6. Shah-Dynastie (Seit 1768 N. Chr. - 1955)

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6. Shah-Dynastie (Seit 1768 N. Chr. - 1955) 6. Shah-Dynastie (seit 1768 n. Chr. - 1955) Die Gorkhas (benannt nach ihrer Stadt, die zu Füßen des eisbehangenen Gorkha Himal liegt) stammen aus Nordindien. Sie gehörten zu den Rajputen, indischen Kleinfürstfamilien. Sie haben sich seit 999/1000 und über viele Jahrzehnte hinweg, mit hohen Verlusten tapfer gegen die islamische Invasion aus Indien geschlagen. In Nepal waren durch die islamische Invasion zahlreiche Bauten entweiht, beschädigt oder sogar komplett zerstört worden. Die islamischen Anhänger schlugen mit unerbittlicher Härte zu. Sie wollten dem heidnischen und frevlerischen Gebaren der hinduistischen Brahmanen ein Ende setzen. So wanderten zahlreiche Flüchtlinge u. a. nach Nepal aus. Spätestens als Dehli in deren Hände fiel, wanderten viele Rajputenfürsten nach Nepal aus. Die Eroberung des Kathmandu-Tals war für die Gorkhas durch Ihre Kontakte relativ „unproblematisch“ doch langwierig, denn die Malla-Könige waren mit ihren eigenen Machtspielchen beschäftigt. Nach fast 25 Jahren Krieg konnte die Shah-Dynastie mit König Prithvi Narayan Shah beginnen. Er wurde Herrscher über Bhaktapur und Kathmandu. Seine erste Festung 1744 war Nuwakot. So hatte er den Handelsweg nach Tibet unter Kontrolle. Es folgte 1766 die Einnahme der Festung Kirtipur, dabei starb sein Bruder im Angriff. Er war darüber so darüber erbost, dass er seine ganze Schlagkraft einsetzte, um Kathmandu 1768 beim Indra Jatra-Fest einnehmen zu können. Taktisch geschickt ließ er sich dabei von der Kumari-Göttin das Tika aufdrücken, wodurch er als neuer Machthaber bestärkt wurde. Der Malla-König von Kathmandu flüchtete nach Patan, das einige Tage später wurde Patan ebenfalls eingenommen. Ein Jahr später konnten sich die beiden Malla-Könige von Bhaktapur nicht mehr halten und Bhaktapur wurde von Shah Prithvi Narayan erobert. Kathmandu wurde die neue Hauptstadt von Nepal und der Shah dehnte sich nach allen Seiten aus, teils durch Verträge und teils durch Kriege bis an die Grenze nach Tibet. Damit wurden die ersten Grenzen von Nepal gesetzt. Zum Schutz vor ausländischen Einflüssen verwies er alle christlichen Missionare des Landes. 1788 fielen die Gorkha-Truppen das erste Mal in Tibet ein, das unter chinesischer Führung stand. Daraufhin entsandte Peking Truppen gegen die Gorkhas. 1792 standen diese Truppen dadurch 30 km vor Kathmandu, so mussten die Gorkhas als Verlierer einen Nichtangriffspakt mit China schließen und sich vertraglich zu Tributzahlungen an Tibet verpflichten, die bis 1912 geleistet wurden. Die Ausdehnung nach Osten (bis zur Grenze nach Sikkim) und Westen (bis zur Grenze nach Kashmir) wurde 1794 abgeschlossen. Zu Beginn des 19. Jh. schloss Nepal mit Großbritannien einen Handelsvertrag ab mit dem Hintergrund: Nepal fürchtete den Einfluss Englands in Indien und wollte so eine Nichteinmischung der Briten erreichen. Die Briten hatten auf der anderen Seite Angst vor der Expansionspolitik der Gorkhas ins Terai und wollten ein Eingreifen von Nepal aus verhindern. Der Vertrag blieb ohne Wirkung. 1814 kam es zu einem 2-jährigen Grenzkrieg. 1816 wurde mit dem Friedensvertrag von Segauli das Ende des Krieges besiegelt. Der Shah musste weite Teile des fruchtbaren Terai an die Kolonialherren von Indien abtreten und Sikkim wurde britisches Schutzgebiet. Die bis heute geltende Grenze von Nepal wurde so festgelegt und die Expansion der Shah-Dynastie S e i t e 1 | 3 Fa. Susanne Sherpa, Nepalplus, In der Grünwies 6, 56072 Koblenz eingegrenzt. Die Expansionspolitik wurde hiermit beendet und auch die nepalische Vormachtstellung im Tibet Handel erhielt einen schweren Schlag. Denn nun konnten auch indische Händler sich in Kathmandu und Nepal niederlassen. Die Briten bauten eine eigene Straße nach Tibet. So wurde der profitable Handel für die Nepali beendet. Vertragsbedingt zog in Kathmandu ein britischer Stadthalter ein. Seine Nachfolger waren bis 1951 die einzigen Ausländer in Nepal, die geduldet wurden. Ca. 1837-40 fanden erste Anwerbungen der Gurkha-Soldaten für die britische Armee in Indien statt. Der Einfluss der Shah-Könige verblasste seit 1816 immer mehr, auch im eigenen Königshof. Die beiden letzten Herrscher (1799 – 1847) lebten mit großem Druck, beeinflusst vom damaligen Premierminister. Beim Kot-Massaker (= auf dem Kot-Platz = Exerzierplatz) am 14.9.1846 tötete der Neffe des Königs, Jung Bahadur Rana (in der Funktion als General) sämtliche Mitglieder der beiden Familien Thapa und Pande. Die Königin ernannte ihn daraufhin als Premierminister. Der eigentliche Thronfolger unterzeichnete alles nur noch formell. Eigentlich regierte der neue Premierminister. Seine Gegner ließ er verfolgen oder