Social Studies 8

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. What are storms?
b. What are the main reasons causing storms and high wind?
c. Give an example of extreme weather condition and explain what causes it.
d. What is cyclone?
e. What is tornado?
f. What is mountain wind?
g. Where does cyclone often take place?
h. Write at least five suggestions to protect from storms.
i. Why doesn't Nepal experience extreme forms of weather?

j. Write the major negative effects of storms.

Community Project Work

Generally, in all the places the air starts moving after noon (12 o’clock) Look at the
given table and measure the speed of air in different time.

Speed of air in km/ hr Effect of wind

0-1 smoke moves straight up

smoke moves in different directions, leaves of trees
1-6

shake

7-16 small branches shake, dust rises up

17-33 trees shake, wires break off

34-55 branches of trees break off, big trees fall down

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5.10

North America

Pre-reading Activities

Look at the map of North America. Select a country that you have heard about or you
like. Make a list of information/facts that you already know about this country.

152 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Reading

North America is located in the north-western hemisphere of the earth. It extends from
8°N to 80°N latitudes and 40° to 170° W longitudes. It is the third largest continent
in the world after Asia and Africa. It occupies an area of 2,42,27,000 sq.km. Atlantic
Ocean lies to the east and Pacific Ocean to the west. It extends towards the Arctic
Ocean in the north and Panama Canal separates it from South America in the south.

Physical Features

Rocky Mountains lie in the west and the
Appalachian Mountain range in the east. The
central plain which is called prairies is fertile
and produces the highest amount of wheat
in the world. So it is also called the Bread
Basket of the world. Mississippi, Missouri,
St. Lawrence, Colorado, Sacramento and
Yukon are the major rivers of this continent.
Most of the protected areas are located in the
western part of the continent. Lake Superior
(the largest lake in North America), Huron,
Eire, Ontario and Michigan are the major
lakes of this continent which are located
in Canada and USA. These lakes are called the Great lakes. Niagara Falls is located
between Lake Eire and Ontario. Gulf of Mexico is located to the south and Hudson
Bay is up in the north. The northern part of this continent consists of the tundra region.
Below tundra, there lies the Taiga region that consists of large area of coniferous pine
forests.

Socio-economic Activities

The continent North America is called a
new found land. It was discovered by the
European explorer Christopher Columbus
in 1492 AD. After that, most of the European
people started to migrate to America. So
the majority of people of this continent
speak English. A few speak Spanish, French,
Dutch, Italian, and German languages.

However, people of Mexico and Central
America mostly speak Spanish. Christianity
is their major religion. Nowadays, followers
of other religions have migrated and settled
in North America.

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There is no human habitation to the extreme northern part of this continent. But some
native people live in the tundra region. They are called Eskimos or Inuit. They have
special houses in winter made up of ice blocks called Igloos. In summer they live
in tents called Tupiks. They hunt fur bearing animals like polar bear, penguin, seal,
reindeer, etc. for fur, skin and meat. But recently their life style has been changed due
to the influence of Americans and Europeans. The pine forest of the Taiga region is
economically useful in the sense that trees from there are used for furniture, plywood,
and paper industries.

The per capita income of the people is very high. Education, health, transportation,
communication, agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, science and technology are
highly developed. It has the largest economy in the world. Because of all this, America
has become the dream land for people across the world. There is great opportunity
for the high skilled manpower. Thousands of people from Asian countries including
Nepal have migrated to the US and Canada for education and employment. However,
it is not a good trend. Nepalese should try to develop their own country first.
Americans and Canadians have made their countries prosperous with hard work,
honesty, research and investigation. We should learn from them and work for the
development of our country.

Free the Words

per capita income : income of each person

prosperous : rich and successful

In-class Activities

Work in groups of 4-5 students. Draw a map of North America in a chart paper. Fill it up
with physical and political information about North America and present it in your class.

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.

a. Write the longitudinal and latitudinal extension of North America.
b. Write the location of North America.
c. What are the great lakes located in USA and Canada?
d. What are the major languages spoken in different parts of the USA?
e. What should be done to develop our country?

154 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

2. Choose the best alternatives.
a. (Central plain/Eastern coast) of the USA is called ‘Bread basket of the world’.
b. There is (Atlantic/Pacific) Ocean in the west of North America.
c. Niagara Falls is located between (Lake Superior and Huron/Eire and Ontario).
d. (Islam/Christianity) is the major religion of North American people.
e. Mostly (native/migrant) people live in North America.

3. Write long answers to the following questions.
a. Explain the socio-economic condition of North America.
b. ‘Physical features of North America are ideal for development.’ Justify the
statement.
c. Sketch a map of North America and insert the following facts in it.
Appalachian mountain range, Lake superior, River Mississippi, River
Missouri, Washington DC, Pacific Ocean, Niagara falls, and Rocky
mountain Range,

Community project work

With the help of Atlas fill in the informations about North America.
Major peaks Major rivers Lakes Oceans cities others

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5.11

South America

Pre-reading Activities

Have you heard about countries like Brazil and Argentina? What comes to your mind
when someone names these countries? Except football, what else do you know about
Brazil or Argentina? Make a list of information/facts about each country and share
with the class.

156 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Reading

South America is located in the western hemisphere of the earth. It extends from
33°W to 82°W longitudes and 12° N to 55°S latitudes. It occupies an area of 1,78,35,000
sq.km. Equator passes from the northern part of the continent. Caribbean Sea lies to
the north and Antarctic Ocean to the south. Atlantic Ocean separates it from Africa.
Pacific Ocean lies to its west.

Physical Features

The longest mountain range in
the world, Andes Mountains is
located in the western part of the
continent. It is 7200 km long and
it extends from north to south.
Brazilian Highland is located in
the north-east of the continent.
The driest desert of the world,
Atacama, is located in this continent. Mt. Aconcagua (6960m.) is the highest mountain
of this continent. The highest water fall, Angel Falls, is located in Venezuela. Central
Chile has hot and dry summer and cold and wet winter. The southernmost part
consists of cape Horn. It is the stormiest area where airplanes do not land and ships
do not travel around it. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. The
largest forest of the world, Amazon, and the largest river, Amazon River, are both
located in this. continent. Pampas and Llanos grasslands are the major pasture lands
of the continent.

Socio-economic Activities

South America is not as developed as North America but it is much more developed
than South Asia and Africa. Most of the people of this continent have migrated from
Europe. Natives live on the bank of the Amazon River. Portuguese and Spanish are
major languages spoken here. German, Italian and English are the other important
languages. Christianity is the major religion of the people. Population density is high
along the coastal areas of this continent.

Agriculture, animal husbandry, industry, trade, and tourism are the major occupations
of the people. Coffee grows well in Brazil. It is the leading exporter of coffee in the
world. There are many coffee processing industries in Brazil. South America is very
rich in minerals. Venezuela is the leading producer of petroleum products in the
world. People rare large sheep like animal called Llama in the Andes region. It is
used for meat, wool and transportation. Argentina has an extended grassland called
Pampas. It is good for agriculture like wheat and bean. It also acts as a good pasture
for animals. As a result large cattle farms and dairy products are found. As people
rare large number of cows, advanced machines are used to milk them. Machines are
also used to shear the sheep. Argentina is also the largest exporter of meat in South

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America. Because of winter rainfall in central Chile, different citrus fruits like orange,
lemon, grapes, etc. are grown in large scale. Bolivia has many national parks. As a
result, large number of tourists come to see different animals like lion, tiger, deer, etc.

There are more than 10 metropolitan cities in the eastern coast of Brazil with each
having more than one million population. Deforestation and environmental pollution
have become major problems for the South American people.

Free the Words

pasture land : land where animals can graze

coastal : near a sea coast

In-class Activities

Draw a map of South America in a large sheet of paper and include various thematic
information.

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. Where is the Andes Mountain range located in South America?
b. What are the major pasture lands of South America?
c. In which region of South America are the native people living?
d. What are the major languages that the people of South America speak?
e. What are the major problems of South America?

3. Write long answers to the following questions.

a. Describe the physical features of South American continent.
b. Explain the economic activities of South America.
c. Sketch a map of South America and insert the following facts in it.
Rio de Janeiro, Titicaca lake, Andes Mountain Range, Amazon Basin,

Atacama Desert, Angel Falls, Amazon River, Pampas Grassland

Community Project Work

Complete the following table related to South America.

Countries Languages Cities Rivers Pasture lands
1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3. 3. 3.

158 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

5.12

Africa

Pre-reading Activities

Take a map of Africa and locate the following:
Strait of Gibraltar; Sahara Desert; Equator; River Nile; Kilimanjaro Mountain; Lake Victoria
Select one item from the list above and make a note of few facts about it.

