Following the conclusion of the Anglo-Gorkha War, the British East India Company signed which treaty in 1815 CE that formally established British supremacy over the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and ceded territories like Kumaon, Garhwal, and Shimla hill tracts?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Treaty of Sugauli, signed in March 1816 following the cessation of hostilities in 1815, concluded the Anglo-Gorkha War and required Nepal to surrender all claims to territories west of the Kali river, enabling the British to consolidate control over Kumaon, Garhwal, and the Simla Hill States. This paved the way for the British to establish hill sanatoriums and political agencies across Himachal Pradesh. The treaty fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the entire Himalayan arc.