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PIONEER NEPALI
STUDENTS IN JAPAN-A CENTURY AGO
by Harendra B. Barua
Introduction
Chestnut1, Chrysanthemum, Persimmon and Wisteria
(big Kattus, Godavari Phool, Haluwabed and Nil-lahar)
respectively are familiar flowers and fruits of Nepal and well
known in Kathmandu. All these flowers and fruits have been
very common in Japan for hundreds of years. The existence
of these beauties and delicacies was not known in Nepal
before the beginning of the 20th century. These fruits and
the flowers were the first humble contributions made by the
Nepali youths on their return home after completing studies
in Japan a century ago. Seeds of the flowers and fruits were
first planted in the gardens of the aristocrats. The youth also
taught the workers the technical know-how they had learned.
At a time when the countries of Asia and elsewhere were
sending their students to the West for advanced learning in
the early 20th century, Nepal sent its students to Japan for
advanced learning in the fields of ammunition making,
mechanical engineering, mining, agriculture, applied
chemistry and ceramics. Owing to the circumstances
prevailing at the time, modernisation efforts were not
continued systematically in the later years. Political stability
and peace conducive to the development programme existed
and government could have launched many programmes
during the 104 years of long and peaceful rule of the Ranas
equivalent of the Shogun in Japan, had they possessed the
vision and the political will. On the contrary the country was
kept isolated from the outside the world for over a century.
The Ranas established their oligarchic rule and
remained in power from 1846 to 1951. During this period,
even the King's role was reduced to merely ceremonial
functions. But the sovereignty of the King continued and was
fully acknowledged with honour. The highest office of the de
facto ruler was the prime minister and other ministerial
offices were occupied by the senior Ranas. An oligarchic
prime ministership was established within the Rana family.
This situation was analogous to that of the Shogun and
Emperor in the then Japan. Tokugawa Shogun regime lasted
from 1603 to 1867. A closed-door policy was adopted during
this regime which is also known as the Edo period.
The rise of the Ranas was due to the unstable court
politics of Nepal between 1775 to 1846. All the powerful
clans (Thapas, Pandes, Basnyets) including the Kunwar
family played different roles in the court politics. The central
authority was weakened due to many political upheavals
followed by continuous instability. The situation was ripe for
stable change. The founder of the Rana regime was Jung
Bahadur who belonged to the Kunwar clan. Jung Bahadur
rose himself from an ordinary army captain to the post of
Prime Minister at the age of twenty-nine only. He established
authority in the country from 1846 to 1877 till his death. He
also saved Nepal by appeasing the East India Company, the
British ruler in India.
Nepali Prime Minister Jung Bahadur and Japanese
Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan (1590) rose from the bottom
to the top. Both of them established authority over the whole
of their respective countries. Hideyoshi was a common footsoldier
whereas Jung Bahadur was an army captain.
However, some benevolent Rana Prime Minister made
some efforts to ameliorate the lot of the common people. But
whenever they tried to introduce reforms, they were
vehemently opposed, or swiftly removed from their positions
by the rivals, their own brothers and cousins.
Prime Minister Dev Shumsher Rana has been
recognised by the historians as the first benevolent,
progressive and liberal-minded ruler. He had a great vision
and introduced a number of reforms. He made considerable
improvements in the arsenal at Nakkhu (South of
Kathmandu City), proclaimed universal education, ordered
three hundred primary schools2 to be opened all over the
country, started the nation's first news media The
Gorkhapatra3 (the daily with a large nationwide circulation)
took steps to abolish the slavery system and several other
social welfare schemes. The most conspicuous was the midday
gun-fire (cannon) at the center of Kathmandu which was
practiced from 1901 without break till 1989. The idea was to
draw the attention of the public to the mid-day time. He also
had a council of advisors in which people from all walks of
life were represented. He often talked about the
parliamentary system of government under the King. During
his time he consistently attempted to ameliorate the lot of the
common people and had sponsored several development
programmes. Dev Shumsher had an Assembly hall at his
residence in Thapathali, Kathmandu, where people's
representatives used to attend the meeting. Representatives
from the oppressed class were also included in the Assembly
for the first time, according to Mr. Himalaya S. Rana, great-
grand-son of Dev Shumsher. Probably that was a kind of
Parliament that Dev Shumsher had in mind.
Another Prime Minister Padma Shumsher also tried to
bring some reforms by encouraging education,
administration, local autonomy, independent judiciary and
some other welfare programmes. In spite of all these good
ideas he lacked the statesmanship and qualities of leadership
and had to resign voluntarily.
Those were just some of the reforms that Dev
Shumsher Rana initiated. To carry out reforms successfully
he needed a great deal of technical manpower, new knowhow,
technology from advanced countries and was looking
for the opportunity to get them. One day he happened to
meet his old friend, an Indian, Swami Purananda Giri in
Kathmandu. Mr. Giri had travelled in the U.S.A. Japan and
some other advanced countries. He spoke highly of Japan
during his conversation with Prime Minister Dev Shumsher.
Swami Giri was said to be the follower of the great Indian
philosopher and reformer. Swami Vivekananda became
world famous after his speech at the World Religion Congress
in Chicago in 1893. Swami Giri might have travelled to
many countries with his Guru.
Dev Shumsher might have been impressed by Japan's
rapid transformation, the change of an agricultural feudal
society to an industrial nation, and the establishment of
numerous small and medium industries and technical
schools. He might have thought that all these could be useful
in Nepal. He decided to send eight students to Japan and
asked Swami Giri to accompany them as a guide.
Unfortunately, Dev Shumsher could not implement his plans
during his tenure of the office. The liberal minded Dev
Shumsher was also liberal on extravaganzas, according to the
historians. His rivals in the Rana family were not happy with
his progressive ideas. May be with internal and external
supports a bloodless coup d'etat against Dev Shumsher was
staged, by his own brother, Chandra Shumsher Rana, who
succeeded him as Prime Minister in 19014. Dev Shumsher
was ousted from his position on June 27, 1901 after only 114
days in office and was exiled. At first he went to Dhankuta
and later settled down in Mussorie, a hill station in India, not
far from West Nepal till his last day.
It is said that Dev Shumsher was aware of the plot
attempted by his brother Chandra Shumsher. But he
believed that his liberal political views would be appreciated
by the masses and that once he had won their confidence,
none of his rivals would dare to move against him. Thus
convinced, he went on to implement his reform programmes.
Although Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher Rana
(1901-29) disliked the idea of universal education5 and social
reform progammes, he was a shrewd ruler and administrator
who consolidated the Rana rule in Nepal. He implemented
some of the reformation programmes initiated by Dev
Shumsher. He permitted the eight youths to go to Japan. He
knew that Japan was becoming an Asian power. Chandra
Shumsher met Rev. Ekai Kawaguchi in 1903 during his
second visit to Nepal. Rev. Ekai Kawaguchi was the first
Japanese national to visit Nepal in March 1903. During this
meeting Chandra Shumsher's direct question to Kawaguchi
was what has transformed Japan into so great a power as she
is now. Kawaguchi's reply was education and patriotism6.
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