Balbhadra Kunwar

Balbhadra Kunwar Rana (30 January 1789 - 13 March 1823) was a Nepalese military commander and administrator in the Kingdom of Nepal. He is one of Nepal's national heroes. He was praised for his military skill in defending the Nalapani fort during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816). He was a Captain in the Nepalese military and was tasked as commander to protect the Dehradun forts.

Balbhadra Kunwar was a legendary warrior known for his extraordinary bravery and courage during the British assault on the Nalapani fort.

This bravery astounded the British, and he gained respect from his adversaries. He is one of the reasons Gorkhalis (Gurkha soldiers) are so well-known around the world. Bala Bhadra Kunwar held out for months during the siege of Dehradun, even without water.

During the 1879 Sikh-Afghan war, B. Samvat (1822), the Nepalis in the Sikh Military fought valiantly, but it was also the month in which Balabhadra Kunwar was killed by Afghan artillery in Naushera, Peshawar region, Afghanistan on Chaitra 3 (March/April in the Roman calendar and the last month in the Hindu Lunar calendar). Bhimsen Thapa had sent men to Lahore to gather information about this war and his nephew's death. He was commanded by the legendary General Hari Singh Nalwa, who honored him during the battle. Hari Singh Nalwa continued the campaign and made it all the way to Jamrud.

Following the Anglo-Nepali War, the British East India Company erected a war memorial in Nalapani honoring the Gorkhalis and Capt. Balbhadra Kunwar (often incorrectly referred to as Bulbuder Singh or Balbudder Thapa).