The Breach of the Political Contract and the Fall of the Monarchy in Nepal

Shah monarchy in Nepal deserves the credit for creating the modern state of Nepal, keeping it independent from the British Empire, and pursuing an independent foreign policy during the Cold War. The credit for the foundation of modernisation and the maintenance of ethnic harmony in Nepal also goes to the monarchy. Yet, the first meeting of the constituent assembly held on 28 May 2008 abolished it and declared Nepal a republic. This study has attempted to answer the puzzle and finds that the monarchy invited its fall in 2008 as it repeatedly breached the political contract it had reached with its potential coalition partners. It also finds that the entry of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists into peaceful politics in 2006 further accelerated the death of the monarchy. While this study is an insightful contribution to the domestic politics of Nepal, the argument is a new proposition to the host of existing theoretical arguments on the breakdown of monarchy.