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Reading

Africa is located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Equator passes
through the middle of the continent. It extends from 48°E to 18°W longitudes and
37°N to 34°S latitudes. It occupies an area of 3,02,47,000 sq.km. The Mediterranean
Sea and Strait of Gibraltar separate it from Europe in the North. Red Sea and Suez
Canal separate it from Asia in North East. Indian Ocean lies to the East and Atlantic
Ocean is to its West.

Physical Features

Africa is the continent of plateaus. Atlas Mountain lies in the North-West, Mt.
Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is in the middle and Drakensberg Mountain is in the South-
East of the continent. Victoria, Chad, Malawi are the major lakes of the continent.
The longest river in the world, Nile, originates from Lake Victoria and ends at the
Mediterranean Sea in the North. Niger, Congo and Zambezi are the other important
rivers. The largest desert in the world, Sahara, occupies one-fifth of the area of the
continent. Kalahari and Namib are the other deserts of this continent. Tropical
grassland or savanna of this region is rich in wild animals and birds. So, it is also
called the zoo of the world.

Nile River

Lake Victoria Mount Kilimanjaro

The climate in the equatorial region is hot and wet but other regions of this continent
receive a small amount of rainfall. The Equatorial rain forest is extended around

160 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

the Congo River. The extreme southern and northern regions have Mediterranean
climate. Summers are hot and dry and winters are cold and wet. Oases are found in
Sahara desert. An oasis is a region in desert where water and plants are found.

Socio-economic Activities

Africa is the continent in which human civilization first developed. Nile Valley
civilization developed 6000 years ago. Most of the people of this continent are black.
They follow Islam and Christianity. This continent is backward in comparison to the
other parts of the world.

It was not in touch with other continents for a long time. So, it is also called the ‘Dark Continent’.
Some people like Hausa, Massai, Kenyan, Tanzanian still have a primitive life style.

People around Congo basin have primitive lifestyle. They hunt animals with the help
of bow and arrow. Several national parks have been preserved in the Savanna region.
These parts have been the center for tourism. People in oases mostly rare camels for
meat, milk, skin, wool and transportation. People in the Mediterranean climate grow
oranges, lemon, grapes, etc. in large scale. Africa is very rich in minerals like gold,
copper, diamond, uranium, etc. But these minerals have not been utilized in a proper
way.

The major problems of this continent are barren land, little rainfall, low productivity
of the land, and lack of development of other infrastructures. In recent time, AIDS has
become a major problem. Many children live with their grandparents because they
have lost their parents due to AIDS.

Free the Words

equatorial : near the equator; related to equator
plateau : a flat high land

In-class Activities

Which region or area borders with Africa?

i) North …………………. ii) South ………………….
West ………………….
iii) East …………………. iv)

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Exercise

1. Fill in the blanks to complete these sentences.
a. ....................................is the largest desert in the world.
b. The longest river in the world Nile originates from................................. .
c. ..........................mountain is located in the North-West of Africa.

2. Write very short answers to the following questions.

a. What separates Africa from Asia?
b. Make a list of major lakes located in Africa.
c. What kind of climate is found in the equatorial region?
d. What are the major religions followed by the people of Africa?
e. Why is Africa called “the Dark Continent”?
f. Who are the primitive people of Africa?

3. Write long answers to the following questions.

a. Describe the physical features of Africa.

b. Explain the major economic activities of Africa.

c. Make a list of the major problems faced by the people of Africa.

d. Draw a map of Africa and mark up the following.

i. Mt. Drakensberg ii. Lake Chad iii. Nile River

iv. Mt. Kilimanjaro v. Sahara desert vi. Equator

vii. Red Sea viii. Egypt

Community Project Work

Highlight the similarities between Nepal and Africa.

162 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Unit Review

In this unit, we have learnt that:

 Earth’s movement and its revolution around the sun creates seasonal
changes in the earth.

 We have generally four seasons.
 Temperature, pressure, wind, humidity, altitude, etc. influence the

weather condition and the climatic pattern of a place.
 Weather is an atmospheric condition of a place for a short duration.
 Climate is the average weather conditions prevalent from one season to

another in the course of a year.
 Latitude, altitude, distance from the sea, prevailing wind, cloud cover,

and ocean currents affect the earth’s temperature.
 A change in global or regional climate pattern is called climate change.
 Changes in the greenhouse effect, variation in the sun’s energy, and

reflexivity of the earth’s atmosphere are some of the natural causes of
climate change.
 By consuming less energy, recycling we can reduce or control climate
change.
 Tectonic disturbances and volcanic eruption are the reasons for earthquake
 The surface of earth undergoes slow and gradual changes which are
caused by internal and external forces.
 North America is the third largest continent in the world with the largest
economy.
 Deforestation and environmental pollution are the concerns for South
America.
 Africa is the continent of plateaus, barren land, less rainfall, low
productivity of land have impeded the development of Africa.

Test Your knowledge

1. Choose the correct answer.

a. Seasons occur mainly because of:

i. Movement of the earth ii. Movement of the sun

iii. Rains and forest iv. All the above

b. In fall season:

i. we have cold ii. we have hot weather

iii. we experience beginning of cold iv. heat gradually increases

c. Which of the following is not a part of weather condition?

i. atmospheric pressure ii. density of the forest

iii. humidity and precipitation iv. temperature and wind

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 163

d. Weather forecast is based on the following data, except :

i. wind ii. cloud cover

iii. rainfall iv. road conditions

e. Which one is true about climate?

i. average weather condition of a year

ii. average temperature of a day

iii. average wind speed

iv. average density of vegetation

f. The following factors affect the earth’s temperature, except :

i. land-forms

ii. latitude or distance from the equator

iii. distance from the sea

iv. altitude or height from the sea level

g. Climate change refers to :

i. a sudden change in global or regional climate

ii. avalanches and landslides

iii. industrialization

iv. fluctuation in maximum and minimum temperature

h. Which one is not the cause of climate change?

i. greenhouse effect ii. variation in the energy of the sun

iii. migration of animals

iv. human activities such as overuse of climate controlling devices

i. Which is not the reason for dividing the nation into many districts?

i. to collect taxes easily from the center

ii. to increase people’s participation in development

iii. to effectively administer places located far and away from the capital

iv. to mobilize local resources

j. Which is the main reason for earthquake?

i. God’s anger ii. nature taking revenge against humanity

iii. Tectonic disturbance iv. deforestation

2. Answer the following questions.

a. What causes seasonal changes? Explain with the help of a figure.

b. How can we reduce the impact of earthquake?

c. Make a list of safety tips to protect ourselves from earthquake.

d. How is climate change a problem for humanity?

e. What is a map? What information can we get from a map?

f. How does high wind or hawahuri occur?

g. Describe the physical features of North America.

h. Describe the lifestyle of people living in Africa.

164 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Unit

6

Human Civilization
and Our History

Learning Objectives
Upon the completion of this unit, students will be able to :

 discuss the unification campaign of modern Nepal
 discuss people’s role in the unification of Nepal
 recount political situation after the Sugauli Treaty
 give an account of political, economic, and social conditions of Nepal

during the Rana rule
 identify major political events after 2007 BS and political and social

reforms taking place during this period
 introduce Greek and Roman civilization
 describe Renaissance and its impact on human conscience

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6.1

Towards the Unification of Nepal

Pre-reading Activities

Identify the personality shown in the figure.
Write some inspiring tasks of this person.

Reading

Prithvi Narayan Shah: The Architect of Modern Nepal
King Prithvi Narayan Shah is one of the most
influential and most respected figures in Nepal’s
history. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that
history of modern Nepal begins with Prithvi Narayan
Shah, who dominated the time period between 1801
and 1831 BS with his unification campaign and
conquests.
This great statesman was born on Poush 27, 1779 BS
(January 7, 1723) to Gorkha King Narabhupal Shah
and Queen Kaushalyavati. He became King at the
age of 20 when his father Narabhupal Shah passed
away in 1799 BS, and right from this point, he began
a unification drive.

