Nepal is a small country known for a big mountain, but its national identity is based in something else: A history of never being conquered or colonized.
No foreign country, including Britain, has been able to subdue the country during its roughly 2,000 year history, historians say. The British tried in the 19th century but, after failing, they ended up recruiting soldiers from Nepal to form the Gurkha regiments, whose fighters were known for being fierce and fearless.
"They take a lot of pride in their history of never being conquered," says Elizabeth Enslin, author of "While the Gods Were Sleeping: A Journey Through Love and Rebellion in Nepal." "It's really a formidable country. It wouldn't be easy to conquer."
But today, the Nepalese face a formidable enemy: nature itself. A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Saturday, killing at least 3,000 people. International aid agencies are streaming into the impoverished country to offer help, but one resource for survival may be the resilience of the Nepalese people themselves, some say.
"Nepal has gone through seismic changes that have nothing to do with earthquakes," says Dan Szczesny, author of "The Nepal Chronicles: Marriage, Mountains and Momos in the Highest Place on Earth." He lived in Nepal and married a Nepalese woman. Full story...
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No foreign country, including Britain, has been able to subdue the country during its roughly 2,000 year history, historians say. The British tried in the 19th century but, after failing, they ended up recruiting soldiers from Nepal to form the Gurkha regiments, whose fighters were known for being fierce and fearless.
"They take a lot of pride in their history of never being conquered," says Elizabeth Enslin, author of "While the Gods Were Sleeping: A Journey Through Love and Rebellion in Nepal." "It's really a formidable country. It wouldn't be easy to conquer."
But today, the Nepalese face a formidable enemy: nature itself. A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Saturday, killing at least 3,000 people. International aid agencies are streaming into the impoverished country to offer help, but one resource for survival may be the resilience of the Nepalese people themselves, some say.
"Nepal has gone through seismic changes that have nothing to do with earthquakes," says Dan Szczesny, author of "The Nepal Chronicles: Marriage, Mountains and Momos in the Highest Place on Earth." He lived in Nepal and married a Nepalese woman. Full story...
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