Politics Of Nepal Persistence And Change In An Asian Monarchy

This volume offers the first systematic study of the politics of Nepal, a country long neglected by scholars and largely unknown to the outside world until the mid-fifties. The authors point out that Nepal is of special interest because it has never been reduced to colonial status, and the changes in traditionoal institution are being initiated and controlled by Nepalis unconditioned by Western conquest. Moreover, Nepal is one of the few countries in Asia where a monarchy is the chief agency in the modernizing of the political structure. The book discusses Nepal's efforts to maintain its national identity, given its geopolitical situation bordering on both India and China. These efforts have led to the development of an internal polity and a foreign policy of nonalignment that make the country unique in Asia. Although the authors emphasize that Nepal is still in a state of transition and predictions for the future are difficult, their scrupulous analysis should aid the reader in understanding tomorrow's development.