A History of Nepal

John Whelpton, who works as a teacher in Hong Kong, is an historian and linguist. He has worked and travelled extensively in Nepal, and has written numerous articles and books on the subject. These include People, Politics and Ideology: Democracy and Social Change in Nepal (1999, with the late Martin Hoftun and William Raeper), and Kings, Soldiers and Priests: Nepalese Politics and the Rise of Jang Bahadur Rana, 1830-1857 (1991).

• List of illustrations; List of maps; List of tables; Key events; Acknowledgements; Notes on romanisation and terminology; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Environment, state and society in the central Himalayas to 1743; 2. Unification and sanskritisation, 1743–1885; 3. Nepal under the Shamsher Ranas, 1885–1951; 4. The monarchy in ascendance: domestic politics and foreign relations, 1951–91; 5. The quest for 'development': economy and environment, 1951–91; 6. Lifestyles, values, identities: changes in Nepalese society, 1951–91; 7. Democracy and disillusionment: Nepal since 1991; Genealogical tables; Biographical notes; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

'A History of Nepal will be of interest to any student of South Asian studies, since it fills a serious lacuna in scholarship on the region. … Whelpton's text is the first accessible overview of Nepal's political history published by a university press in English. … Whelpton deserves much praise for rising to the challenge of writing a comprehensive yet orderly history of a nation … Whelpton succeeds on all accounts. As a result, A History of Nepal is a compelling narrative introduction to this frequently misunderstood country.' The Times Higher Education Supplement