Kirant era | Licchavi era | Malla era | Shah era | (Rana era) | 1990 democracy |
| Nepalese Civil War (movements) | Democracy (2006) | Republic of Nepal (2006-2008) |
In the recorded history of Nepal, Kirantis who came from the east in the 7th or 8th century BC reigned in Nepal for about 2500 years. Not much is written or known about them apart from some tips that they were skilled farmers who liked toting their knives all the time. Small kingdoms and confederations of clans started emerging in the southern parts of Nepal around 500 BCE. Then there emerged the era of Buddhism (563–483 BCE) in Nepal for the first time during the Kiranti time. The Shakya polity as one such kingdom had come to exist with a prince called Siddharta Gautama. But the prince renounced all his possessions and position for an austere life and of course for the quest of enlightenment. Buddha and his disciple Ananda are said to have visited the Kathmandu Valley and stayed for a time in Patan area of the valley. However, by 200 AD, Buddhism somehow slacked down and Hinduism took over backed by the Licchavis who advanced towards Nepal from northern India, overthrowing the last Kiranti king. Typical Hindu caste system was introduced in this era which is still practiced throughout Nepal though the law prohibits it now.
As the legend goes, 7th Kiranti King, Jitedasti, reigned in the Nepal valley around that time and by 250 BCE, Mauryan Empire of northern India had strong influence over southern regions of Nepal that made it a vassal state under the Gupta Empire in the fourth century CE. By the end of that era, Licchavis were governing the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding middle Nepal.
The Licchavi era too was taken over by the Thakuri dynasty by 878 BC. A series of invasions and a period of instability thereafter followed which was also referred as the ‘Dark Ages’. The Kathmandu Valley however was somewhat intact and continued to survive and grow. Several centuries later, the Thakuri king Arideva founded the Malla dynasty, starting off another renaissance of Nepali culture that reached its apex in the 15th century under the reign of Yaksha Malla.
Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of Gorkha launched a campaign to conquer some petty states and the Kathmandu Valley, also for the lure of Malla dynasty’s wealth. And in 1768, after 27 years of fighting, they finally triumphed over their victory and moved their capital to Kathmandu. By this time, Nepal was united with a strong army and expanded power that continued until 1792 when Nepal had to fight a brief war with Tibet.
War was also fought in 1814 with the British over a territorial dispute in which Nepal was compelled to sign the 1816 Sugauli Treaty that made Nepal lose Sikkim and most of the Terai regions.
(King Prithvi Narayan Shah who Unified Nepal 1723–1775)
The Shah dynasty continued to rule until one horrendous event popularly known in Nepalese history as Kot Parva or Kot Massacre or Mass Murder in another words in 1846. That was when Junga Bahadur Kuwar, the antagonist of the Kot Massacre after killing many important men of the ruling king’s family and relatives, took the title Rana, proclaimed himself as the Prime Minister for life and further declared the post hereditary.
The next century on, the Rana regime came into power lavishing and luxuriating in huge mansions in Kathmandu while the entire population eked out in deprivation. The British, Ranas’ well-wishers, withdrew altogether from India in 1948.Then followed insurrectional movements sparking sporadic fights and the Ranas were brought into negotiations and King Tribhuvan was declared King in 1951. A government was then formed comprising Ranas and members of the newly formed Nepali Congress Party that only lasted for a short period as King Mahendra, Tribhuvan’s son and successor was not too pleased with it and slapped a “partyless” Panchayat system in which the King would choose the Prime Minister and cabinet that would enable him to rubber-stamp his own policies and ensured the power would remain with the ruling family only.
Panchayt system, nevertheless, was not impeccable. The system like any other ruling systems before had its own ups and downs. The system then had its first dent in 1989 when people launched a nationwide campaign against monarchy. People were sated with monarchy because of its policy, nepotism, favoritism and corruptions that were rife in every sector of the government not to mention all the foreign aids and tax money were going into the royal coffers with no transparency. The nationwide campaign popularly known as the Jana Andolan or ‘People’s Movement’ left hundreds dead and compelled King Birendra, son of King Mahendra to dissolve his cabinet, recognize political parties and invite the opposition to form an interim government. And in May 1991, the Nepali Congress and the communist party of Nepal emerged as Nepal’s major mainstream politics.
The Nepali politics was further buffeted in June 2001 that saw the massacre of most members of the royal family, including King Birendra. A huge hue and cry and confusions followed. Civil strife erupted onto the streets of Kathmandu again. Following the death of King Birendra, Prince Gyanendra was named the King amidst confusion and widespread civil unrest.
Then in February 2005, King Gyanendra assumed full executive authority after dismantling Nepal’s elected government. He even declared a state of emergency and tried to justify the coup as a necessary evil to curtail the 10-year-old Maoist insurgency that claimed over 13 thousand lives. The coup, however, later proved to be the cause of destruction of century-old monarchy of Nepal as Maoist leaders and the main political parties joined hands and put their heads together against the King that ultimately forced King Gyanendra to abdicate his authority and reinstate civilian government in April 2006.
Nepal government and the Communist Party (Maoist) signed a comprehensive peace accord to end the fighting. Under the agreement, the Nepali Army and Maoists agreed to an arms management pact and to participate in elections to establish a constituent assembly to write country’s constitution and that they would also decide on the faith of Nepalese monarchy.
The Maoists won the largest number of seats in the elections to the Constituent assembly held on 10, April 2008. The parliament then declared Nepal as Federal Democratic Republic discarding the 240-year old Shah dynasty. King Gyanendra, as the last ruler of Nepal as a Monarch, stripped out of the Royalty and of course the Royal Palace Narayanhity which now serves as a national museum.
In July 2008, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav became the first president of Nepal through the vote in the parliament, thus enabling an ordinary farmer’s son to be perched on the top most position of the president of republic Nepal, and that too, the very first one.