Kings and Political Leaders of the Gorkhali Empire, 1768-1814

Looking at history as a study of change, the author argues that the mainspring of change in the economy and society of the Gorkhali Empire of the eighteenth century is to be found not among the peasantry but in the political decision of the hill state of Gorkha to expand its territories. The king and the ruling elite reaped direct benefits from territorial expansion but for the workers and peasants, territorial expansion meant over-taxation, enslavement, forced labour services and other burdens. The book argues that the workers and peasants paid not only for the ambitions of their kings and political leaders, but also for their follies and rivalries.