By
Dr. Shiva Prasad
Dabaral ''Charan''
Adopted from: Regmi Research Series (Jan-Dec 1987)
We shall
now present an account of the events that occurred in Garhwal after the 1849
Samvat (A.D. 1792) treaty was signed with the Gorkhalis.
The
Gorkhalis had signed the treaty, which stipulated payment of a tribute
amounting to only Rs 3,000 a year, because of the crisis they were facing as a
result of the Chinese invasion. At that time, it was not possible for the
Gorkhali army to be involved in a protracted war for the conquest of Garhwal.
But as soon as the crisis was over, Gorkhali military commanders started acting
in contravention of the treaty. The government of Nepal had signed two treaties with
the East India Company in similar circumstances, which it violated at the first
available opportunity. If the government of Nepal
could deal in that manner with the powerful East India Company, the Kingdom of Garhwal
According
to Maularam (''Rana Bahadur Chandrika'', unpublished MS.), the Gorkhalis were
able to occupy Garhwal only after none years of continuous fighting. This means
that they had started violating the terms of the treaty about two years after
it was signed, that is, around A.D. 1794. The Gokhalis made repeated attempts
to occupy Langurgarh, but without success. Their commanders in Kumuan
encouraged their troops to make frequent raids into Garhwal's territories.
Records available at the District Magistrate's Office at Paudi show the
Gorkhali raiders ruined the country, massacred the inhabitants in a barbarous
manner, or sold them as slaves. They set fires to houses and destroyed
villages.
It was not
possible for the King of Garhwal, Pradyumna Shah, to station troops all along
the frontier. Because of the chaos prevailing in the Kingdom, and the
depredations of Parakrama Shah, he had very few troops left. Consequently, the
inhabitants of the border areas had no alternatives but to make their own
security arrangements. They had frequent encounters with the Gorkhalis, with
much cruelty on both sides.
The annual
tributes of Rs. 3,000 stipulated in the A.D. 1972 treaty was soon raised to Rs.
9,000 on various pretexts. The King of Garhwal had also to bear the expenses of
the Nepal Wakil and his staff. Nepali officials frequently visited places of
pilgrimage in the Himalayn region, and stopped at Srinagar in order to receive gifts befitting
their rank. All this raised the amount paid to the Court of Nepal to about Rs.
25,000 a year, according to Edwin T. Atkinson.
Because of
this heavy economic burden, a terrible famine ravaged the kingdom of Garhwal Nepal .
There was not money even to meet routine administrative expenses. Captain
Hardwick, who visited Srinagar
in 1796, has recorded that Pradyumha Shah had become so poor that he had no
money even to meet his personel needs and was wearing ordinary clothes.
Extensive areas had become desolate. Pradyumna Shah was even mortgaging
villages in Garhwal to borrow money from the Badrinath temple fund or from
moneylenders. Even then, there is no evidence that his financial condition
improved.
Even before
the second Gorkhali invasion (A.D. 18030), Garhwal had fallen into utter
anachy. A virtual civil war raged in the capital and the adjoining areas.
Maularam has given an eye-witness account of the situation in his work Ganika-Nataka.
He has recorded that Parakrama Shah's atrocities had reached their climax from
early A.D. 1800. He increased the size of his army and struck terror in the
minds of Pradyumna Shah and his ministers. Pradyumna Shah was unable to protect
his subjects from the atrocities of Parakrama Shah. One one who mentioned
Pradyumna Shah's name became an object of Parakrama Shah's anger. Parakrama
Shah began to issue his own orders, superseding those of the King. He took away
any beautiful girl who attracted him, and looted gold and other wealth from any
houses he liked. He thus ushered in what was virtually Ravana-Raj in Srinagar . Parakarama Shah
considered loot and adultery a progress.
