| This dissertation investigates the problem of modernization and democratization in Nepal in the last fifty years since the overthrow of Rana autocratic rule in 1951. It examines Nepal's political and socioeconomic development, or underdevelopment, during this period, under successive governments, including the Panchayat system and the democratically elected governments after the establishment of parliamentary democracy in the 1990 Jana Andolan (people's movement). The central thesis argues that Nepal's failure to pursue development and bring change lies in her unique geopolitical status, a geopolitical condition which has impeded development by perpetuating semi-feudal socioeconomic internal structure and sustaining the status quo, despite successive political movements, in which hundreds of Nepali have sacrificed their lives.;My analysis places the problem of modernization and democratization in Nepal within the comparative and historical perspective, always seeking to maintain a methodological balance between structure and agency issues. My sociopolitical focus, while acknowledging factors internal to Nepal, is primarily on external factors---Nepal's geopolitical vulnerability and India's willingness to exploit it. This dissertation is based on field research, including personal trips to Nepal in 2005 and 2006, interviews, and the use of both primary and secondary source materials. |
