page_title: Anglo-Nepalese War
section_title: Terrain
hierarchical_section_title: Anglo-Nepalese War / War preparation / Terrain
caption_attribution_description: Română: Soldaţi din Garda britanică, în timpul războaielor napoleoniene
context_page_description: The Anglo-Nepalese War, also known as the Gurkha War, was fought between the Kingdom of Gorkha and the East India Company. Both sides had ambitious expansion plans for the mountainous north of the Indian subcontinent. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, which ceded some Nepalese controlled territory to the EIC.
  The war was led by the EIC with the support from native states; Garhwal Kingdom, Patiala State and Kingdom of Sikkim against Kingdom of Gorkha. The war on the side of Kingdom of Gorkha was led mostly by the members of the larger Thapa caucus.
context_section_description: To the British, who were used to fighting in the plains, but were unacquainted with the terrain of the hills, the formidability of the topology is expressed by one anonymous British soldier as such:
  "...The territory subject to Nepal consists of a mountainous tract of country, lying between Tibet and the valley of the Ganges, in breadth not exceeding one hundred miles, but in length stretching nearly along the whole extent of the north-west frontier of the British dominions. Below the hills they held possession of a portion of the plain of irregular width, distinguished by the name of the Nepal Turrye, but the period at which the acquisition was made is not ascertained.
  
  The general military character of the country is that of extreme difficulty. Immediately at the front of the hills the plain is covered with the Great Saul Forest, for an average width of ten or twelve miles; the masses of the mountains are immense, their sides steep, and covered with impenetrable jungle. The trenches in these ridges are generally water-courses, and rather chasms or gulfs than any thing that deserves the name of a valley. The roads are very insecure, and invariably pathways over mountains, or the beds of rivers, the usual means of transport throughout the country being by hill porters. Notwithstanding this general description, spaces comparatively open and hollow, and elevated tracts of tolerably level land, are to be met with, but so completely detached as to contribute but little to facilitate intercourse.
  
  One of the largest and most fertile of these constitutes the valley of Nepal Proper. To the westward of Nepal, there is a difficult tract, till the country again opens in the valley of Gorkah, the original possession of the present dynasty. – Westward of this the country is again difficult, till it somewhat improves in the district of Kemaoon. Further to the westward lies the valley of the Dhoon, and the territory of Sue-na-Ghur; and further still, the more recent conquests, stretching to the village, in which Umar Sing, a chief of uncommon talents, commanded, and indeed, exercised an authority almost independent."
caption: 1st Foot Guards
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