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The medieval Nepal was quite big in size but due to various reasons it went on being fragmented. The reintegration campaign started during 1744 and under the leadership of king Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1774, the campaign had reached as far as Darjeeling in the East.
Even after the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah on 10th January 1775, the reintegration campaign continued. While forgoing ahead towards east, the border of Nepal was extended up to Sikkim by 1779. The border in the western front also went on extending. In 1790, the campaign crossed the Mahakali River and reached Gadwal in 1804 and by 1805, the Nepali Army reached Kangada across the Sutlej River.
The British (East India Company) in particular, wanted trade with Tibet through Nepal, but Nepal, which was extended from Sikkim up to Simla, did not allow the British to have this facility. Violating the provisions of the 1801 treaty between Nepal and the East India Company, that if border dispute occurs between the two parties, shall be resolved through peaceful dialogues, the British suddenly declared war against Nepal on 1 November 1814. The war between Nepal and the British continued from 1 November 1814 till 28 April 1815. In the war fought at the main five fronts, Nepal defeated the British at three places in the middle and east and lost at two fronts to the British in the West. Following this war, David Ochtorlony from the side of the British and Amar Singh Thapa from the Nepali side reached a ceasefire through dialogue between the two and made an agreement on 15th May 1815.
According to the agreement, Nepal had to cede the land lying between the Mahakali and Sutlej Rivers in the Western front to the British East India Company. But after six and half months on 2nd December 1815, the British side put forward yet another draft treaty, which proposes that Nepal should cede the areas from the Mechi River up to Sikkim and Dinajpur in the East, including all Tarai area to the British East India Company. Nepal, in compulsion signed this Treaty on 4th March 1816. After this treaty, Nepal lost Tarai land, but showed continuous dissatisfaction about this Treaty and assuming that another war with Nepal might ensue, the low land lying between the Koshi and Rapti River was returned to Nepal on 8th December 1816.
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