No women was safe from him, irrespective of her caste or status. If any
person was found to be keeing a concubine, she was taken away from him as a
punishment. Moreover, his property was confiscated, and members of his family
were enslaved. Maularam had beautiful concubine named Laxmi, who had lived with
him for seven years. For that offense, his property, including his jagir,
comprising fourteen villages, were confiscated. Laxmi was taken away, and he
was imprisoned. Maulrama's petitions, which he submitted to Parakrama Shah from
jail, were ignored. He was freed only after spending about six months in jail
and paying a fine. However, his concubine was not restored to him.
Parakrama
Shah severely punished any person who was a supporter of the King, Pradyumna
Shah. Ministers who supported Pradyumna Shah were thus afraid that Parakrama Shah
would have them murdered whenever possible. Accordingly, they began to recruit
troops on Pradyumna Shah's instructions. Pradyumna Shah's supporters included
Ramapati Khandud, Deban[…] Mohan Simha, three Negi clane, and their followers,
whereas Shishram Sakalani and his brother, Shivaram Sakalani, Radha Guru,
Chitramani, Srivilasa Nautiyal, and Dhaukalananda were the Chief supporters of
Parakrama Shah.
Parakrama
Shah told Pradyumna Shah: ''This Kingdom (Garhwal) belongs to me. I have
acquired it by killing Jayakirti Shah. Our father had given you the Kingdom of Kurmachala
Pradyumna
Shah's supporters then tried to contact Raj Kumar Sudarshan Shah, a brave and
courageous youth of 16 or 17 years age. Ramapati Khandudi Sent him a secret
message informing him that his father was being kept in confinement by
Parakrama Shah and requesting him to come out of the palace and meet his
supporters. He also promised to place Sudarshan Shah on the throne. Sudarshan
Shah then secretly left the palace Shah asking him to leave the royal palace,
or else meet his nephew (i.e. Sudarshan Shah) on the battle-field.
Parakrama
Shah, however, remained in the royal palace, while his supporters, and those of
king Pradyumna Shah and Raj Kumar Sudarshan Shah, fought with each other. Each
side started plundering the houses of the other side. If they could not get in,
they would pull down the roof and gates and set them on fire. They also fought
with bows and arrows at several places. This continued for two months.
According to Maularam, thousands of people were killed on both sides. In the beginning,
Sudarshan Shah was victorious in the Srinagar
region, but Parakrama Shah remained in control of the royal palace. Some of his
troops encamped at Ranihat across the Ganga
river, from where they used to conduct surprise attacks on the forces of Sudarshan
Shah. Finally, the two sides fought a pitched battle at a place near Srinagar . Many among
Parakrama Shah's troops were killed, and the rest fled to Devaprayag, with the
troops of Sudarshan Shah pursuing them. The Gorkhali troops who had been
recruited in Pradyumna Shah's army fought bravely, and so did his Rahilla
troops, and his Commander Miza (khan). The Rohilla troops used to open
concerned fire with their muskets, which emitted a pal of smoke in the
battlefield. The battle was won by Sudarshan Shah. Many soldiers of Parakrama
Shah who tried to cross over to their camp at Ranihat across the Ganga river were washed away by the river when the
suspension rope was cut. Some fled to the forests, while others fled to
Devaprayag and Hardwar .
The others were encircled by Sudarshan Shah's forces. Finding no way out,
Parakrama Shah approached the King in tears and requested him to restrain his
soldiers. He begged for person and promised to obey the King in the future.
Pradyumna Shah was a simple-minded man, so he pardoned Parakrama Shah and
ordered fighting to be stopped.
But when
Sudarshan Shah and his forces left, Parakrama Shah summoned his troops from
Ranihat at midnight to Srinagar and laid sieze to
both the town and the royal palace. He told Pradyumna Shah that the troops
would continue to do so unless the latter sentenced his ministers to death and
gave him territories extending from Badrinath to Hardwar on the right banks of the Alakananda
river, leaving territories on the left banks of the river to Pradyumna Shah.
Powerless to resist, Pradyumna Shah accepted the partition plan and ordered
that necessary documents be prepared. It was also decided to levy a nazarana
payment amounting to 25 rupees for each Jyula of land. A list of
soldiers who were to be sent for collecting the levy was also compiled.
