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NEPAL HISTORY INTRODUCTION
Table showing key times, events and rulers
The following table should help you get acquainted with Nepal's history. Read the period and key events. Then move on to the timeline content for more. Also be sure to see facts and photos to find other interesting items
| Period | King / Dynasty Ruler | Key Event(s) |
| 800 BC to 300 AD |
Kirat Kings |
Kirat kings ruled nepal for over 100 years with a total of 28 Kirat Kings ruling from various parts of Nepal. The Lord Gautam Buddha was also born during this time period in a place called Lumbini of Nepal which is now located near the Indian border in Nepal. |
| 200 AD to 1200 AD |
Lichhavi and Thakuri Rule Nepal |
Upon defeating Kirat Rulers, Lichavi start governing Nepal. Located in the precinct of Changu Narayan, dating back to 464 AD, a monument dedicated to Lichhavi King Mandeva can be found near Kathmandu.
Changunarayan Temple was built by Licchivai King Manadeva. |
| 1200 to 1769 |
Malla Kings Rule Nepal |
Came to Kathmandu valley in 1200. They held absolute power of Governing the people. Mallas's religion influence were Hindu. Major Kings ruling Nepal during the period were
Ranjit Malla, Jaya Prakash Malla, Pratap Malla, and Jayasthiti Malla. One noticeable feature of these kings were their ability to assign tasks to individuals by creating the cast system. Example includes
Brahmins and Chhetris Cast were working in Palaces, and over 60 occupational castes were for farmers and traders.
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| 1769 to 2006 |
Rana then Shah Dynasty / Kings |
Shah Dynasty Rule Nepal while at some time both King and Political Parties Govern the Country |
| 2006 to Present |
King Gyanendra, Maoists and Political Parties all become Rules of Nepal |
Since the birth of Political Parties, Nepal have had more than 10 general elections, each one picking a Prime Ministry who fails to resolve country's issues such as poverty eradication, backing human rights, improving economic development programs and most importantly
uplifting Nepalese life. |
Some Kings
From left to right: Kirat King, Prithivi King, Baber Junga Bahadur Rana, and King Gyanendra
How Panchayat Worked and Why it Failed to Live Long ?
- King was the main man who could pick anyone to be a Prime Ministry, He had absolute Power to control the country
- Voice of the Nepalese meant nothing to this system. In fact, anyone who talked against the King would be sentenced to jail, or killed or made to disappear for life
- Constitution of the system didn't allow any Political Parties to be born
- Basic Human rights and the freedom of speech was suppressed
- News and media was mainly run by Nepali King and its people and hence the Truth-News never existed in Nepal during those years
- Corruption was at the highest level; Ministry and local government body were getting richer day by day
- Getting a job in government offices meant, lobbying with Government personnel by giving money or having connections
- Economic development did take place but money spent for also didn't give substantial development to the country
- Improvement in the day-to-day life of the people was not seen while many still argue that today's multi party system hasn't proved to be any better. Panchayat system still gets
good reputation for having lower inflation, development and peace in the country then other systems that followed
- Many believe that the Panchayat system simply evaporated from Nepal due to one major factor - ** Basic Human rights; see above list for explanation and People had a government made for them not by them
Did you know ?
- King of all King is known as the "Prithivi King". He unified Nepal into one Kingdom thus
helping Nepal grow together politically, economically and socially in collective manner
- People's King is regarded as the King Birendra who died with with his entire family in a family shoot-out, with report
on the side that a drunken and fully doped Prince Dipendra took his own life upon taking the life of his entire family
with a gun. What amazes Nepalese is that the family of his brother remains intact, even they too were at the scene before random-shooting took place. This is not say that
King Gyanendra had a role in this Royal massacre but to say that a majority of Nepalese believe want a thorough investigation of the accident to find exactly
what happened and who were behind the massacre. Some also believe that outsiders might have been involved but not King Gyanendra and his family.
Democracy
- Democracy in Nepal wasn't fully realized until after the King Mahendra started ruling Nepal under the Panchayat system.
The system would allow King to pick his own people as PM and head of the districts to govern people. As the corruption took its height,
people started disliking this system and hence people's movement started. Then the birth of "Multi Party" system was born in Nepal where
people were allowed to form political parties, join election and run a government with a leading party backed by a opposition party. Even in the political party system,
King still would have more power than the Prime Ministers
Turning Point in Government for Nepal
- Year 1989 is considered to the turning point for Nepal. It's the year when people took the streets in large, villagers flew to cities or to other countries, and some fought against the Panchayat System and demanded a government that Nepalese could decide, where they could elect their leaders and rule the country for the benefit of all.
The Multi-Party system started it's first foot step in that year, which game Nepalese hopes to some extend for a better life, better freedom and
development of rural infrastructure. But since Political Parties failed to fulfill the expectation of people, Maoists appeared and the country went to war, splitting the people into groups; those for king, those for political parties and those for the Maoists. Violence started to become the topic that both Nepalese and None Nepalese came to know about Nepal until after the peace agreement with Maoists and
a new Government where Nepal's constitution bans King from doing nothing but living in his own Royal Palace.
Common Belief of Nepalese on why Nepal could be developed nation.
The most important issue in the country is corruption. Many reports claim that it starts from the bottom level
to all the way up to King, Parliament, Supreme Court Level and other levels. People here strongly believe that it is
because of the corruption things go the wrong day such as wars and Nepalese are optimistic that the
future government of Nepal will do what it can to reduce corruption.
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