Nepalese-Tibetan War
Encyclopedia
The Nepalese-Tibetan War was fought from 1855 to 1856 in Tibet
between the forces of the Tibetan government and the invading Nepalese army.
), the Nepalese government had renounced all claims of influence in Tibet and maintained a policy of non-intervention in its affairs. With their victory in the war, the Qing Empire
made Nepal a tributary state, but the wave of rebellions that afflicted China in the 1850s
had crippled her capacity to enforce Imperial authority so far from Beijing and the Nepalese Prime Minister, Jang Bahadur Rana, saw an excellent opportunity to press for Nepalese objectives in Tibet without the threat of Chinese interference.
He used the alleged ill-treatment to the 1852 embassy, abuses to Nepalese traders in Lhassa, a boundary dispute in the Kuti area, among other grievances to justify the Nepalese demands to the Tibetan government, witch included territorial concessions and the payment of an indemnity He gave April 17 of 1855 as the date limit for his conditions to be met.
while Nepalese finances were stretched to their limits The Nepalese demand for ten million rupees was dropped to a nominal annual payment and Nepalese territorial ambitions were dropped. In the Treaty signed at Thapathali, the Tibetans agreed to pay an annual subsidy of ten thousand rupees to the Nepal Durbar and to allow a Nepalese trading station and agency to be established at Lhasa.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
between the forces of the Tibetan government and the invading Nepalese army.
Background
Since the Sino-Nepalese war of 1792 (see Ten Great CampaignsTen Great Campaigns
The Ten Great Campaigns were a series of wars fought during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, much celebrated in the official Qing Dynasty annals. They included three to enlarge the area of Qing control in Central Asia: two against the Dzungars and the pacification of Xinjiang...
), the Nepalese government had renounced all claims of influence in Tibet and maintained a policy of non-intervention in its affairs. With their victory in the war, the Qing Empire
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
made Nepal a tributary state, but the wave of rebellions that afflicted China in the 1850s
1850s
- Wars :* Crimean war fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire...
had crippled her capacity to enforce Imperial authority so far from Beijing and the Nepalese Prime Minister, Jang Bahadur Rana, saw an excellent opportunity to press for Nepalese objectives in Tibet without the threat of Chinese interference.
He used the alleged ill-treatment to the 1852 embassy, abuses to Nepalese traders in Lhassa, a boundary dispute in the Kuti area, among other grievances to justify the Nepalese demands to the Tibetan government, witch included territorial concessions and the payment of an indemnity He gave April 17 of 1855 as the date limit for his conditions to be met.
Summer campaign
In early April, 1800 Nepalese troops attacked across the major passes between Tibet and Nepal, from Walungchung to Jara, with the center of their advance in the Kuti and Kerong districts and were joined shortly later by reinforcements completing a total of 27000 men, with thirty-six guns and eight mortars.. On April 3 general Dhir Shamsher defeated a small Tibetan detachment at Chusan and captured Kuti and advanced to Suna Gompa. Kerong was occupied by Bam Bahadur without opposition and a Tibetan force at Kukurghat, north of Kerong, after which the Nepalese pushed on to Dzongka, the Tibetan main point of resistance in the area. The battle for Dzongka lasted 9 days after which the Tibetans retreated to Tingri. The capture of Dzongka was the last action of the campaign after which negotiations for a cease fire began. The campaign had proven more costly for Jang Bahadur than what he expected.Winter campaign
Negotiations carried on from May to September without a settlement. Nepal was unable to press its demands with another campaign since its treasury had been exhausted by the costs of the invasion and occupation of the Tibetan country, while in Nepal opposition to the war escalated. In Lhassa the failure of negotiations led to a renewal of hostilities, and this time it was Tibetan troops who took the offensive. General Kalon Shatra commanding the Tibetan army, launched two simultaneous attacks in November 5 on the Nepalese camps at Kuti and Dzongka. Surprised, the Nepalese lost 700 men in Kuti and the survivors fled to the border. The attack on Dzongka was less successful so the garrison there was besieged. The attacks were timed to coincide with the snowing season in the passes. Jang Bahadur sent reinforcements and in December Dhir Shamsher recaptured Kuti wich he burned before retreating to Listi, back in Nepal. Meanwhile colonel Sanak Singh Khattri relieved Dzongka.Conclusion
Negotiation resumed after military operations stalled. The Tibetans feared a rebellion in KhamKham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
while Nepalese finances were stretched to their limits The Nepalese demand for ten million rupees was dropped to a nominal annual payment and Nepalese territorial ambitions were dropped. In the Treaty signed at Thapathali, the Tibetans agreed to pay an annual subsidy of ten thousand rupees to the Nepal Durbar and to allow a Nepalese trading station and agency to be established at Lhasa.