AMAR SINGH THAPA

         Amar Singh Thapa, also known as "Living lion of Nepal", was the General of the Nepalese forces of western front in the Anglo–Nepalese War. He is regarded as one of the National heroes of Nepal.He was born in 1808 BS in Gorkha the son of Bhim Singh Thapa and Umadevi Thapa.Bhim singh Thapa was also a soldier of Gorkha. He was killed in the Palanchok war when King Prithvi Narayan Shah was unifying Nepal.After the death of Bhim Singh Thapa, Amar Singh Thapa was brought to the Palace and trained by King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

     Amar Singh Thapa joined the army of Gorkha at the age of 17. When King Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Kantipur, Amar Singh Thapa also got involved himself in that war and got the opportunity to show his bravery.King was very plesed with his bravery and gave him the post of Sardar. After this war he continuously got involved in the process of unifying Nepal.

    He carried out small wars, especially with the King of Punjab, Ranjit Singh. He also engaged in defending the western fronts of Nahan, Chamba, Almora, Kangra, Saharanpur, Dehradun against his British counterpart, General David Ochterlony. Although he lost these areas to British, he is praised for his bravery by both Nepalese and British personalities.Thapa also built a temple of the goddess Ganga in the early 18th century. The town of Gangotri in Uttarakhand, India is centred around this temple. To this day, it is one of the four sites in the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit, the most important Hindu pilgrimage circuit in the Indian Himalayas.

     Amar Singh Thapa served as the Nepalese care taker of the western principalities and protectorates west of the Mahakali River. He carried out small wars, especially with King of Punjab, Ranjit Singh engaged in defending the western fronts of Nahan, Chamba, Almora, Kangra Saharanpur, Dehradun against his British counterpart General David Ochterrlony. He was not in favour of the Sugauli Treaty but of a temporary armistice so that after some time it would have been possible to claim on the Nepalese possessions ceded to the British.

     Later on, he was given the title of Bada Kaji. Many of the small states of Nepal were unified under the strong leadership of Amar Singh Thapa.Amar Singh Thapa voluntarily retired and died on his pilgrimage to Gosaikunda. in 1873 BS.