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While John Whelpton's history of Nepal focuses on the period since the overthrow of the Rana family autocracy in 1950-51, the early chapters are devoted to the origins of the kingdom and the evolving relations of its diverse peoples. Whelpton portrays a country of extraordinary contrasts, whose history has been buffeted constantly by its neighbors, China and India.Economic and political turmoil over the last fifty years came to a climax with the massacre of the royal family in 2001, when the country erupted into civil war.This book is the most comprehensive and accessible English-language one-volume history of Nepal.John Whelpton, who works as a teacher in Hong Kong, is an historian and linguist. He has worked and traveled extensively in Nepal, and has written numerous articles and books on the subject. These include Nationalism & Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom: The Politics and Culture of Contemporary Nepal (Routledge, 1997), and Kings, Soldiers and Priests: Nepalese Politics and the Rise of Jang Bahadur Rana, 1830-1857 (South Asia Books, 1992). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

this book says many false things about the history of nepal
Dont buy this book... save ur self some time. most of the things in this book are false.... as a nepali, i know more of the true history of nepal than this writer.. the writer is not a nepali himself, why trust him? this book is just the modified version of the true history of nepal.

inside this book:

history of buddha---false
history of nepal in 17th century, about kings and kingdoms-- mostly false (says nepal was a part of india back when buddha was born.. nepal was an independent country back then, ans it is now)

history of the expanding territory of nepal-- true
history if the battle between nepal and great britain-- partly false

so, save urself some time. the modified version of our nepali history isnt interesting at all. the real history is awesome. pick another book to read.
u will enjoy reading the real history of nepal. ... Read more

Product Description

Often overshadowed on the world stage by issues surrounding India and Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh are nonetheless vital players in this theater of Asia. Nepal and Bangladesh brings a refreshing level of clarity to a wide variety of topics surrounding both nations including history, current affairs, business and economics, culture, literature, political science, and travel.

Written in a voice that speaks to general audiences from secondary instructors to interested business people and travelers to the region, this handbook paints a portrait of both countries that is at once complete and accessible. Beginning with far-reaching narrative histories of both nations the text also contains a compendium of important people and events and concludes with an exhaustive reference section.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Material and Analysis
Although the book is geared toward scholarly readers, it uses a limitted amount of jargon and carefully explains the background of all of the texts provided, making it accessible ot any reader with an interest in this subject.Despite the popularity of Nepal as a destination for tourists, the religions of Nepal are very poorly understood by most Westerners.This book, by presenting texts which are actually popular among modern Newar Buddhists gives an excellent feeling for how the religion is understod by the people who live and practice it.On the more scholarly side, his discussion of the "domestication" of texts and the role of stories and ritual in culture is insightful, though there is clearly room for his argument to be taken further. ... Read more

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Presents an introductory sketch of the country and people of Nepal. ... Read more

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This is a rich and fascinating ethnography of domestic architecture and activities among the high caste Chhetris of Kholagaun in Nepal, this book focuses on the spatial organization, everyday activities and ritual performances that generate and display Chhetri houses as 'mandalas', sacred diagrams that are both maps of the cosmos and machines for revelation. Describing the orientation and layout of the Chhetri house and surrounding compound; it shows how the orientation and distribution of everyday social activities with the domestic mandala shape people's experience of the enigmas of their lifeworld as householders; and analyses the double significance of rituals that take place in the domestic mandala. By treating the Nepali house as more than just the background of people's everyday life, the author reveals the Chhetri everyday lifeworld as a revelation of Hindu tantric cosmology, its enigmatic illusion, and the path to liberation from it. The themes addressed in the book make a unique contribution to the fields of anthropology, architecture and human geography. ... Read more

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USED TO EXAMINE AND ANALYSE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF GOVERNMENT IN MODERN NEPAL. ... Read more

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This volume discusses issues of tribal identity and the Maoist rebellion in the face of Hindu kingship and caste organization. The 1990s witnessed the rise of two successive but interrelated movements that transformed society-ethnic revivalism and the Maoist rebellion. The author, who lived for some months in central Nepal before the emergence of these movements, studied a multi-caste and a multi-ethnic village community. The site of the author's fieldwork is a place where Hindus have been in very close touch with the tribal population. As far back as the fifteenth century, Hindu rulers had forged ties with the tribal chiefs. Of the indigenous people-who form a third of the country's population-the Magars are the largest group and developed the closest relationship with Hindu rulers. The essays explore the strategies of the Magars in building relations with high-caste Hindus and how these strategies were determined unilaterally by the Hindu rulers. Over a period of time, this created ground for tribals to join hands with Maoists to construct a model of society in opposition to caste organization and Hindu monarchy. ... Read more

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The book deals with the dynamics and growth of a violent 21st century communist rebellion initiated in Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – CPN(M). It contextualizes and explains why and how a violent Maoist insurgency grew in Nepal after the end of the Cold War, in contrast to the decline of other radical communist movements in most parts of the world.

Scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds employ a wide variety of approaches and methods to unravel different aspects of the rebellion. Individual chapters analyze the different causes of the insurgency, factors that contributed to its growth, the organization, agency, ideology and strategies employed by the rebels and the state, and the consequences of the insurgency.

New issues are analysed in conjunction with the insurgency, such as the role of the Maoist student organization, Maoist's cultural troupes, the organization and strategies of the People's Army and the Royal Nepal Army, indoctrination and recruitment of rebels, and international factors. Based on original field work and a thorough analysis of empirical data, this book fills an existing gap in academic analyses of the insurgency in Nepal.

Product Description
Nepal is the only officially Hindu kingdom in the world and remains so in spite of a revolution, or people's movement, in 1990 which overthrew the partyless Panchayat regime and instituted a multiparty constitutional monarchy. Since November 1994, it has also had an elected Communist government, the first of its kind in South Asia.
This volume takes a long-term view of the various processes of ethnic and national development that have been displayed, both before and after 1990. It brings together twelve carefully chosen ethnographic and historical chapters covering all of the major ethnic groups and regions of Nepal.
With its systematic coverage of different groups, this book demonstrates how similar trends of ethnic formation are affecting all parts of Nepal. Yet, within the boundaries of a single culturally diverse state, very different forms of ethnicity have emerged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book, but Why the Price?
The articles in this book are really well written and informative. I especially enjoyed Michael Hutt's article: "Being Nepali without Nepal: Reflections on a South Asian Diaspora". If you are interested in learning about Nepal and the intersections of Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Linguistic identity, I would highly recommend this book. However, why is it so expensive? I have it on loan from a library currently, and I'm looking into buying it, but there's no way I can afford that price. ... Read more

Product Description
TheHistorical Dictionary of Nepal provides a detailed historical account of Nepal along with a picture of Nepal's contemporary political scene and development. For those readers whose familiarity with the country is limited as well as for those whose experience goes well beyond rudimentary knowledge of Nepal, this dictionary will serve as a valuable reference book. ... Read more