Nepali Army


The Nepali Army, also referred to as the Gorkhali Army, formerly known as "Royal Nepal Army" is the land service branch of the Nepali Armed Forces. After the Gorkha Kingdom was founded in 1559, its army was established in 1560, and initially became known as the Gorkhali Army.
Later it was known as the Royal Nepali Army following the Unification of Nepal, when the Gorkha Kingdom expanded its territory to include the whole country, by conquering and annexing the other states in the region, resulting in the establishment of a single united Hindu monarchy over all of Nepal. It was officially renamed simply to the Nepali Army on 28 May 2008, upon the abolition of the 240-year-old Nepalese monarchy, and of the 449-year-old rule of the Shah dynasty, shortly after the end of the Maoist insurgency.
The Nepali Army has participated in various conflicts throughout its history, going as far back as the Nepali unification campaign launched by Prithvi Narayan Shah of the Gorkha Kingdom. It has engaged in an extensive number of battles within South Asia, and continues to take part in global conflicts as part of United Nations peacekeeping coalitions. The Nepali Army is headquartered in Kathmandu and the incumbent Chief of Army Staff is General Ashok Raj Sigdel.

History

The Nepal unification campaign was a turning point in the history of the Nepali army. Since unification was not possible without a strong army, the management of the armed forces had to be exceptional. Apart from the standard Malla-era temples in Kathmandu, the army organized itself in Gorkha. After the Gorkhali troops captured Nuwakot, the hilly northern part of Kathmandu in 1744, the Gorkhali armed forces came to be known as the Royal Nepali Army.
Their performance impressed their enemies so much that the British East India Company started recruiting Nepali troops into their forces. British troops called the new soldiers "Gurkhas". The Nepal–Sikh war began shortly after, in 1809 and the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814. It became even more involved in the British Indian Army until independence, remaining an independent entity. In 1946, the Royal Nepali Army troops were led by Commanding General Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana at the Victory Parade in London.
Prior to 2006, the Royal Nepali Army was under the control of the King of Nepal. Following the 2006 Democracy Movement on 18 May, a bill was passed by the Nepali parliament curtailing royal power, which included renaming the army to simply the Nepali Army. In 2004, Nepal spent $99.2 million on its military. Between 2002 and 2006, the RNA was involved in the Nepali Civil War. They were also used to quell pro-democracy protesters during the 2006 democracy movement.

Organization

The Nepali Army has about 95,000 infantry army and air service members protecting the sovereignty of Nepal. In August 2018, The Himalayan Times estimated total army forces to be around 96,000 while The Kathmandu Post estimated it to be 92,000.

Supreme Command

The position of the Supreme Commander of the Nepalese Army is the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Until 2006, the King of Nepal was in control of all military forces in the country. The National Army was renamed from Royal Nepalese Army to Nepalese Army after the recent national conversion from a monarchy to a republic on 4th Jestha 2063 B.S.

National Defence Council

This Council has seven members, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, the Chief of the Army Staff, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Home Minister and the Chief Secretary.
The President of Nepal is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Divisions

The Nepalese Army is divided into eight divisions, one each in the seven provinces and one in the Kathmandu Valley.
In addition there are at least 7 independent units:
  • Army Aviation Directorate
  • Special Forces Brigade
  • VVIP Security
  • Artillery Brigade
  • Signals Brigade
  • Engineers Brigade
  • Air Defense Brigade

    Chiefs of the Nepali Army

The chiefs of the Nepali Army were mostly drawn from noble Chhetri families from the Gorkha Kingdom such as the Pande dynasty, Kunwar family, Basnyat dynasty, and Thapa dynasty before the rule of the Rana dynasty. During the Shah monarchy, the officers were drawn from these aristocratic families. During the Rana dynasty, the Ranas claimed the position as their birthright. The first army chief of was King Prithvi Narayan Shah who drafted and commanded the army. The first civilian army chief was Kalu Pande, a Kaji who had a significant role in the unification campaign. He was considered head of the army due to his undertaking of army duties and responsibilities, not by a formal title.
Bhimsen Thapa, Mukhtiyar from 1806 to 1837, was the first person to be given the title Commander-in-Chief as head of the army. King Rajendra Bikram Shah appointed Bhimsen to the post and praised him for his long service to the nation. However, on 14 June 1837, the King took over command of all battalions previously under the charge of various courtiers, and became the commander-in-chief. Immediately after the incarceration of the Thapas in 1837, Dalbhanjan Pande and Rana Jang Pande were the joint heads of the military administration. Rana Jang was removed after three months in October 1837.
Since the command of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen, only seven army chiefs were non-Rana- Chhetris, including Shahs, until 1951. The commander-in-chief title was replaced by Chief of the Army Staff from General Singha Pratap Shah in 1979.

