The Battle of Nalapani
नालापानीको युद्ध
In 1814, Captain Balbhadra Kunwar and about 600 Gorkhalis held Khalanga fort near Dehradun against a far larger East India Company force for a month. They left only after their water supply was cut off.
Kartik 1871 BS (October 1814). On a steep hill north-east of Dehradun stood a small fort ringed by bamboo stockades and stone — Khalanga. Here the first major battle of the Anglo-Nepal War was fought, the one we now remember as the Battle of Nalapani.
The fort and its defenders
Learning that the East India Company's army was advancing on Dehradun, Captain Balbhadra Kunwar moved his people to Nalapani hill. About 600 people are said to have been inside the fort: soldiers, along with women and children. But the spring the fort depended on lay outside its walls, a weakness that would later decide the siege.
Gillespie's assault
On 31 October 1814, Major-General Rollo Gillespie launched a major assault on the fort with artillery and thousands of troops. The Gorkhali defenders held them off from the walls. While trying to rally his men forward, Gillespie was killed close to the fort. On the very first day of the siege, the Company had lost its commander.
The siege and the water
After heavy guns arrived, another direct assault followed, and it too failed at great cost. Unable to take the fort by direct attack, the British changed tactics and cut off the spring outside the walls. The defenders are said to have endured about three days of constant bombardment and thirst.
The last night
Refusing to surrender, at the end of November Balbhadra Kunwar and about 70 surviving companions broke through the siege lines under cover of darkness and made for the nearby hills. So ended a month-long siege.
An honour from the enemy
After the war, the British built two memorials near Nalapani: one to Gillespie, and another honouring their brave adversary Balbhadra and his soldiers. It is rare in history for the victors to honour their opponents in this way.
Why we remember Nalapani
Though far weaker in both numbers and weapons, this small fort held out for a month and spread the fame of Gorkhali fighters. The experience is said to have later encouraged the British to recruit Gorkhali soldiers. Nalapani is not just a story of victory and defeat; it is a story of courage, sacrifice and respect earned from an enemy.