Sir Juddha's Legacy

Sir Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal's prime minister in September 1, 1932 succeeding Bhim Shumsher. His legacy is important as he is the first among those who chose to keep Nepal firmly under Western security alliance. His attempts to industrialize agrarian Nepal is witnessed by Juddha Match Factory, a commodity of extreme importance to Nepalese kitchens and smokers of cheroot and bidi (mini cigars).
Sir Juddha's contribution to Nepal's isolated economy was seen in his willingness to be allied with Western nations against Japan's Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere alliance which was raising nationalist opposition throughout Asia. Sir Juddha understood that Western powers namely England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States were its principal allies and not Imperial Japan lead by nationalists and revisionists. Nationalist Japan wanted Asia's markets for itself and wanted to impose its monopoly and kick out its British, American and Dutch competitors from India, the Philippines and East Indies, respectively. Imperial Japan also wanted to takeover vast riches of Australia, a sparsely populated European haven but with poor population and military resources to defend itself. Comprehending this complex strategic scenario, Sir Juddha's crucial support to Allied Forces in World War II was a factor that kept Nepal a sovereign entity and free from communist manipulation until now.

Nepal's youth of Sir Juddha 's era were poor peasants. The Mongolian stock, who migrated to the Himalayan middle ranges from Tibet in the long course of migration (see Dor Bahadur Bista's people of Nepal) are broadly categorized into Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Rais and Limbus. During Great King Prithvi Narayan Shah, born in 1723 and reigning king from 1768-1775, the Mongolian Magars of the principality of Gorkha were recruited along with Gurungs into the Gorkha Army. King Prithvi ordered the formation of Purano Gorakh company and other companies armed with European muskets and contact blades (Famous khukuris, scimitars and rapiers)purchased from Europeans in India. It can be deduced that during unification of Nepal and during the prolonged siege and subsequent takeover of Kathmandu Valley, the main trade center between East India company held India and Tibet, Gorkha soldiers destroyed a relief force led by Captain Kinlock in August 1767 ref:http://www.ecs.com.np/archive/oct_03/article_5.htm).

The 2,400 man force was defeated by King Prithvi's battle groups and they again captured a large loot of European arms. The battle of Pauwa Gadhi cost East India company's Bengal Army contingent to 1,600 men which finally dwindled to 700 after its failure to relieve Kathmandu's King Jaya Prakash Malla. The East India Company government was further involved in armed conflicts with Nepal's Gurkha soldiers in 1814-1816, the same time their government was enaged in the War of 1812 against the Thirteen Colonies in North America. After Nepal's defeat and loss of its Far Western territories to British forces, the English began recruiting in Nepal primarily from Hill Tribes of the Mongolian Stock and some Chhettris, a nationality associated with the Brahmins, a chief educated and priestly class of kingmakers and court scribes and administrators. The Brahmins have been involved in serious conspiracies against Jung Bahadur in the infamous Bhandarkhal conspiracy and Damodar Pande's seizure of Rana Bahadur Shah's attempt to assert control.

The peasant rural Nepalis received critical skills in first aid, cash crops, and of course expertise in the operation of modern armamments. Chinese civil war was raging then between the Kuomintang nationalists and Mao Tse Tung's communist forces. The communist army had retreated to China's interior from urban areas and were organizing a massive Long March to take over the country into single xenophobic rule. Greater threat to European interest was the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere economic and miliatry alliance propounded by extreme nationalists in control of Imperial Japanese Affairs. Army officers who organized these fanatical movement in Tokyo advocated freedom from restriction imposed by Western powers. Total control of China for Japan's interest was the objective of this cliche which preached arming and move away from League of Nations and restrictive naval agreements.

After brief success due to strategic surprise obtained at Pearl Harbor, US Navy stymied Japan's invasion plan of Australia in famous Coral Sea and Midway Battles. And recognizing immense industrial capacity of the United States, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and his assistant Admiral Chuichi Nagumo attempted to use Japan's land forces against both Australia (in New Guinea and other Oceanic islands like Guadalcanal and Bougainville) and British ruled Burma. The Japanese 18th Division under its 33rd Army attempted to invade India and push out the British and its allies including the Ranas from South Asia.

But the Muslim League led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Nepali rana leaders saw the contribution of the British in education, infrastructure and industrial development of South Asia and their respective areas of interest. Sir Juddha mobilized the Nepalese military units as the Purano Gorakh regiment and sent them to Burma front against the invading Japanese. Officer corps in India also generally supported British effort to ward off the yellow peril. The Allies were victorious and the Japanese forces could never make it beyond Nagaland and Assam border. In Burma, British and Allied forces including US Rangers and Chinese nationalist Y-Force broke the back of Japanese power in South East Asia. Singapore was avenged and the Dutch were restored in Java and Sumatra.

But Sir Juddha foresaw returning Nepali soldiers would bring with them socialist ideas. Churchill lost to Labor as war weary Englishmen returned home. In the colonies, nationaists pressured British to vacate India while communist and Congress manipulated returning Gurkha soldiers as the Liberation Army. After several bloody incidents, King Tribhuvan was taken to India while Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher annaounced present King Gyanendra as the new Nepalese monarch. Sir Juddha since left for Argheli palace as sage king after allowing the mantle of power to go to Padma Shumsher and to Chandra Shumsher's son Sir Mohan Shumsher.

Juddha Shusmsher Rana can thus be surmised into a pontificate of authority at a time when restive populations were being manipulated by agitators to follow Marxism-Leninism. His alternative native benevolent autocracy favored sustainable development of politics. Nepal's position as an integral state is owed much to his recognition of tidal waves of political movements which swept away once strong leaders like Chilean Capitano General Bernardo O'Higgins. Bernardo built Chile out of the chaos of post Bolivarian Latin America. But today Chile is in a better position than say Mexico vis a vis Nepal.

(Sir Juddha's birthday is in April 19, 1875 and all from his clan are celebrating it with great dignity and honor.