An Account Of The Kingdom Of Nepal

For the period after the unification of Nepal, Kirkpatrick had given only a brief account of the government and administration such as he could observe them in 1793. Hamilton not only completed this picture; he also tried to show how they had evolved from the form of government that existed previously under the Chaubisi, and how the local administration of the Gorkhali took over the tasks of the former Rajas all over the new kingdom; if we add to this his substantial sketch of historical events in that period, we must admit that Hamilton's book gives us the most comprehensive-yet concise-history of Nepal from Prithvi Narayan to 1814. Only Hodgson- working in much better conditions later threw more light on the problems of law and administration in Nepal.

For all these reasons, far from being a curiosity for collectors, the book of Hamilton, generally reliable 40 easy, and pleasant to read, remains one of our most important sources.