1. MA 2nd Year (English) JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE INTRODUCTION
LECTURE – 3 Jang
MA 2nd Year (English) JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE INTRODUCTION
Min Pun, Ph.D.
Tribhuvan University, PN Campus

2. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE INTRODUCTION
The book is translated by John Whelpton from a Nepali version Jang Bahadurko Belait-Yatra.
The author of the Nepali version of Jang Bahadurko Belait-Yatra is unknown. There are different claims about the author of the Nepali version book.
The book Jang Bahadur in Europe is introduced by Rishikesh Shah and Whelpton has written a long background to the book.
The book also provides news reports in the European press.

3. The book is published in 1983 that depicts the first Rana prime minister’s 1850 visit to Britian and France (Belait-Yatra).
The journey has provided for the first time an opportunity for the face-to-face contact between the high level diplomats of Europe and Nepal.
The journey had a deep impact on the friendly policy demonstrated towards the British India by Nepal during the second half of the nineteenth century.
The book is the first travel account not written by a European about Nepal, but by a Nepalese about Europe.

4. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE BOOK
Introduction by Rishikesh Shaha
The Background to the 1850 Mission and to the Belait-Yatra
The Belait-Yatra: Translation and Commentary
The Visit as Reported in the European Press

5. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE WHO WAS JANG BAHADUR?
Jang Bahadur was born on 18 June in Kathmandu and died on 25 February 1877 aged 60.
His father, Bal Narshingh Kunwar, was high level officer during the administration of Bhimsen Thapa, the powerful prime minister of Nepal from to 1837.
His mother was a niece of Bhimsen Thapa and a sister of Mathbar Singh.
Once he joined Nepal Army and then deserted and travelled in the territories of the British East India Company. He wanted to join the army of Sikh ruler, Ranjit Singh but returned to Nepal and rejoined Nepal Army again.

6. In 1840, Jang Bahadur accompanied King Rajendra’s hunting trip, he impressed the king by tying together the legs of wild elephant that promoted him to Captain of Artillery.
He gained more prestige from a series of acts of bravery. They include rescuing a mother and daughter from a burning house, jumping from a roof onto the back of an elephant, leaping on horseback into the River Trisuli from a height of eighty feet, and so on.
On the whole, Jang Bahadur was courageous, intellegent and even an opportunist to gain power and control over others. He became prime minister of Nepal and Maharaja of Kaski and Lamjung for a long time and powers were passed on to his family members.
He died on 25 February 1877.

7. Jang Bahadur Rana ( )
Prime Minister Jang Bahadur Rana in 1877

8. Maharaj Jang Bahadur Rana at London in 1850

9. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE HISTORRICAL BACKGROUND
Bhimsen Thapa’s fall and its aftermath – He was a powerful prime minister of Nepal from to His downfall in 1937 is the starting point for the instability in Nepali politics and the rise of Jang Bahadur. The main cause of his downfall was the controversy with King Rajendra and the original Gorkha-based Pande family.
Rise of Rana Jung Pande – He played an important role in Nepali court politics with the support of Queen Samrajya Laxmi from 1837 to Following the rise of Rana Jang Pande to power, the hostility of Nepal towards the British government increased and Nepal lost its territories.

10. Developments in Afghanistan and China (Opium War) on the policy of Nepal Darbar – The success and failure of the British government’s war on Afghanistan and China had an impact on the diplomatic relations between the British India and the Nepal Darbar. The Nepali hostility towards the British India also rose and fell according to the British military action in other countries.
Rise of Mathbar Singh Thapa and the Departure of Brian Hodgson – King Rajendra and Junior Queen Rajyalaxmi invited Mathbar Singh to help them run the government. Mathbar who was in exile in India came to Nepal and became prime minister in On the other hand, as Mathbar returned to power, the British resident to Nepal Hodgson returned to Britain after a long stay in Nepal. Hodgson had established a good relation with Nepal.

11. Assassination of Mathbar Singh and Gagan Singh Bhandari – On 17 May 1845, Prime Minister Mathbar Singh Thapa was killed mysteriously. Many believe that Gagan Singh and Jang Bahadur (Mathbar’s own sister’s son) killed him with the plot made by King Rajendra and Queen Rajya Laxmi. On 14 September 1846, General Gagan Sing who was rising in power and was favourite of Queen Rajya Laxmi, was killed by Jang Bahadur’s brother Badri Nar Singh under Jang’s instruction.
Kot Massacre and Jang Bahadur’s Rise in Power – The day Gagan Singh was killed, the Kot Massacre took place when Jang Bahadur and his brothers killed about 40 members of the Nepal palace that included prime minister Fateh Jang, many Thapas, Pandes and Basnyats. Jang Bahadur made himself prime minister immediately after the massacre. He also sent the queen Rajya Laxmi with King Rajendra in exile in Varanasi, and placed Rajendra’s son Surendra to the throne. Jang Bahadur then established the Rana dynasty, which ruled Nepal for more than a century to come.

12. On top of that, the family tension in the royal palace is the main cause of political instability in Nepal and the rise of Jang Bahadur as a powerful ruler in the history of Nepal
The death of King Rajendra’s wife, Samrajya Laxmi and Surendra’s mother, in October 1841 caused a great political instability in the palace.
Surendra wanted his father to abdicate in his own favour, the King himself was unwilling either to do this or to exert his authority over his son while the Junior Queen, Rajya Laxmi Devi, wanted to place her own son, Ranendra, on the throne.

