Product Description

A portrait of Nepal's doom-laden royal dynasty from its staggering expansion in the 18th century to the massacre in June 2001. Nepal has a history inextricably mixed with kingship. There have been kings in its mountain valleys for millennia. Buddha Siddharta was born a Nepalese prince and the current dynasty traces its ancestry to the Rajput princes from Rajasthan. Nepal is the last Hindu kingdom in the world, in which the same traditions of kingship are practised now as in Vedic times. Kings are gods, and history, kingship and myth are culturally woven together. The current Shah dynasty created modern Nepal and was the complete focus of national identity. It was, then, a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions when the heir to the throne, frustrated by his mother in his desire to marry a girl from a rival clan, slaughtered as many of the royal family as he could find in the palace. In a few bloody minutes Crown Prince Diprendra committed matricide, patricide, fratricide and suicide and ensured for himself a place in history's pantheon of deranged monarchs. This is not the first time the Nepalese royals have been involved in palace massacres. The story of the Shah dynasty is studded with sanguinary episodes, of fratricide, poisoning and the disposal of "unwanted" relatives that would put the Borgias to shame. The fact that the monarchy has divine status means that its trials and turmoils are instantly shared by the entire country. If the monarchy is in crisis, Nepal is too. Jonthan Gregson demonstrates how one small mountain kingdom has been the setting for a classic revenger's tragedy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #637525 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
Often reading like a Himalayan version of The Arabian Nights, this book shows that truth really is stranger than fiction in the kingdom of Nepal. Gregson began the tale of this inaccessible, exotic country in his travel book Kingdoms Beyond the Clouds. Here he presents a historical panorama, as bizarre and disturbing as the palace massacre of June 2001, when Crown Prince Dipendra killed as many of the royal family as possible and then himself. Starting with the conquest of Kathmandu by Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruler of the Gorkhas, Gregson follows the varied fortunes of ten generations of the Shah dynasty up to the reign of King Birendra. This involves a succession of regencies, bloody internal conflicts, rivalry between Senior and Junior Queens and even virtual imprisonment in the royal palace, while Rana and Shamsher Prime Ministers jostle for power and influence. Relations with Britain and India, Gurkha troops and savage tiger hunts are deftly woven into the narrative. Then the culminating story of Dipendra, his thwarted marriage plans and the horrific massacre is given the priority you would expect. The detailed background already provided gives a much clearer perspective on that tragic event and the ensuing official silence. Never succumbing to melodrama, even here Gregson relates the facts with equanimity. His contacts among surviving courtiers and members of the royal family bring him closer to finding out what actually happened. And what lies ahead for the monarchy, thrust into the reluctant hands of Gyanendra who 'never asked for the job, [nor] expected it'? The book tells of country as well as kings. Festivals relating to important events are glimpsed as the eclectic mix of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs is explained. The holy man's curse on Nepal's first king recurs, like a morbid refrain. A compelling if harrowing read, providing perceptive insight into a troubled and turbulent kingdom. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Jonathan Gregson was born in N. India. He is th author of Above the Clouds and a regular contributor to BBC1, Channel 4, Sunday Telegraph, Independent and many others. He has had unparalleled access to the Nepalese royal palace and has top level contacts within the Royal Secretariat. He has met the murdered king, his son, the new king and the rolay astrologer among many others.

Customer Reviews

fascinating insight into Nepalese royalty(deceased)
The wholesale slaughter of the Nepalese royal family in 2001 was probably the first time most people realised the family had ever existed in the first place.
This welcome book gives a detailed historical outline of the country and its royal family and recreates in the final section the bloody scene in the royal palace when the Crown Prince wiped out most of his living relatives.
The Crown Prince, yet another "distinguished" old Etonian, managed to set a gory record unlikely ever to be beaten when, in less than five minutes, he committed patricide, matricide, fratricide, sororicide, homicide, regicide, double deicide, and suicide. It will not, however, stand as an official record as he was on performance-enhancing drugs at the time.
Jonathan Gregson has written a well-researched and unique study.

Sad tale ...
This book is an interesting read and like many other books about the Royal Massacre it begins by a introduction of Nepal's history and about who conquered Nepal and how Kathmandu came to be the Present day city. However, for some readers the beginning may drag on and readers may lose interest nevertheless the book increases to capture the readers interest as it goes on to explain more about what happened on the night of the massacre. -A beautiful tale of a Royal Family