Mustang were annexed.
[edit] Victory over Kumau & Garhwal
Army of Gorkha got victory over Kumaon in 1790 AD. [2][3] Pradhumna Shah became the ruler of the nation on condition of paying Rs. 5000 yearly tribute.The southern border of Nepal extended up to Allahabad after the absorption of Palpa Kingdom, including the Terai sector of Butwal taken by the king of Palpa from the king of Awadh on lease in 1801. In 1806 AD, the army of Gorkha absorbed all the small kingdoms like Sirmudh,Hindur and Besahar lying across the Gadhwal and the Satalaj River. In this way, Nepal had intention of acquiring the nearest port of Karanchi and the hilly regions such as Nainital, Almoda, Garhwal and Deharadun across the Satlaj River.
[edit] Victory over Sikkim & Darjeeling
Previously Darjeeling formed a part of dominions of the Raja of Sikkim, who had been engaged in an unsuccessful warfare against the Gorkhas. From 1780 the Gorkhas constately made inroads into Sikkim. In the Sino-Nepal treaty, Sikkim lost some of its land to Nepal and by the beginning of 19th century, they had overrun Sikkim as far-eastward as the Teesta and had conquered and annexed the Terai.[4]
[edit] Historic boundaries
Under the Sugauli Treaty, the Nepalese kingdom had ceded the territories conquered by the British East India Company that spanned from the Teesta River in the east, which are constituted in the modern Indian states of Punjab,[5] Himachal Pradesh,[6] Sikkim and West Bengal and Uttarakhand and including places such as Almora, Pathankot, Kumaon, Dehradun, Garhwal, Sirmur and Shimla and Kangra, located to the west of the Sutlej River in the modern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Nepal also ceded control over kingdom of Sikkim, whose local ruler, the Chogyal, had supported the British in the war, as well as the north of the Rajshahi division of Bangladesh. The re-acquisition of these territories is a goal held by several Nepali political groups,[7] especially the parts of then Nepal integrated into India only because of the consequence of the Sugauli treaty concluded between British India and the Nepalese government.
[edit] Nationalist cause
The idea of "Complete (Greater) Nepal" motivates not only some Nepali nationalists but a majority of Nepalese academicians,[citation needed] who seek to extend the boundaries of present-day Nepal to include the very territories ceded under the Sugauli Treaty. As the ceded territories were not restored to Nepal by the British when freedom was granted to the people of British India, these have become a part of the Republic of India even though it was mentioned that the treaties on behalf of the East India Company or British India would not be valid anymore. Some Nepali politicians and activists accuse India of usurping Nepali territory and using the present border and territorial situation to dominate Nepal, which in the opinion of Nepali nationalists can be overcome by a "Complete (Greater) Nepal."[1] Most law graduates claim that the Sugauli Treaty became null and void on August 15, 1947 when India obtained her independence from British Raj and by the 1950 Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty.[1] Several Nepalese publications and activities claim the lost territories must be recovered since the Sugauli Treaty has in effect been void by article 8 of the 1950 Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty and Anglo-Nepal Treaty.
[edit] See also
- British East India Company, British Raj
- History of India
- History of Nepal
- History of Sikkim
- Politics of Nepal
- Unification of Nepal
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Phanindra Nepal, Lecturer Patan Multiple Campus. "Greater Nepal is not impossible!". http://telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=1918. Retrieved 30 November 2010. Telegraph Nepal]
- ^ "Kumaon and Garhwal Coin History - Uttarakhand Worldwide - Excerpts from the history of Uttaranchal Through Coins". http://www.uttaranchal.org.uk/coinhistory.php.
- ^ "The Enclosing of Nepal". countrystudies.us. http://countrystudies.us/nepal/11.htm. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "History - Pre-Independence". darjeeling.gov.in. http://www.darjeeling.gov.in/darj-hist.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "The Anglo-Gurkha war". history-timeline.deepthi.com. http://www.history-timeline.deepthi.com/india-timeline-history/anglo-gurkha-war.html. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "?". himachal.nic.in. http://himachal.nic.in/tour/history.htm.[dead link]
- ^ Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui (October 25, 2005). "Nepal Maoists claim parts of India". The Times Of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1273683.cms. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
[edit] External links
- Greaternepal.org
- We could regain Greater Nepal
- Newsblaze.com
- Bellinfosys.com (important dates in the history of Garhwal.)
- Wordpress.com
- Bordernepal.com
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