Amar Singh Thapa Chhetri distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa( ne, बडाकाजी अमर सिंह थापा क्षेत्री), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkhali military general, governor and warlord in the

Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...

. He was the overall commander of the

Nepal Army The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see '' Gorkhas''), is the land service branc ...

in the conquest of Western Provinces and authoritative ruler of

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

Garhwal Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India: Places *Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas *Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom *Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India *Garh ...

in the

. He was referred by the

King of Nepal The King of Nepal (traditionally known as the Mahārājdhirāja i.e. Great King of Kings; it can also be translated as "Sovereign Emperor" ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजधिराज)) was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 ...

to have been deployed as Mukhtiyar (equivalent to Prime Minister) of Western Provinces of

He is often hailed as Living Tiger of Nepal ( ne, ज्यूँदो बाघ; ''jyūm̐do bāgha'') and he was posthumously regarded as one of the national heroes of Nepal, who led the

Anglo-Nepalese War The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day In ...

for the

Gorkhali Army The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see '' Gorkhas''), is the land service branc ...

. Amarsingh Chowk

Pokhara Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...

and

Shree Amarsingh Model Higher Secondary School Shree Amarsingh Secondary School (''referred to as AMSS'') (Nepali: श्री अमरसिँह माध्यमिक विद्यालय) is a secondary school opened from amount collected from post war reconstruction fund establi ...

are named after the name of Amar Singh Thapa.

Early life and family

He was grandson of Ranjai f Sirhanchowkand son of Bhim Sen known as

Umrao Amrabad ( fa, عمراباد, also Romanized as ‘Amrābād; also known as ‘Amrūābād and Umrāo) is a village in Dehaj Rural District, Dehaj District, Shahr-e Babak County, Kerman Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic ...

''Bagh'' Bhim Singh Thapa, who commanded and died in the battle of Palanchowk in 1759 AD. He belonged to

Bagale Thapa Bagale Thapa ( ne, बगाले थापा pronunciation:) anciently known as Bagalya Thapa ( ne, बगाल्या थापा) is a prominent clan within Thapa of Khas community. They claim Atreya Gotra. The name of the clan is also ...

clan. He was popularly named "Amar Singh Thapa (Bada)" to distinguished from another Kaji Amar Singh Thapa (Sana), Mukhtiyar

Bhimsen Thapa Bhimsen Thapa ( ne, भीमसेन थापा (August 1775 – 29 July 1839)) was a Nepalese statesman who served as the ''Mukhtiyar'' (equivalent to prime minister) and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the ...

's father, by identifiers "Bada" and "Sana" meaning elder and younger. His family members were added to the Royal Court by

, who was also a member of

clan. His eldest son

Ranadhoj Thapa Ranadhoj Thapa or Ranadhwaj Thapa ( ne, रणध्वज थापा) was deputy Kaji to Mukhtiyar (Prime Minister) of Nepal Bhimsen Thapa. Family and Life He was the eldest son of Bada Kaji Amar Singh Thapa, supreme commander of Western front ...

was deputy to Mukhtiyar (Prime Minister)

sharing the authority while other four sons namely – Bhaktabir Singh, Narsingh, Ramdas and Ranjore Singh, all of them were Kajis at some point. His youngest son Ranajor Singh Thapa fought with him in the

while his eldest son

, was vice to Mukhtiyar of Nepal. His grandson, young Surat Singh Thapa, was appointed to post of Kazi in 1832 A.D. to retaliate growing Darbar politics after which the government papers were jointly signed by Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa and Kazi Surath Singh. His two grandsons from eldest son Ranadhoj Thapa, namely – Ripu Mardan and Badal Singh, were both Kaji at some period. Thus, his family was another influential Bagale Thapa family in the Royal Court alongside the premier Bhimsen Thapa family.

Early Conquests

''Bada'' Amar Singh led many conquest battles of Western provinces in the

Unification of Nepal The Unification of Nepal, also known as Expansion of Gorkha Kingdom, officially began in 1743 AD (1799 BS) after King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha launched an aggressive annexation campaign seeking to broaden his own kingdom's border. After ...

