Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prithvi Narayan Shah used supreme power wisely, and he
launched an ambitious program to unify many small and often
quarrelsome kingdoms. At an early age, he visited Kathmandu,
the Makawanpur District, and northern India. His visit to
India helped him realize the possible danger of a northward
expansion into Nepal by Britain's Indian Empire. Seeking to
strengthen his own hand, he set out to conquer the Kathmandu
Valley and merge the region into a single kingdom.
Prithvi Narayan Shah visited Varanasi (a holy city on the
Ganges River) to purchase modern weapons. While in India,
he also examined the condition of states in northern India
and the activities of the British East India Company. In Nepal,
he established a number of military barracks, increased troop
numbers and strength, and trained them in the use of modern
weapons. Finally, he was ready to implement his plan to expand
the Gorkha Kingdom.
Initially, he attempted to develop an alliance with neighﾭ
boring states. If that failed, he went to war against them. The
Gorkhas applied a blockade strategy, in which they closed all
trade routes into a state. Thus cut off, their enemies were left
with little choice: starve or surrender. After a sixﾭmonth blockﾭ
ade, Gorkha troops finally captured Kirtipur, a city located
about six miles from Kathmandu, in 1767. This set the stage
for the dramatic capture of Kathmandu. Prithvi Narayan Shah
and his troops invaded the city while people were celebrating a
religious festival, and they were able to capture it without loss
of life. In fact, after being crowned as the king of Kathmandu,
Prithvi Narayan Shah continued the festival in 1768. The preﾭ
vious king of Kathmandu, Jayaprakash Malla, fled the region.
Soon, the Gorkhas added other kingdoms, such as the Patan
and Bhaktapur. Thus, the king of Gorkha became ruler of the
entire Kathmandu Valley and beyond. He declared Kathmandu
the capital of a greater and increasingly unified Nepal.
Prithvi Narayan Shah's work was not yet finished. He conﾭ
tinued his campaign of territorial expansionﾭhis Kathmandu
victory was little more than a rehearsal of the Gorkha's military
