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Introduction of Jai Prithvi Bahadur Singh

Jai Prithvi Bahadur Singh of Nepal was an advocate and a preacher of world peace; a thinker and a philosopher of humanism. He was born on B.S. 1934 Bhadra 7 ( August 21, 1877) in Chainpur, Bajang as the eldest son of Bikram Bahadur Singh and Rudra Kumari Rana Singh (daughter of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana), the fifty-fifth Raja of Bajang Colonel State. He began his education when he was five years old. His creativity became obvious in his early childhood years, and consequently he was moved to the Thapathali Darbar school in Kathmandu at the age of eight. after completing his primary education he was admitted to Durbar high school and matriculated in Calcutta india in 1894. In 1894 he married to Khageshori Devi Rana; daughter of Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana. After marriage he studied up to intermediate level at Prayag College in india and got acquainted with the polices of Nepal Government. By 1889 (B.S.1946), the then Rana Prime Minister Bir Shumsher forced his father to abdicate in favour of 12 years Jai Prithvi, who was then coronated as the Raja of Bajang. In 1894 he returned to Bajang and from there he sent eight young men from different caste-groups to Kathmandu for training and education. He is believed to have helped the then Prime Minister Deva Shumsher Rana in founding the Gorkhapatra and the Oriental Nepali Language school in Kathmandu in 1901.
In 1902 he was appointed Consul-general based in Calcutta and in 1905 he returned to Kathmandu with a hand press to print text books in the Nepali language. In 1906 he reopened Satyavadi school in his Naxal place (Narayan Chaur) in Kathmandu and also started construction of Jaiprithvi place in Jai Prithvi Nagar Bajang, and an iron indrustry based on the iron mines at Bungal Bajang. In 1907 he published the Siksya Drapan third part history of Japan. This book describes how the sovereign emperor (Mikado) was kept in virtual imprisonment and rendered powerless by autocratic rule of Shoguns. The agitation of foreign educated youths had overthrown the Shogun rule. His father-in-law the then Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher Rana, read this book and felt that the book was an indication of conspiracy against the autocratic rana family rule. This brought about an estrangement between the Rana rule and Jaiprithvi. In 1908 he visited England and was honored by Emperor Edward seven with the title of colonel and in the same year he established Khaga hospital with doctors from Calcutta Medical college on deputations. In 1910 he initiated land reform programme in Bajang and land registration for general public was started. In 1911 he constructed a mule trail and a public house along a difficult stretch of the trail from Bajang Danshe phadilay Dadeldhura to Tanakpur India and Baitadi to Jhulaghat India and in the same year he published Nepali Grammer (Prakrit Vyakarana) for improving the nepali language teaching. In 1913 he published Tatto Prashansha, a book on human and humanity. Between 1907-1913 he was chief of the court (Bharadari Shabha). Because of his growing dissatisfaction with the Rana rule and his empathy with the poverty-stricken Nepali people, he handed over his coronet to his father in 1916 and went to Nainital, India where he lived for eight years.
During these eight years, he prepared nepalese manuscripts of the three volums of philoshophy of humanism to propagatevhis idea of world peace and brotherhood. In 1924 he migrated to Banglore, S. India and with the help of Maharaja of Mysoore, acquired Coorga for settlement of nepalies. He established liaison office in Kalighat Calcutta, and Shivakuti Allahabad and contented king Tribhuvan for democratic movement in Nepal. In 1927 he visited England as a Burmes with a passport from the French rule of Pondechheri. After staying six months in England he returned to Bangalore. In 1928 the JAYA BHAVAN was completely constructed at Chetty road, Bangalore which become his residence and the head office of Humanistic Club.
It was from here three volume on humanism, the humanist magazine and the book, Flage of Peace were published. Between 1929 to 1936 he travelled to various parts of the world on his mission of humanism. After world travels he activated the humanistic club at Bangalore and initiated talks, discussions and correspondence to stand up against the British rule in India and Rana rule in Nepal. Also through wider correspondence, he floated the idea about the alternative search for the League of Nations. He was convinced that the League of Nations utterly failed to solve the rising threat of war and to restore peace in the world. In Feburary 1940 he was put under house arrest by the British Government, which was then involved in the second world war. He passed away on on Oct. 15, 1940 in Jaya Bhavan Bangalore at the age of 63. In the aftermath of the first great war (1914-1918) the intellectuals of the world were plunged into a state of shock, and a wave of cynicism enveloped the humankind. However, the intellectuals began to search for some principles and values that could restore peace and goodwill among nations. Jai Prithvi was one of those who aroused the attention of the world in this direction. His message on humanism struck a note of peace and solace to those who lived in a period of what has been labeled as “the lost generation”.

(नेपालको बाईसी राज्य भित्र पर्ने बझाङ राज्यका ५५ औं पुस्ताका राजा बिक्रमवहादुर सिंह तथा रानी रुद्रकुमारी सिंह (तत्कालिन नेपालका प्रधानमन्त्री जङ्गवहादुर राणाकी जेठी छोरी) का जेष्ठ सुपुत्र जयपृथ्वीवहादुर सिंहको जन्म १९३४ साल भाद्र ७ गते (२३ अगस्ट १८७७) नक्षेत्र २२ राशौ १० तिथौ १३ बारे ३ रात्रि लग्ने २ घडी ९ पला ३० चैनपुर पुरानो दरवारमा भएको थियो । )