Overview History of
Nepal
The history of Nepal is
something that every Nepalese looks back at and feels proud. Situated in the
lap of Himalayas is a country with unbelievably diverse topography and culture.
The country might seem
like a small piece of land, but it encloses varieties from all around the
world. It is truly a wonder of nature, perfect eye candy for people all around
the world.
Although being a small
landlocked country, history here is vibrant. The struggles and hardships faced
by the ancestors have preserved what remains of today's Nepal. The land of
Gurkhas, land of braves are some of the many titles received by this small
nation. The ancestors of this nation have enriched the pages of history with
their passionate love for the country. A rock on earth to a nation with a rich
and diverse culture, this is the epic tale of Nepal!
Phases of Nepal’s History
1. Ancient Nepal
Very little is known about the ancient history of Nepal. According to
the legends and ancient records, the ancient Hindu religion was prominent in
Nepal. The documents state that the first dynasty to rule over Nepal is the
Gopal dynasty. The Gopala were cow herders; they entered Nepal in search of
pasture land for their cows. Legends say that a sage named Ne selected a king
from among the cow herders, hence the word Nepal was formed. The name Nepal
means under the care of sage Ne. Some do not agree with this and believe that
Nepal is derived from the Tibetan language, and it means a wool house where Ne
means house and pal implies wool. The rule of Gopal dynasty lasted for about 500
years.
After
the Gopala, Mahispal dynasty took over; who were buffalo herders. They were
defeated by the Kirats. Yalambar is known as the first king of the Kirat
dynasty. He is also mentioned in the epic tale of Mahabharata. It is during the
rule of the 7th Kirat king Jitedasti, Gautam Buddha visited Nepal to spread
Buddhism. Moreover, during the rule of the 14th Kirat king Sthunko, Indian
emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and ordered the famous Ashoka pillar to be
built, to mark the birthplace of Buddha. The Kirats ruled for about 700 years
and were later replaced by The Lichhavi Dynasty at around 300 A.D.
Along
with the start of the Lichhavi dynasty, the country took a significant leap in
the fields of art and culture. The very first coin of Nepal, the Mananka was
minted during the Lichhavi dynasty. The famous Changu Narayan (listed in UNESCO
world heritage site list) temple was also built during this period. The most
famous king from the Lichhavi dynasty remains to be Amshuverma, who married his
daughter Bhrikuti to the Tibetan King Tsong Tsen Gampo. This established
friendly relations with Tibet and also opened up trade routes with Tibet. Later
the Mallas conquered over them in 1200 A.D.
Along
with the Malla dynasty came the golden era of art, culture and architecture.
They built beautiful palaces, also known as durbar squares which symbolize the
magnificence of Nepalese architecture. They had some highly skilled architects
and the temples and structures built by them were so picturesque, that they
changed the history of Nepal forever! During this period, several artisans were
sent to Tibet to work. On one such occasion, an artisan named Araniko was sent
along with eighty other artisans to Tibet. Araniko, later on, rose up to a very
high rank in the court of the Mongolian leader Kublai khan. The Kathmandu
valley was ruled as a single unit during the time of King Jayastithi Malla but
after the death of his grandson, the then king the valley split up into
Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. After a 550 year rule, the Mallas were
defeated by the great king Prithivi Narayan shah as a part of his unification
campaign of the entire country.
2. Medieval Nepal
After the Shah dynasty took over the throne, a new era began in the
history of Nepal, a period of expansion and unification. After the conquest of
the Kathmandu valley, the unification campaign gained speed. At that time the
country was split into several kingdoms ruled by different kings. King Prithivi
Narayan shah wanted to unify all of them and protect the sovereignty of Nepal
against the East India Company which had taken over India. The unification
campaign continued even after the death of Prithivi Narayan Shah in 1775 A.D.
Nepal now extended from Kangada in the wet to Tista in the east.
During
1814-1816 A.D Nepal participated in the Anglo Nepal war against the East India
Company. Even after bravely fighting the invaders, Nepal was defeated and was
forced to sign the treaty of Sugauli. The bravery of the Nepalese Gurkha was
noted by the opposition and recognized all over the world. Because of the
agreement, Nepal had to hand over one-third of its land in exchange for its
autonomy.
After
the war, Nepal was slowly taking steps towards globalization and making
contacts with the outer world, a man named Junga Bahadur Rana began to rise in
power. In 1846 the Koth massacre took place in the armoury of the palace of the
then king Rajendra Bir Bikram Shah. Jung Bahadur Rana, his brothers and
accomplices, murdered many vital members of the king's council and the palace
and sized the power from the king. He became the prime minister and established
a tyrannical rule, and the king was regarded as a nominal head while the prime
minister ran the nation. This event was a turning point in the history of
Nepal, a turn towards dark times.
Jung
Bahadur Rana introduced Muluki ain or the national code of conduct in the
country for the first time and also made the position of the prime minister and
other relevant government posts hereditary to the Rana family. The voices of
the people were suppressed, and discrimination among people was very high; it
was indeed a very dark time in Nepal's history. The Ranas had good relation
with the British people, but as soon as the British colonizers left India, the
Ranas were under immense pressure from India. So, after a 104-year reign, the
Ranas were met with revolution, and thus, their rule ended. King Tribhuvan took
the throne in 1951 A.D and restored power to the throne.
3. Modern Nepal
With the removal of Rana rule and restoration of power to the throne,
the nation was bustling with activity. King Mahendra issued a new constitution
and placed the first Democratic election. In This election, Bishweshor Prasad
Koirala of Nepali Congress won and was appointed as the first prime minister of
Democratic Nepal. Later on, king Mahendra launched a royal coup to dissolve the
government, stating it was a failure and established a party less panchayat
system along with the issuance of a new constitution.
The
political parties, however, continued to revolt against the system and in 1990
after a people's movement, the then king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah established a
multiparty parliament with himself as the head. In May 1991 the first
parliamentary elections were conducted. However, some were unsatisfied with the
result as they supported the abolishment of the monarchical system. The
communist party of Nepal (Maoist) started a revolt against the government and
the monarchy. This action led to the first civil war in Nepal's history.
While
the civil war was continuing, on the night of 1st June 2001, the royal family
gets massacred. King Birendra, along with his family, is brutally assassinated
in a shooting-spree. The case remains a mystery as it is still unknown who is
responsible for this act. The king's eldest son temporarily became the king
until dying of his wounds, and then Gyanendra (king Birendra's brother) became
the king. On October 2002 king Gyanendra dissolved the existing government and
took power in his hands.
Later
after another people’s movement, in April 2006 the king reinstated the
parliament. The king was stripped of his powers. So on 21st November 2006, a
peace agreement was signed between the government and Maoists, concluding the
civil war. On 28th May 2008, the newly elected constituent assembly declared
the country as a federal democratic republic country. This was a historic and
proud moment. The prime minister leads the nation while the president acts as
the head of the state.
History has been made! (Conclusion)
History
has been made, and it will be shared to everyone, it is something to look back
and learn from. The history of Nepal will forever be a part of the Nepalese
lifestyle. At present, the country is still taking baby steps in recovering
from the civil war, which had devastated the developmental progress. The future
of the country lies in the hands of the brave new generations who dare to
venture beyond the mountains and the swamplands.
