Nepal has been an independent and sovereign country for over four thousand years. During the Second World War, some powerful countries in the world possessed vast territories. In Asia, Mongolia, Japan, Afghanistan, and Nepal were the only independent countries at that time. However, despite being independent, Nepal was surrounded by British power.
During that period, Nepal found itself in a state similar to being a subject of British dominance. Nepal had to maintain friendly relations and trade with Britain for its defense and trade interests. Therefore, the rulers of that time cleverly navigated through diplomacy and managed to maintain Nepal’s sovereignty with a little compromise on the national self-respect.
A weak nations survival depends on its strategy of seeking peace justice and using diplomatic means. Such a country cannot protect itself through war. If at that time Nepal had fought repeated wars with Britain, it could have lost half of its territory. Additionally Nepals close friendship with Britain ended with the war between the two nations leading to strained relations. In 1801 during the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah Nepal had sent a considerable force to support the British in their battle against a group of Bairagi rebels in present day North India. This assistance helped the British control the rebellion that was looting in northern India.
However, why do historians only mention the Battle of Sindhuli? There was also a second Nepal-British war known as the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-1816, which took place during the reign of Maharaja Girvan Yuddha Vikram Shah. However, the Treaty of Sugauli stopped this war. After this treaty, Nepal’s geographical boundaries expanded, and its international relations gained more independence, but it still had an obligation to maintain relations only with Britain. Although these relations were maintained on the basis of trust, Nepal felt sad when Britain supported the Indian Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. In this event Nepal provided significant military support. Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana himself led an army of around 15,000 soldiers to suppress the rebellion, and they were successful. After this the British recognized Nepal as a brave country and the relations between the two countries became strong.
After the First World War until the Second World War, Nepal provided significant military support to Britain on four major occasions. Another essential Nepali support was the recruitment of young Gorkha men into the British Indian Army. These brave Gurkha soldiers served with distinction and earned a reputation for their valor which distinguished Nepal from other countries and prevented it from being considered an enemy by the British. The British valued the Gorkha soldiers highly and did not want to risk antagonizing them which was a significant reason for maintaining friendly relations with Nepal.
In reality, Shree 3 Chandra Shumsher provided the most support to the British and he even received an honorary degree from Oxford University in Britain. He was the first Nepali to receive such an education abroad. Following this, a treaty was signed between Britain and Nepal on December 21, 1923, in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu. This treaty was registered with the League of Nation later known as the United Nations in 1925. This officially recognized Nepal as a sovereign country, placing it above the status of Indian states. The British addressed the King of Nepal as His Highness while the Prime Minister was addressed as His Excellency. The British Resident in Kathmandu was referred to as the Envoy and the Nepal Government was referred to as the ‘Government of Nepal. These decisions elevated Nepals status and dignity on the international stage.
The 1923 Nepal-British Treaty granted Nepal the status of an independent nation officially recognizing it as a Sovereign State. This treaty had important implications and it was a significant achievement for Nepals international status. It is interesting to analyze why the British government granted such recognition to Nepal. In this context we can consider four factors that may have influenced the decision:
Gurkha Soldiers: The valor and loyalty of the Gurkha soldiers who served in the British Indian Army were highly esteemed by the British. Granting recognition to Nepal was a way to maintain friendly relations and ensure the continued recruitment of Gurkhas in the British Army.
Diplomatic Ties: The treaty of 1923 helped formalize and strengthen the diplomatic ties between Nepal and Britain. Nepal played a strategic role in the region and the British wanted to maintain cordial relations to secure their interests in South Asia.
Sovereign Status: Recognizing Nepal as a sovereign state served Britain’s interests in ensuring a peaceful and stable buffer state between British India and other regional powers.
International Dynamics: With the aftermath of World War I and changes in the global political landscape, the British government may have seen value in securing friendly relations with a small, independent nation like Nepal, which could potentially play a role in regional affairs.
Overall the decision to recognize Nepal as a Sovereign State was likely a combination of these factors reflecting the strategic and diplomatic interests of the British government at that time.
The First World War (1914-1918):
During the First World War which took place from 1914 to 1918 the major Allied Powers were Britain, France, and Russia, while Germany and Austria were among the major Central Powers. Nepal also provided various forms of assistance to the British government during this war. At that time, Nepal sent around 8,000 healthy young men to join the British Army, and two of these Gorkha soldiers received the highest British military honor, the Victoria Cross. Nepal also contributed a significant amount of money to the British war chest.
Germany made attempts to gain Nepal’s support during the war, but Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher did not show any interest in such proposals. On the contrary Nepals intelligence gathering provided valuable information to the British government exposing German attempts to conspire against the British. When Chandra Shumsher visited the British Embassy to discuss Nepal’s support in the war, he assured the British that Nepal would send around 14,000 troops to aid them. He also ordered to prepare 14,000 soldiers for deployment.
The British government was impressed by Nepals eagerness and enthusiasm to provide assistance during the war. In response to the Nepali commitment, a letter of appreciation was sent to Chandra Shumsher by the British Emperor. The first contingent of Nepali troops left Kathmandu on March 3, 1915, to join the war. The British government considered Nepals contribution of its elite soldiers crucial especially during a time when the whole world was involved in the war. Despite facing financial constraints Nepal fulfilled its promise and supported the British government.