. He was leading the conquest of Langur Gadhi in Gadhwal Region before the outbreak of second

Sino-Nepalese War The Sino-Nepalese War ( ne, नेपाल-चीन युद्ध), also known as the Sino-Gorkha war and in Chinese the campaign of Gorkha (), was an invasion of Tibet by Nepal from 1788 to 1792. The war was initially fought between Nepa ...

(1791–92 A.D.). He reinforced back to Nuwakot travelling around 1000 km in about a month, in defence of Nepalese forces during the second

of 1791–92 A.D. In July 1804, he along with Kaji

Dalbhanjan Pande Dalbhanjan Pande or Dalabhanjan Pande ( ne, दलभञ्जन पाँडे) was a Nepalese minister, politician and military officer of the aristocratic Pande family. He had held ministerial positions and military offices. He jointly headed ...

informed the

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

's in-charge ''Daroga'' about the orders of takeover of Butwal plains and continuation of honoring Palpa's former obligations from the King of Gorkha. After 1806, the territories of Palpa were kept under the military governorship of him and Kaji Dalbhanjan. They set up plans to establish the full Gorkhali authority over the lands by appointing officials and reviewing land grants. The general administration of the region was looked over and revenue collection was regulated by them. He dissolved the ''Maafi'' (rent-free) land grants to Jaisi Brahmins in

Butwal Butwal ( ne, बुटवल), officially Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City ( ne, बुटवल उपमहानगरपालिका), is a sub-metropolitan city and economic hub in Lumbini Province in West Nepal. Butwal has a city population ...

area for continuation of payments to Gorkhali soldiers. He commanded the

with Sardar

Bhakti Thapa Bhakti Thapa Chhetri ( ne, भक्ति थापा क्षेत्री; 1741 A.D. Lamjung, Nepal – 1815 A.D.) was a Nepalese military commander and administrator in the Kingdom of Nepal. Initially, he served for the Kingdom of La ...

and

Hasti Dal Shah Hasti Dal Shah or Hastidal Shah was an ancient warrior at Anglo-Nepalese war from the family of Shah Dynasty of Gorkha. He was called upon as an able commander in the Almora Front during the Anglo-Nepalese war. His death caused the ultimate fall o ...

in 1804 against

Garhwal Kingdom Garhwal Kingdom was an independent Himalayan kingdom in the current north-western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India, founded in 688 CE by Kanak Pal, the progenitor of the Panwar dynasty that ruled over the kingdom uninterrupted until ...

due to the Garhwal's discontinuance of annual payments to

. The army succeeded in annexing Garhwal to Nepalese territory extending the territory of Nepal up to the Sutlej river in the west. Bada Amar commanded his troops further to Kangra fort of King

Sansar Chand Sansar Chand (c. 1765 – 1824) was a Rajput ruler of the erstwhile state of Kangra-Lambagraon, Kangra in what is now the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Early life Sansar Chand was a scion of the Katoch dynasty which had ruled Kangra for cen ...

. They rested on Jwalamukhi and ultimately captured the fort. King Sansar Chand aided by 1500 soldiers of Sikh Maharaja

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He ...

fought against forces of Amar Singh at Ganesh Valley and retreated back only to attack at the evening. Due to the attack in the evening, Gorkhali Army lost some positions and Bada Amar returned to Sutlej river as per agreement on 24 August 1809 AD. The Gurkhas suffered a strike on their pride but were helpless against the superior Westernized Sikh forces. He later met Akali Chandan Singh Nihang who converted him to

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

. For a few years Amar Singh Thapa led the life of a

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

hermit although he didn't follow

completely and was a Sehajdhari Sikh. He wrote a book on his belief in

called the ''Adi Bhagvan Prakash'' which has not been published as of yet and remains in the Nepali State Archives''.'' Bada Kaji Amar Singh advised Mukhtiyar (Chief Authority) of Nepal,

, to avoid war with the British because he waged war in person and knew the hardships of war. He was one of the senior Bharadars to have opposed the

due to prevalence of weak administration in the western front suggesting a possible revolt from the general people of the newly conquered western front.

