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The events that took place in Nepal in the 1950s are part of a tectonic transition that had been set in motion long before, and which continued to reverberate long after the actual decade. Foreshadowed in the rise of anti-colonial movements and new forms of capitalism, the post-World War II era, from the 1940s to 1960s, saw the restructuring of global inter-state relations and new forms of global capitalism.
The ten chapters in Nepal in the Long 1950s aim to situate the events of that turbulent decade within larger frames both in terms of time—the complex historical processes that led to the transitions of the 1950s and continued thereafter—and space—the complex regional and global contexts in which events in Nepal took place. Together they offer new perspectives on mid-twentieth century Nepal and broaden the scope of historical study into more social and cultural dimensions.
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Pratyoush Onta and Lokranjan Parajuli are researchers based at Martin Chautari, Kathmandu, Nepal. Mark Liechty is Professor of Anthropology and History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.
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Contents
Reprinting Rights Acknowledgments vii
Preface ix
Introduction
History of Nepal in the Long 1950s: Some New Perspectives 1
Mark Liechty, Pratyoush Onta and Lokranjan Parajuli
Nepal in the World
1. Tilauri Mailako Pasal: A Case of a “Public” Tea Shop in 1940s/1950s Kathmandu 23
Prawash Gautam
2. From Development to Bikas: Nepal’s Transition to Democracy and the Emergence of a Concept 65
Bandana Gyawali
3. The Politics of Land Reform in Nepal (1951–1964) 95
Peter Gill
4. Visions of Rejuvenating Nepal through Knowledge Creation and Circulation: Ambitious Founders and
the Short Life of Nepal Sanskritik Parishad 139
Pratyoush Onta
5. The 1954 Flood and the Ascendance of Monarchy in Nepal 203
Sharad Ghimire
6. Entanglement of Local and Global Politics in Higher Education: The Intricate Story of the Founding of Nepal’s First University 233
Lokranjan Parajuli
The World in Nepal
7. Missions, Visitors and International Aid: Foreign Medical Encounters with Nepal 277
Susan Heydon
8. “Front Line of the Cold War”: The US and Point Four Development Programs in Cold War Nepal (1950–1953) 315
Thomas Robertson
9. Origins of the Faith: The Untold Story of Hugh Wood, American Development Assistance in the 1950s, and
Nepal’s Modern Education System 351
Jeremy Rappleye
10. The Key to an Oriental World: Boris Lissanevitch, Kathmandu’s Royal Hotel, and the “Golden Age” of Tourism in Nepal 395
Mark Liechty
Notes on the Contributors 449
Index 453
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Reviews/mentions in media
Podcast by Hari Sharma on the book Nepal in the Long 1950s, premiered October 22, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ85QXFgr8I
Discussion on the book featuring CK Lal, Manjushree Thapa and Pratyoush
Onta that was moderated by Pranab Kharel and held on November 27, 2024
as part of the Chautari Conference 2024:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=PsVJdZHcVoY
Review published in The Kathmandu Post by Rishika Dhakal on November
30, 2024:
https://kathmandupost.com/books/2024/11/30/understanding-the-roots-of-modern-nepal
Podcast discussion between Pratyoush Onta and Sushant Pradhan that also
features a section on the book Nepal in the Long 1950s, premiered
December 25, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7BN5wb89bM
Review published in The Annapurna Express by Kamal Dev Bhattarai on December 26, 2024.
https://theannapurnaexpress.com/story/51763/
Recommended by Niranjan Kunwar in Himal Southasian, December 30, 2024
"...This collection based in the 1950s – a decade preceding the Panchayat era and following the tyrannical Rana regime that lasted for more than a century – is essential reading."