Nuwakot Attack

Nuwakot had tested Gorkha King Narabhupal Shah’s mettle in 1794 BS. Narabhupal
had tried to capture Nuwakot in 1794 BS but was badly defeated. As soon as Prithvi

166 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Narayan succeeded his father, he took to his father’s incomplete business. He attacked
Nuwakot once again in 1800 BS but to no avail. The double-defeat taught some lessons
to Prithvi Narayan. He gathered plenty of arms. His troops were sent to Beneras to be
trained and collect weapons. Bise Nagarchi, a local tailor of Gorkha, advised Prithvi
Narayan Shah to collect Re.1 from each house to buy weapons. Accordingly, he
collected the sum from 12,000 houses.He took the help of his own father-in-law,
Abhiman Singh. Next, he recruited more soldiers between 16 and 30 years from the
Terai plains and trained them in guerilla warfare. In this, he was wisely assisted by his
aide, Kalu Pandey. After this, he extended friendship with his neighbouring kingdoms
of Lamjung, Tanahun and Palpa. Astrologer Kulananda Dhakal suggested the
auspicious date and time to attack Nuwakot and Kirtipur.With these wise preparations,
Shah, with his aide Kalu Pandey, attacked Nuwakot in 1801 BS. This time the
preparation was strong and attack was fierce. As a result, Gorkha troops got victory
over Nuwakot. Around this time, Shankhamani Rana was the commander of Nuwakot
Army but he was killed in the attack.

There is an interesting account about
Shankhamani Rana’s father, Jayanta
Rana. Before 1801, Nuwakot was a
part of Kathmandu state. Jayanta
Rana had taken responsibility to
defend Nuwakot. Jayanta was also
a faithful soldier of Narabhupal but
after the defeat at Nuwakot, he had
taken refuge at Kathmandu in King
Jaya Prakash Malla’s palace. During
the last attack (of 1801 BS), Jayanta was in Kathmandu and he had assigned his duty
to his son Shankhamani, who got killed in the war. Jayanta Rana then fled to Belkot
from Kathmandu, but Gorkha troops attacked Belkot after conquering Nuwakot and
Jayanta Rana was killed.

The victory over Nuwakot was a milestone in the unification campaign. After the
capture of Nuwakot, Gorkha troops began attacks on Kirtipur and Makawanpur.

People of Dahachowk gave full support to Prithvi Narayan Shah while attacking
Kirtipur. Prithvi Narayan Shah was badly defeated in his first attack to Kirtipur.
In the second war with Kirtipur, his brother, Surpratap Shah’s one of the eyes was
injured and Dr. Angelo had treated him. After getting victory over Kirtipur, he
finally attacked Kantipur. People of Kantipur happily welcomed him as their king.
Shree Harsha Panta went as an envoy to Patan while conquering Patan. Finally,
because of his determined will he was able to capture Patan and Bhaktapur as well.

Free the Words

mettle : power

statesman : experienced and respected leader

milestone : important event/stage in development

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 167

In-class Activities

Find a person in your community who has greatly contributed to the community.
Then, write a brief biography, in which you include:

 Who the person is?
 When was he/she born? If dead, when?
 What are the most interesting/ important events in his/her life?
 What are the main contributions of him/her to the society?

Present your biography in class.

Exercise

1. Fill up the gaps with correct information from the lesson.

a. King Prithvi Narayan Shah was born on ………………...
b. Narabhupal Shah had attacked Nuwakot in ……………..
c. Prithvi Narayan Shah had many weapons brought from ……………..
d. …………………. was the son of Jayanta Rana.

2. Write very short answers to the following questions.

a. When did Prithvi Narayan Shah become the king of Gorkha?
b. What lessons did he learn from the defeat at Nuwakot?
c. What do you know about Jayanta Rana?
d. What lesson can you learn from Prithvi Narayan Shah?
e. Who was Bise Nagarchi?

3. Write short answers to the following questions.

a. How did Prithvi Narayan Shah make preparations for the final attack?

b. “History of modern Nepal begins with Prithvi Narayan Shah.” Explain.

c. Why was Prithvi Narayan Shah badly defeated in his first attempt against
Nuwakot?

d. Fill in the table with the contribution of the following people.

People Contribution

Bise Nagarche

Kulananda Dhakal

People of Dahachowk

Angelo

Community Project Work

What obstacles and hardships did your parents have to face to arrive at the present
situation? Write a brief historical account of your parents.

168 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

6.2

Unification: Events in Chronology

Date in B.S. Events

Kartik, 1800 - Prithvi Narayan’s first attack on Nuwakot, got defeated
Ashoj 15, 1801 - Conquest of Nuwakot

Jeth 19, 1814 - First attack on Kirtipur, Gorkhalis got badly defeated; Kalu
Pandey was killed. Kantipur, Bhaktapur, and Patan unitedly
supported Kirtipur against the Gorkha invasion.

Bhadra 9, 1819 - Conquest of Makwanpur; Digbandhan Sen, the king of
Makawanpur, fled to Hariharpur.

Ashoj 22, 1819 - Hariharpur captured; Digbandhan Sen surrendered to Gorkhali
troops.

Magh 10, 1819 - Troops of Mir Kasim, Nawab of Bengal, led by Gurgin Khan, got
defeated. 1700 Muslim soldiers were killed. The troops had come
to support Makwanpur against Gorkha.

Bhadra 1823 - Second attack on Kirtipur and once again got defeated. The
second attack was commanded by Shoorpratap Shah, Prithvi
Narayan’s younger brother. Shoorpratap lost his left eye.

Magh-Chaitra 1823 - Kirtipur besieged for three months from all sides; blockade
imposed; Kirtipur finally surrendered.

Ashoj 24, 1824 - Kathmandu Valley besieged; economic blockade in Kathmandu
Valley, crippling life in Kathmandu (Kantipur); King Jaya
Prakash Malla sought help from British India Government, and
Captain Kinlock’s troops set out Kathmandu to fight Gorkhalis.
But Gorkhalis overpowered British troops at Sindhuli. Gorkhas
confiscated 500 British guns in the attack.

Ashoj 13, 1825 - Attack on Kathmandu on the occasion of Indrajatra. Kathmandu
captured; Prithvi Narayan assumed the throne of Kantipur; Jaya
Prakash Malla fled to Patan.

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Ashoj 24, 1825 - Patan captured; King Tej Narasingh Malla surrendered Jaya
Prakash Malla and Tej Narasingh Malla fled to Bhaktapur and
took refuge there.

Kartik 28, 1826 - Bhaktapur was under attack; battle continued for three days; 50
Gorkhali and 1700 Bhaktapure soldiers killed; King of Bhaktapur
Ranjit Malla surrendered.

Magh13, 1828 - Nepali troops got defeated at Chaubise state.

Shrawan 4, 1831 - Chaudandi, the Sen Kingdom in eastern Nepal, under sieged.

Shrawan 5, 1831 - Troops moved across Koshi River; Bijayapur, the last Sen
kingdom, conquered; Nepal’s frontier reached Tista in the east.

Magh 1, 1831 - Prithvi Narayan Shah passed away.

Free the Words

flee : run away
besiege : to surround a place with soldiers
confiscate : to take away things from others as punishment
frontier : line that separates two countries

In-class Activities

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

When we go through the divine counsel of Prithvi Narayan Shah, we come to
know how farsighted he was. Transparency International has defined corruption as
the major problem of the world. P.N. Shah had said, "Both the people, who take and
who give bribe, are enemies of the nation. There will be no sin in executing them."
He had further said, "Nepal is a garden of four castes and thirty-six sub castes." Now,
we are holding discussions on inclusiveness. We are discussing the proper utilization
of resources. He had already said, "Even if there is settlement in place with mines/
quarries, relocate the settlement and operate the mine." P. N. Shah wanted to appoint
Biraj Bakhati to the post of Kaji (the prime minister today) but courtiers and citizens
preferred Kalu Pandey to Biraj Bakhati. He understood the sentiment of the people
and appointed Kalu Pandey the Kaji. It proves his democratic nature.
Questions :
a. Why are the people who take and give bribe the enemy of the nation?
b. How can you say that Prithvi Narayan Shah had got an inclusive nature?
c. List out the major characteristics of Prithvi Narayan Shah as an able administrator.

170 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. When did Prithvi Narayan Shah get victory over Nuwakot?
b. Who was Gurgin Khan?
c. Who was captain Kinlock?
d. Why did Prithvi Narayan Shah attack Kathmandu during Indrajatra
festival?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.

a. How did Prithvi Narayan Shah get victory over the Kathmandu Valley?
b. Following dates are historically important. Look back at the chronology

and write about the events that happened on each of the date below.

i. Jesth 19, 1814 ii. Magh 10, 1819

iii. Kartik 28, 1826 iv. Magh 1, 1831

c. Complete the given time line with appropriate historical events.

d. Show the chronology of historical events given in the lesson in a timeline.
Use short title and correct scale.

Community Project Work

What did you do last month? Prepare a chronology of the activities you performed
or the events that happened to you.

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6.3

Expansion Continues

Pre-reading Activities

Take a few minutes and list the names of at least five most famous women in history
(including world history). Form a group of 4-5 students and choose one person from
each other’s list. Then, write a few facts/some information about the person. Give
a brief presentation about the person explaining why you think her to be the most
famous woman.

