BMD

The Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day is being observed today in commemoration of Nepal’s unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah. Though this is not a public holiday, the day is widely marked. Everyone pays tributes to the late king as the founder of modern Nepal.
Enthroned at the age of 20 in the Gorkha kingdom, Shah’s contribution to building a Nepali nation is remarkable. He started the unification campaign in 1743 and finally conquered the Kathmandu Valley in 1768.
Amid many adverse challenges, Shah was able to bring different principalities into a single nation state. The British rule in India had posed a threat to all divided states across Nepal. The persistent menace from the British Raj prompted him to initiate the unification drive and achieve his dream of unification without further delay.
His Divyopadesh (divine counsel) amply suggests that he was a great statesman. According to historians, PN Shah was worried about the possibility of the collapse of his newly created state after having fallen ill just before his demise on January 11, 1775. And he called his courtiers, brothers and cousins, royal priests and scribes to gather for listening to his valued counsels and asked them to pass on the teachings to his offspring and successors.
It is notable that his counsels carry a variety of themes ranging from national unity, abhorrence of corruption to avoidance of bickering for power. He also advised them on the pragmatic foreign policies towards neighbouring British and Chinese empires.
Needless to say, his counsels are accounts of his motivations, actions and experiences. They are often cited by political analysts and politicians discussing major policy and governance issues. The teachings still bear moral weight and military insights essential for robustly conducting domestic and foreign policies.
Showing his great respect for the cultural diversity of Nepal, Shah termed the country as a garden of all tribes and castes. His observation that Nepal is a garden of four castes and thirty-six colours is still popular among people. This calls for harmony among people belonging to diverse castes and nationalities.
In addition, he was in favour of promoting a participatory approach when it comes to the involvement of people in the system of governance. He would ask people from different castes to lead institutions turn by turn. He even directed people to take roles which are suitable for them while governing the nation. His statecraft was based on competency as he adopted meritocracy over nepotism. He was in favour of appointing learned priests in all courts to interpret the legal provisions and principles.
The king considered the persons involved in giving and accepting bribery as the biggest enemy of the country and suggested strangest penalty to them. He stopped soldiers and peasants from seeking bribes. He never allowed the money collected in the courts to be used for the palace. This shows his firm commitment to maintaining good governance.
He was dedicated to protecting the nation from the foreign imperial powers. Maintaining a balanced foreign policy was his motto. And he would direct the government to abide by this principle.
As a nationalist, he embraced a protectionist policy to promote domestic industries and trade with foreign nations. He was unwilling to invite foreign traders inside the country. His economic nationalism is relevant today as it stresses achieving self-reliance and prosperity. His farsightedness, smart military strategy and inclusive cultural policy show that he was far ahead of his time.