In the new context of the democratic political developments taking place in Nepal, the economic development process has acquired a new dimension. Though drastic changes in the direction and face of economic development in Nepal cannot be expected to take place, the involvement of the common man in the economic development process has made a major difference. In this connection the Nepalese Prime Ministrer G.P. Koirala has rightly said that Nepal believed in the possibility of the achievement of social and economic development in the salubrious ambience of political freedom, social justice and human rights. He had said that it had been Nepal's experience that these political rights, not in their essence but in their relationship, had to be viewed in the context of the prevailing social and economic conditions. Nepal has a rich potential of natural resources, especially the water resources and power generation. These resources had not been exploited to their full due to political considerations. In this book the possibilities of the economic development of Nepal have been analysed in the prevailing conditions.

Nepal was formed with the amalgamation of many tiny Himalayan states by Prithvinarayan Shah, who proclaimed himself as a king after conquering these states. A period soon started, when the Rana family acquired real political power as Prime Minister, which became a hereditary power. With the help of the Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, the captive king Tribhuvan, became free in 1951 when he acquired power from the Prime Minister after fleeing to India as a fugitive. Latu King Mahendra became more autocratic and tried to distance himself from Indian and went closer to China, at that time an adversary of India. The democratic forces were crushed and parliament dissolved and the leaders of Nepali congress were arrested. After his death the present king Birendra has shown wisdom and moderation and has transferred powers to the people's representatives. A parliamentary form of Government headed by G.P. Koirala has been established which is friendly to India. All these developments have been discussed in this book.

Delhi the capital of India has always a most significant bearing on the political and socio-economic condition of several rulers and the ruled. The city flourished commercially as it remained a hub of various business activities for several centuries. Its affluence developed its rich heritage and the intelligentia sought patronage with the benevolence of many rulers who bequeathed their immense interest in art, architecture and development of scholarship among the masses. The city is well known for its historical buildings built by numerous rulers. The masons and the artisans were not only Indians but also from Persia, Afghanistan and other countries. Indeed, these buildings depict the aesthetic sense of several rulers. These buildings include forts, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, tombs, tanks and gardens. Whereas, these architectural creations were costly in terms of the money spent on them, they depict the style of various dynasties which wielded power in our sub-continent. The present theme-Delhi Through Ages-has been devised into the following segments. Vol.1 Ancient and Medieval Delhi Vol.2 Art and Architecture Vol.3 Modern Delhi Vol.4 Capital of India Vol.5 Society and Culture These volumes, indeed, are very useful for teachers, scholars and students in our sub-continent as well as in other parts of the world where Indian history is taught. They will meet a long-felt need.

In the long-drawn political struggle commencing with the foundation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 and ending with the dawn of Independence on 15th August, 1947, the consistent participation by prominent leaders of our nation along with millions of patriotic satyagrahis was a romantic saga of their careers. The freedom struggle witnessed several phases of constitutional demands, launching of all India political movements in 1920, 1930 and 1942, negotiations with Viceroys, repression by bureaucracy, convictions, attachment of land and property, fines and varied official hurdles in the way of the achievement of Swaraj. But the spontaneous political upsurge had its on-going flow like the unbridled currents of river with a crystal clear aim to free the Indian sub-continent from foreign yoke. This kind of national upsurge received a speedy regeneration with the emergence of several moderate and extremist leaders in the early phase of the twentieth century. In this process political leader like Lajpat Raj, Annie Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhbhai Patel and Bhagat Singh contributed much by offering their services to the nation. An attempt, therefore, has been made to highlight and assess their role at several critical junctures of our freedom struggle. This study, first of its own kind, would generate a deep insight into the minds of several social scientists, teachers and students in India and elsewhere and the availability of a compact collected material would facilitate their research work having linkage with various phases of the freedom struggle.