Reading

172 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Rajendra Laxmi

The death of King Prithvi Narayan Shah did not mark the
end to Nepal’s unification and expansion campaign. Many
of the principalities and strong kingdoms like Nuwakot
and Kathmandu Valley had been already annexed to the
Gorkha kingdom, so it would not be so hard to continue
with the unification. But with the demise of Pratap Singh
Shah, it became quite difficult.

Pratap Singh Shah ruled for about three years only. He
passed away on Mangsir 6, 1834 BS. It was then that
challenges multiplied for Rajendra Laxmi. Rajendra
Laxmi was the daughter of the King of Palpa, Mukunda
Sen II. She was married to Pratap Singh Shah when she
was only 12. When her husband passed away, she was
left in a shock. Pratap Singh’s son Rana Bahadur ascended to the throne in 1834 BS
when he was only 2 and a half years old. The country’s administration had to be
handled by somebody mature.

Rajendra Laxmi took up this responsibility. She called for Bahadur Shah, her brother-
in-law who was in exile in Betia of India. When Bahadur Shah came back, she and
Bahadur Shah conducted Nepal’s administration as co-regents. But misunderstanding
cropped up between the two regents soon and Bahadur Shah was exiled again.

Alone, Rajendra Laxmi had to contain many threats. When kings of Lamjung, Tanahun,
Kaski, Parbat and Palpa saw Rajendra Laxmi was alone and that Bahadur Shah had
run away again, they made schemes to invade Gorkha. They made an alliance against
Gorkha. But Rajendra Laxmi was not one to step back from her mission. She sent
troops to attack those kingdoms under the command of Balabhadra Shah, Damodar
Pandey, Amar Singh Thapa and Bansaraj Pandey.

Meanwhile, Kaski had defected from the alliance. So Parbat attacked Kaski, but
Gorkha troops defended Kaski and defeated Parbat. Troops led by Bansaraj Pandey
invaded Lamjung and captured it. As Gorkha troops were heading toward Palpa and
Parbat, the king of Parbat Kirtibam Malla took Kaski into confidence and attacked
Lamjung. But Malla’s forces were badly crushed by the Gorkha soldiers.

Within a year, Gorkha troops had taken control over Kaski, Garahun, Rising,
Virkot, and Satahun. Rajendra Laxmi’s regency was able to defeat Chaubise Rajyas.
Rajendra Laxmi was a skilled diplomat too. She had kept a good relation with East
India Company Governor General Warren Hastings. Besides, Rajendra Laxmi was a
social reformist. She stood against discrimination. She is said to have opposed Purda
system (a practice in which women had to cover their faces with veils). She would go
round the streets of Kathmandu on horseback holding a sword in her hand in case
the enemy attacked. British historian Kirk Patrick had remarked her as a woman of
extraordinary personality.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 173

Rajendra Laxmi’s regency could not last for long. She suffered from tuberculosis and
died of it in 1842 B.S.

Bahadur Shah

After Rajendra Laxmi passed away, Bahadur Shah returned
to Nepal and took up the charge of regency. He continued
the expansion process that was left incomplete by Rajendra
Laxmi. He annexed Gulmi, Arghakhachi, Parbat and
Dhurkot in 1843 BS. Then Pyuthan, Dang, Rolpa, Jajarkot
were also annexed. After the victory over Baise and
Chaubise Rajyas, Bahadur Shah delegated troops under
Amar Singh Thapa toward Kumaun, Gadhwal. Nepali
troops conquered Almoda, the capital of Kumaun, on
Chaitra 11,1847 B.S and Shrinagar, the capital of Gadhwal,
on Ashad 12,1848 B.S. Meanwhile, Nepal was at war with Tibet. So Nepali troops
signed a treaty with Gadhwal and withdrew. According to the treaty, Gadhwal
had agreed to remain under Nepal’s dominion and Nepal would receive Rs. 9,000
annually. The unification campaign slowed down during Nepal -Tibet war in 1846
B.S. and ended in 1849 BS.

During the reign of Rana Bahadur Shah, Amar Singh Thapa annexed Palpa to Nepal
and with this the unification campaign of Nepal came to an end. Bahadur Shah’s
regency, Nepal extended its territories. He was one of the most important actors of
Nepal’s unification process after Prithvi Narayan Shah. But later, due to some political
conspiracy, he was put in prison. He died in 1854 BS.

Free the Words

scheme : plan for doing something
defect : to leave party or country to join another camp

diplomat : person skilled at dealing with foreign countries

reformist : person who works for change in the society

In-class Activities

As we read about the deeds of many famous historical personalities who greatly
contributed to the unification of Nepal, it seems as if everyone has fallen from grace
and has been sent to prison or in exile. In a group, discuss what might be the reason
for this.

174 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. Who became the king of Nepal after the demise of Prithvi Narayan Shah?
b. Who was Rajendra Laxmi?
c. When did challenges multiply for her?
d. What do you mean by co-regents?
e. How can you say Rajendra Laxmi was a skilled diplamat?
f. How has historian Kirk Patrick remarked Rajendra Laxmi?
g. When did Rajendra Laxmi die?
h. When did Nepal-Tibet War take place?
i. Why did Nepal have to halt the mission to annex Gadhwal?
j. When did the unification campaign of Nepal come to an end?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.
a. How did other kingdoms try to invade Gorkha in the absence of Bahadur
Shah?
b. "Rajendra Laxmi was a reformist." Explain.
c. Rajendra Laxmi was an iron lady. Explain the statement.
d. Bahadur Shah completed the mission left incomplete by Prithvi Narayan
Shah. Do you agree? Give reasons.
e. What lesson can we learn from Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa, who was
involved in the unification campaign of Nepal?

Community Project Work

Compose songs or poems related to the unification campaign and present them to the
class.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 175

6.4

Political Events After Sugauli Treaty

Pre-reading Activities

Sugauli Treaty is much talked about treaty in the history of Nepal. Find out the major
causes and consequences of the treaty.

Reading

The two year long war between Nepal and East India Company came to an end on
December 2, 1815, with Sugauli Treaty. This treaty made Nepal to lose one third of
its territory to East India Company. This treaty also brought an end to unification
campaign of Nepal that was initiated by Prithvi Narayan Shah. The British started
interfering in Nepal’s internal matter. Groupism and conspiracy in politics flourished
in the palace. The period after Sugauli Treaty witnessed severe political instability
which finally ended in 1903 B.S. The reasons behind this political instability during
that period are as follows :
i) Groups and conflicts among the countries.
ii) The weak nature of the king.
iii) The clash and hostility among the queens.
iv) The policy of British to interfere in the politics of Nepal.
v) The condition of frequent change of the Prime Ministers.
vi) Ancestral hostility between Pandeys and Thapas.

Major Political events

1) Regime of Rana Jung Pandey
After the downfall of Bhimsen Thapa, Rana Jung Pandey was made the Prime

Minister of Nepal. For this, there was the major role of Samrajya Laxmi, elder
queen of King Rajendra. As Rana Jung Pandey refused to return back to Birtaland
of Brahmins, that was confiscated during the reign of Rana Bahadur Shah and
as he was against the British, he had to resign within very short period of time.

176 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

2) Clearance of poison case against Bhimsen Thapa

Bhimsen Thapa was accused of poisoning a royal prince named Ranendra. After
the resignation of Rana Jung Pandey, the poison case of Bhimsen Thapa was
nullified and was freed from prison under the approval of Ranga Nath Poudel.
As Bhimsen Thapa did not get any responsiblity, he went to his ancestral home,
at Borlang, Gorkha.

3) Revival of the poison case of Bhimsen Thapa

During the premiership of Chautariya Puskar Shah, Rana Jung Pandey again
imprisoned Bhimsen Thapa by reviving the poison case. Rana Jung Pandey
compiled the fake evidence to prove the poison case.

4) Military Rovolt

During the second premiership of Rana Jung Pandey in 1897 B.S, some around
six thousands soldiers assembled in Tundikhel and also circumscribed around
the British Residency in the pretext of not getting salary for the last two years.
They even vandalized the houses of Puskar Shah and Ranga Nath Poudel.
When King Rajendra ensured that he would not deduct the salary and number
of soldier, the revolt was pacified. This is called the army revolt or coup in the
history of Nepal.

5) Intoxication of the power of the youngest queen

After the downfall of Rana Jung Pandey, Samrajya Laxmi, the eldest queen
also died. The youngest queen, Rajyalaxmi Devi shah started increasing the
power after the death of the elder queen. The Royal declaration of 1900 BS gave
unlimited powers to the queen, such as the power to appoint, dismiss, exile,
death penalty, foreign war talks and treaty. In 1900 BS, she made Mathbar Singh
Thapa the Prime Minister of Nepal hoping that he would help her in making her
son, Ranendra the king instead of Surendra, the eldest son of Samrajya Laxmi.
As she could not fulfill this vested interest from Mathbar Singh Thapa, she got
him murdered by Jung Bahadur Rana.

