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During the Qianlong period, the Damanese people in the Jilong ditch on the southern flank of Mount Everest finally joined the big family of Chinese nationality after a long wait. Daman, in Tibetan, means the bravery of the cavalry. What caused them to be displaced in the Himalayas for two centuries? The cause of all this can be traced back to two expeditions to Nepal during the Qianlong period.
The first battle broke out in Nepal, a country at the pinnacle of the Himalayas dominated by the Gurkhas. Diverging from Indian tribes, they overthrew the Mara dynasty in the 14th century and established the Gurkha dynasty, which unified all of Nepal and expanded its territory to about three times its current size. With their far-sighted geographical advantages, the Gurkhas created recurve knives that are known as the world's most in line with mechanical principles, and equipped with cannons, shotguns and other weapons under the pressure of British colonists. In 1788, the Gurkhas demanded to Tibet that "the two places bordering our territory, Nyalam and Jiyu, which were originally my Baleb places, should still be returned." Trade disputes set the stage for the war, and the Gurkha army sent 3,000 troops to invade Tibet, occupying places such as Dzongkha, Jiyu, and Nyalam. However, due to the lag in the dissemination of information, the Qing army's command was chaotic, and the Sichuan army was at a loss. In the process of the Qing army finally successfully recovering the lost territory, the Gurkhas and the Qing Dynasty signed an agreement of "Xu Yin Ransom", in which the Qing Dynasty compensated Nepal 300 taels of silver every year, and the Gurkhas promised to submit to Nagon. The Qianlong Emperor canonized the Gurkha king in the dark, but this illusory submission was eventually revealed.
In 1790, the Nepalese aristocracy, dissatisfied with the weak attitude of the Qing dynasty, planned a second invasion of Tibet. This conflict resulted in a severe burden on Tibet, which had to pay 1,500 taels of ransom silver per year. Although the Dalai Lama sought to remove the provision, it was rejected, prompting greater resistance. In 1791, the Nepalese Army attacked Nyalam and captured several officials and generals. In the face of the Gurkha attack, Tibetan officials were helpless and chose to flee in desperation. The Qianlong Emperor sent Fu Kang'an to march into Tibet, but due to the dangerous terrain and poor information, the Qing army was severely damaged. In the end, the Qianlong Emperor ordered that Tibet affairs be put in charge of Fu Kang'an and Hailancha, the governor of Liangguang, forcing Fu Kang'an to personally lead an army to attack. Fu Kang'an was a general known for his bravery, and participated in successive battles such as the Battle of Jinchuan and the pacification of the Gansu Rebellion. He led the army under difficult conditions, and after 50 days of pressure, finally won the victory in the march into Tibet. The Nepalese nobility ended in defeat in the battles of Xiebuku, Mugulaba and Mount Gyalgula. In the end, the Qing army successfully surrendered, marking the end of the war.
However, victory does not mean expansion. After the victory, faced with the complicated Himalayas, the Qing army could only march on narrow stone roads and had to build roads to facilitate passage. The Gurkha army adopted the tactic of concentrating troops in the mountains and deep valleys, which hindered the advance of the Qing army. On the battlefield, the battle at the northern end of the Reso Bridge, the siege of Xiebuku, and the battle at Jiargula Mountain all showed the difficult journey of the Qing army. Fukang'an made full use of the terrain and approached the core of the Gorkha step by step through strategies such as crossing the river and feints with wooden bridges. Although the Gurkhas resisted tenaciously, they lost large tracts of land in many battles. However, Fukang'an judged the situation and judged that the terrain of Gurkha was dangerous, and winter was approaching, and it was imperative that heavy snow would close the mountain. By this time, the Qing army had formed a strong deterrent against the Gurkhas, and Fu Kang'an and the Qianlong Emperor jointly recognized the need to sign a peace treaty. As a result, the Qing army completed the surrender ceremony in Nepal and withdrew from the Gurkhas on August 20. Nepal sent emissaries to Beijing to ask for reconciliation, abrogated previous treaties signed privately with its minister in Tibet, and expressed its submission to Nagon. Thus, peace between Nepal and China was established.
In this war, although the Qing army successfully defended Tibet, it did not seize any Nepalese territory. This shows the mind and demeanor of a big country. Despite defeating the Gurkha mercenaries, the once-arrogant cavalry unit never returned to Nepal, drifting through the border areas and gradually assimilating into Tibetan culture, eventually being approved as a Chinese citizen and part of the Tibetan ethnic group in 2003. The Damanese finally found a place to settle in China, and the local government established a new village for them, ending their long exile.
This war was the only time in the history of the Qing Dynasty that it crossed the Himalayas into Nepal. It enhanced the influence of the Qing Dynasty on the world stage and laid the foundation for peaceful exchanges between China and Nepal. In the long river of history, this was one of the three major battles at the peak of the Qing Dynasty. This Gurkha mercenary army, defeated by the Qing army, continued to integrate into Tibetan culture in its wanderings and eventually found a home in China. This historical story has witnessed the dispute and reconciliation between the two countries, leaving a valuable historical memory.
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