British India's Relations with the Kingdom of Nepal (1970) uses original documents and confidential papers never before available to examine the relations between Nepal and British India from 1857 to 1947. Though relations between the two countries were generally friendly, they occasionally clashed when Nepal felt that its independence and indigenous way of life was threatened. Although Nepal customarily followed policies which appeared to be harmonious with those of Great Britain, Professor Husain shows that its policies were usually based on self-interest and, contrary to traditional thinking, Nepal was a nation largely independent of British control.
The other areas of Indo-Nepal relations covered in the book include trade and Indian participation in Nepal's development projects. The study concludes with a survey of the historic change in Nepal from the King-dominated Panchayat systems to multiparty democracy under constitutional monarchy. The author finds prospects of Indo-Nepal cooperation promising as a result of recent changes within Nepal and also at the global and regional levels.
Tibet is a mountainous region in Asia that has been a source of conflict between China and India for centuries. The book "Rise & Fall of Tibet: Challenges and Opportunities for India" examines the history of Tibet, from its rise as a powerful Buddhist kingdom to its fall to Chinese rule in the 1950s. The book also explores the challenges and opportunities that Tibet's current status as a Chinese territory presents for India. The book begins by providing a brief overview of Tibet's geography, history, and culture. It then goes on to discuss the rise of Tibet as a powerful Buddhist kingdom in the 7th century. The book also examines the Mongol invasion of Tibet in the 13th century, which led to a period of decline for the Tibetan empire. The book then turns to the 20th century, when Tibet came under increasing Chinese influence. In 1950, the Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet, and the Tibetan government was forced into exile. The book discusses the challenges that Tibetans have faced under Chinese rule, including political repression, cultural assimilation, and environmental degradation. The book also explores the opportunities that Tibet's current status as a Chinese territory presents for India. Tibet is strategically located on the border between India and China, and it has important economic and environmental resources. The book discusses how India can use its relationship with Tibet to promote its own interests in the region. "Rise & Fall of Tibet: Challenges and Opportunities for India" is a comprehensive and well-researched book that provides a valuable overview of Tibet's history and its current status as a Chinese territory. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the challenges and opportunities that Tibet presents for India.
The Himalaya, which is a great natural frontier for India, symbolises India’s spiritual and national consciousness. The Himalayan region displays wide diversity of cultural patterns, languages, ethnic identities and religious practices. Along the Himalayas converge the boundaries of South and Central Asian countries, which lend a unique geopolitical and geo-strategic importance to this region. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of historical, geo-political and strategic perspectives on the Himalayan Frontiers of India. Drawing on detailed analyses by academics and area specialists, it explains the developments in and across the Himalayas and their implications for India. Topics such as religious extremism, international and cross border terrorism, insurgency, drugs and arms trafficking are discussed by experts in their respective field. Himalayan Frontiers of India will be of interest to scholars in South and Central Asian studies, International Relations and Security Studies.
This comprehensive history of Nepal spans pre-historic times and the Licchavi Period to more recent developments, such as the Maoist insurgency and the rise of the republic. In addition to religious history and histories of selected regions (Mustang, Sherpa, Tarai, and others), it covers the nation's relations with its powerful neighbors and its cultural aspects, especially its rich history of arts, architecture, and crafts.
On a September day in 1863, Abdul Hamid entered the Central Asian city of Yarkand. Disguised as a merchant, Hamid was actually an employee of the Survey of India, carrying concealed instruments to enable him to map the geography of the area. Hamid did not live to provide a first-hand count of his travels. Nevertheless, he was the advance guard of an elite group of Indian trans-Himalayan explorers—recruited, trained, and directed by the officers of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India—who were to traverse much of Tibet and Central Asia during the next thirty years. Derek Waller presents the history of these explorers, who came to be called "native explorers" or "pundits" in the public documents of the Survey of India. In the closed files of the government of British India, however, they were given their true designation as spies. As they moved northward within the Indian subcontinent, the British demanded precise frontiers and sought orderly political and economic relationships with their neighbors. They were also becoming increasingly aware of and concerned with their ignorance of the geographical, political, and military complexion of the territories beyond the mountain frontiers of the Indian empire. This was particularly true of Tibet. Though use of pundits was phased out in the 1890s in favor of purely British expeditions, they gathered an immense amount of information on the topography of the region, the customs of its inhabitants, and the nature of its government and military resources. They were able to travel to places where virtually no European count venture, and did so under conditions of extreme deprivation and great danger. They are responsible for documenting an area of over one million square miles, most of it completely unknown territory to the West. Now, thanks to Waller's efforts, their contributions to history will no longer remain forgotten.
