Bhimsen Thapa Quotes

Bhimsen Thapa listen was the Mukhtiyar and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely considered as one of the national heroes of Nepal. Historian Kumar Pradhan commented Bhimsen to be "... a clever, farsighted, politically aware and practically diplomatic politician." His anti-British policy was considered to have saved Nepal from being a protectorate of British colonists in India. German philosopher Karl Marx called him to be "...the only man in Asia who braved to protest submission to colonists."Born into an aristocratic Chhetri family of national military officers like Bir Bhadra Thapa who had connections with the Nepalese royal palace, he first shared the sacred thread ceremony with then Crown Prince Rana Bahadur Shah at age 11 in his native town in Gorkha. Bhimsen rose to power by initially serving as a bodyguard and personal secretary of King Rana Bahadur Shah. Bhimsen had accompanied Rana Bahadur Shah to Varanasi after his abdication and subsequent exile in 1800. In Varanasi, Bhimsen helped Rana Bahadur engineer his return to power in 1804. In gratitude, Rana Bahadur made Bhimsen a Kaji of the newly formed government. Rana Bahadur's assassination by his step-brother in 1806 led Bhimsen to massacre ninety-three people, after which he was able to claim the title of the Mukhtiyar and put forward Thapa family in the national politics putting check and balance on the historical noble Pande dynasty of Gorkha.

Bhimsen introduced a large number of reforms in agriculture, forestry, trade and commerce, judiciary, military, communications, transportations, slavery, human trafficking and other social evils in his premiership. During Bhimsen's prime ministership, the Gurkha empire had reached its greatest expanse from Sutlej river in the west to the Teesta river in the east. However, Nepal entered into a disastrous Anglo-Nepalese War with the East India Company lasting from 1814–16, which was concluded with the Treaty of Sugauli, by which Nepal lost almost one-third of its land. It also led to the establishment of a permanent British Residency. The death of King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah in 1816 before his maturity, and the immature age of his heir, King Rajendra Bikram Shah, coupled with the support from Queen Tripurasundari allowed him to continue to remain in power even after Nepal's defeat in the Anglo-Nepalese War.

The death of Queen Tripurasundari in 1832, his strongest supporter, and the adulthood of King Rajendra, weakened his hold on power. The conspiracies and infighting with rival courtiers finally led to his imprisonment and death by suicide in 1839. However, the court infighting did not subside with his death, and the political instability eventually paved way for the establishment of the Rana dynasty.

✵ 1775 – 28. July 1839

Bhimsen Thapa: 3 quotes 1 like

Famous Bhimsen Thapa Quotes

“If Tibetans and Firangis [i. e. foreigners or, in the contemporary context, Englishmen] meet and trade with each other, our ryots and traders will lose their employment and result will not be good.”

Bhimsen Thapa

As quoted in book Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839 https://books.google.com.np/books?id=7PP1yElRzIUC&dq=bhimsen+thapa&source=gbs_navlinks_s|

“The Chinese once made war upon us, but were reduced to seek peace.”

Bhimsen Thapa

To King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah as quoted in book History of the political and military transactions in India during the administration of the Marquess of Hastings, 1813–1823, Vol 1 https://books.google.com/books?id=Tq1jAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s|
Context: Through the influence of your good fortune, and that of your ancestors, no one has yet been able to cope with the state of Nepal. The Chinese once made war upon us, but were reduced to seek peace. How then will the English be able to penetrate into the hills? Under your auspices, we shall by our own exertions be able to oppose to them a force of fifty-two lakhs of men, with which we will expel them. The small fort of Bhurtpoor was the work of man, yet the English being worsted before it, desisted from the attempt to conquer it; our hills and fastnesses are formed by the hand of God, and are impregnable. I therefore recommend the prosecution of hostilities. We can make peace afterwards on such terms as may suit our convenience.

“…irrespective of castes, creeds or position in the society, all are same in the eyes of law.”

Bhimsen Thapa

As quoted in page 184 of book Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839 https://books.google.com.np/books?id=7PP1yElRzIUC&dq=bhimsen+thapa&source=gbs_navlinks_s|