umbringen. Er setzte an zentrale Schnittstellen engste Verwandte ein und die mächtige Königin wurde nach 6 Monaten ins Exil geschickt. Er ernannte als Königsmacher Surendra Bikram Shah, der völlig will fähig als Herrscher fungiert. Das Amt des Premierministers wurde 1846 nach dem Kot-Massaker erblich. Durch die erbliche Festlegung wurde das Amt des Premierministers von 1846 bis 1951 von der Rana-Familie ausgeübt. Sie regierten fast diktatorisch. Die Shah-Familien gab es nur noch pro forma und wurde in einer Art Ehrenhaft gehalten. Zur Aufrechterhaltung dieses Macht Konstruktes wurden Zwangs-Ehen zwischen den Rana-Töchtern und den Shah Königen eingeführt. In dieser Zeit wurden sämtliche Möglichkeiten für die Aufrechterhaltung des Systems genutzt: Intrigen, Komplotte, Günstlingswirtschaft und Korruption. Die Reise nach Europa 1859 (Frankreich und England) beflügelte den neuen Premierminister. Beide Länder galten für ihn als ein Vorbild. Er entdeckte die Vorliebe zu den klassizistischen Bauten, der Mode und auch zu aufgeklärtem Gedankengut. Er verbot die bis dahin geltende Witwenverbrennung, schränkte den willkürlichen Vollzug der Todesstrafe ein und organisierte die feudalistische Struktur neu. Während seiner Regierungszeit verlor Nepal den Krieg mit Tibet. Auch stellt sich der Premierminister mit 8000 Gorkha-Soldaten auf die Seite der britischen Kolonialherren im indischen Sepoy-Krieg und signalisiert so seine Loyalität zu England. England dankte ihm mit der Rückgabe der nepalischen Gebiete im Terai. Sein Nachfolger führt seine Politik fort und schafft endgültig die Sklaverei 1924 ab. So sehr die Rana-Familien nach vorne orientiert wirkten, blieben sie auf der anderen Seite jedoch feudalistisch geprägt mit mittelalterlichen Machtvorstellungen. Für Europa war daher bis 1950 Nepal völlig unerforscht. Lediglich im Terai wurde privilegierten Großwildjäger die Tigerjagd erlaubt. Das Kathmandutal durfte nicht betreten werden. S e i t e 2 | 3 Fa. Susanne Sherpa, Nepalplus, In der Grünwies 6, 56072 Koblenz Zur Zeit der Rana-Familie wurden klassizistische Schlösse der Rana auf Bauernland erbaut und auch der Tempelbau stand im extremen Gegensatz zu den ärmlichen Bauten in Kathmandu. Das sorgte für sozialen Sprengstoff. Auch Straßen und Verkehrswege fehlten, die Landwirtschaft trat auf der Stelle während sie sonst in Asien erblühte. Der Tibet-Handel war nicht mehr im Fokus. Die beiden Weltkriege waren für Nepal spürbar: 200.000 Gorkha-Soldaten auf Seite der Briten wurden eingesetzt zur Bewahrung der Unabhängigkeit. Die Rana-Minister verloren zwischen und während den beiden Weltkriegen an Einfluss. Ein Machtvakuum entstand. 1947 entstand mit Unterstützung der indischen Kongress Partei zur Konstitution des Nepal National Congress, der ersten ständischen Interessenvertretung im Volk. Der Druck auf die Rana-Familien war durch die indischen Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen groß. Der bis dahin pro forma regierende König Tribhuvan Bir Bikram (1911 – 1955) Shah gewann in diesem Ränkespiel immer mehr Bedeutung. Durch die Unterstützung der jungen indischen Regierung wurde der König zur Leitfigur der Opposition (gegen die Rana-Familie). Er stand unter Hausarrest bei der Rana-Familie. Es gelang ihm, unter dem Vorwand einer Tigerjagd im Terai in die indische Botschaft zu flüchten und nach Indien zu fliehen. Daraufhin setzte die Rana-Oligarchie eigenmächtig den Enkel des Königs als Nachfolger ein. Das führte zu Gefechten in Kathmandu zwischen Oppositionellen und Regierungstruppen. Im südlichen Terai war der Unabhängigkeits-Gedanke viel präsenter als im von der Außenwelt abgeschlossenen Kathmandu-Tal. So übernahmen im südlichen Terai die oppositionellen Truppen des Nepali Congress die Führung und setzten eine provisorische Regierung in Birganj ein. Der schwindende Machteinfluss der Rana fiel auf und großer Druck vom indischen Ministerpräsidenten wurde auf die korrupten Rana-Regime ausgeübt. Die Kompromisslösung war: 1952 freie Wahlen in Aussicht zu stellen. 1951 wurde die Rana-Familie gestürzt und König Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah kehrte mit konkreten Verfassungsplänen nach Nepal zurück, die die Basis für eine Interimsregierung bildete. Die politische Macht sollte aus 3 Säulen bestehen: dem König, der Regierung und dem Volk. Nepal öffnete sich für Ausländer und erste öffentliche Schulen wurden eingeführt. Bis dato war seit dem 19. Jh. Schulbildung nur für Kinder der Rana-Familien möglich. Nepali wurde als Amtssprache eingeführt. Die Analphabeten Rate betrug 95%. 1955 starb der König, sein Sohn Mahendra übernahm die Regierungsgeschäfte. S e i t e 3 | 3 Fa. Susanne Sherpa, Nepalplus, In der Grünwies 6, 56072 Koblenz .
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