# Treaty of Thapathali (24 March 1856)

URL: https://allhistories.com/nepal/timeline/1856-treaty-of-thapathali
Location: Thapathali Durbar, Kathmandu
Themes: Himalayan science, Survey

On 24 March 1856, representatives of Nepal and the Tibetan government signed the Treaty of Thapathali at Thapathali Durbar in Kathmandu. Its ten articles provided for an annual payment of 10,000 rupees from Tibet, exemptions for Nepalese merchants, the return of captured soldiers and artillery, a Nepalese official in Lhasa and the right to open shops there. The text asked both sides to show respect to the Qing emperor but did not use the word tribute. A Chinese ambassador took part in the talks, and a first attempt to agree terms collapsed in September 1855. The main dispute was over how much Tibet should pay and whether it owed Nepal land. The treaty gave Nepal commercial and quasi-diplomatic privileges in Lhasa. One Wikipedia account of China–Nepal relations says Nepal then stopped paying tribute to Beijing, while the Qing tightened its control over Tibet and banned Nepalese coins. The privileges remained a feature of Nepal–Tibet relations until the mid-twentieth century. At this point in the timeline (1856), Nepal was governed under the Rana regime by Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana (15 September 1846 – 1 August 1856), with King Surendra Bikram Shah (12 May 1847 – 17 May 1881) as the nominal monarch.

## Why it matters
It ended the Nepal–Tibet war and gave Nepal trading rights and a representative in Lhasa, shaping Himalayan trade for decades.

Ruler at the Time: [Jung Bahadur Rana (first term)](https://allhistories.com/nepal/rulers/jung-bahadur-rana-first-term)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Treaty of Thapathali](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Thapathali)
- [Wikipedia — China–Nepal relations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93Nepal_relations)