6) The regime of Fatte Jung Shah and Gagan Singh

After the death of Mathbar Singh Thapa on Jesth 4,1902, Fatte Jung Shah, who
was staying in Benaras of India, was called in Kathmandu and made the prime
Minister. During his regime, Gagan Singh was the right hand of Queen Rajya
Laxmi and he enjoyed absolute power.

7) The Three Parvas

In the history of Nepal, the three major events or parvas named Kot Parva,
Bhandarkhal Parva and the Alau Parva are the key events as three events gave
ample platform to Jung Bahadur Rana to kill his opponents and secure his
position.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 177

Free the Words

nullified : dissolved
fake : untrue
vested : fully ad unconditionally guaranteed as a legal right
coup : a sudden, illegal and often violent change of government
ample : plenty

In - Class Activities

Divide the class into different groups and perform drama based on the present
political events. Form the evaluation committee and award the best actor and group.

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. When was the Sugauli Treaty signed?
b. What do you mean by Birtaland?
c. Who was Mathbar Singh Thapa?
d. What does the Roral declaration of 1900 B.S. mean to you?
e. Why did the younger queen give premiership to Fatee Jung Shah?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.

a. Point out the reasons behind the symptoms of military revolt during the
reign of Rajendra Birbikram Shah.

b. Discuss the poison case blamed or charged on Bhimsen Thapa.
c. How can you say that there was political instability after the treaty of the

Sugauli Treaty?
d. Write a short note on three parvas that took place during Rana regime.

Community Project Work

Beside Saguali Treaty, there are other treaties which are of great significance. List out
those treaties with the help of elders and teachers.

178 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

6.5

Political Activities During
the Rana Rule

Pre-reading Activities

The foundation of the Rana rule was laid by Junga Bahadur Rana. Ranas ruled for 104
years. Imagine what would have happened if Ranas had just ruled for 50 years or had
not ruled at all.

Reading

There were several political activities during Ranarchy which played different roles
to sustain and end the Rana rule. Some of them are given below:

1) Junga Bahadur’s Visit to Europe (1906 - 1907 B.S)

Junga Bahadur Rana went to Britain with view to establish a good relationship,
with the Queen Victoria of Britain as well as to study the social, economic,
political, geographical and military activities of Britain. During his stay there for
about one year, he got an access with the progress and development activities
of Britain. Impressed with this, he started English education in Nepal and
introduced the first Civil Code (Muluki Ain) of Nepal in 1910 BS.

2) Nepal Tibet War ( 1912 - 1913 B.S)

During the time of Junga Bahadur, several problems arose between Nepal and
Tibet such as mistreating the Nepalese living in Lhasa, border dispute and
expelling the Nepalese lawyers from Tibet. This led to war between Nepal and
Tibet.

3) Thapathali Treaty

In order to end the war between Nepal and Tibet, the treaty was signed in the
Thapathali Durbar on Chaitra 3, 1912. This is known as Thapathali Treaty and it
was in the favor of Nepal. According to this treaty, Nepal would yearly get the
sum of 10,000 (ten thousand) from Tibet. Further, Nepal got the right to keep its
envoy in Lhasa which means Nepalese could stay there.

4) The Event of 1938

The conspiracy to kill the then Prime Minister Ranodip Singh and his brother

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 179

Dhir Shamsher in 1938 is known as Event of 38 or 38 Year Event. There was
the involvement of prince Trailokya, Jagat Jung, Subba Homnath Khatiwada,
Uttardhoj Khawas, etc. in the plot. Later, Uttardhoj Khawas leaked the plan to
Dhir Shamsher and many of them were either imprisoned or killed.

5) The Event of 1942

The event in which the sons of Dhir Shamsher killed their own uncle Ranodip
Singh and overtook the throne is called the Event of 1942 or 42 Year Event. In this
event, sons of Dhir Shamsher like Bir Shamsher, Khadga Shamsher, Chandra
Shamsher, Damber Shamsher and Bhim Shamsher were involved. After this
event the regime of Jung Bahadur’s family ended and the of Shamsher family
started.

6) Prachanda Gorkha

In 1988 B.S. Umesh Bikram Shah, Ranganath Sharma, Khadgaman Singh and
Maina Bahadur established Prachanda Gorkha with a view to end the Ranarchy.
Later, Laxman Prasad disclosed the secrecy. As a result the whole property of
Umesh Bikram was confiscated and was exiled whereas others were imprisoned.
This event is known as Prachanda Gorkha. This event had played an important
role to end the Ranarchy.

7) Library Event

There was no permission to open library during Rana regime. During the rule
of Bhim Shamsher, around 45 - 46 people including Jogbir Singh, Laxmi Prasad
Devkota, Krishna Prasad Khatiwada made a plan to open a library. Everyone
was arrested as their plan of opening a library was disclosed by Ram Chandra
Adhikari before submitting the demand application of more than 40 people to
the Prime Minister. Rs 100 was fined to each and later they were released. The
library could not be opened.

8) Prajaparishad

Prajaparishad was established as the first political organization or party
of Nepal on Jestha 20,1993 B.S in Kathmandu. Its main objective was to end
Rana regime and establish democracy. Its founding members were Dharma
Bhakta Mathema, Tanka prasad Acharya, Dashrath Chand, Jeevan Sharma and
Ramhari Sharma. There was economic and moral support of King Tribhuvan to
this organization. Many members of this organization including the supporters
were arrested for their involvement in anti - Rana activities. Four great freedom
fighters Dasharath Chand, Gangalal Shrestha, Dharma Bhakta Mathema and
Sukra Raj Shastri were killed in 1997 B.S

9) Nepalese Citizen Right Committee (Nepali Nagarik Adhikar Samiti)
This committee was established in 1994 B.S in the house of Rajalal Kalawar,

near Asan, Kathmandu. Its objective was to create public awareness through
writing, pamphlets, speech, articles, Puran recitation, etc. Sukra Raj Shastri was

180 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

the chairman of this committee. Other members included Kedarnath Byathit,
Muralidhar Sharma, Gangalal Shrestha and many other youngsters.

10) Jayatu Sanskritam Movement.

The students of Royal Sanskrit School (Rajkiya Sanskrit Vidyalaya), Ranipokhari,
Kathmandu launched strike on Ashar 1, 2004 demanding the study of geography,
history, economics, political science, etc. in the school. This movement laid by
the students is called the Jayatu Sanskritam Movement. It had helped in the
democratic movement of Nepal.

In class Activities

Mention different political events of Ranarchy on a table and present it in the class.

Political Event Year People Achievement/ Effect
B.S 1906 -1907
Junga Bahadur’s Junga Bahadur Beginning of English
visit to Europe Rana Education in Nepal.


Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.

a. When was the first Civil Code introduced in Nepal?
b. What is an event of 1938?
c. When was Praja Parishad established?
d. What was the major objective of Nepalese Citizen Right Committee?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.

a. The event of 1942 B.S was able to establish Shamsher family in power.
How?

b. How did the rule of Junga Bahadur’s family come to an end?
c. Write a short note on library event.
d. Why is Jayatu Sanskritam movement important in establishing democracy

in Nepal ?

Community Project Work

Go to your school's library and find out the recent major political activities.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 181

6.6

Reforms During the Rana Rule

Pre-reading Activities

Make a list of public places, roads, schools, public facilities that are named after Rana
Prime Ministers. Then, discuss why they are named after them.

Reading

Rana regime takes up a long stretch of time in Nepal’s history. Actually Rana regime
lasted in Nepal for 104 years. After the Kot Massacre of 1903 BS (1846 AD), Junga
Bahadur rose to power and became the head of Nepal’s administration. The system
of oligarchy that he had founded lasted well until 2007 BS (1950 AD) before the
democracy overthrew the Rana regime.

Rana Prime Ministers were more powerful than the Kings. In fact, they had all powers
in their hands. But they were largely against development, freedom, democracy and
education. Yet, Rana rulers have left a remarkable legacy of social reforms and
development. We will look into some of their reform initiatives in this lesson.

Junga Bahadur Rana

Junga Bahadur ruled from 1903 to 1934 BS. He introduced
the first written legal code called Muluki Ain in 1910 BS
(1853 AD). He opened the first English school, Durbar
School on Ashoj 27,1910. He granted property rights to
unmarried women above 35 years old. Marriage of girls
below 5 years was outlawed. So was gambling. He also took
measures to abolish the Sati system and slavery. He got a
printing press called Gidde Press set up in Kathmandu. He
emphasized on the use of Aayur vedic medicine and started vaccination for children.

