Charles Granville Bruce

“ A distinguished mountaineer has lately remarked that, though he recognised merits, he considered that he preferred Europeans to any Asiatic native — technical qualifications being put on one side — on account of their greater power of resisting fatigue and discomfort. I have always doubted his outlook, and since my visit to Nepal doubt it still more. The inhabitants, all small, of a Japanese build, but varying, owing to their descent, in colour and physiognomy, come down to the frontier mart to earn a living, and there earn it by the sweat of their brows. ”

“ The old resident in India on his journey up to Nepal is surprised and startled by being met with generally smiling faces, by being asked by little ladies seated on the wayside whether he isn’t thirsty — that is, if he is not travelling in too much state and has a sufficiently unconventional mind to smile back at all smilers. ”

“ They have nearly all learnt in Nepal itself, where they have an excellent English school. A surprising fact about them is that they are excellent military historians. All that is military has for the Nepalese a great attraction; in fact, the entire State seems to be run on semi-military principles, a mode of government that appears to suit the people very well. The one little mote in the eye of all this militarism is that physical exertion does not appeal to the upper classes, to the very great detriment of the actual training of their army itself. ”

“ Seeing that Hinduism is a non-proselytising religion, how did this arise? In old days the whole part of the Himalaya now included in the kingdom of Nepal was occupied by different races of evident Mongolian descent; some of undoubtedly high culture, who probably all belonged to the Newar races. The different Mohammedan invasions of India, and their conquests of old Rajput states, which covered different long periods of time, caused many of the conquered or irreconcilables to fly to any part where they could be safe from Mohammedan tyranny. Many came to Nepal. ”

“ It is delightfully steep to run down, very unpleasant to be carried down, and still more unpleasant to ride down. Still it is a sensible road, or at least it would be if it were kept in good repair. But do not let us leave the top of the pass for a moment. The view of the Nepal Valley is quite unmatched: Kashmir has nothing so fine to show. Gorgeous as the Kashmir views are, notably from the Nagmarg across the Wular Lake, there is nothing so suggestive or containing such strong contrasts as the views of the Chitlung Pass overlooking the Nepal Valley. ”

“ The journey to Nepal is one of intense interest. After travelling in a succession of small-gauge railways through the deadly dull plains of Upper Bengal, annoyed at every station by the babblings of Neolithic man in the person of Bengali ryots, one arrives finally at the back of beyond — Raxaul Station — saved at the eleventh hour from what the begging letter writer has called self-self-destruction, by arrival at the real comforts of the Residency Bungalow. ”

“ The men are physically excellent, though badly set up and equipped archaically, and armed with what apparently is the old Brown Bess — very old indeed, and apparently never cleaned; yet the regiments have many of them historic names, have an excellent pride in themselves, and an excellent esprit de corps; in fact, the army is an army, in my opinion, and only requires a modern standard of training and arms to be a most formidable force. It is in all senses a regular army, by which I mean an army with national ideals and a sense of responsibility. ”

“ I believe I am correct in saying that the Newar race, the original owners of the Nepal Valley, are not enlisted in the combatant ranks of the army, or at least not in any numbers. This seems strange, as they fought splendidly and for long against the Goorkha kings, and for a great number of years quite held their own against all comers. They are the main representatives of the industrial part of the country. All the wonderful temples, brass work, and carving as seen in the big towns are due to them. ”

“ The bazaar is large and does great business, nearly all the merchandise, of whatever size, which passes through it being forwarded to Nepal — the heavier by elephants and bullock-carts for half the distance, the remainder by man, who is the universal porter, for Nepal is almost entirely without baggage animals. ”

“ The ordinary old Indian cannot imagine such trim gardens, such an appearance of general finish, and such well-kept gateways and roads as are to be seen throughout Nepal, as a characteristic of ordinary Indian life. It should be understood that the Nepalese themselves, when referring to Nepal, mean the actual Nepal Valley, which comprises the plains surrounding the city of Khatmandu, in which are the ancient towns of Patan and Bhatgaon, besides several other large villages, one or two of which almost arrive at the dignity of towns. ”

“ Inhabitants of other parts of the Nepal kingdom would almost invariably, if asked where they came from, name the district in which their village is situated, the reason for this being that historically the only part of the Nepal kingdom which can lay claim to the name is the actual valley which was the home of the Newars. The owners of the valley before this were conquered by the King of Goorkha and his followers some two hundred years ago, and to this day the greater number of the present inhabitants are of the Newar race. ”

“ Of a truth the land is full of contradictions — an ancient orthodox Hinduism, observed in the strictest manner, side by side with electric light installation set up by Nepalese engineers; a practically modern system of sanitation in the near towns with an excellent water-supply, next door to the crudest illustrations, very much of the Tantric Department of the Hindu religion, adorning the walls of the houses in public thoroughfares; prison laws and a treatment of criminals often in front of anything we can attain to in Europe, coupled with severe punishment for the slaughter of kine. ”

“ Hobhouse, M.P., Under Secretary of State, who was then travelling in India, but I saw what interested me a good deal more — the ordinary everyday parades and drills.
It is a curious army, probably the most remarkable of its kind in the world. It is continually being drilled in archaic manoeuvres, which, with the exception of the battalion marching movements, it always executes rather badly. But when the battalions are on the move, marching either in masses or as on the line of route, they perform very well. ”

“ At this period Buddhism was undoubtedly the religion of the Newars of the Nepal Valley. What was the religion of the surrounding hill tribes is doubtful, though it was certainly not original Buddhism, but probably a leaven of original Buddhism mixed up with innumerable old superstitions, very much as is the case with the present Hinduism of the same people.
At the present day the inhabitants of Nepal are most mixed; though, as I said, they all show signs of Mongolian descent. ”

“ It is unfortunate that few of the upper classes have sporting tastes. None play polo, for instance, and few, if any of them, care for any form of sport, with the exception of the annual great winter tiger shoots that take place in the Nepal Terai on the Indian border. ”

“ As these fugitive Rajputs, Brahmans, etc., brought South Indian education and culture into Nepal, then probably quite barbaric, it is very easy to see how they not only very soon became the most influential people in the different Hill States in which they sought refuge, but also impressed the Hindu religion on all with whom they were brought directly in contact. ”

“ Passing men and women smiled upon us with friendly faces, nowhere was there any trace of purdah or false shame, and on all sides industry was in evidence, the natives generally giving one the idea that they were busy about something, a very unusual experience in the East. ”

“ Then one realises that it is done of political necessity, and that although pipes are laid on, and a road could be made with the greatest facility, it is considered essential to the maintenance of political supremacy to leave things as they are. ”

“ Their houses are easily distinguished from the Goorkha houses, by their superior character. Further, Newars have always preferred to live in towns and villages. One very seldom sees Newar houses scattered about as is the case with the Goorkha houses. ”

“ It is large enough to allow at least a dozen battalions and half-a-dozen mountain batteries to drill on it at once. It must be a fine sight when a great ceremonial parade is held. I believe they are able to mass 80,000 troops on it, and that they are handled without confusion. ”