Abstract

This chapter examines the dynamics of the political transformations that occurred in Nepal until 1990 to elucidate the institutionalization of the nation in ethno-cultural terms in the 1990 Constitution. It discusses the role of law in reinforcing and fixing a cogent Nepali national identity, focusing on the developments of the Nepali state and how its national identity has been construed vis-à-vis the internal socio-cultural diversity of the polity. The state has used nationalism as its primary tool to legitimize its power in different stages of Nepal's historical developments. The various legal enactments played a key role in disseminating and strengthening Nepal's three defining narratives: the Shah monarchy, Hinduism, and the Nepali language. The chapter describes the development and interplay over time of two important political categories: the South Asian concept of Hindu kingship and the transplanted European concept of the modern nation-state.

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