Parakrama
Shah ordered Srivilasa Nautiyal to mint coins in his name, but dies were not
available. Maularam was then ordered to make dies and mint coins. He made the
dies but expressed his inability to mint coins, and requested that his
concubine, Laxmi, be restored to him. Parakrama Shah accepted the dies but did
not return the concubine.
Parakrama
Shah took away Pradyumna Shah to Ranihat, and then ordered the rope bridge on
the river to be cut. He also started making arrangements for the administration
of the country. Fearing a danger of his life. Pradyumna Shah secretly sent a
messenger to contact his supporters in Srinagar .
He advised them to strike a bargain with Parakrama Shah and secure his release.
Ramapati Khandudi and other ministers, on receiving this message, but Sudarshan
Shah and discussed means to cross the river and reach Ranihat.
Meanwhile,
the Gorkhali Wakil, whose name was Chanchaladhara according to the Garh Rajya
Vamsha-Karya, reached there. He said he had been sent by the King of Nepal to
mediate in the dispute between Pradyumna Shah and Prarakrama Shah. The Nepali
Wakil also threatened to banish or sentence to death or imprisonment, any one
who disobeyed his orders.
In
addition, the Nepali Wakil sent a message to Parakrama Shah asking that the
rope bridge on the Alakananda river be reinstalled, so that he might cross the
river. Parakrama Shah did so and invited the Wakil to a meeting with great
cordiality. The Wakil read out a royal order which said, ''We have granted the kingdom of Garhwal
Thanks to
the mediation of the Nepali Wakil, and agreement was concluded among Pradyumna
Shah. Parakrama Shah, and the ministers. Both sides disbanded their troops.
Pradyumna Shah returned to Srinagar .
Those who had fled from that town also returned there. The Nepal Wakil then
left for Kumaun.
Not withstanding
the agreement, the tussle between Parakrama Shah and Pradyumna Shah's ministers
continued. Parakrama Shah once more collected troops and laid siege to the
royal palace. The King's party then sent a message to Bam Shah requesting him
to sent back the Wakil to Srinagar .
Bam Shah did so and asked Pradyumna Shah to meet at Badhan Gadhi. Pradyumna
Shah and his ministers. Mohan Singh, accupanied by their troops, reached Badhan-Gadhi.
Bam Shah too reached there from Kumaun. Harshadeva Joshi's son, Jaya Narayan
Joshi, seems to have been imprisoned along with his Garhwal troops at Johar a
few days earlier. Pradyumna Shah had no hand in sending them there, but they
had proceeded to Johar through Garhwal and had tried to organize a rebelling in support of Ran Bahadur Shah in Doti. However,
Bam Shah suspected Pradyumna Shah's involvement in the affair because Jaya
Narayan Joshi was accompanied by Garhwali troops, and also because Harshadeva
Joshi had introduced himself to Cherry and other officials of the East India
Company as Wakil of the King of Garhwal. Bam Shah angrily told Pradyumna Shah,
''We had conquered your Kingdom in 1850 Samvat (A.D. 1793), but had retained
you on the throne at our will. We will how defend our territory ourselves.
There is no need why you should maintain an army. We shall drive them out. Go
to Garh and enjoy life there.
Pradyumna
Shah came to the conclusion that the Court of Nepal wanted to establish its
authority over Garhwal. He was even afraid of his life. Accompanied by his
minister, he, therefore, left Badhan-Gadhi for Srinagar secretly at midnight . He decided to leave Srinagar for some safe place before the
Gorkhali army reached there. Next morning, the Gorkhali troops were surprised
to find that both the King and minister had fled. Bam Shah told them: You did
not fight in defense of the Kingdom or for its expansion, but only obtained
your salaries. Whatever may have happened in the past, we have now occupied your
kingdom. If you want to save your lives, leave this place at once. Otherwise,
you will have to repent. Your property will be plundered and you will be
sentenced to death. Frightened at this, the Garhwali troops left Badhan-Gadhi
for Langur.
