Outbreak of the Anglo-Nepalese War

Background. Conflicts over borderlands played a pivotal role in spurring conflict between Nepal and British India in the years leading up to 1814, with borderlands functioning as zones of contact for the management, separation, and negotiation of difference. The Nepalese occupation of the Terai of Butwal from 1804 until 1812, territory under British protection, was the immediate reason leading to the Anglo-Nepalese war in 1814.

Casus Belli. The immediate trigger for war was a violent incident in May 1814. A small Nepalese force attacked East India Company police outposts in the disputed Butwal region, killing 18 EIC officials. This attack was cited by Lord Hastings as the justification for formally declaring war on Nepal, marking the transition from diplomatic friction to open conflict.

Declaration of War. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, serving as Governor-General of Fort William, formally declared war on the Kingdom of Nepal on 1 November 1814. This declaration followed his appointment in 1812 and his subsequent review of border issues. The war was fought between the East India Company and Nepal, eventually concluding with the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.