Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1144

 1092 NEPAL.

An independent Kingdom in the Himalayas, between 26° 25' and 30° 17' N. lat., and between 80° 6' and 88° 14' of E. long.; its greatest length 500 miles; its greatest breadth about 150; bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Sikkim, on the south and west by British India.

The sovereign is His Majesty Maharajadhiraja Tribhubana Bir Bikrani Jung Bahadur Shah Bahadur Shumshere Jung, who was born on June 30, 1906, and succeeded his father od December 11, 1911. The Prince-Royal and Heir-apparent was born on June 11, 1920. The government of Nepal is a military oligarchy. All power is in the hands of the Prime Minister, to whom it was permanently delegated by the Maharajadhiraja Surendra Bikram Shah under pressure of the Bharadars or nobles of the State in 1867. The present Prime Minister is His Ex- cellency Maharaja Sir Chandra Shumshere Jung, Bahadur Rana, G.C.B., G.C.S.I., CJ.C.M.G.,G.C.V.O., D.C.L., who was appointed on June 26, 1901. He holds the rank of General in the British army.

The Gurkhas, a Rajput race originally from Udaipur in Rajputana, who had settled in the province of Gurkha in Nepal, overran the whole country during the latter half of the eighteenth century, and have maintained their supremacy ever since. A commercial treaty between India and Nepal was signed in 1792, and a British Resident was sent to reside at Katmandu, but was recalled two years later. A frontier outrage, in 1814, compelled the Indian Government to declare war; and a British force advanced to within three marches of the capital. Peace was concluded and the Treaty of Segowlie signed on December 2, 1815. Since then the relations of the British with Nepal have been friendly. In 1854 hostilities broke out between the Nepalese and Tibetans, and in 1856 a Treaty was concluded between the Nepalese and Tibetan Governments by which the Tibetans bound themselves to pay an annual tribute of Rs. 10,000 to Nepal, to encourage trade between the two countries, and to receive a Representative of Nepal at Lhasa. Besides, trade agents are maintained at Gyantse, Kuti, Kerrong, and other trade marts in Tibet.

The Prinir Minister o£ Nepal practically placed the man pdwer of the State at the disposal of the Government of India during the great war. Besides arranging for the enlistment of special battalions of Gurkhas for the Indian Army (in excess of those normally maintained), the Nepal Couth ment sent to India largo contingents of their own troops to replace troops sent abroad. In recognition of help freely rendered, an annual payment of ten lakhs of rupees is made by the Government of India to the Nepal Govern- ment.

In accordance with the treaty of Segowlie, which amongst other things provides that accredited ministers of each shall reside at the Court of the other, a British Envoy, with a small escort of Indian sepoys, lives at the capital; but he does not interfere in the internal affairs of the State.

Area and Population. — Area about 54,000 square miles; population estimated at about 5,600,000. The estimated gross revenue is 15,000,000 rupees. . The races of Nepal, besides the dominant Gurkhas, include earlier inhabitants of Tartar origin, such as Magars, Gurangs, and Bhutias. The Newars, who came from Southern India, live in the valley or adjacent to it.

Capital, Katmandu; population about 80,000, and of the surrounding valley 300,000.

Religion. — Hinduism of an early type is the religion of the Gurkhas, and is gradually but steadily overlaying the Buddhism of the primitive inhabi-