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Gorkha Kingdom: Rise of Prithvi Narayan Shah

The Gorkha Kingdom, which is now in Nepal, was important in forming the history of the country. Known for its military might and astute diplomacy, the kingdom was founded in the middle of the 16th century and served as the model for modern Nepal. Particular evidence of its impact can be found in the Prithvi Narayan Shah-led peaceful coexistence of countless broken kingdoms. The establishment of the Gorkha Kingdom, the rising to power of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the kingdom’s territorial growth, and the up a major part it had on Nepal will all be discussed in this article.

Formation of the Gorkha Kingdom

The Gorkha Kingdom was formed in the mid-16th century in the small hill town of Gorkha, which lies in the center of modern Nepal. Indeed, it is a mountainous cradle surrounded by rugged terrain that would give birth to a kingdom which unified the majority of Nepal’s territories. It is believed that the Gorkha Kingdom was established by Prince Dravya Shah of the Shah dynasty in 1559 CE after he had led a successful coup against the local leaders.

Dravya Shah did not ascend to power easily. Up until then, the Gorkha region was under the possession of the Khas people, and the respective local leaders enjoyed a great deal of authority. It was by a combination of diplomatic and military skills that Dravya Shah used the petty local rivalries to his advantage and succeeded in taking the support of some key clans to consolidate his power. His rule heralded the rule of Shah dynasty, which would continue to play an important role in Nepalese history for many more centuries.

While the initial period was full of internal consolidation and struggles with other neighborhood principalities, Gorkha had the strategic advantage by virtue of its geographic position. The positioning allowed the kingdom to be pretty much insulated from external invasions while opening up avenues to the key trade routes between India and Tibet. As a result, economic prosperity further bolstered the military capabilities of the Shah dynasty. By the time Dravya Shah’s successors took over, Gorkha was already known as the most powerful and influential kingdom in the region.

Over the next hundred years, the Gorkha Kingdom continued with a series of local conquests. It was, however, the advent of Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century that signified the real turning point in Gorkha’s history.

Rise of Prithvi Narayan Shah

The most transformative period in the Gorkha Kingdom came with the ascension of Prithvi Narayan Shah to the throne. Prithvi Narayan Shah was born in 1723 and, upon the demise of his father, King Nara Bhupal Shah, ascended the throne of Gorkha in 1743. Right from the outset, Prithvi Narayan Shah had resolved to expand his kingdom’s borders and unify the various small states that comprised Nepalese territories. By the time of his accession, Nepal was divided into more than 50 principalities, each under a local ruler. The principalities within the country often quarrelled amongst themselves, which rendered them vulnerable against outside aggression. Examples include the Kathmandu Valley kingdoms: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan.

Prithvi Narayan Shah soon realized that such a divided Nepal stood little chance in view of the growing pressure from British India in the south and the Tibetan powers in the north. Apart from territorial expansion, therefore, his ambition for Nepal’s unification was underpinned by a strategic imperative-a bulwark against foreign influence in the region. In the initial year of his kingship, much time was spent consolidating the military power of Gorkha. He formed alliances with important local leaders and created a network of spies that provided him with information on neighboring kingdoms.

The underpinning reasons for Prithvi Narayan Shah’s success were based on his military strategy. Not wishing to directly confront the much larger Kathmandu Valley kingdoms, he realized his only hope for victory lay in methods of guerrilla warfare. Accordingly, these tactics allowed Gorkha’s relatively smaller and more agile army to outmaneuver the larger forces of the valley kingdoms. Starting in 1743 until 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah conducted a series of campaigns that led to the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley, then considered the economic and cultural heart of Nepal.

The capture of Kathmandu in 1768 marked a turning point in Nepalese history. By gaining control of the valley, Prithvi Narayan Shah found not only himself as one of the most powerful in Nepal but also paved the way for the unification of that country. His foresighted policy ensured that Gorkha became the strongest power in the area and cast a shadow over her rivals. The unification of Nepal that occurred over the succeeding decades is perhaps Prithvi Narayan Shah’s most lasting legacy.

