A group of journalists among others, www.sugaulisandhi.com, is organizing Bicentenary of the Sugauli Treaty from March 4 in the very village of Sugauli in India. This celebration is being staged when the six month Madhesh Movement in Nepal has come to a lull but without any achievements following dozens of martyrdom. The United Democratic Madheshee Front did so because they blackmailed it for upliftment of its leadership in share with power game in Kathmandu. For this ill motive, they normalized the agitation to pave the way for an easy environment of PM Oli’s state visit to India and the forthcoming 13th General Convention of the Nepali Congress. But the legend of independent existence of Nepal has certainly been threaded with this very Sugauli Treaty.
Certainly, the border line sketched between Modern Nepal and India by the British and Gorkha nomads remains the same till date between Independent India and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Therefore, the very treaty might be a mile stone for the independent existence of Nepal and its sustainable border line with India. But the history has some other facts that must be revealed on the occasion.
History of the Indian subcontinent has an episode of the existence of Madhya Desh ‘Middle Country’ centuries before formation of modern India and Nepal between Vindhyachal and the Himalaya. It’s east-west boundaries were Bhagalpur and Thaneshwar respectively according to Vinaya Pitaka.[1] But some historians have also stated that the east-west boundaries of the Madhya Desh were only sea. It verifies that Nepal is the only part of the very Madhya Desh. Besides, the history also reveals that the pioneer rulers of Nepal were only Madhya Deshi who belonged to Gopal (Cow-herders) and Mahishpal (Buffalo-herders) dynasties.
Pages of later medieval history also state that British nomads laid foundation of colonial rule in India through East India Company whereas King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha was heading towards Churia hilly kingdoms following annexation of a number of petty-kingdoms situated in the Himalaya and Mahabharat ranges of mountains. But his eyesight was pin-pointing in a lust towards Madhya Deshi plains that had highly been upgraded into granary. The region was under the territories of the Madhya Deshi rulers of Sen Dynasty. Among those, Prithvi Narayan was highly tempted for Makwanpur as it was prosperous enough as a trade link between India and Tibet. So, he established his marital relation with the Makwanpur king at first and then attacked. In this way, he conquered Makwanpur on August 21, 1762 for the first time. Following this, he conquered Hariharpur, Timalkot and Sindhulikot and killed the ousted king of Makwanpur, Digbandhan Sen, who was in asylum there. The annexed kingdom of Makwanpur was part of ancient Madhya Desh. This is the commencement of the very story of our slavery under Gorkha colonial rule.
Certainly, Prithvi Narayan got victory over Nepal Valley in 1769 following Makwanpur and Hariharpur annexation. It came to be proved as the climax of his success. So, he shifted his capital in Nepal from Gorkha and established himself as the King of Nepal. After some time Prithvi Narayan died but his successors and so-called gallant soldiers continued expansion of the Gorkha kingdom towards east, west and south.
During annexation of Nepal Valley kingdoms and afterwards, Gorkha Empire’s relation with Britons slowly strengthens and treaties have come to be accomplished between them in 1792 and 1801. Especially the 1801 treaty provides Gorkha Empire status of a sovereign state on behalf of the British Empire.
But there happens a confrontation between them in 1814 as the British Imperialists were heading towards North and the Gorkhali Imperialists were marching towards south for expansion of their empires. So, each of them blames the other for violation of 1801 treaty for the conflict. Besides, the Whites had established their empire worldwide and they had modern arms and ammunition. Their soldiers were also well trained in comparison with those of Gorkhalis. Consequently, Gorkha Empire had to sign a treaty in Sugauli in 1815 in a mentality of defeat shrinking badly from east, west and south. Yea, the treaty was handed over to the Campany government after signed by the Gorkha rulers on March 4, 1816. But there was no plain land remained with Gorkha Empire in the treaty. Rather a compensation of two hundred thousand rupees per year was finalized to be paid for Gorkha army officers on behalf of the British Empire. Afterwards, Gokhalis might have petitioned for some plain land and a Memorandum for Approval was sent from Company government on December 8, 1816 and was approved by Gorkha Empire on December 11, 1816. This MFA provided plains between Rapti and Mechi rivers form west to east instead of monetary compensation.
