“Who Won the Sino-Nepalese War of 1791/92? New Insights From New Sources” Lecture By Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels in Kathmandu

It is widely believed that the Sino-Gorkha War of 1791/92 ended with a victory for the Chinese. But why did the Chinese forces retreat after advancing to Nuwakot, a mere day's march from Kathmandu? New evidence from Nepalese and Tibeto-Chinese sources sheds light on the reasons behind these diverging perspectives. The lecture explored the historical, political, environmental, and linguistic aspects of the conflict, offering fresh insights into how wars come to a resolution, often leaving behind contested narratives.

The South Asia Institute, Kathmandu Branch Office, in collaboration with the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Southasia Institute of History and Philosophy, organised a lecture by Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels on 25th February. The introduction was delivered by renowned journalist Kanak Mani Dixit. The lecture attracted a large audience, including not only members of academia but also retired army personnel, journalists, and others including the german ambassador to Nepal. 

The event will also marked the official launch of Prof. Michaels' latest book, “Nepal - A History from the Earliest Times to the Present (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024)”. 

Prof. Dr. Axel Michaels is Senior Professor of Classical Indology at the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg. His areas of expertise include the social and cultural history of Nepal and Hinduism, ritual theory, and legal history. He leads the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities project Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, in collaboration with the National Archives, and co-leads the Nepal Heritage Documentation Project in partnership with The SARAF Foundation as well as the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal.