The Maoist insurgency and the political economy of violence AVIDIT ACHARYA, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

Introduction What were the causes of insurgency in Nepal? There have been two approaches to answering this question. In one line of research, studies such as Murshed and Gates (2005) and Bohara et al. (2006) have used cross-sectional regression techniques to predict the effect of poverty, inequality, rough terrain, and ethno-linguistic divisions on the intensity of political violence. In the other approach, historical analyses have highlighted the incentives of rebel leaders and the failed policies of the Nepali government to suggest that politics has also played a crucial role. Typical studies of this kind include Thapa (2002, 2003) and Whelpton (2005).