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Battle of Nalapani

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Battle of Nalapani
Part of the Anglo-Nepalese War

Balbhadra Kunwar, Gurkha commander of the Nalapani fort
Date31 October, 1814 - 30 November, 1814
Location
Dehradun, India
Result Nepalese forces cedes Nalapani
Belligerents
British East India Company Kingdom of Nepal
Commanders and leaders
Major-General Rollo Gillespie†
Colonel Mawby		 Captain Balbhadra Kunwar
Strength
3,513 men initially about 600 men
Casualties and losses
69 dead
671 wounded		 over 90 dead
440 wounded

"Battle of Nalapani" is the first battle of Anglo-Nepalese War fought between the East India Company and Nepal from 1814 to 1816. The commander of the Nalapani fort was Captain Balbhadra Kunwar, while the invading British troops were commanded by Major General Rollo Gillespie. General Gillipsie was killed in the very first day of battle. Despite considerable odds, both in terms of number and fire power, Balbhadra and his six hundred men managed to hold against the might of more than three thousand British troops for about a month. The fort was eventually abandoned after its external water source had been cut off by the British. Balbhadra, along with about seventy remaining survivors, refusing to surrender, instead charged out and successfully hacked their way through the seige. It set the tone for the rest of the Anglo-Nepalese war. This battle more than any other established the warrior reputation of the Gorkhalis. The British praised the bravery shown by the Nepalese and erected a war memorial there.

Prelude

Main article: Anglo-Nepalese War

The initial British campaign was an attack on two fronts across a frontier of more than 1,500 km (930miles), from the Sutlej to the Koshi. In the eastern front, Major-General Bennet Harley and Major-General John Sullivan Wood led their respective columns across the Tarai towards the heart of the valley of Kathmandu. Major-General Rollo Gillespie and Colonel David Ochterlony columns in the western front. These columns were faced with the Gorkha army under the command of Amar Singh Thapa.[1] About the beginning of October of 1814, the British troops began to move towards different depots; and the army was soon after formed into four divisions, one at Benares, one at Meeruth, one at Dinapur, and one at Ludhiana.

The division at Meerut was formed under Major-General Gillespie; and it was purposed to march directly to the Dehra Dun; and having reduced the forts in that valley, to move, as might be deemed expedient, to the eastward, to recover Srinagar from the troops of Amar Singh Thapa; or to the westward, to gain the post of Nahan, the chief town of Sirmaur, where Ranjore Singh Thapa held the government for this father, Amar Singh; and so sweep on towards the Sutlej, in order to cut off that chief from the rest, and thus to reduce him to terms.[1][2] This division originally consisted of his Majesty's 53d, which with artillery and a few dismounted dragoons, made up about one thousand Europeans, and two thousand five hundred native infantry, totaling 3,513 men. [3][4]

First battle

Among the four divisions, Major-General Gillespie was the first penetrate the enemy's frontier.[5] When Captain[6] Bal Bhadra Kunwar, commander of the Nepalese Army defences there, heard of the approach of the British Army and its size, he realized that it would be impossible to defend the city. He withdrew from Dehradun and moved his force of about six hundred men[5] , mainly of Purano Gorakh Batallion including dependents, to a hill Northeast of the city, where he took up position in the small fort of Nalapani, Khalanga. On the 22 October, well before the declaration of war, Gillespie seized the Keree pass leading into Doon and thence proceeded to Dehra the principal town in the valley without meeting any opposition.[5]

The first British attack on Nalapani took place on 31 October, the day before the official declaration of war.[7] Gillespie’s plan was to storm the fort from four sides; however only two columns managed to respond to his signal for attack.[8] These two columns were 611 and 939 strong.[8] Under cover of fire, pioneers twice swarmed up to the walls, only to be cut down by the enfilade fire of Bal Bhadra’s cannon along a great part of the wall.[8] Gillespie’s men fell back. Seeing this, Gillespie, who until this time had stayed with the artillery battery, moved forward to personally rally his men;[8] but when he got within a few yards of the wall a Nepalese marksman shot him through the heart, and fell dead.[9] The dead of the General forced the invaders for retreat.[9] The total British casualties for the day was 32 dead and 228 wounded.[9]