Before
Pradyumna Shah reached Srinagar ,
Parakrama Shah had left for a meeting with Bam Shah through Salan. Probably
near Dwarikhal he received information that Pradyumna Shah's troops had arrived
there. He proceeded to Langur, and there won over the troops to his side by
giving them some money. It seems that the Rohilla, Pathan, and other
mercenaries did not hesitate to betray their master for money.
At Srinagar
Pradyumna Shah was told that Parakrama Shah had already left for langur. He
wanted to inform Parakrama Sha that the Gorkhali were planning to occupy the kingdom of Garhwal Srinagar
after disbanding his troops. Ramapati Khandudi reached the village of Ramdi Phalinda Kingdom of Garhwal Srinagar along with his
troops. He wanted to assassinate Dharnidhar Khandudi also. The latter's
influence in the Court of King Pradyumna Shah had grown when in A.D, 1792 has
had succeeded in negotiating a treaty with the King of Nepal and securing
freedom of the enslaved inhabitants of Salan. Parakrama Shah, and his
supporters, including Shishram, Shivaram, one Dhaukalananda were, therefore,
Jealous of Dharanidhar Khandudi and were conspiring to have
him assassinated. Even before reaching Srinagar ,
Parakrama Shah had this done through Dhaukalananda. It is said that
Dhaukalananda told Dharanidhar Khandudi that Pradyumna Shah had summoned him.
Dharanidhar Khandudi immediately accompanied him unarmed. Dhaukalanand suddenly
attacked him with a sward at a place called Shitala-Ki-Reti on the banks of the
Alakandanda river, and beheaded him.
Pradyumna Shah was deeply grieved to know that both Ramapati
Khandudi and Dharnidhar Khandudi had been assassinated, and that Parakrama Shah
was approaching Srinagar
along with his troops. He was also afraid that a man who could assassinated the
loyal Brahman brothers could treat his King in the same manner. Pradyumna Shah,
therefore, reported these matters to Bam Shah and appealed for help. According
to Nepali sources, it was at this time that the Nepali envoy in Srinagar , Dalabir Rana,
rebelled against his government. Maularam has made no reference to this event,
but has only recorded that the Gorkhali troops sided with Sudarahan Shah in his
struggle against Parakrama Shah. It is possible that these troops were the
bodyguards of the Nepal
envoy. King Pradyumna Shah had been making delay in the payment of the annual
tribute to Nepal
for some year past. Bam Shah reported the mater to his government. This
provided a favorable opportunity to execute the plan to take over Garhwal in
order to resolve the financial crisis facing the government of Nepal
and also keep the army engaged.
A terrible
earthquake occurred in Garhwal and Kumaun at about 1:30 A.M. on September 8, 1803 . Tremors continued for a
week. Garh was more seriously affected by the earthquake then Kumaun. Many
buildings in Srinagar
were severely damaged, including the royal palace. There was also considerable
loss of life and property. The general belief was that the
calamity had occurred because of the assassination of the two innocent
Brahmans, Ramapati Khandudi and Dharnidhdar Khandudi.
On his
return form Badhan-Gadhi, Pradyumna Shah decided to flee from the capital, Srinagar , before the
Gorkhali troops reached there. Thinking that the Gurkhalis would occupy only
the territories adjoining the alakananda river, he planned to take refuge in Doon . Emperior Aurangzeb had granted the Doon valley and the parganna of Chandi to Pradumna
Shah's ancestors. Fouzdar Ummed Singh of Doon
was Pradyumna Shah's son-in-law, and the Gujar ruler of landhaur, Ram Dayam
Singh, was his friend. Moreover, Pradyumna Shah had granted territories in Doon
as Jagir to the Roas of Khedi, Sakharaunda, and Raipur . Miyan Dulel Singh of Prithivipur,
Surajan Singh of Dhalanwela, and several other influential persons of the Doon Valley Kingdom
of Garh Doon Valley
Meanwhile,
Parakrama Shah and Pradyumna Shah remained in Shrinagar Harikrishna , in his
work Garhwal Ka Itihasa (Hindi), writes previously to join her brother,
Ram Sharan Das. While Pritam Shah was not yet married. However, Harikrishna
Rataci has wrongly reported that Pradhyumna Shah's wife had already died. His
Chief Queen, Mandaraliji, who was also known as Kumuani Rani, was the mother of
Sundarshan Shah. She remained alive for several years after his coronation.
