An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal – and of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha –

“… is a seminal description of the history of Nepal, much sought after and unobtainable for a very long time. Written almost two centuries ago, it is a methodical, non-judgemental perspective of the history of Nepal and its people. Although some portions may now seem obsolete, it is still of great value tot he scholar, since it is impossible to read works of later historians without a constant reference to their predecessors. Apart from this. An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal also contains information which has still not been fully exploited by modern scholars.

Hamilton’s work stands out as the best of the early accounts of Nepal. Written in lucid, matter-of-fact language, it is the only account which discusses the entire country of Nepal and does not limit itself to the Kathmandu valley. Hamilton talks in detail about the tribes, the physical features of the country, laws and government, and the various princely states that led to the birth of the Nepal that we know.

Hamilton lived in Nepal for a year in the early nineteenth century. He gathered his information from travellers and people who played a major role in the formation of the Gorkha empire. His chapters on the hills – in French anthropologist Marc Goborieau’s words – ‘are still unsurpassed’ and reflect the genius of a meticulous master.”