Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
power in the region. By 1773, Gorkha troops controlled several
western and almost all eastern Kirat states and had invaded
neighboring Sikkim. The Gorkha campaign of territorial exﾭ
pansion suffered a temporary blow when Prithvi Narayan Shah
died in 1775. However, it was not long before Gorkha expanﾭ
sion continued, including the establishment of strategic and
diplomatic ties with the Palpa Kingdom. Furthermore, Gorkha
troops took control of Almora by 1790 (in India, to the west of
Nepal) and Kangara (located still farther to the west and the
most distant area ever conquered by Gorkha troops) in 1809.
Historically, Prithvi Narayan Shah is best known for the
invaluable guidelines on statesmanship that he put forward for
his descendants. His
divyopadesh
(divine counsel) is a set of
sayings that remains valuable today. The sayings provide guidﾭ
ance for those involved in crafting foreign policy and addressﾭ
ing national development issues. A very popular saying is that
“Nepal is a yam between two stones.” Prithvi Narayan Shah
realized that Nepal's location between two large and powerful
countriesﾭBritish India and Chinaﾭplaced his land in peril.
He advised that balanced and friendly relations between Nepal
and its neighbors would be essential if national sovereignty
were to be saved.
The death of Prithvi Narayan Shah led to an unfortunate
power struggle in the royal court. Palace politics led Nepal to a
disastrous situation, in which military power faded, the expanﾭ
sion campaign was halted, and the country's economy was in
shambles. Meanwhile, Nepal faced pressure from both China
and British India. The latter conflict would result in the greatest
shock in Nepalese history.
Nepalese troops invaded Tibet in 1788 and 1791, closed the
trade routes, and claimed control of several mountain passes
along the border. To further bolster their buffer against China,
the Nepalese government signed a trading treaty with British
India. Unfortunately (for the Nepalese), Nepal was betrayed by
the British. British India did not want to antagonize China, a