Sudarshan Shah had built a separate house for her near his palace in the
capital, Tehri. The house was long known as ''Mandaraliji-ka-Kotha.'' The
Bichitra Shah Library in Tehri is in possession of a document which contains
the names of people with whom Sudarshan Shah used to correspond. The list
mentions ''Bandaraliji'', instead of ''Mandaraliji'. Pradyumna Shah had two
other queens besides Mandaraliji. One of them was the daughter of Ajab Singh
Guleriya, while the other Mandaraliji had they been alive at that time. There
must also have been some slaves of both sexes.
Sudarshan
Shah was seventeen or eighteen years old at that time. He was brave, ambitious,
and sagacious. In contract, Devi Singh whom Harikrishan Ratudi has described as
Pradyumna Shah's illegitimate son, and Miyan Prem Singh (Guldast – Tabarikh
Kot Tihri-Garhwal),
as his son born of a slave girl, was a peace-loving person. The two brothers were of about the same age. Devi Simha and
Pritam Shah do not seem to have played on active part in the conflict between
Parakrama Shah and Sundarshan Shah. But Devi Simha proved a sincere and trusted
well-wisher of Sudarshan Shah during his life in exile.
In these
days, the ladies of high-class families traveled in palanquins. Accordingly,
dozens of porters and soldiers must have accompanied the ladies of the royal
family. Pradhyumna Shah had raised about Rs. 150,000 by mortgaging the
ornaments of the Badrinath temple, and an additional Rs. 50,000 by selling some
of them. He is not likely to have paid the full price for those valuable
objects in view of his misfortunes. Because gold was cheap at that time, the
total weights of those objects must have been or six maunds, and dozens of
armed men must have accompanied the royal family for transportation and safety.
No
information is available about the top-ranking persons and officials who
accompanied the royal family during the flight. On Kartik Sudi 15, 1865
(November 1808), Sudarshan Shah issued a document in the name of his cook,
Haramani, which shows that none of those persons whom Pradyumna Shah had
favored with tax-free land grants and official posts stood by him at his hour
of misfortune. The Gorkhali troops had not yet reached Srinagar by the time when Pradhyumna Shah
fled. Pradhyuman Shah was in control of the state and it is likely that the
intended flight was known to money people. It
is, therefore, possible that some top-ranking persons and officials had
accompanied him, and had dispersed after he was defeated in the battle of
Badahat, or after he was killed in the battle of Khadbuda. Haramani, the cook,
had accompanied the royal family, as also Kishen Singh, Pradyumna Shah's
favorite attendant. There may have been some others too in the royal party, but
nothing to known about them.
It is
likely that the royal party reached the Doon Valley Doon
valley was previously located at Nawada, but was later shifted to Dehra. It
was, therefore, impossible for the royal fugitives to take shelter at either
place. According to Miyan Prem Singh, they finally stayed at Nalagadhi
(Nalapani), about six miles east of Dehra. The fort of Nalapani was situated in
the midst of a dense forest. The royal fugitives would be able to stay there
only with adequate arrangements. It is possible that they stayed there only far
a few days.
The Kingdom of Garh Srinagar about three weeks after the
earthquakes (September 8, 1803). Nepal
wanted to conquer the entire mountain region up to Kashmir .
Amara Simha Thapa had been appointed as the Gorkhali Commander on the western
front. He had under his command about 3,000 regular troops, and an equal number
of irregular troops. Chautariya Hastadal was appointed as his deputy, and Kaji
Ranadhir Simha Bansyat as assistant.
