Geopolitics has long been a buzzword in international politics, and it has now entered the realm of Nepali politics as never before. In simple terms, geopolitics refers to the influence, interference, and, at times, intervention of neighbouring countries in the internal affairs of an adjoining country, or even of a distant powerful state, usually indirectly, in pursuit of its own interests. Nepal has always been under the influence of India and China, being sandwiched between these two powers. Later, the United States also entered the scene with its growing global influence. Such events go back to time immemorial. Chanakya, in the 4th century BC, not only advised that a country should enter into a treaty with a neighbouring country if the neighbour was strong, but also suggested that it should immediately annex the neighbour if it was weak. Niccolò Machiavelli promoted a similar political theory in Italy centuries later. How politics was practised during the early days of the first ruling dynasty of Nepal, the Gopals, or the lesser-known second dynasty, the Abhirs, is not known. However, geopolitics appears to have raised its head during the following Kirat dynasty. It is said that the bloodthirsty but later Buddhist-turned Emperor Ashoka came to Lumbini with a huge military force to erect the Lumbini Pillar, marking the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Ashoka is said to have had to fight Sthunko, the Kirat chieftain. Although Sthunko could not resist the military might of the vast empire, legend has it that he later brought down the horse capital after Ashoka returned to India. The Chinese traveller Huen Tsang is said to have seen the horse pillar lying on the ground. Geopolitics made its presence felt in its true colours during the period of the Licchavis, who had come to Nepal from Vaishali in India. Narendra Dev became king with the support of the Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo in the mid-seventh century. His father, Udaya Dev, had escaped to the northern neighbour, where he is said to have breathed his last. Narendra Dev helped arrest the Indian ruler Aurnaswa by mobilising 700 cavalrymen along with 1,400 Chinese troops. The Indian ruler had insulted the Chinese traveller Wang Huen Tse, who fortunately managed to escape to Nepal. Tibet became a haven for Nepalis, both for trade and for the acquisition of gold. The Nepali epic Muna Madan, written by the great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota, revolves around Madan's hazardous journey to Lhasa and back. He undertook the journey to fulfil his ageing mother's pious desire to build rest houses and waterspouts, to buy golden bangles for the delicate hands of his sweetheart, Muna, and to strengthen the family's ramshackle house by repaying a loan. The epic vividly depicts the needs and aspirations of an average Nepali family, both then and, in many ways, even now. During the Malla period, Mahindra Malla paid a visit to the Mughal court with gifts such as a royal duck and a hunting falcon. Malla must have felt the need to maintain friendly relations with the Mughals, not only because of their incredible might but also to maintain goodwill with the Muslims in Nepal, who were engaged in trade involving bangles and glass beads worn by Nepali women as symbols of continuing conjugality. The geopolitical waves affecting Nepal were intensely felt by Prithvi Narayan Shah when he described Nepal as a yam situated between two huge boulders, portraying the country's sandwiched position between the giant neighbours, India and China. He suggested that Nepali rulers maintain regular consultations with the relatively clever emperor of the south as well as with that of the north. The Non-Aligned Movement emerged later, encompassing much of the world, and King Mahendra played a meaningful role in line with the yam theory of his great-grandfather, Prithvi Narayan Shah. He was sometimes accused of playing one country against another. Former Prime Minister and charismatic leader B. P. Koirala was successful in resolving the China-Nepal border dispute when he met Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Indian influence, however, asserted itself in Nepali affairs, first through the presence of the Indian ambassador in Nepali cabinet meetings and later through the establishment of several Indian check posts along the northern border. Both forms of direct influence began to wane after the withdrawal of the check posts during the premiership of Kirtinidhi Bista. Nepal has sought to balance its relations with the north and south by respecting the sensitivities of both China and India. China does not want Nepal to become a breeding ground for forces seeking to destabilise Tibet. India, on the other hand, wants to keep China away from its border while carrying out developmental activities in Nepal. However, these sensitivities have at times been affected by developments such as the signing of the Belt and Road Initiative, promoted by China as part of its global ambitions. The appearance of people supporting the Tibetan cause, the use of the TOB label during the last Gen Z movement, the good wishes extended by the Dalai Lama to the Sushila Karki government – something not seen in the past – and the celebration of his birthday in the capital have certainly raised political eyebrows in China. The return of former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba after five months of exile, amid greetings from thousands of his supporters who had been absent during his departure, has shown how geopolitics can bring about a volte-face in no time. This, coupled with his support for the traditional Hindu religion despite being one of the main authors of Nepal's secular constitution, has surprised many. People have begun to smell a geopolitical rat in the seemingly unbelievable and unprecedented victory of the Gen Z-supported government, the reckless arrest of erstwhile party rulers thereafter, the denied request to Interpol for Deuba's arrest, and now the muted spectacle surrounding his return.