Moreover, the Gorkha Empire assisted the British Empire to get control over the mutiny of 1857. To get rid of this obligation, the British Empire made another treaty in 1860 that provided some more plain territory between Rapti and Sharada (Mahakali) rivers in the east and west. Therefore, the treaties; Sugauli Treaty in 1815, Memorandum for Approval in 1816 and Anglo-Nepal Treaty in 1860; have significant role together for border demarcation between Nepal and India.
The historical evidence clarifies that the whole Gorkha Empire is itself the part of Madhya Desh, but parts of Kosal, Kashi and Videh General Districts of Madhya Desh annexed in the Empire were called Madhesh by the Gorkhali rulers. In this way, India might have significance to avail sovereignty of Nepal through Sugauli treaty, Nepal itself is a colony of the Gorkha Empire under the expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. So, Madhesh is the colony of Nepal under the Gorkha Empire. Therefore, we are not more than the subjects of a defeated country and the causes of our slavery are the very treaties discussed above. Moreover, the Whites had clearly known that Madheshees would be severely suppressed in Gorkha Empire, so, they compelled Gokhalis in Memorandum for Approval in 1860 to accept not to take any action against Madheshees in the name of their support towards Company rule during Anglo-Gorkha war. The seventh clause of the Memorandum states so.[2] Therefore, from British rulers of colonial India till Government of India today has accountability to monitor state of Madheshees in Nepal. But the same British rulers availed more plain land to Gorkhali rulers in 1860; and due to silence of Independent India, slavery of Madheshees is in the same state even after six months of agitation for the third time.
It’s crystal clear we don’t want disintegration. Rather we crave for whole Madhesh as a single province with national right to self-determination so that we enjoy self-rule at provincial level and a shared federal rule at centre in Nepal with complete proportionate representation of all nationals in state affairs. In other words, our essence is to entertain the political power with our proportionate share. But in case of negligence we have to be compelled for waging the same war against the Gorkha Empire as it was fought by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule in India, by Nelson Mandela against apartheid in South Africa and by Sheikh Muzibur Rehman against linguistic oppression in East Pakistan. Therefore, we hope to entertain concern of our own affectionate blood relatives affected by the very Treaty if we are holding discussions on the Sugauli treaty.
– Gopal Thakur
Kachorwa-1, Bara
March 1, 2016
[1]. अवन्ति दक्खिणापथो, भिक्खवे, अप्पभिक्खुको । अनुजानामि, भिक्खवे, खब्बपच्चन्तिमेसु विनयधरपञ्चमेन गणेन उपसम्पदं । तत्रिमे पच्चन्तिमा जनपदा— पुरत्थिमाय दिसाय कजङ्गलं नाम निगमो, तस्स परेन महासाला, ततो परा पच्चन्तिमा जनपदा, ओरतो मज्झे; पुरत्थिमदक्खिणाय दिसाय सल्लवती नाम नदी, ततो परा पञ्चन्तिमा जनपदा, ओरतो मज्झे; दक्खिणाय दिसाय सेतकण्णिकं नाम निगमो, ततो परा पच्चन्तिमा जनपदा; ओरतो मज्झे; पच्छिमाय दिसाय थूणं नाम ब्राह्मणगामो, ततो परा पच्चन्तिमा जनपदा, ओरतो मज्झे; उत्तराय दिसाय उसीरद्धजो नाम पब्बतो, ततो परा पच्चन्तिमा जनपदा, ओरतो मज्झे । (महाबग्गः ५—चम्मक्खन्धकं, परिच्छेद १३ महाकच्चानस्स पञ्चवरपरिदस्तनाः २६)
[2]. Moreover, the Rajah of Nipal agrees to refrain from prosecuting any inhabitants of the Terai, after its revertance to his rule, on account of having favoured the cause of the British Government during the war, and should any of those persons, excepting the cultivators of the soil, be desirous of quitting their estates, and of retiring within the Company’s territories, he shall not be liable to hindrance.