Second battle

Colonel Mawbey, who was next in command at Nalapani,[9] retired to Dehra until 24 November for the heavy guns could arrive from Delhi.[10] After the reinforcements, the war commenced on 25 November, and the fort was continuously bombarded for three days until a large section of the wall gave away.[10] The British forces twice tried to mount the breach the very same day, but were repelled, by dogged defending by the Nepalese, into an exposed position just outside the wall.[10] An attempt was then made to fire one of the light guns into the breach so that the British could mount the wall in the cover of gun smoke.[11] But that attempt too came to nothing.[11] The day ended with the British retreating after spending two hours in the exposed position,[11] at immense British fatality. British casualties for the day mounted to 37 dead and over 443 wounded.[11] And still Bal Bhadra held his position.

Third battle

After these two failed attempts by the British to take over the fort, Mawbey then instructed his, by now strongly reinforced, gunners to fire into the fort, and he sent scouts out to discover the fort's water sources.[12] The water supply was finally blocked, and after three days of thirst, the Nepalese were forced to evacuate the fort on 30 November.[12] Bal Bhadra and some seventy of his surviving men were able to cut their way through and escape into the hills.[12] When the British troops entered the fort, it was found in a "shocking state, full of the remains of men and women killed by the shot shells of our batteries; a number of were likewise lying about, and the stench was intolerable."[13] Upwards of ninety bodies were found dead, while the wounded were sent to British hospitals; the fort was then razed to the ground.[13]

Legacy

This battle more than any other established the warrior reputation of the Gorkhalis. Balbhadra and his 600 had held against the might of the British/native troops for a month. General Gillipsie had been killed. Even with only 70 remaining survivors after his water source had been cut off, Balbhadra refused to surrender, instead charged out and successfully hacked their way through the seige. It set the tone for the rest of the campaign.[14]

To this day, the British made memorials still stand in Nalapani. One in the honour of Gillespie but the other, in the highest traditions of the British Army, in honour of "Our brave adversary Bul Buddur[15] and his gallant men".

Notes

  1. ^ a b Anon (1816), p.427. Cite error: The named reference "Anon (1816), p. 427" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Fraser, p. 13.
  3. ^ Smith, p. 215-219.
  4. ^ Prinsep, p. 84.
  5. ^ a b c Prinsep, p. 86
  6. ^ The use of English terms for their grades of command was common in the Gurkha army, but the powers of the different ranks did not correspond with those of the British system. The title of General was assumed by Bhimsen Thapa, as Commander-in-chief, and enjoyed by himself alone; of Colonels there were three or four only; all principal officers of the court, commanding more than one battalion. The title of Major was held by the adjutant of a battalion or independent company; and Captain was the next grade to colonel, implying the command of a corps. Luftun, or Lieutenant, was the style of the officers commanding companies under the Captain; and then followed the subaltern ranks of Soobadar, Jemadar, and Havildar, without any Ensigns. (Prinsep, p. 86-87)
  7. ^ Prinsep, p. 87-88
  8. ^ a b c d Prinsep, p. 88
  9. ^ a b c d Prinsep, p. 90
  10. ^ a b c Prinsep, p. 91.
  11. ^ a b c d Prinsep, p. 92.
  12. ^ a b c Prinsep, p. 93.
  13. ^ a b Prinsep, p. 94.
  14. ^ Prinsep, p. 96-94
  15. ^ Bal Bhadra

References

  • Anon. (1816). An account of the war in Nipal; Contained in a Letter from an Officer on the Staff of the Bengal Army. Asiatic journal and monthly miscellany, Vol 1. May, 1816. pp. 425-429. [1]
  • Fraser, James Baillie. (1820). Journal of a tour through part of the snowy range of the Himālā mountains, and to the sources of the rivers Jumna and Ganges. London: Rodwell and Martin. [2]
  • Anon. (1822). Military sketches of the Goorka war in India: in the years 1814, 1815, 1816. Woodbridge, Printed by J. Loder for R. Hunter, London. [3]
  • Prinsep, Henry Thoby. (1825). History of the political and military transactions in India during the administration of the Marquess of Hastings, 1813-1823, Vol 1. London: Kingsbury, Parbury & Allen. [4]
  • Smith, Thomas. (1852). Narrative of a five year's residence at Nepal. Vol 1. London: Colburn and Co. [5]
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