As I saw the name of the tallest peak of the Himalaya Mountain range written as Mount Everest in the map of Nepal, published by the Survey of India office of Dehradun, India, I felt an immense sense of inferiority, and my mind hurt. In the second edition of the map, the mountain was named Mount Everest and Chomolungma, but still without a Nepalese name. With a view to rectifying the error, I published a research-based article entitled Sagarmatha Ya Jhyamolongma in the Sharada magazine. But on this, I was accused of "trying to bring an insult to us (the rulers) by giving a Nepalese name to the mountain peak already named after our English friend." I was nearly banished from the country escaped by a hair's breadth.
BABURAM ACHARYA (March 10, 1888-September 5, 1972). Nepal's historian laureate, was a scholar and researcher who pioneered the writing of Nepalese history based on indigenous resources. He is credited with discovering the Nepalese native name "Sagarmatha," for the world's tallest mountain. An honorary member of the Royal Nepal Academy, he was awarded the Tribhuvan Award in 1963. He wrote 14 books (seven published posthumously) and over 100 research articles on Nepalese history, culture, literature, and foreign relations. He is best known for his four-volume biography of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal, and The Bloodstained Throne, which is a compilation of historical essays that recount some of the bloody battles for power in Nepal.
China Tibet and Nepal is his next acclaimed book.
Asked what prompted him to search the Nepalese name of the tallest peak, Baburam said, "That is my way of loving my country. It is an act of patriotism. We all must love our motherland."
Since the history of Nepal is a deep and intense subject, we all will do well to understand the importance of its studies. True history is a guide, a torch that emblazons the motherland, a trail that those who are confused will follow, and a supreme source that provides inspiration to those who happen to stand at the crossroads. "History" is not a mere account of the works and life of the royal family. How was people's life like in a certain period? Where did civilization first dawn and how? Which were the basic tenets based on which the country grew, bloomed and became prosperous? What were the malpractices, corruption, and acts of injustice that caused harm to the nation, stalled progress, while creating hurdles on the path of growth and development? A true history of a sacred country such as Nepal can't be written without finding answers to these questions, and at the same time without doing analytical research of the facts and truths, and diligently collecting the materials of the past.
Which is the period that would mark the beginning of the Nepalese history? This itself is yet to be ascertained. Truth be told, we can safely say that Nepal's history remains unwritten till now. Those that have been written bear out the paints of unhistorical colours of one type or another. Some others suffer from a lack of historical perspective, and it will be no exaggeration to say that the bulk was written out with special motives in mind.
In India, the East India Company (EIC) rose to prominence. Led by the "Bible" and "trade," Western imperialism began its expansion. Even in the remote corners of the world, political conspiracies were played out in the name of religion. From India, they began to cast their eyes on Nepal too. As the main road leading to Tibet was in this country, it was but natural for them to show interest in the rule and administration here. Well versed in their own education system, the English, equipped with their eagle eyesight, made efforts to take an x-ray of Nepal's internal organs. There was only one great person who could evaluate them-especially the pastors and make a real assessment of the loss or gains to be accrued from them, and this person was none other than His Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Outwitted were all the kings and kinglets of India; all fell into their trap. All (countries) were encircled inside the red line. As per the historians, King Ranjit Singh, the Lion of Punjab, was the one person who, having a full grasp of the situation, decided to follow the policy of doing it alone and separately. However, he too couldn't make his empire last long as the basis of its existence, like many others, lacked certain fundamental principles. The Sikhs were quick to raise doubts about him and the huge province he had controlled.
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