Nationalism and Ethnicity in Nepal

For nearly 240 years (1768-2006) either Shah dynasty or their Rana Prime Minister ruled Nepal in the name of Hundusim; 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.

Author: David N. Gellner, Joanna Pfaff-Czarnecka and John Welpton