Sindhuli

Sindhuli lies on a route between the Kathmandu Valley, the eastern hills and the southern plains. Its hill fort, Sindhuli Gadhi, guarded a passage used by travellers and armies. Before the expansion of Gorkha, the region belonged to the Sen rulers of Makwanpur, who used the surrounding valley for hunting and fishing.

In 1767 an East India Company expedition under Captain George Kinloch attempted to reach Kathmandu to assist its ruler against Gorkha. Gorkhali forces resisted near Sindhuli Gadhi, using the steep mountain terrain and dense forests to harass the advancing troops and their supplies. Short of food and unfamiliar with the country, the expedition retreated without reaching the valley, leaving Prithvi Narayan Shah's forces to continue their campaign against the Malla kingdoms.