The Gurkha Connection

Description

he Gurkha Connection brings to light the socio-political aspects of the recruitment of the legendary Gurkha . Based on the rare official records obtained from the Foreign Ministry, Royal Nepal Military Head Quarters, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, National Archives of India (NAI), New Delhi and the author’s personal visits to the recruitment areas, the book focuses on the impacts of the recruitment on the social , economic and political condition of the suppressed communities of Nepal . The British attitude towards recruitment, in Dr.Baskota ‘s opinion , was subject to occasional shifts and fluctuations, dictated by the ever changing internal and external situation in Nepal as well as in the British India . The education that the Gurkhas received in cantonments and schools played a crucial role in initiating social awareness in the hill communities. Similarly, their connections with the British military service helped Nepal monetize its rural economy and enhance trade and commerce in its interior parts. The Gurkhas also become instrumental in awakening political consciousness among the communities that had been suppressed since times immemorial. The liberal and progressive ideas which they brought from the world outside spread into the Nepalese villages and helped much to overthrow the despotic Rana Rule and usher democracy in Nepal . The book is the first comprehensive attempt by a native scholar to understand the great process of social change that shaped the life in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal.