Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in northern India. His leadership role earned him firm Britﾭ
ish support for his government. For his effort, Jung Bahadur
received the honorary title of
Rana
(a title of martial glory
bestowed on Rajput princes in northern India). This honor
made him Jung Bahadur Rana, followed by all his descendants.
Thereafter, their centuryﾭlong rein of power was called the
“Rana regime.” He ruled the country until 1877 and died durﾭ
ing a hunting campaign in the Terai.
Following Jung Bahadur Rana's death, Nepalese politics
again fell into disarray. There were, however, a few subsequent
prime ministers who are recognized positively for their conﾭ
tributions to social, political, or economic reform. One such
prime minister was Dev Shamser, who was forced to resign
and seek exile in India. His mistake? He introduced progresﾭ
sive reforms such as the release of female slaves, the establishﾭ
ment of schools, and the publication of
Gorkhapatra,
Nepal's
first newspaper.
Under Prithvi Narayan Shah, Nepal was unified. He also
established that the king had the supreme power to rule the
country. Jung Bahadur, on the other hand, snatched complete
power from the king. His Muluki Ain codes gave him the power
to make any and all political decisions for the country. Thus,
the monarchy held little political power, and the position of
king or queen was mainly ceremonial for more than a century.
There were, however, some important reforms introduced
during the Rana regime. They include the abolishment of
Sati
Pratha
, the practice of a wife throwing herself onto her dead
husband's funeral pyre; the abolishment of slavery in 1920;
the establishment of TriﾭChandra College and several high
schools; the development of a hydroelectric plant; the creation
of the Nepal Industrial Board; and the building of several mills
and factories.
During World War I (1914-1918), thousands of Nepalese
people served in the military, on the side of the Allies. As a
result, in 1923, a Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship was