13. Prithvi Narayan Shah (1742-1775)
THE SHAH DYNASTY
Prithvi Narayan Shah ( )
Pratap Shah ( ) Bahadur Shah ( )
Regent for Rana Bahadur
Rana Bahadur Shah ( ) Sher Bahadur
Ranodyat Shah Girvana Yuddha ( )
Rajendra ( ) = Samrajya Laxmi Devi = Rajya Laxmi Devi
Surendra ( ) Upendra Ranendra Birendra
Trailokya
Prithvi Bir Bikram ( )
Tribhuvan ( )
Mahendra ( )
Birendra ( )
Dipendra 2 days (2001)
Gyanendra ( )

14. THE RANA DYNASTY Bal Narsingh Kunwar
Jang Bahadur Bam Bahadur Krishna Bahadur Badri Ranodip Singh Jagat Dhir
( ) (1856-7) Narsingh ( ) Shamsher Shamsher
( )
Jagat Jang Jit Jang Padma
Bir Dev Chandra Bhim Juddha
Shamsher Shamsher Shamsher Shamsher Shamsher
( ) (1901) ( ) ( ) ( )
Mohan Shamsher Padma Shamsher
( ) ( )

15. CROWN USED BY KINGS Crown Used by Nepali Kings And Maharajas
Crown Used by British Kings

16. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE THE PURPOSE OF JANG BAHADUR’S TRIP
Jang Bahadur’s journey to Europe had certain purposes, which were the need of that time.
As mentioned in the letter from King Surendra to Queen Victoria, the purpose of the visit was “to see and bring back intelligence respecting the greatness and prosperity of Britain and its capital, the perfection to which social conditions have been raised and the extent to which Art and Science have been made available to the comforts of life”.

17. Basically, there were two vested interest of Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe:
To make sound diplomatic relations with Britain so that British India would not annex Nepal into its territory.
To strengthen his own position in Nepal by extending his relation with the British.

18. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE JANG BAHADUR ‘S MISSION TO EUROPE
The book is a travel account that provides the details about Jang Bahadur’s journey to Britain and France.
Jang Bahadur started his journey on 15 January 1850 (4 Magh 1906 B.S.) and returned to Nepal on 29 January 1851.
He started his journey from Chisapani – Patna and Calculta (eleven days by ship)
Ceylon and Aden (seven days from Calculta)
Egypt and Malta (eight days from Aden)
Britain (four days from Malta)

19. Upon reaching Britain, Jang Bahadur was warmly welcomed by all including the Queen Victoria.
He visited many places such as parliament house, different cities, places of entertainments, etc.
He left Britain on 14 Autust 1850 for France.
He reached France after four days and warmly welcomed by the French prime minister. He was welcomed everywhere.
After a stay of forty days in Paris he travelled back to Bombay, then pilgrimage to Ramnath, and reached Calcultta in twelve days.
In Benares, he married the daughter of the Kutuk Maharaja and then entered Nepal on 29 January 1851.

20. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF JANG’S VISIT
First, Jang Bahadur’s visit was a historical one in the sense that neither Mathbar Singh Thapa before Jang Bahadur nor Chandra Shamsher after him were able to visit Britain.
Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe proved to be a special interest not only to the European countries but also to Nepal’s neighbouring countries. No other prince or prime minister from the part of this world had this kind of journey as Jang Bahadur did.

21. Jang Bahadur’s visit to Britain and France also proved to be historical significance for Nepal in terms of its foreign policy, opening its doors to the world. Nepal at that time had continued the policy of isolation and exclusion of foreigners.
It also maintained the independence and territorial integrity of Nepal since there was always external threat from Tibet and British India. So Jang Bahadur’s move was for the then spirit of Nepali nationalism.

22. Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe is an important date in the overall process of the Westernization of the Himalayan kingdom, a process that continues in train to this very day, and on with incalculabe consequences.
The impression made by the West went so deep, indeed, that Jang Bahadur considered staying on there for at least some years, and thus abandoning his power in Nepal.

23. Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe also had its effect on Nepal’s domestic policy. For example, he introduced the 1,400 page legal code called ‘Muluki Ain’ in January At least in theory, he was impressed by the concept of the rule of law based on equal rights. After returning from Europe he also partially abolished capital punishment and the ‘Sati Pratha’, the practice of widows burning themselves with the bodies of their dead husbands.

24. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE MEDIA COVERAGE ABOUT JANG’S TRIP IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE
Whelpton’s Jang Bahadur in Europe consists of a chapter on media coverage about Jang’s visit to Britain and France.
The chapter contains a large number of news reports published in the newspapers of Britain and France.
The news reports are the proof for the authenticity of Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe and the Nepali version book Jang Bahadurko Belait-Yatra.
The news reports on this chapter also provide outsider’s views on Jang Bahadur’s visit to Europe.

25. JANG BAHADUR IN EUROPE JANG BAHADUR AND NEPALI POLITICS
During his lifetime, Jang Bahadur eliminated many factional fighting at the court, introduced innovations into the bureaucracy and the judiciary, and made efforts to modernize Nepal.
Since its unification by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the politics of Nepal remains one of the intrigues, violence and instability. The Nepali history has seen a series of such unstable political ups and downs.
Jang Bahadur took the advantage of this instability to upgrade himself into a successful political figure.

26. The book Jang Bahadurko Belait-Yatra is a historical document that provides the underlying feature of Nepali politics. Although historians have blamed Jang Bahadur for setting up the dictatorship that repressed the nation for more than one hundred years and left it in a primitive economic condition, he remains one of the most important figures in Nepali history and politics.
Thus, the Rana rule was marked by tyranny, conspiracy, economic exploitation and religious prosecution. One way or another, the history of Nepali politics has a legacy of Jang Bahadur Rana, one of opportunistic practices in politics and Jang Bahadur himself an opportunist ruler or politician.

27. Dr. Min Pun minpun@gmail.com www.minpun.com.np
Associate Professor, Department of English
Tribhuvan University, PN Campus, Pokhara