Mahesh Chandra Regmi is eminent historian, researcher and scholar based
in Nepal. He leaves behind a copious body of work which includes 14 books and
scholarly works. Regmi’s Land Tenure and Taxation in Nepal was published in
four volumes by UC Berkeley between 1963-68. A Study in Nepali Economic History
1768-1846, detailing the agrarian basis of Nepali society during unification,
appeared in 1971. In 1976, Regmi published his seminal work, Landownership in
Nepal. He also launched and successfully ran the weekly Nepal Press Digest,
which became a journal of contemporary reporting.
This book present chronological history as a study of change, the
author claims that the impelling drive of change in socio-economic dynamics of
the Gorkhali Empire of the eighteenth century is not wholly classified as
triggered by the peasantry, conversely, the political tendency of the hill
state of Gorkha to multiply its territories plays significant role. Then kings
and some handful of reigning groups plunder direct benefits during thriving
land expansion but for the workers and peasants group, territorial expansion turns
out to be systematic enslavement, over-taxation, forced workforce and other
burdens. Furthermore, this book follows narrative technique and research based
approach while dealing with different issue.
Structure of the book
It has brief and very evaluative prologue; two page long prologues
by author gives justice to the title of the book. The book on the whole
consists of four parts: It begins with a general geographical and historical
background of the Gorkhali Empire in Chapter 1, and then describes the two
institutions that exercised decision-making authority in the Empire, namely,
the king (Chapter 2), and the political leadership (Chapter 3). Chapter 4
discusses how the political leadership sought to translate its political
domination of the state to the appropriation of its economic resources. The
Epilogue recapitulates the main themes and explains the chain of causation in
the rise and fall of the Gorkhali Empire. It is followed by Selected
Bibliography and Index. From the beginning of chapter to Index the book has 81
pages and 12 pages preceding prologue, epilogue, work citations and others.
Content and Comment
Broadly speaking, the attempt of this book “King and Political
Leaders of Gorkha (1768-1814)” is to provide a detail account of each question,
together with historical perspective of nation building, the different shreds
of tax system, land expansion as king’s job vs. people’s contribution, national
treaties and so on. Although, every so often the historical narrative become rather
vague. Chronology is considerably maintained while narrating the events and inspecting
historical facts. Through this book Regmi tries to illustrate the social and
economic history of the Empire during this period of approximately 46 years.
As claimed
in the book, the history of Gorkhali achievement was perpetuated by three
epitomic circumstances. To begin with motivational factor, Gorkha had visionary
leadership to wave most, if not the whole, of the mountain region under its
territorial canvas. Then governance of Gorkha, regardless of their impound
ancestor of hilly state, endeavor to conquer other established empire of North
and south. Additionally, by mobilizing spirit of patriotism, the state of
Gorkha successfully manage to arrange millions of standing armies willing to
sacrifice their life for nation. Moreover, expanded territory compiles large
population which in turn results more taxpayers, additional armies and extra
workforce to serve the interest of dominant government.
Author has consecutively explored the successive conquer-history
of Gorkha during unification period. The kingdom of Gorkha which comprise 250
square kilometers during the early 1740s
expanded by more than 500 times, 136,000 square kilometres, during a
period of about seven decades, beginning with the conquest of Nuwakot in 1744. Territory
of Kirtipur in 1767, conquest of ‘chaubise’ state’(1781) during Rajendra
Laxmi regime, ‘Biase’ states’ in 1789 extending Gorkhali frontier to
Mahakali river, and the war with Tibet. Similarly this book also analyses the
aftermath of the war and thereby signed treaties between Nepal - Tibet, Nepal -
China and it’s consequence in Nepali politics.
The primary force toward territorial expansion was fueled by
poverty of kingdom and political elite’s whim to achieve economic benefit.
Second chapter gives account of the hard time of the royal household in Gorkha;
the households of the political elite must have been even more ascetic. Since
Gorkha possessed few agricultural and mineral resources, territorial expansion exists as sole
alternative for physical and economical enrichment.
After reading this book what my scorpion brain found is, in
ancient Gorkha governance every major plans and verdict was consolidate solely in
hand of king, alongside some political elites sponsored only administrative or
political support accordingly with king’s interest . Same unified power structure facilitate Gorkhali
leaders to instigate their primary objective of gathering resourced and continuing
unification campaign . The government
headship, at that point of progress, lacked national sovereignty. Its national pride
gets incapacitated by frequent uniform ‘pajanis’, often initiated by king’s
personal whim. Thus, then political
requites were puppet of king and their loyalty was towards the ‘jagirs’ granted
by the king.
Although the author has provided lots of basic facts useful to
anyone perusing information on above mentioned historical contexts, I think the
areas covered in book are not adequate to depict the real face of Gorkhali Empire.
Basically the book gives primary focus on monarch history, series of
territorial conquest and socio-economic context and tend to shadow the
influence of international factor. In order to have transparent picture of then
‘Gorkhali leadership and politics’ it’s necessary to expand further area of
survey and provide curved view on multiple factor.
Many books have been written historical experts and analysts about
invasion and expansion of big countries but very few on formation of small
countries’ so this is a rare book from that perspective too. Once you start this book you don’t like to stop without completing
it not only because of facts and figures given therein but also because of its
lucid presentation and interesting narratives.
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