Sindhuligadhi

In 1767 Prithvi Narayan Shah's army had the Kathmandu Valley under siege. The Malla king of Kathmandu, Jaya Prakash Malla, appealed to the British East India Company for help, and Captain George Kinloch marched north from the plains with a force of soldiers.

The battle

Kinloch's column struggled through the monsoon forests and malarial valleys below the Mahabharat range. At Sindhuligadhi, Gorkhali troops attacked from the heights, using the terrain to their advantage. The expedition, already weakened by disease and hunger, was routed and forced to retreat. The valley fell to Gorkha the following year.

Why it matters

Nepalis remember Sindhuligadhi as the first time their forces defeated an army led by a European power, and a sign that the hills would not be easily conquered. Half a century later the Anglo-Nepal War of 1814–16 would test that again.

Visiting

The fort sits on a ridge above the BP Highway, the road from Bardibas to Kathmandu. A memorial and a small war museum explain the battle. Stop here on the drive, and buy Sindhuli's famous sweet oranges in season.