Gellner, David N. Editor Pfaff-Czarnecka, Joanna Editor Whelpton, John Editor text np Nepal Vajra Books 2016 monographic eng

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623 p.; 23 cm. For nearly 240 years (1768-2006) either the Shah dynasty or their Rana Prime Ministers ruled Nepal in the name of Hinduism; in more recent times Shah kings claimed also to embody national unity in their own person. Since the nineteenth century Nepal has experienced the autocracy of the Ranas, a first experiment with parliamentarianism, guided partyless democracy led by the king, multi-party constitutional monarchy (including an elected minority communist government for nine months, 1994-5), royal reaction (2004-6) finally reversed by massive street protests, a ten-year 'People's War' launched by the Maoists in 1996, followed by a peace process and elections to a Constituent Assembly in April 2008 in which the Maoists emerged as the largest single party with almost 30% of the vote. In all this, national and ethnic questions have been of crucial importance. DS493.8 .N37 9789937623537 BDCtgAUW 260324 20260406181514.0