Sindhuli was historically the strategic route linking the Kathmandu Valley with the eastern hills and southern plains; hill forts such as Sindhuli Gadhi served as defensive outposts and trade transit points, and the route was used by the Doyas of the Karnat dynasty (1244 AD) and by Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah, Sultan of Bengal (1349 AD), to attack Kathmandu Valley. Before Nepal's unification it was part of the Makawanpur Kingdom ruled by the Sen dynasty. The Battle of Sindhuli in 1767 AD (1824 BS) saw Gorkhali forces under Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign defeat British East India Company troops under Captain Kinloch using guerrilla tactics — a landmark victory that helped protect Nepal's independence. During the Rana regime Sindhuli was established as a district with its Gadhi administration headquartered at Sindhuli Gadhi; after the fall of the Ranas in 1951 it was merged with East No. 2 (Ramechhap), then re-established as a district in 1962 AD, with the headquarters moved from Sindhuli Gadhi to Sindhulimadhi on 2 January 1967. In the Panchayat era infrastructure expanded slowly, and in the 1990s-2000s the district was affected by the Maoist insurgency.
Researched by the ChillNepal team from published sources. Spot something out of date? Tell us from the place's page.