Anglo-Nepalese War

The appointment letter of two of three Subbas (governor) of one-third territories of

, Surabir Khatri and Ranabir Khatri on Ashadh Badi 2, 1862 V.S. (i.e. June 1805) explained the supreme authority ''Mukhtiyarship (premiership)'' of Amar Singh in the Western province: Similarly, another appointment letter of Subba of one-third territories of

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also be ...

Chandrabir Kunwar on Ashadh Badi 2, 1862 V.S. (i.e. June 1805), also instructed the governor to act according to the advice of Amar Singh. A British soldier commented to the independent authority of Bada Amar Singh in the western front before the Anglo-Nepalese war: When the Kathmandu Durbar solicited Nepalese chiefs' opinions about a possible war with the British, Amar Singh Thapa was not alone in his opposition, declaring that – He was against the measures adopted in Butwal and Sheeoraj, which he declared to have originated in the selfish views of persons, who scrupled not to involve the nation in war to gratify their personal avarice.

First Campaign

The British columns led by British Generals

Rollo Gillespie Major-General Sir Hugh Robert Rollo Gillespie (21 January 1766 – 31 October 1814Dictionary of Indian Biography; Charles E Buckland p166 (1906)) was an officer in the British Army. The Army's historian Sir John Fortescue called him "The bravest ...

and

David Ochterlony Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet GCB (12 February 1758 – 14 July 1825) was a Massachusetts born military officer of the East India Company in British India. He held the powerful post of British Resident to the Mughal court at D ...

in the Western front faced the defence under the command of Bada Amar Singh. During the first campaign of

, Badakaji Amar Singh commanded Nepalese army facing columns under Major-General

and Colonel

in the Western Front (

- Gadhwal axis). He commanded Gorkhali forces to defend the town of

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...

from ''The third division'' army under Major-General Gillespie coming from western side. His son Ranjore Singh Thapa was holding forces at Nahan, the chief town of Sirmaur.

Second Campaign

During the second campaign, he was serving as sector commander of

Sindhuli Gadhi Sindhuli Gadhi is an historical fort and tourist attraction in central Nepal. ''Sindhuli Gadhi'' is famous for the battle between the then Gorkha Army and the British troop headed by Captain Kinloch. The Gorkha force under the command of Khajanch ...

and eastern front facing heavy casualties from the assault of Colonel Kelly and Colonel O'Hollorah under Main Operational commander

. His son Ranjore reached Sindhuli Gadhi to defend the fort. The British couldn't reach Sindhuli Gadhi and felt back.

Heritages built

Amar Singh was a religious personality who built many forts across Nepal and India. The original Gangotri Temple at

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

was built by him, which is part of Chhota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. He built the oldest temple in the Mithila city

Janakpur, Nepal Janakpurdham or Janakpur ( ne, जनकपुर, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in Dhanusha District, Madhesh Province, Nepal. The city is a hub for religious and cultural tourism. A headquarter of Dhanusha district, ''Janakpur'' is also the capi ...

, the Sri Ram Temple. After establishment of full Gorkha authority over Palpa and adjacent Terai, he built the Amar Narayan temple at

Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pr ...

in the hills above

in 1807.

Legacy

Bada Kaji Amar Singh is often hailed as Living Lion of Nepal due to his fighting prowess, greater leadership and patriotism. British Historian

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

drew comparisons of him with the ancient Carthaginian General

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...

. A popular patriotic quote in the Nepalese history is attributed to him: The letter from the central government of Nepal held the praises of Kaji Amar Singh in the letters to other civil and military officers including provincial governors: The village of

Amaragadhi Amargadhi is a municipality and the district headquarter of Dadeldhura District in Sudurpashchim Province of western Nepal. It was named after Gorkha General Amar Singh Thapa, who fought in the Gurkha War between 1814 and 1816 At the time of th ...

in western Nepal is named for him. There is a

Khukuri The kukri () or khukuri ( ne, खुकुरी, ) is a type of machete with a distinct recurve in its blade. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting tool throughout most of South Asia. The ''kukri'', ''khuk ...

sword named after him called Amar Singh Thapa Khukuri. This Khukuri is modeled on the real Khukuri used by him. The real Khukuri used by Amar Singh is archived at National Museum of Nepal and is more curvy in nature than other traditional Khukuris.

Descendants

Amar Singh was married to Dharmabati. Nepali historian

Surya Bikram Gyawali Surya Bikram Gyawali (; born 10 June 1898 – 1 December 1985) was a Nepali historian. He wrote biographies for numerous people including King Prithvi Narayan Shah and writer Bhanubhakta Acharya. Gyawali also served as a head teacher in Darjeelin ...

contends that he had 9 sons namely: Surbir, Randhoj, Ran Singh, Ranjor, Bhakta Bir, Ram Das, Narsingh, Arjun Singh and Bhupal. He further states that all the sons of Amar Singh contributed to the

unification of Nepal The Unification of Nepal, also known as Expansion of Gorkha Kingdom, officially began in 1743 AD (1799 BS) after King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha launched an aggressive annexation campaign seeking to broaden his own kingdom's border. After ...

. Amar Singh had ten sons from four wives as per the Thapa genealogy: Ranabir, Ranasur, Ranadhoj, Ranabhim, Ranajor, Bhaktabir, Ramdas, Narsingh, Arjun Singh, and Bhupal Singh. The Office of the Nepal Antiquary also mentions sons of Amar Singh as Ranajor, Bhaktavir, Ramdas, Ranasur, Ranabir, Arjun, Narsingh and Bhupal. The genealogical table produced by Nepali historian

Kumar Pradhan Kumar Pradhan ( 7 May 1937 – 20 December 2013) was an Indian historian and writer whose research interests include the History of the Eastern Himalayas, Genealogical studies and the Nepali literature. Pradhan has also edited and written a ...

shows the sons of Bada Amar Singh as - Ranadhoj, Bhaktabir, Narsingh, Ramdas and Ranajor, all of whom were Kaji at some point. His grandsons through daughter Ambika Devi and son-in-law Chandravir Kunwar were Birbhadra Kunwar, a military commander in

Kumaun Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

and

Balabhadra Kunwar Balbhadra Kunwar Chhetri (30 January 1789 – 13 March 1823) was a Gorkhali military commander and administrator in the Kingdom of Nepal. He is one of the National heroes of Nepal. He was highly praised for his military skill for the defence of ...

, a national hero of the

Battle of Nalapani The Battle of Nalapani was the first battle of the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–1816, fought between the forces of the British East India Company and Nepal, then ruled by the House of Gorkha. The battle took place around the Nalapani fort, near ...

. Nepali movie director, Sunil Thapa, who is married to popular Nepali actress Jharana Thapa, is an eighth patrilineal descendant of Bada Kaji Amar Singh making their daughter Nepali actress Suhana Thapa a ninth descendant.

Gallery

Old Bhardar letter.gif, Letter sent to PM Bhimsen Thapa and Kazi

by (Pvt. seal L to R) Bakhat Singh Sardar, Dalbhanjan Pande (Pande Kazi), Ranabir Singh Thapa, Kaji Narsingh Thapa (Elder Amar Singh Thapa's third son) and sundry captains Amarsingh Thapa.JPG, Statue of Amar Singh Thapa (elder) at Amargadhi Fort; Quote is visible in the image Gangotri temple.jpg, Gangotri Temple was built by Bada Amar Singh Jayanti Mata Temple Kangra.jpg, Jayanti Mata Temple near Kangra Fort was built by Bada Amar Singh

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thapa, Amar Singh 1751 births 1816 deaths Bagale Thapa Gurkhas National heroes of Nepal Nepalese generals Nepalese military personnel People from Gorkha District People of the Anglo-Nepalese War People of the Nepalese unification Thapa Kaji Nepalese Hindus Khas people