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Narrative of a five years' residence at Nepaul
Narrative of a five years' residence at Nepaul Author:Thomas Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. NEPAUL, SINCE THE WAR. Twenty-two years elapsed after the termination of the war, and no fresh ground for quarrel was presented by the Nepaule... more »se. The treaties were respected, and the internal condition of the kingdom was peaceable. This happy state of things was owing to the good and wise management of Bhem Sing Thapa, who had succeeded to the Regency on the death of the King, and had retained power during the minority of his son, ably directing both the home and foreign policy of the Durbar. History is rife with instances of the mischievous results, of the ambitions and intrigues of Queens who do not enjoy sovereign power. Where ministers have not been their ready MARRIAGE OF THE YOUNG RAJAH. 91 tools, they have been sacrificed as their victims. Bhem Sing was destined to fill a place in the latter category. The young Rajah having married the daughter of a Goruckpore farmer, a person of very inferior rank, she soon began to develop those qualities which almost invariably accompany the possession of power by those females who have not been trained to its exercise. As a wife, her conduct was exemplary : scandal had not touched her fair fame; but her disposition was restless in the extreme. She sighed for a share in the political authority of her husband; but she felt that, while Bhem Sing continued to possess the royal ear, and to influence the young King's action, she had not the remotest prospect of gratifying her desire. The overthrow and destruction of the Minister Regent were therefore, resolved upon. But Bhem Sing, aware of the prejudices against him, took care to have the household entirely in his interest, and learning from his spies, about the person of the King and Queen,that some mischief was brewing, he had recourse to an old political tric...« less