The War in South Bajiristan (1917):
In the present-day southern region of Bajiristan in Pakistan, Masudis had been causing disturbances and rebellions against the British government since the early 20th century when Lord Curzon established the North-Western Frontier Province. The region where the Masudis resided was included in this newly created province. However, the British government did not officially recognize their territory, leading to further resentment among the Masudis. They decided to challenge the British government during the First World War taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the ongoing global conflict.
The British government was occupied with the war and hence failed to suppress the Masudi uprising immediately. Taking advantage of this situation the Masudis began their struggle against the British. As a result the British government had to undertake a harsh military campaign to quell the rebellion. In addition to other units the Nepali troops including the Rifle Regiment and the Mahindra Dal Regiment were also deployed to support the British during the anti-Masudi campaign. The military campaign against Masudis started in March 1917 and concluded after approximately five months.
In both the First World War and the anti-Masudi campaign Nepals military support proved valuable to the British government and it reinforced Nepals reputation as a reliable and loyal ally on the international stage.
“In June 1917, the Mahindra Dal Regiment reached Hejdrikot as part of the 45th Brigade, where it encountered a large group of Masuds. Within five days it destroyed a village causing heavy casualties to the enemy. Meanwhile the Rifle Regiment under the 43rd Brigade launched an attack on another Masud settlement. A significant village was devastated and the British advanced beyond the Mahindra Dal Brigade. After this campaign the morale of the Masuds weakened significantly. However, the conflict continued for some time, and by August the British dominance was fully established in the region.
During the campaign some Nepali soldiers lost their lives while others were seriously injured. Approximately 120 soldiers from the Mahindra Dal Regiment were wounded and treated in hospitals. For their outstanding and brave performance in this campaign Colonel Dhanavikram Rana of the Rifle Regiment was awarded the Military Cross and Subedar Chandra Bahadur Karki and Subedar Bakhan Singh Kunwar were honored with the Indian Distinguished Service Medal. Similarly Leftenant Colonel Pratap Jung Rana was awarded the Indian Distinguished Service Medal and Havildar Chandrabahadur Khatri and Sepoy Nar Bahadur were honored with the Indian Order of Merit.
The British government recognized the exceptional contributions of the Nepali army in the battlefield and awarded the Military Cross for gallantry to Colonel Chandra Bahadur Karki of the Rifle Regiment. His hometown was Okhaldhunga. Afterward many Nepali soldiers received various honors during the Second World War. For their valiant efforts during the First World War Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher was honored by the British government with the rank of Honorary General.
Afghan Campaign (1919)
Shortly after the end of the First World War the British government and Afghanistan engaged in a war increasing the likelihood of the Nepali army being deployed. In May 1919 Chandreshwori Maharjan along with two thousand Nepali soldiers offered assistance to the British government. Two thousand soldiers were to be sent to India within two weeks. The situation in Afghanistan led to a new turn, and the possibility of a British-Afghan war increased. The British government requested military aid from Nepal for 6000 soldiers. Since it was the monsoon season sending the Nepali army was quite challenging. Due to the outbreak of cholera in the Terai region the Nepali army was likely to have a significant impact. However Chandreshwori Maharjan made arrangements to send the soldiers along with medical personnel fruits and vegetables for their safety.
On 2nd June 1919 the two thousand soldiers of the Nepali army left Kathmandu. The Pashupatiprasad and Bhairavnath regiments had a total of 2097 soldiers including about 40 officers. As in the previous ceremony at Tundikhel Chandreshwori delivered a farewell speech. In it he mentioned three main points:
In times of crisis one friend should support another friend according to the Hindu Dharmashastra.
The complete security of the world families of the Nepali army going to India is the responsibility of the Nepali government.
It will take a short time for this battalion to return to Nepal.
The Nepali forces from the regimental level spread to the north-western border region after reaching India. Pashupatiprasad and Bhairavnath were stationed in Nowshera. Since they did not get assistance from Russia, the Amir could not fight the British army and decided to make peace. Although they did not participate in the war the contribution of the army in the form of support at that time was highly appreciated. Padma Shumsher and Babar Shumsher were decorated with GCSI. Similarly Bhairav Shumsher Rana and Dambar Shumsher Thapa were honored with CSI. Along with them all the individuals involved in the Nepali army in the war were awarded the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
As of May 1815 after the Treaty of Malau between General Amar Singh and British Colonel David Ochterlony the formal process of recruiting Nepali soldiers in the British Army began. Although initially only a few Nepali soldiers were allowed to join the British Army the Nepali government later increased the number of recruits. When Veer Jung Bahadur Rana was serving as the prime minister he wanted to have his son Jung Bahadur Rana recognized as the heir to the throne and the prime minister. However, the British Queen Victoria insisted that the title of Jung Bahadur be removed from his name. So Jung Bahadur Rana became known as Jang Bahadur Rana.
Later Veer Shamsher Rana convinced the British by making a false claim that Jang Bahadur Rana was not born in a royal family but from a poor background. Consequently Jang Bahadur Rana was recognized as an ally of the British and the British allowed Nepali soldiers to join their army. Around 80,000 young Nepali men were recruited in the British Army during the time of Jang Bahadur Rana among whom approximately 65,000 lost their lives.
Currently the recruitment process continues and the Nepali government plans to commemorate this historic event on December 21 acknowledging Nepals status as a sovereign and independent country in the international arena. The relationship between Nepal and Britain and Nepals diplomatic and defense history will be highlighted during the celebrations commemorating the completion of a century in these areas.
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