An  account  by  Austrian journalist, Dr. Hans Georg Behr  in his book titled “Nepal Geschenk der Götter  (Nepal  Gifts  of  the  Gods)” written  in  German  reveals  an unknown  part  of  our  history  how the  Newah  Kingdoms  fallen  to Gurkhas. The account by Dr. Behr, who  was  born  in  Vienna,  Austria but  lives  in  Hamburg,  Germany, translated into English by Chakana Nepahmi and a Nepal Bhasa version by Binod Saymi  “Ala” have brought these untold episodes of  the history  into  light recently. Either many of our historians were not aware of  the episodes or reluctant  to convey  to us  the events what led to the fall of Newah kingdoms in the Nepal Mandala in the 18th  century. The account  therein  contradicts  the  conventional account of unification story of Nepal. Hamburg, Germany - Since 1716, Gorkha’s (ruler) Narabhupal Shah had been  sitting  on  his  throne  made  of   mud.  He  found  his  throne  very uncomfortable,  and wanted  to  change  it  with  the  silver  throne  of   the Kathmandu Valley  at  any  cost. With  this  aim  in mind,  he married many times  to widen his  territory and built alliances. But he was not successful At  the  end,  he  changed  his  tactics.  In  1732,  he  sent  his  10  year  old  son Prithvi Narayan  to  stay with  the  king  of  Bhaktapur  (Ranajit Malla).  In  a covering  letter, Narabhupal Shah  requested  the king of  Bhaktapur  to  raise his  son  and  provide  him  a  good  education  which  was  only  possible  in Nepal. But his  real  intention was  to place his son  in  the palace so  that he could spy on  it and gather vital  information. The Malla king of  Bhaktapur took in this young prince of  Gorkha with friendship and treated him as the guest. Prithvi Narayan Shah had an excellent memory that he remembered everything he saw. After  five years, he  returned  to his hometown Gorkha He had gathered much  information about  the  reasons behind  the quarrels among  the valley kings,  the exact quantity of  military equipments and  the strategic locations in Nepal. Prithvi  Narayan  Shah  was  sure  that  he  could  conquer  the  pass  of Nuwakot,  so  in  the  same  year  he  sent  his  Gorkha  soldiers  to  attack Nuwakot. The      young    prince    had    miscalculated or    his father had   underestimated  the  Mallas.  The  Malla  kings  banded  together  and  their armies beat the Gorkhas very badly. Since  then,  the Gorkha  launched  an  attack  on  the  valley  every  year right after the monsoon in order to possess its wealth. But they were failed. The Gorkhas  came  punctually  at  the  end  of   September,  but  they  never made any headway. This went on till 1764.  Prithvi then sent a peace message  to the valley. The Mallas received his message with joy. The endless war was  a strain on their resources, and it was also disrupting  their  business.  But Prithvi Narayan  Shah’s message  was  a clever deception; he really didn’t seek peace. The Mallas came to know that it  was  only  a  ploy  when  the Gorkhas  blocked  the  northern  trade  route. Another thing that worried the Mallas was that the Gorkhas had come into possessions of  excellent arms and  lots of  money with which  to prosecute the war. The Mallas didn’t know from where the Gorkhas had got them. The  British  government  had  supplied  the weapons  to  the Gorkhas, but  this  fact  has  been  kept  hidden  in Nepal’s  history  books.  The  secret treaty which was signed is still preserved in London in the archives of  East Indian Company. The pact was signed by Captain Ceane and the Gorkhas. The British government  agreed  to  supply  the weapons and  advice;  and  in return, the Gorkhas had to destroy the old trade routes between India and China. The Moguls of  India had a flourishing business relationship with the Mallas of  Nepal, and this trade accounted for 30 percent of  the wealth of  the Moguls. The British wanted to get their hands on the riches.         According  to  the accord, Prithvi Narayan Shah  received 800 muskets along with  21 British  advisors. And  in  1766,  armed with British weapons and  intelligence,  the  Gorkhas  attacked  Kirtipur.  The  people  of   Kirtipur could not resist the superior arms, and two third of  them were killed. The cruel Gorkhas  cut off   the noses of   the  survivors. Till  today,  this place  is known as  the “Village of   the noseless”. The Mallas  then  realized  that  the situation had become precarious. Jaya Prakash Malla,  the king of  Kathmandu, was  an  intelligent  ruler. He wrote  a very  touching  letter  to  the East  India Company  appealing  for assistance against the Gorkhas. The East India Company subsequently sent 15  very  strong men  under  the  command  of   a  captain  named Kinlock  to help the Mallas. This captain was quite fond of  drinking alcohol. When the British arrived at the hills leading to the Kathmandu valley, they faked being defeated  by  the Gorkhas.  The Gorkhas  pretended  to  hit  them  and  they acted as  if   they were wounded.  (Like we say  in Nepal Bhasa “Chhan daye then ya, jin khwaya then yaye.”)The British wanted the Mallas to think that the Gorkhas were too powerful to fight with.         