Ranodip Singh

Ranodip Singh succeeded his brother Junga Bahadur. He
ruled from 1934 to 1942 BS. Ranodip built Sankrit schools
and hostel. He paved the road to Pashupati. He set up
courts of justice and made strong laws to punish corrupt
people. He was the first Prime Minister to bring out a Nepali
calendar, called Patro. He invited the foreign experts to
operate telephone, electricity and rope way.

182 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Bir Shumsher

Bir Shumsher ruled from 1942 to 1958 BS. Some of his
contributions include the opening of Bir Hospital, Clock
Tower (Ghantaghar), Bir Library and introducing drinking
water supply to Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Vaidhyakhana
was opened at Singha Durbar. The present school building of
Durbar High School is Bir Shumsher’s contribution. He opened
Tindhara Sanskrit Pathsala in 1946. Most important of all, he
founded a city in Terai, Birgunj. He also made reform in post office.

Dev Shumsher

Dev Shumsher ruled for only 114 days in 1958 BS. He was a
reformist. In this short period, he did a lot of reform works. He
declared Durbar School as a public school where even the sons of
ordinary people could study. Earlier, the school was exclusively
for the Ranas and the rich people. He established about 150
schools across the country. He established Gorkhapatra, the first
newspaper of Nepal. It was he who fixed the working hours
for government officials from 10 am to 5 pm. He also started
the system of firing the cannon at 12 noon to let the people know about the time. He
asked to keep the complaint boxes in Kathmandu to hear the complaints of people.

Chandra Shumsher

Chandra Shumsher ruled from 1958 to 1986 BS. In 28 years, he
did so many things which his predecessors had tried to do but
had been unsuccessful in doing. During his reign, the first census
began in 1968 B.S. Firstly, he abolished the Sati system in 1977
B.S. And then he abolished the slavery system in 1981 B.S. He
established Trichandra College, built Singha Durbar, Bhaktapur
Hospital, Tokha TB Hospital, Military Hospital and Khokana
Leprocy Center, among others. He also set up Gorkha Bhasha Prakashini to promote
Nepali language and literature. He was the first to generate electricity in Nepal from
the Pharping Hydro Power Project in 1965 BS. Then Kathmandu was illuminated
with lights. Import of foreign wines was banned. Ropeways and telephone system
were developed. Railway from Raxaul to Amlekhgunj was developed.

Bhim Shumsher

Bhim Shumsher ruled from 1986 to 1989 BS. He ended
capital punishment and changed it into life imprisonment.
He declared Saturday as a weekend holiday. He developed
drinking water network in the Kathmandu valley.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 183

Juddha Shumsher

Juddha Shumsher ruled from 1989 to 2002 BS. When a great
earthquake hit Nepal in 1990, Juddha Shumsher was the
Prime Minister. He arranged for medicines, clothes and food
to be distributed to the people. He is supposed to have cried
very badly when he saw the suffering of people due to the
earthquake. Juddha Shumsher is remembered for starting
industrial revolution in Nepal. He established the first large-
scale industries. Biratnagar Jute Mill, Juddha Match Factory,
Birgunj Cotton Mill, Nepal Plywood Company, Morang Hydroelectricity Supply
Company and Nepali Mica Company are all Juddha’s contributions. He banned early
marriage and established schools in different places of the country. SLC Board was set
up in Nepal during his rule in 1990 BS. He introduced paper money for the first time
in Nepal. Nepal Bank Limited was established in 1994 B.S.

Padma Shumsher

Padma Shumsher ruled from 2002 to 2005 BS. Padma
Shumsher contributed to educational development. He gave
females a chance to be educated. Padma Kanya Campus of
Bagbazaar, Padmodaya School of Putalisadak, Padma Kanya
School of Dillibazar are Padma Shumsher’s contribution.
He established Morang Sugar Mill and Nepal Cigarette
Factory. He sent Nepali teachers to India for educational
training. He also made the provision of adult education.
Most importantly, he issued the first constitution of Nepal
called The Government of Nepal Act in 2004 BS. The municipal elections were held in
Kathmandu and people were allowed to open radios.

Mohan Shumsher

Mohan Shumhser took over the reign in 2005 BS and ruled
for two years. He was the last Rana Prime Minister. He
raised teacher’s salary and increased their number while
also opening up many schools. He introduced the system
of advertising government vacancies for open competition.
He also made efforts to get UNO membership for Nepal. He
began the pre- primary education.

184 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Free the Words

oligarchy : a form of government in which only a small group of people
hold power

outlaw : to make something illegal

exclusively : related to particular person or group

predecessor : person who did the job before

In-class Activities

The table below gives the list of Rana Prime Ministers. Next to each name write the
reforms and also mention dates.

Reforms Dates

Junga Bahadur

Ranodip Singh

Bir Shumsher

Dev Shumsher

Chandra Shumsher

Bhim Shumsher

Juddha Shumsher

Padma Shumsher

Mohan Shumsher

Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. When did Rana oligarchy start?
b. When was Durbar School established?
c. What were Ranas mainly against?
d. When was paper money first introduced in Nepal?
e. Who was the last Rana Prime Minister?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.
a. Junga Bahadur tried to lead Nepal to modernity. Do you agree with this
statement? Give reasons.
b. 'Padma Shumsher was a reformist.' Explain.
c. 'Dev Shumsher is called education reformist.' Explain.
d. 'Juddha Shumsher is called the father of industry.' Justify the statement.

Community Project Work

Are there any things in your community that were made during Ranarchy. If you
Write about them.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 185

6.7

Post-2007 Reforms

Pre-reading Activities

Divide the class into 4-5 groups. For each group assign one social problem (historical
or current) such as child marriage, Sati system, untouchability, slavery, etc. Ask each
group to discuss the problem and suggest ways to eradicate it.

Reading

After the Rana Oligarchy was overthrown by the people’s movement for democracy
in 2007 BS, the country’s administration came back to the king and the people. This
change opened many avenues of development for Nepal. Other historic political
changes like political change of 2046 and that of 2062/63 BS have fostered Nepal’s
development. Let's have a quick look of what we have accomplished.

Social Reforms

The amendment to Muluki Ain in 2020 BS was a significant change of the post-2007
era. This amendment ensured equality, and abolished disparity on the ground of
caste, race, religion and sex. The amendment also outlawed untouchability, polygamy
and child marriage and allowed divorce and remarriage of widows.

After multiparty democracy of 2046 BS, many reforms were made in social fronts. The
Constitution of 2047 BS granted fundamental rights to the people. After the political
change of 2062/63 BS, Nepal has become a republic. Monarchy has been overthrown,
and the country has become a secular state. The Constitution of Nepal grants equalities
to the people of all castes and all ethnicities.

Economic Reforms

In 2013 BS, the first planned development made way to Nepali society with the
introduction of First Five-Year Plan. The plan aimed to utilize the natural and human
resources of the country properly. When Land Reform Law was introduced in 2021
BS, it was quite a revolutionary change. The law fixed the maximum limit of land
holding and abolished Zamindary system, Kipat system and Ukhada system. The
law established tenancy rights and ensured equal distribution of land for all. Roads
and industries were built. After the change of 2046, there has been a steady growth of
industry and trades, mainly due to the initiative of the private sector.

186 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Administrative Reforms

Major administrative reforms were initiated by King
Mahendra in 2018 BS, when he divided the country
into 14 zones and 75 districts. It was done to carry
out administrative work effectively. In 2029 BS,
King Birendra created four development regions
along north-south axis. Then in 2037 BS, one more
development region (Mid-western Development
Region) was added.

After 2046, village units were called Village
Development Committees and urban units were called Municipalities. Earlier there
were Village Panchayat and Municipal Panchayat. Local Self-Governance Act, 2055,
devolved authority and power to VDCs, Municipalities and DDCs. Now our country
has become a federal state. New administrative units in a new set up has been formed.
Presently there are seven provinces, 77 districts and 753 local bodies (six metropolises,
eleven sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities
in Nepal.

Educational Reforms

There have been notable developments in Nepal’s
education sector after 2007 BS. In 2016 BS, the first
university of Nepal, Tribhuwan University was
opened. Many schools and colleges were built across
Nepal. In 2028 BS, a major change was brought by
New Education System Plan. The plan introduced
vocational education for the first time. In 2031 BS,
education was declared free up to primary level. After
2046 BS, there has been large-scale development in
education. A large number of private schools and colleges are providing education.
Now school education has been extended up to grade Twelve. And there are several
universities in the country now.

Now, let us see the political, social and economic activities after 2007 B.S. in a
chronological order.

Major Political Events and Achievement After 2007 B.S.

