we, as a country at this time have a lot more internal and external control that those dark times.. maybe u are referring that india has an influence..yes it does.. but nothing compares to those days, when the only foreigners allowed to enter were british.. not too sure if other form of government would not have negotiated with the british.. not too sure if other form of rule besides the ranas would supress education and provide it as a priviledge to a few.. not sure if others too would not have built private roads around their durbars, import parts of latest ford, make ordinary nepali coolies carry the parts for miles, reassemble them, and drive around their compunds in merry while other peoples continued to be deprived of basic rights and needs.. this was the time when the world was making ennormous stride towards development.. are u so shallow to trade off idependence for better human conditions?.. anyone could have done a better job than the ranas.. so what if india was colonized and made to lick britsh ass for so many years..look at them now.. usa was a colony too.. so what? look now... if we choose to make analysis using the if clause..we can wonder off to 10 directions.. but the fact is ranas did rule and it did have an adverse effect.. i would easly trade that piece of history with anything including colonization if it improved the plight of the great Nepalese people.. but then again these are "if" arguements.. but my point is, nothing should come between prosperity and people,not even the area within the man-defined borders what we call country.. people first please.. these hollow pride and nationalism is just useless and futile if people end up suffering!