Nepal Under the Ranas (2 Vols-Set)

Contents: Vol. I: Introduction. 1. The setting.  2. The rise of Jang Bahadur.  3. Jang Bahadur (1846-1856). 4. Bam Bahadur (1856-1857). 5. Jang Bahadur (1857-1877). 6. Ranaudip Singh (1877-1885). 7. Bir Shumsher (1885-1901). 8. Dev Shumsher (1901). Vol. II: 9. Chandra Shumsher (1901-1929).  10. Bhim Shumsher (1929-1932). 11. Juddha Shumsher (1932-1945). 12. Padma Shumsher (1945-1948). 13. Mohan Shumsher (1948-1951). 14. Rana Nepal: An Analysis and Assessment. Appendices. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

The history of Nepal as a modern state dates from the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruler of the small Himalayan hill state of Gorkha. He and his successors continued to expand the area under their control, subjugating independent tribes and principalities until the kingdom reached its present size in 1816. However all of Prithvi Narayan Shah’s successors inherited the throne as minors and even when they came of age they proved incapable of governing effectively. Consequently, real power was usually vested in the hands of a chief minister who enjoyed the backing of the army. In 1846, a young and ambitious minor aristocrat named Jang Bahadur Rana was appointed prime minister. He quickly usurped the power and authority of the crown and made the prime ministership hereditary within his family. This situation, analogous to that of the emperor and the shogun in contemporary Japan, was to last for 104 years until, in 1951, the regime was toppled and the power of the monarchy restored.

This is the story of Nepal during that period; the story of Nepal under the rule of the Rana family.

The purpose of this book is to examine the nature of Rana rule, the devices whereby the Rana family kept itself in power, and the strategies that it employed to preserve the independence of Nepal against the encroachment of the British imperial power in India.

The book is chronological in structure, the framework for each chapter being the events that occurred during a specific prime ministership. Woven into the story is a series of studies of economic, political, social, military, administrative, legal and cultural issues. The composite effect is a rounded picture of Nepal at that time. The book concludes with a final analysis and assessment of the regime. A set of appendices provides a wealth of historical data in support of the text and is a useful resource for the student and enquiring reader.

The book has a double impact: firstly, through the wealth of photographs, most of which have never been published before, and secondly, through the text: a comprehensive, balanced and intellectually sound treatment of Nepal during the Rana period – in effect, a definitive history of modern Nepal. (jacket)