A. Major political events from 2007 to till date.

S.N Date in B.S. Political Events
1. Chaitra 17, 2007 Approval of the Interim constitution
2. Magh 8, 2008 Revolt by Dr. KI Singh

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 187

3. Falgun 30, 2011 Death of king Tribhuvan
4. Magh 13, 2012 Cabinet formed under Tanka Prasad Acharya
5. Falgun 7, 2015 First general Election for the Parliament
6. Poush 1, 2017 Dismissal of the elected cabinet
7. Poush 22, 2017 Formal establishment of the Panchayat system
8. Poush 1, 2019 Promulgation of the Panchayati constitution
9. 2024 Declaration of “Return to village campaign”
10. Magh 17, 2028 Death of king Mahendra
11. 2036 Students movement
12. Jestha 10, 2036 Declaration of the referendum
13. Baisakh 20, 2037 Referendum held
14. Chaitra 26, 2046 Restoration of the multiparty system
15. Kartik 23, 2047 Promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2047
16. 2048 General Election
17. 2051 Mid- term Election
18. Falgun 1, 2052 CPN (Maoist) Started people’s war
19. Baishak 20, 2056 General Election for the parliament
20. Jesth 19, 2058 The Royal massacre
21. Chitra 24,2062 Beginning of the Second Mass Movement
End of the Second Mass Movement/Restoration
22. Baisakh 11,2063 of the House of Representatives
The Comprehensive Peace Accord signed
23. Mangsir 5, 2063 between Nepal government and CPN (Maoist))
Promulgation of the Interim Constitution 2063
24. Magh 1, 2063 Election of the first Constituent Assembly
25. Chaitra 28, 2064 Nepal declared a republic state
26. Jesth 15, 2065 Dissolution of the first Constituent Assembly
27. Jesth 14, 2069 Election of the Constituent Assembly for the
second time
28. Mangsir 4, 2070 Promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal - 2072
through Constituent Assembly
29. Ashoj 3, 2072

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30. Magh 9, 2072 First amendment of the Constitution of Nepal
2072

31. Baisakh 31, Ashad First local level election held in three phases after
14, Ashoj 2, 2074 the promulgation of the new constitution

32. Mangsir 10, First election for the provincial assembly and
house of representatives in two phases after the
Mangsir 21, 2074 promulgation of the new constitution

B. Social and Economic Achievements from 2007 to till date

S.N Date in B.S Social and Economic Achievement
1. 2008
2. 2010 Commencement of budget
3. 2013 Formation of Nepal Education Plan Commission
4. 2013 Implementation of Civil Service Act
5. Baishak 14,2013 Commencement of first Five Year Plan
6. Poush 7, 2016 Establishment of Nepal Rastra Bank
7. 2020 Abolition of Birta System
8. 2021 Implementation of Muluki Ain (Civil code)
9. 2028 Implementation of land reform
Implementation of National Education System
10. Shrawn 2, 2057 Plan.
Abolition of bonded labor (Kamaiya)

11. Jesth 4, 2063 Nepal declared a secular state

Free the Words

amendment : change made to law or document

devolve : to give power to the local units

In-class Activities

Get in the group assigned at the beginning of this class. As a group prepare a poster/
placard/or letter addressed to the public in which you highlight a social problem and
then ask for adopting measures to control or eradicate the problem.

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Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. When was the first Five Year plan introduced in Nepal?
b. Which is the first university of Nepal?
c. What is referendum?
d. What is Constituent Assembly?
e. When did the Second Constituent Assembly come to an end?
f. When did the election at the local level take place after Nepal turned to a
republic state?
g. When did the election at the provincial and federal level take place in
Nepal?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.
a. How is Muluki Ain amendment of 2020 BS a milestone of change in Nepal’s
history?
b. Write about the changes brought about by Interim Constitution of Nepal
2063 BS.
c. How did Land Reform Law bring changes in the Nepali society?
d. Write about the reforms made in administrative front after 2007 BS.
e. Has Nepal’s education system been changed? Give your opinion.
f. Which were the important years in which the elections had taken place in
Nepal before the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal 2072?
g. Select any four major events from the lesson and draw a suitable time line.

Community Project Work

Make a list of social and economic reforms of your community after the Second Mass
Movement of 2062/2063 B.S.

190 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

6.8

Greek and Roman Civilizations

Pre-reading Activities

Do you watch Olympic games? Do you know where the Olympic games started? Do
you know where the democracy started? Share your views with the class.

Reading

Ancient Greece

Greece is located in the south-west border
of Europe. Some 5000 years ago, there was
a highly developed civilization in Greece.
Much of the modern day democratic practice
took place in ancient Greece. The current
words such as politics, democracy, citizen,
civics, etc. originated in Greece. As the land
was not fertile, Greeks used to travel and
trade around the world.

The Olympic games were started in 776 BC
in ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was made
up of small states called polis. Many polis
used to be combined and formed poli. From each poli players used to gather in a
place to play different games and sports in a harmonic way. Today’s Olympic games
is the developed form of it.

The ancient name of Greece is ‘Yunan’ and its capital city was Athens. People over
there were called Greek or Yunani. In ancient Greece, people from each polis used
to gather in a place and conduct the election of polis council. Today much common
words like 'politics' 'democracy' and 'citizen' originated from the ancient Greece only.
There was a temple and great statue of Zeus, the god of gods of Greek people. As
land of the Greece was not fertile, people used to travel far for their livelihood. The
Parthenon temple of Athens is an epitome of sculpture.

Greece was the center of art, architecture, literature, science and philosophy. During
this period, poets such as Homer wrote the epics Iliad and Odyssey. Dramatist

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such as Aeschylus and Euripides wrote great plays and tragedies. They had a
highly developed theatre as well. Famous ancient thinkers such as Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle lived in ancient Greece. Socrates happily drank poison for the sake of truth
and justice. His disciple, Plato, developed a famous book of political science called
‘Republic’. In fact, most of the subjects and knowledge we have now originate from
Greek civilization.

Ancient Rome

Today’s Italy, which lies in the Mediterranean
Sea in the south of Europe, was a large empire
in ancient times. It was called Rome, which
stood on the bank of the Tiber River. There is
an interesting story about the birth of Rome.
There was a small state called Latinum, on the
western shore of Italy. The last king of Latinum
had a daughter who was seduced by the god Mars and bore two sons: Romulus and
Remus. Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome on the Tiber. Later, strife grew
between two brothers and Remus was killed. Romulus established the city, Rome, in
753 BC.

Ancient Roman society was divided into two classes; the Patricians and the Plebeians.
The Patricians were rich and powerful. They enjoyed all political, economic and legal
powers. On the other hand, Plebeians were poor and deprived of rights and facilities.
Plebeians had to struggle to live while Patricians lived like kings. As a result, a long
strife followed between these two classes for about 200 years. Plebeians fought against
Patricians for their rights. Finally, Plebeians triumphed, the Patricians surrendered.
From this point on, Roman society changed. Plebeians got their rights called ‘Laws of
Twelve Tables’. Twelve Tables refers to tablets of wood and bronze on which laws of
the state were inscribed. Those tablets were erected in the Roman cities for people to
know about the laws, which applied to everyone, great or small, rich or poor. Rome
became a strong united and equal society. This was the beginning of the growth of
Roman Empire.

Rome-Carthage War

There was a powerful kingdom called
Carthage in North Africa. As Rome became
stronger, Carthage could not tolerate it. Soon,
a war broke out between Carthage and Rome.
The war is also known as the Punic war. The
war took place three times. The second war is
called “Hannibal War”. The second war had
broken out because of Carthegian Commander
Hannibal’s hatred toward Romans. In the third attempt, Romans prevailed, and
Carthage was defeated. Defeated Carthegians then served as slaves to Romans.

192 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Julius Caesar (100-44 BC)

Julius Caesar is an important historical figure of ancient Julius Caesar
Rome. During his rule, Rome was extended from Spain in the
west to Euphrates River in the east, from Sahara in the south
to England in the north. Caesar conquered almost every state
he attacked so he would say “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
But Caesar was killed in Senate on March 15, 44 BC. He
was accused of being a dictator. After Julius passed away,
his nephew Augustus Caesar took over the reign. Augustus
ruled for 44 years. This period of 44 years is also called
‘Golden age’ of Rome. Augustus initiated a lot of reforms. He
changed monitory and judicial system. He increased power of
municipalities and provinces and granted autonomy to these
units. Art, literature and culture flourished. Roads, bridges,
public buildings and theaters were built across Rome.

Romans respected laws. In fact, they were the first to make Augustus Caesar

written laws. They took laws as the lifeblood of the state.

Three types of laws were in practice. They were Civil Law, the Law of the People, and

Natural Law.

