Major Bradshaw Failing Dispute Resolution with Gurkha Representatives
Anglo Nepalese War with Reference to Gurkha Rule over Uttarakhand & Himachal -9
History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -130
History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -651
By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)
East India Company and Gurkha Rulers were expansionists and both were opportunists for expanding their territories for any reasons.
For resolving the Butbal disputes the Company deputed Major Bradshaw to talk with Nepalese representatives –Krishna Pundit and Raghunath Pundit. The conference was totally failures as both the parties were least bothered to accept other's arguments and logics. Major Bradshaw wrote to Company that the Company had logical rights on Butbal and Syuraj.
After some time, Company handed over Bradshaw the responsibility of resolving Saran and Tirhut border Disputes.
Major reached Saran and told to Nepal Vakil /advocate to hand over the disputed land (twenty two villages) to East India till the dispute was resolved. Major Bradshaw promised that if the right of Nepal on twenty villages were proved logically the Company would return the land. Nepal representatives either believed on cunning Bradshaw or they were under compulsion they handed over the disputed land to the Company. East India Company never looked after from that time for resolving the issue.
On 4th March 1814, the Company ordered Major Bradshaw to resolve the issue for ever. Company also ordered Bradshaw to get back Saran land from Nepal. He was asked to take necessary action against Nepal if needed. Bradshaw reached to disputed land. Bradshaw called again the Nepalese representative for discussion. Nepalese representatives refused to come for discussion with Bradshaw and cleared that those twenty two villages were handed over to east India Company for temporary basis. Nepalese representatives asked Bradshaw to vacate the land immediately. After asking Bradshaw to vacate land, the Nepalese representatives left for Kathmandu.
Protest from Hastings
Governor General Hastings was annoyed by the information that Nepalese representatives were not agreeing for handing over the land to the Company. He sent a letter and threatened that Nepal should take off its administrators form the land and cautioned if Nepal government did not take off administration from the land Company would take stern action against Nepal (Sanwal).
East India Company Army Action
After dispatching letter to Nepal, Company head office sent three artilleries for helping major Bradshaw. Company ordered major Bradshaw that he should wait for a reasonable time for answer from Nepal. Later on he was asked to capture the land from Nepal.
Company deputed Colonel Richardson with seventeen Army companies to Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur magistrate was asked to send warning letter to Nepal for vacating Butbal and Syuraj. If Nepal government did not agree the Colonel was asked to take army action against Nepal for capturing Butbal and Syuraj territories.
Nepal government answered through letter that Yong had cleared that Nepal had right on Butbal and Syuraj. Nepal government refused to vacate Butbal and Syuraj. Nepal government informed that Nepal was ready to resolve the border issue by talk and was ready to send its representatives to Kolkata. The letter reached on 4th May 1814. However, East India Company Magistrate of Gorakhpur captured the territories before the letter reached to Gorakhpur Magistrate. Initially Nepalese army resisted but later on Ambar Singh Thapa asked his army to go back towards Nepal.
** Most of references and details were taken from Dr Dabral
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com28/6/2015
History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -652
*** 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
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