The Caste Hierarchy and the State of Nepal: A Study of the Multi Ain of 1854

From the Introduction: "The present book is an anthropological study. It will show how a caste society was conceptualized by its members themselves in the legal code Muluki Ain (henceforth MA) of 1854. An attempt should be made to analyze a) the cognitive mapping of the caste hierarchy; b) the implications of the ascribed status; c) the interdependence of the status dimensions such as caste, social estate, kinship, etc.; d) the substantiation of the hierarchy by the legislator; e) and the question how they categories of a model, which claims to be orthodox-Hinduistic, were applied to a society culturally as heterogenous as was Nepalese society in the mid-19th century." This is a RARE first edition publication by Universitatsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck Germany. 1979. Softcover in beige/tan with black lettering. Includes evidence of light wear including a cup's indentation and some fraying at the corners. Inside cover contained a former owner's mark that was blacked out. Inscribed by the author with initials on the first page including an attached "corrigenda" of two corrections in the publication by page number. Spine intact and binding tight. Lettering crisp and legible. No writing or creases on the pages. 240 numbered pages including illustrations and a full spread fold-out on pg. 73. Please review the listing photos as they form an important part of the description. The current owner, anthropologist and writer Don Messerschmidt, PhD, is known for his research and writings in and on the Himalayas. He has published books and articles internationally since the 1960s when he first lived in Nepal as an American Peace Corps volunteer. He went on to enhance his understanding of Himalayan peoples and places as an independent researcher and on numerous consultancies. For over a half-century, he has been engaged in field studies, university professorships, and writing about the rich cultures of Bhutan, Nepal, North India, and Tibet. Along the way, he amassed an extensive library of Himalayan studies and has written several of his own, including two prize-winners. He has also been an editor for two regional magazines and has been called upon to review and pen chapters and forewords for Himalayan-oriented publications.