Besides the military conquests, Prithvi Narayan Shah is also remembered to have instituted political and administrative reforms. Coming to Kathmandu after his victory, he transferred his kingdom’s capital from Gorkha to the Kathmandu Valley, realizing its importance as a political and economic center. He also unified the people of the various regions in his newly expanded kingdom and ensured his rule was accepted by the local elites of the conquered territories.

Gorkha Kingdom’s Expansion and Diplomacy

The Gorkha Kingdom, however, continued to extend in the hands of the successors of Prithvi Narayan Shah even after he unified the Kathmandu Valley. Primarily, the military success was to be associated with the Gorkhali soldiers, and these soldiers went on to become the well-known people with bravery and discipline. By the late 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom was extended, controlling much of present-day Nepal from the western regions near the Kali River to the eastern boundaries near the Sikkimese frontier.

One of the most important military conflicts during this period was the Sino-Nepalese War, which occurred from 1788 to 1792. The war came about because Gorkha had ambitions in Tibet aside from consolidating its intention to superintend the lucrative trade routes between Nepal and Tibet. Initially, Gorkha forces succeeded in their campaigns, but the intervention of the Qing dynasty from China ultimately obliged the kingdom to retreat. In 1792, the war ended with a treaty that restored pre-war borders but turned Nepal into a tributary state of the Qing dynasty. This war actually circumscribed the territorial ambition of the Gorkha Kingdom but established its regional importance.

Further, the relations with British India also played an important role in shaping its foreign policy. Such influence of the British in the Indian subcontinent during the 18th and 19th centuries was perceived as a direct threat to the sovereignty of Gorkha. Eventually, the Anglo-Nepalese War, lasting from 1814 to 1816, became a turning point that defined the relations between the Nepalese monarchy and the British East India Company. Although Gorkha forces initially contained the British, the war finally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, whereby Nepal lost one-third of its territory. The treaty marked a punitive end to Gorkha’s territorial expansion yet allowed Nepal to maintain its independence, under British influence.

Due to the setbacks, however, it remained a sovereign state basically because of its military prestige and strategic value between British India and Tibet. The Gorkha rulers forged diplomatic relations with other regional powers to keep their kingdom up-to-date with South Asian geopolitics.

Legacy of the Gorkha Kingdom

The Gorkha Kingdom in itself is deeply rooted in the national identity of Nepal. The unification of Nepal carried out by the Shah dynasty, initiated by Prithvi Narayan Shah, is considered one of the biggest milestones within Nepalese history. Today, Prithvi Narayan Shah is remembered as the Father of Modern Nepal, and his ideals of a united nation continue to shape Nepalese politics and culture.

These are the Gorkha soldiers, popularly known as Gurkhas, who were internationally recognized for bravery and their loyalty. It has been one of the most internationally renowned military groups, serving in various international conflicts, including both World Wars. They remain one of the most highly respected fighting groups in military circles around the world.

The Gorkha Kingdom made a culturally significant contribution: it integrated the many and varied ethnic groups of Nepal into one fold. Prithvi Narayan Shah’s emphasis on unity and tolerance helped lay the foundation for a multiethnic and multi-lingual society, which continues to characterize even contemporary Nepal. His famous dictum, “Nepal is a garden of four castes and thirty-six tribes,” betrays his conviction to foster harmony amongst its communities.

The Shah dynasty’s promoted political system also continued to influence Nepal well into the 20th century. The monarchy was at the very center of governance in the Gorkha Kingdom, and that institution remained uppermost in Nepalese politics until the eventual dissolution of the monarchy in 2008, when Nepal was declared a federal democratic republic.

Citations

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Sharma, Sudheer. The Gorkhas and Their Kingdom: A Historical Perspective. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar, 2015.

Whelpton, John. A History of Nepal. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Stiller, Ludwig F. The Rise of the House of Gorkha. Human Resources Development Research Centre, 1973.

Acharya, Baburam. Prithvi Narayan Shah and the Unification of Nepal. Kathmandu: Nepal Academy, 1971.

Regmi, Mahesh Chandra. Kings and Political Leaders of the Gorkha Empire. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers, 2002.

Shaha, Rishikesh. Nepal and the World: A Survey of Foreign Relations 1769-1947. Kathmandu: Center for Nepal and Asian Studies, 1975.