Wisdom of Romans

Rome is basically known for three things: law, citizenship and roads. Roman respected
laws and followed them. Rome treated its citizens equally. No man was better than
another. In the heart, a Roman citizen felt equal to any other Roman citizen. The third
most important thing about Rome was its roads. Romans knew how to build roads
and how to make them last long. Durability of roman roads is legendary. Hundreds
of miles of Roman roads still exist despite centuries of use.

Free the Words

conquer : to win over
devolve : to give power to the local units
durability : lasting for a long time

In-class Activities

1. Draw a map of Greece and show the following in it.
Athens, Aegean Sea, Mount Olympus, Mediterranean Sea, Lamla, Larisa, Great
Island
2. CollectthefactsandpicturesrelatedtoGreekandRomancivilizationsfromthe
library, Internet, newspaper, journals, etc. and prepare a scarp book.

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 193

Exercise

1. Fill up the gaps with information from the lesson.
a. Rome is named after ……………………….
b. Two different classes, ………………… and …………………., made up
ancient Roman society.
c. Rome fought war with Carthage ……………. times.
d. …………………. ruled Rome for 44 years.
e. ………………… initiated judicial and economic reforms.
f. Much of the current democratic practices started in …………….

2. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. When and where were Olympic games started?
b. Write about the foundation of the city of Rome.
c. What was the cause of war between Plebeians and Patricians?
d. Why did the war break out between Rome and Carthage?
e. Why is Augustus' period called the Golden Age of Rome?

3. Write short answers to the following questions.
a. What was the Greek civilization like? Describe it.
b. What is a law of Twelve Tables? Describe.
c. Discuss the contributions of Roman civilization to the modern world.
d. Present the similarities and the differences of ancient civilization between
Nepal and Greece in a table.

Community Project Work

Write a letter to the editor of a national daily. In the letter explain how education helps
promote democracy.

194 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

6.9

Renaissance

Pre-reading Activities

• What do you know about this painting?
• What is it famous for?
• Who painted it?
• Can you guess the date of this painting?
• How would you interpret the painting?

Reading

The painting of Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci is known as the famous painting
belonging to the Renaissance. Then, what is Renaissance? In this lesson, we are going
to learn about Renaissance, literally rebirth or reawakening.
You have learnt about Greek civilization and Roman civilization in previous lesson.
These ancient civilizations had given Europe a great deal of inventions, learning,
music, art and literature. But as these civilizations collapsed, many of these discoveries
were lost. During the middle age (1000-1450 AD), also called the Dark Age, people
in Europe had to fight with hunger, war and poverty. As a result, most of those great
advancements were forgotten.
At the dawn of 14th century, when conditions began to improve in Europe, people
began to discover arts, and knowledge of ancient Greeks and Romans. This period
is called the Renaissance. Renaissance means rebirth. Renaissance actually refers to
the period in Europe during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries when people became
interested in the ideas and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The Europeans used
the influences of ancient Greek and Roman findings in their own art, literature and
discovery during the Renaissance. The Renaissance began in 1350 in Italy and then
spread to France, Germany, England and then all over Europe. The given chart shows
the causes of Renaissance.

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Rapid urbanization

Development of sea Causes of Spread of Arabian
route Renaissance civilization and culture

Increment in knowledge Publication of books in Europe
and experience due to trade and newspapers
and tour and opposition to

religious orthodoxy

Discoveries and Inventions of Renaissance Period

Literature and Arts

Dante Alighieri composed the famous epic, Divine

Comedy in the local Tuscan language. Thus he brought

literature to the reach of common people. Before

this, most literature was written either in Greek or in

Latin. As Bhanubhakta is for us, so is Dante for Italy.

In Divine Comedy, Dante has mocked the elites of the

contemporary Italy. Other Renaissance scholars of Italy

include Francesco Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio and Dante Alighieri
Niccolo Machiavelli. In England, William Shakespeare,

Francis Bacon and Thomas More wrote on humanism. Montaigne and Calvin did the

same. Most importantly, all these writers wrote in their own mother tongues, instead

of traditionally writing in Greek or Latin.

In the realm of art, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raffaello Sanzio brought out
excellent paintings. Da Vinci was an expert of art, science, construction, mathematics
and music. Vinci’s paintings, Monalisa, The Last Supper, The Virgin and Child with
Saint Anne are world famous. Of them, Monalisa is the most famous. Monalisa is
said to be the wife of a trader. The Monalisa’s smile is very appealing. Michaelangolo
had made 135 paintings and 294 sculptures. Of Angelo’s work, The Last Judgment

196 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

is very famous. Sculptors Ghiberti (1378-1455), Donatello and Luca Della Rubbia
revolutionized European sculptures.

Science

Scientific revolution of the Renaissance changed
people’s view about themselves and universe.
Nicolas Copernicus of Poland proved that the
earth, the moon and the planets revolved round
the sun. Italian astronomer Galileo invented
the telescope. With it he further proved that the
earth revolved around the sun. British scientist
Sir Isaac Newton propounded the laws of
motion and gravitation. The new philosophy
about the world and the people shifted people’s belief from religious faith to human
values. Printing press and compass came into being.

Geography

Renaissance is also the age of geographical
discovery. The king of Spain Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella sponsored Christopher Columbus’
voyages of discovery. Columbus discovered
America in 1492. Portuguese navigator, Vasco Da
Gama, discovered India. Marco Polo discovered
China. With new discovery, human relations
between the countries grew stronger.

With revolution in literature, art, science and
geography, the world no more remained dark, as it had been until 1400.

Free the Words

mock : to satirize, to make fun of

elite : rich people

aristocrats : people born to the highest class of the society

realm : area of interest, knowledge

propound : to suggest explanation, idea

In-class Activities

During the Renaissance, three important technologies played an important role: gun
powder, compass, and printing press. Divide the class into three groups and ask each
group to discuss how one of the objects listed could have impacted human civilization.

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Exercise

1. Write very short answers to the following questions.
a. Define Renaissance.
b. Who is Monalisa?
c. What is Michelangelo famous for?
d. When did printing press and compass come into being?
e. What is Divine Comedy about?

2. Write short answers to the following questions.

a. Describe the living condition of Europeans during the Middle Age.

b. Why is Middle Age also called the Dark Age?

c. Write about scientific inventions and discoveries made during the
Renaissance.

d. In the column on your right, list the contributions these personalities (on
your left) made during the Renaissance.

Personalities Contributions

Leonardo Da Vinci

Copernicus

Galileo

Newton

Columbus

Dante

Shakespeare

e. What were the major causes of Renaissance? Explain.
f. How has the Renaissance influenced the modern society?

Community Project Work

Many other important things, except those mentioned in this lesson, were invented
during the Renaissance. Find about them and write a short paragraph.

198 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8

Unit Review

In this unit, we have learnt that :

 King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha kingdom started the unification
process of modern Nepal.

 Unification is known as bringing many tiny states together into a bigger
nation.

 Unification process in Nepal began with the annexation of Nuwakot
 Many conflicts and wars took place during the unification.
 people’s participation, effective organization of army, and diplomacy

played the key roles during the unification campaign.
 After Prithivi Narayan Shah, the unification campaign was carried out

by the able historical personalities such as Queen Rajendra Laxmi and
Bahadur Shah.
 Despite many autocratic policies and practices, a lot of social reforms took
place during the Rana rule.
 social, administrative, and educational reforms took place after the
democratic movement of 2007 and the fall of Rana rule.
 Greek and Roman civilizations were the most developed civilizations of
ancient world.
 Greek and Roman civilizations contributed to art, architecture, literature,
education, politics, and philosophy.
 The period starting from 14th century to 16th century is popularly known
as Renaissance.
 Renaissance means rebirth or reawakening, during which arts, literature,
painting, and science were developed.

Test Your knowledge

1. In what respects are Julius Ceaser and Prithvi Narayan Shah similar? Compare
the deeds of these two statesmen and prepare a report. (Ref. lessons: Ancient
Rome, Nepal towards Unification)

2. There must be some monument, temple, tap, etc made by one of the Rana Prime
Ministers in your community. Find it out and write a report on when it was
made, who made it and how it benefitted the society. Make a sketch or take a
photo of your subject and paste it alongside your report.

(Ref lesson: Rana Reforms)

3. Write about reforms initiated after Nepal became republic in 2006. Include,
administrative, social and educational reforms. (Ref. lesson: Post - 2007 Reforms)

4. Write about a woman from your community who has achieved a lot despite
hardships and obstacles. (Ref lesson: Rajendra Laxmi)

Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8 199

Community Project Work

1. Prepare a short biography of the following personalities. Consult the Internet,
books or encyclopedia.

200 Oasis Social Studies and Population Education 8