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Introduction to Abhiman Singh Basnet
Abhiman Singh Basnet, one of the greatest Military Commander during the Unification of Nepal, belonged to Gorkha. He was the Son of Shiva Ram Singh Basnet. He was also a Statesmen, Kaji and Administration after the Unification of Nepal. He was actively involved in the Unification of Eastern Nepal and its administration as well.
His Successors were important in the integration of Nepal during the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah, Pratap Singh Shah, and Rana Bahadur Shah.
Life of Abhiman Singh Basnet
Abhiman Singh Basnet was born in the month of February 1744 A.D. in Gorkha. He was the son of Shivaram Singh Basnet and Shuraprabha Thapa Basnet and grew up under the mentorship of Prithvi Narayan Shah.
Early Life and Career
Abhiman Singh’s mother became pregnant at the age of 32, when his father was fighting in the battle of Sangachok, and sought to the Gorkha court for relief for her unborn child.
According to Gorkha court rules at the time, all four of his brothers and sons got governmental protection.
Abhiman Singh Basnet’s military career started with the Makwanpur War in 1762 A.D., and he was an important figure in the conquering operations of Nepal’s eastern provinces in 1773 A.D.
He commanded the Nepalese armies in various wars, including the ferocious assault on the Chaudandi kingdom, which resulted in the annexation of Udaipurgarhi to Nepal along with Chaudandi.
Abhiman Singh captured various places during his winning expedition to the west, including Tanahun, Garahun, Rising, Ghiring, Charikot, Peiun, and others.
He was the first military commander after the unification of Nepal and was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Gorkha army after the death of General Kalu Pandey during the capture of Kirtipur.
Career as Commander-in-Chief and Kazi
Abhiman Singh Basnet’s Contribution of Nepal can be divided into his Administrative Capacities and Unification of Nepal. He constructed Man Mandir at Asan, which is today known as Tilanga House.
His brothers, Naharsingh Basnet, Keharsingh Basnet, and Dhokalsingh Basnet, contributed equally to Nepal’s unification.
Abhiman Singh’s mother, Shurprabha was also a part of the Unification Campaign. She provided ration and water to the army
The Government of Nepal gave Abhiman Singh Basnet the post of Kazi for his significant contributions to the unification of Nepal.
He fought a war with Swaroop Singh of the East and led a victory march across Kaligand along with Damodar Pandey.
In 1791 A.D., the Nepal-Tibet war took place, and Abhiman Singh captured the territory of Tibet, bringing back gold, silver, and cash as per the instructions of Bahadur Shah.
Death
Abhiman Singh Basnet passed away in June 1800 A.D. in Morang district at the age of 56 due to fever.
Contributions of Abhiman Singh Basnet
Military Contributions
Abhiman Singh Basnet was a prominent military commander of his day. During the unification struggle, he was crucial in many engagements and victories
Under his leadership, Nepalese forces conquered several regions like Bhubaneswar of Saptari, Kavilaspurgarhi of Chitwan, and Upardanggarhi of Chitwan.
He also led a successful attack on the Chaudandi kingdom. He drove away its king and ministers, and annexed Udaipurgarhi along with Chaudandi to Nepal.
During the western campaign, he conquered several regions like Tanahun, Garahun, Rising, Ghiring, Charikot, and Peiun, among others. Abhiman Singh Basnet was the first military commander after the unification of Nepal.
After the death of General Kalu Pandey during the capture of Kirtipur, he was made the commander-in-chief of the Gorkha army.
Administrative Contributions
Abhiman Singh Basnet was a capable administrator as well as a military commander. He was appointed administrator of the area after the capture of Udaipurgarh
He also constructed several important buildings such as the Man Mandir in Asan, which is now famous as Tilanga House. Furthermore, he was given the post of Kazi by the government of Nepal.
Conclusion
Abhiman Singh Basnet contributed to the Military Campaigns against the Kathmandu Valley and the Eastern Region of Nepal. He died at the age of 56 after becoming the First Kazi and Commander-in-Chief of Nepal.
References
Cite
Pokhrel, A. (2023). Abhiman Singh Basnet – Itihasaa. Encyclopedia of Nepali History. https://itihasaa.com/modern-figures/abhiman-singh-basnet/