Jaya  Prakash Malla  then  looked  to  religion  for  support. A  priest  he trusted  told  the  king  that  the  future  of  Nepal  depended  on  the Kumari (Living Goddess). And so in 1768, the festival of  Indra Jatra was celebrated with  fervour.  The  Nepalese  (the  Newar  people)  drank lots  of   rice  beer during the festivities, especially on September 13 on the day of  the chariot festival. They did not notice that the Gorkhas had entered the city until they had surrounded the Kumari’s chariot.    Pandemonium broke out  that  Jaya Prakash Malla  jumped down  from the  royal  chariot  with  his  two  wives  and  escaped  to  Lalitpur.  Prithv Narayan Shah stepped in front of  the bewildered crowd and shouted, “I’m now your king. Carry on with your drinking.” Prithvi Narayan Shah was a that time 46 years old.         Many Newars drank  rice beer because  they were  terror-stricken. Th Gorkhas put their swords to the necks of  the Newars who refused to     accept  the  new  king,  so  they  had no choice but to obey. In  the  following  winter,  the Gorkhas  also  conquered  Lalitpur without  any  opposition.  The Mallas  then  gathered  at  the  palace in Bhaktapur. The  palace was well defended.  And  following  the advice  of   his  British  advisors, Prithvi  Narayan  Shah  imposed  a blockade.   After  three  years, Bhaktapur’s food stock ran out. And one night, some  illegitimate  children  of   the Mallas opened the gates to the city. The  valley’s  three  kings  were arrested  in  their  bedrooms.  Jaya Prakash  Malla  committed  suicide. To  show  his  big-heartedness, Prithvi  Narayan  allowed  Jaya Prakash  to  be  brought  to Pashupatinath for the final rites.         Bhaktapur’s  king  Ranajit Malla,  who  had  given  shelter  to Prithvi  Narayan,  was  not  killed; instead  his  eyes were  blown  up  to blind  and  banished  to  the  Hindu city  of   Benaris.  Tej  Narasingh  of  Patan  did  not  want  to  exchange any  words  with  Prithvi  Narayan. Tej Narasingh was  imprisoned  in a vault  and walled  up. A  small  hole was  left open  to pass food to him. And  for  two  days,  a  bowl  of   rice was  left  near  the  hole. When  they saw  that  Tej  Narasingh  had  not touched  the  food,  the  hole  was bricked up. Prithvi  Narayan  Shah  did everything  according  to  Captain Ceane’s  suggestions.  He  said  to Prithvi  Narayan,  “The  people  of  Nepal  are  very  hard  working  and intelligent.  That  is  why  they  are very  dangerous. We  need  to  strike terror  into  their hearts  in order  to control  them.  Do  not  let  them come  to  power  even  after  many   centuries.  We  need  to  obliterate from their minds the idea of  rising up to seize power. This can only be achieved  through  harsh  laws  and violence.”    Accordingly, Newars were  not  allowed  to  read, write  or  repair  their houses.  If   they broke  the  law,  they  faced  the dealth penalty.  In 1770,  two and  half   thousand  Newars  were  killed.  The  second  generation  was thoroughly intimidated, and gave up. The third generation started to forget. After Prithvi Narayan Shah took control of  the valley, the old cities began to stagnate even though so much money was pouring into the country. The only changes in the cityscape that occured were the result of  earthquakes.   The British naturally benefitted greatly from their cruel plan. In 1776, the Mogul Empire became bankrupt and was forced to become a colony of  Britain. The whole of  central Asia suffered after Prithvi Narayan Shah took over  Nepal  and  closed  the  old  trade  routes.  Tibet’s  economy  too  was negatively affected. The depressed economy forced monasteries to become financially self-reliant. This was how feudalism emerged as a shadow in the land of  the Buddha. There was a negative effect even in China.  The British were also not very happy with the Gorkhas. The Gorkhas had  tasted  the  blood,  and  did  not  give  up  violence.  In  this  way,  they conquered  all  the  hill  states.  The  Gorkha  turned  the  country  into  a “forbidden  land”. As  long  as  the  country  remained  closed up,  the British were  not  disturbed. But  in  1789,  the Gorkhas  became  crazy  and went  to war with China and England. Britain’s General Ochterlony said, “We have to keep the Gorkhas busy so that other things besides conquest come to their minds.” Lord Hastings wrote in his diary in 1817, “To bring peace in Nepal, the Gorkhas must be kept busy and far from their country.” This policy led to the recruitment of  Gorkha  soldiers  into British  army. The Nepal government  took one-third of   the money  sent home by  the Gorkhas.  It was  an  important  source of  income for the government of  Nepal.         After  the  Gorkhas  began  leaving  Nepal,  there  was  peace  on  the frontier as well as within the country. But  there was no peace  in  the king’s palace.  The  Shahs  fought  among  themselves.  They  didn’t  care  about  the country  or  the  people.  They  remained  engrossed  in  their  own  interests. Then  came  the Kot Parwa,  and  the  Jung Bahadur Rana  took  over power from the Shah king.