The
Gorkhali troops advanced toward Srinagar
from three direction. The first unit advanced from the east, possibly through
the Chandpur route, and the second unit, which was led by Bhaktibir Thapa and
Chandrabir Kunwar, through the Langurgarh route. the third unit had proceeded
to Johar to suppress Jaya Narayan Joshi and his Garhwali troops, and had by
that time occupied the Himalayan territories of Kumaun. It reached the valley
of the Himalayan territories of Kumaun. It reached the valley of the Pinder
river through Danpur and finally marched to Srinagar .
When the
Gorkhali troops rached Srinagar ,
Pradyumna Shah held consultations with his ministers and courtiers. Parakrama
Shah too came to his senses and jointed the king. His troops lacked the courage
to face the Gorkhalis. Amara Simha Thapa sent a letter from the Nepal Court to
Pradyumna Shah, who then fled across the Alakananda river along with Parakrama
Shah and joined their families in the Doon Valley
The
inhabitants of Chandpur, Lohwa, and Salan were already well-acquainted with the
cruelty of the Gorkhalis. Stories of their oppression were widespread. The
Gorkhalis unleashed a reign of terror
immediately after they reached the capital. People in the northern areas fled
to the forests along with their cattle, while the people of Salan fled to the
plains. Extensive areas were rendered desolate, for no one remained to
cultivate the land and protect the crops.
The
Gorkhalis, when they learnt that both Pradhyumna Shah and Parakrama Shah had
escaped, probably sent search parties toward Rishikesh through Devaprayag, as
well as to the Bhagirathi
Valley Doon
Valley Doon
Valley Saharanpur .
When the
Gorkhali troops reached Dehra, Pradyumna Shah left for Saharangpur through
Khedi-Ghat (now Mohan-Ghata), along with villages in the Doon
valley as jagir to the Rao of Khedi. The Gorkhalis had occupied these villages
also, so the Rao naturally felt sympathy for Pradyumna Shah.
In those
days, the foothills of the Siwalik range from the Yamuna to the Rali river were
inhabited by two Muslim fighting communities known as Hedi and Mewati. They
used to offer their mercenary services to any one who could afford them.
Pradyumna Shah everything they could lay their hands on the royal camp. They
even began to kidnap Garhwali boys and girls, as well as prostitutes, for sale
in the plains. All this left Pradyumna Shah, Sudershan Shah, and Parakrama Shah
helpless.
Pradyumna Shah, accompanied by his family then took refuge
with his priest (panda), Kuparama. According to Harikrishna Ratudi, he
had done so at Jwalapur. Miyan Prem Singh, on the other hand, gives the name of
that place as kanakhal. The royal priests of Tehri, who now reside at Haridwar,
originally did not at Kanakhal. It is possible that they later built a house at
Jwalapur. In 1803, Hardwar
was a small settlement. Even by 1808, it had not developed much. In fact, it
was only amount 1½ furlongs long along a 15 feet wide street. After it was
occupied by the East India Company, Henry Wellesley built the bridge at a
distance of about three miles. he also built an inn for traders who visited Hardwar during festivals,
as well as some other buildings. However, security arrangements were not made.
A Gorkhali checkpost was located near the ghat on the road from
Hari-Ki-Pairi. Pradyumna Shah, therefore, could not remain safe in Hardwar .
Jwalapur,
which was also known as Bhogpur, as a small village inhabitants by
cattle-farmers. It was neither convenient nor safe for the royal fugitives to
take refuge at such a place.
In those
days, Kanakhal was prosperous town, with ghats made of slabs of stone.
The main road of the town was very beautiful and proceeded parallel to the
river from north to south. Affluent Brahmans and merchants had built palatial
houses on both sides of that road, as well as elsewhere in the town. The
residents of Kanakhal were regarded as important and influential. Most of the
houses were made of brick and lime. Their front was decorated with portraits of
different people, including English men. Some of those houses are still in
existence at Kanakhal. Between 1803 and 1808, Dilbeli Sing, a Saraf of Nazibabad,
Raja Hira Singh Gujar, and many Gosains built durable and beautiful
houses at Kankhal with bricks and stone slabs. In 1803, Hardwar , Kahakhal, and Jwalapur were all
under the control of the East India Company. Kanakhal was thus a very
appropriate place of refuge for the royal fugitives. So Miyan Prem Singh's
version appears to be correct.