Operations

Conflicts defending the Kingdom of Nepal

  • Battle against Mir Qasim
  • Battle of Pauwa Gadhi against Captain Kinloch
  • Anglo-Nepali War
  • First Nepal-Tibet War
  • Nepal-China War
  • Nepal-Tibet War
  • Nepali Civil War

    Battles during the unification of Nepal

  • Battle of Kirtipur
  • Battle of Kathmandu
  • Battle of Bhaktapur
  • Limbuwan–Gorkha War
  • Invasion of Doti Kingdom

    International conflicts

  • Indian Sepoy Mutiny
  • World War I
  • Waziristan War
  • Afghan War
  • World War II
  • Hyderabad Action

    International operations

The Nepali Army has contributed more than 100,000 peacekeepers to a variety of United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping missions such as:
The US-Nepali military relationship focuses on support for democratic institutions, civilian control of the military, and the professional military ethic. Both countries have had extensive contact over the years. Nepali Army units have served with distinction alongside American forces in places such as Haiti, Iraq, and Somalia.
US-Nepali military engagement continues today through the International Military Education and Training program, Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities program, Global Peace Operations Initiative, and various conferences and seminars. The US military sends many Nepali Army officers to America to attend military schools, such as the Command and General Staff College and the US Army War College. The IMET budget for FY2001 was $220,000.
The EIPC program is an inter-agency program between the US Department of Defense and US Department of State to increase the pool of international peacekeepers and to promote interoperability. Nepal received about $1.9 million in EIPC funding.
The US Commander in Chief, Pacific Command coordinates military engagement with Nepal through the Office of Defense Cooperation. The ODC Nepal is located in the American Embassy in Kathmandu.

Units

The first four army units are the Shreenath, Kali Baksh, Barda Bahadur, and Sabuj companies, founded in August 1762 by King Prithvi Narayan Shah with the Gurung, Magar, Chhetri and Thakuri clans, well before the unification of Nepal. The Purano Gorakh Company was founded in February 1763 and is the army's fifth oldest unit.
  • Shree Nath Battalionestablished 1762
  • Shree Kali Buksh Battalionestablished 1762
  • Shree Barda Bahadur Battalionestablished 1762
  • Shree Sabuj Battalionestablished 1762
  • Shree Purano Gorakh Battalionestablished 1763
  • Shree Devi Datta Battalionestablished 1783
  • Shree Naya Gorakh Battalionestablished 1783
  • Shree Bhairavi Dal Battalionestablished 1785
  • Shree Singhanath Battalionestablished 1786
  • Shree Shreejung Battalionestablished 1783
  • Shree Ranabhim Battalionestablished 1783
  • Shree Naya Shree Nath Battalionestablished 1783
  • Shree Vajradal Companyestablished 1806
  • Shree Shree Mehar Battalionestablished 1779
  • Shree "The Famous" Mahindra Dal Battalionestablished 1844
  • Shree Rajdal Regiment
  • Shree Ganeshdal Battalionestablished 1846
  • Shree Ranabam Battalion established 1847
  • Shree Nepal Cavalryestablished 1849, Household Cavalry ceremonial unit since 1952
  • Shree Durga Bhanjan Campanyestablished 1862
  • Shree Kali Prasad Battalion established 1863
  • Shree Bhairavnath Battalionestablished 1910
  • Shree Bhagvati Prasad Companyestablished 1927
  • Shree Khadga Dal Battalionestablished 1937
  • Shree Parshwavarti Companyestablished 1936
  • Shree Gorkah Bahadur Battalionestablished 1952
  • Shree Jagadal Battalion
  • Shree Yuddha Kawaj Battalion
  • Shree Mahabir Battalion
  • Shree Chandan Nath Battalionestablished 2004
  • Shree Tara Dal Battalionestablished 2002
  • Shree Ramban Companyestablished 2003
  • Shree No 1 Disaster Management Battalionestablished 2012
  • Shree No 2 Disaster Management Battalionestablished 2012