ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Nepal’s strategic management of relations with Great Powers throughout different parts of history, focusing on its interactions with Tibet, China and the British East India Company. This chapter has focused on some notable parts of ancient history to elucidate Nepal’s strategic existence in the past. Notably, amidst internal factionalism and external pressures, Nepalese leaders like King Prithvi Narayan Shah, Bhimsen Thapa and Jang Bahadur Rana adeptly navigated shifting geopolitical dynamics. They balanced allegiances, leveraging military support and diplomatic negotiations to maintain survival and sustenance. Nepal’s variety of efforts ranging from wars, appeasement, alliances and many other strategies showcase Nepal’s ability to manage powerful neighbours for strategic and political gains. As global power dynamics evolved, Nepal’s strategic choices gradually evolved which highlighted its resilience and strategic acumen, but at the same time portrays the evolution of small state as an entity in international politics and its strategic choices. This study underscores how a small state can effectively manage Great Power relations to ensure its survival and autonomy.