In
subsequent years, Jwalapur too expanded, and some time before 1815 Sudarshan
Shah began to live there. When the returned from Delhi in 1815, his family was living in
Jwalapur, but they used to live at Kanakhal unitl 1814. It was in that year
that Hearsay, William Fasar, Surton, Ross, and Alexander had met him. however,
the author has not been able to identity the buildings that the royal fugitives
occupied in Jwalapur and kanakhal.
According
to Miyan Prem Singh, the priest (panda) with whom Pradyumna Shah took
refuge at kanakhal was called Kriparama. However, inquiries at kanakhala,
Jwalapur, and Hardwar
revealed that he was actually called Sardar Mayaram, because he was the Chief (Sardar)
of the local pandas. Avinash Kumar, a descendant of Sardar Mayaram, told
the author that when Sudarshan Shah received the state of Tehri, he made a
grant of 1500 bighas of land to Sardar Mayaram at Khara and Pradipnagar. The
khara lands have been acquired by the Forest Department, but the Pradipnagar
lands are still in the possession of Sardar Mayaram's descendants, who are
still priests of the Tehri royal family. Kiriparam and Mayaram refer to the
same person, or are father and son, or brothers.
After
occupying the Doon
Valley Doon Valley Srinagar .
Many influential people in the Doon
Valley Doon Valley ,
he returned to Srinagar
in 1861 Vikrama (April 1804).
It was easy
for the patriotic people of Garh to fleee to escape the owned much property in
the capital, was different. They had all been distressed by the conflict
between Pradyumna Shah and Parakrama Shah and the functionalism it had brought
in its wake. There was no hope that their fugitive King would even regain his
Kingdom.
Twelve years previously, when the Gorkhalis had invaded the
eastern part of Garh and Langurgarh, no Garhwali had been willing to side with
them against his own king. But now Garhwali officials were convinced that the
Garhwal royal dynasty had come to an end. They believed that this was the
result of the curse of the queesn of Salim Shah (Suleiman Shukoh) and Jaya
Kirti Shah, murder of the Brahman brothers Ramapati Khandudi and Dharanidhar
Khandudi, and oppression of the people, and that the Gorkhalis were only an
instrument. Garhwali officials accordingly started extending cooperation to the
Gorkhalis.all leading officials had retained land grants from the state on a
tax-free basis. They obtained free labor and each income from these lands, so
that they were able to live in comfort. These lands would have been taken away
from them had they not extended cooperation to the Gorkhalis. Moreover, they
could be charged with reason for not extending such cooperation. Amara Simha
Thapa summoned all officials, Sayanas, Kamins, and other
respectable people (bhala manush) and directed them to maintain
law and order of the kingdom. He also reconfirmed their land grants. This
shrewd step on the part of Amara Simha Thapa made it necessary for them to
invite refugees back home and persuade them to continue cultivating their
lands.
Hardly had the Gorkhalis finalized necessary administrative
arrangements in Srinagar than they received
reports from the military commander of Doon
that Pradyumna Shah had reached there with his troops. Pradyumna Shah had left
his family at Kanakhal and proceeded to Saharanpur .
There he raised a sum of Rs. 150,000 by mortgaging his throne, and an
additional Rs. 50,00 by mortgaging the ornaments and other valuable objects of
the temple of Badrinath Srinagar .
On Mag 22, 1860 (January 1804) a fierce battle was fought in the plain of
Khadbuda, about half of mile away from the palace of Guru Rama Raya
It seems
that Parakrama Shah, Pritam Shah, Sudarshan Shah, and Devi Simha remained safe.
Parakrama Shah then left immediately for his father-in-law's place at Hindur
(Nalagadh) without any care for the funeral rites of Pradyumna Shah, whereas
Sudarshan Shah and Devi Simha escapted to kanakhal along with some faithtful
servants.
Amara Simha
Thapa showed due respect for the body of Pradyumna Shah. He covered it with a
shawl and sent it to Hardwar
under the escort of Surajan Singh Rawal of Dalanwala and other persons. It is
possible that the escort included some Gorkhali soldiers also. Because
Sundarshan Shah and Devi Simha could not be found, the last fites were
performed by Devi Simha. Pritam Simha was grieving the loss of his brother and
the disappearance of his nephew, but was captured byteh Gorkhalis and sent to Nepal .
According
to Hari Krishan Ratudi, the Gorkhali Sardars sent Pradyumna Shah's body with
great honor to Sudarshan Shah in Hardwar , and the body was
cremated with great pomp. Bhaktadarshan following Ratudi, says that te
cremation took place at Jwalapur in Hardwar .
Miyan Prem Singh's version, however, is more credible. It is possible that the
body of Pradyumna Shah was cremated by Pritam Shah at Hardwar . After the cremation, Pritam Shah was
captured by the Gorkhalis. Sudarshan Shah and Devi Simha captured by the
Gorkhalsi. Sudarshan Shah and Devi Simha too could have been captured had they
been present there. Pradyumna Shah had at least one queen and some slaves with
im at kanakhal. Had Pradyumna Shah's body been sent to Sudarshan Shah, one or
two of them would certainly have become a Sati. But no evidence is
available to show that this happened.
Panic
spread in the Doon
Valley Doon
Valley
Back in Srinagar , the Gorkhalis
tried to enlist the cooperation of prominent people and top-ranking officials.
Maularam was a reputed poet, philosopher, painter and ideologue of Srinagar . His fame had
spread even to Kantipur, the capital of Nepal . Chautariya Hastidal Shah and
other Gorkhali commander tried to win him over the Gorkhali side. They asked
him to describe the origin of the royal dynasty of Garh and the events that
took place during the reign of the important kings. Chautariya Hastidal Shah,
Amara Simha Thapa, and other Gorkhali bhardars were very pleased to hear his
accounts. They reconfirmed Maularam's Jagir village, as well as the allowances
he used to get from the kingdom
of Garh
/_* live
happily in the Gorkhali
Kingdom
After the
assassination of Ramapati Khandudi and Dharanidhar Khandudi, the influence of
the Saklani brothers, Shishram and Shivaram, started growing. They received the
villages of Salenani, Deuri, Athoor, Kotpudyar and Sanargaon as Jagir. The
Saknani, collaborated with the Gorkhalis in the beginning. According to Miyan
Prem Singh, Jwalaram Saklani turned traiter after the battle of Khadbuda and
became a collaborator of the Gorkhalis. However, during the Nepal -East India Company war,
Shivaram west over to the East India Company's side.
The sons of
Ramapati Khandudi and Dharanidhar Khandudi, namely, Gajadhar Khandudi and
Krishnadatta Khandudi, and their brothers, namely, Krishnananda and Harshapati,
collaborated with the Gorkhalis like the Saklanis. All those four persons were
appointed as Dafdari in 1861 Vikrama. (A.D. 1804). Amara Singh Thapa
wrote to the court of Nepal that these Khandudis had been given the task of
pacifying the peasantry, collecting the revenues, oringing back the peasants
who had fled to the plains, restoring lands to cultivation, resettling
depopulated villages, and maintaining land revenue records, and that they were
performing their duties faithfully. However, on the eve of the Nepal-East India
Company war, the Khandudis had developed contacts with Rutherford .
All
officials of the Kingdom
of Garh kingdom
of Garh
(Source: Dr. Shiva Prasad Dabaral ''Charan'', Uttarakhanda
Ka Rajanaitika Tatha Samskritika Itihasa, Part V: Kumaun,
Garhwal, Aur, Himachale Par, Gorkhali Shasana,
Samvat 18476-1872 (A.D. 1790-1815), Dogadha, Garhwal: Vir-Gatha Prakashan. 2030
(A.D. 1973), pp. 107-117.
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