Toponymy

The word Nepal is derived from Nepa (नेपा:); the old name of Kathmandu valley was
Nepa in Nepal Bhasa, the language of Newars, who were the early inhabitants of the
valley, long before the unification of Nepal. The fact that Nepal Sambat, one of the three
main calendars of Nepal, existed long before the unification of Nepal proves this
historical fact.

Other toponym theories include: -

• "Nepal" may be derived from the Sanskrit nipalaya, which means "at the foot of
the mountains" or "abode at the foot", a reference to its location in relation to the
Himalayas. Thus, it may be an Eastern equivalent of the European toponym
"Piedmont."
• It has also been suggested that the name comes from the Tibetan niyampal, which
means "holy land".
• A third theory suggests that Nepal came from compounding the words NE, which
means wool, and PAL, which means a tented house; a long time ago, Nepal used
to produce a lot of wool and the houses were used to store the wool - hence the
word NE-PAL.
• The name Nepal is also supposed to be derived from the Sanskrit word
"NEP"(नेप), with the suffix "AL" (आल) added to it; though still under controversy,
NEP were the people who use to be cow herders - the GOPALS (गोपाल) - who
came to the Nepal valley for the first time from the Ganges plain of India.
• According to Nepali scholar Rishikesh Shaha, the ancient chronicles report that a
sage (muni) named Ne became the protector (pāla) of this land and the founder of
its first ruling dynasty. The name of the country, Ne-pāla, therefore originally
meant the land 'protected by Ne.'[1]

[edit] Early ages

Prehistory

Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in
the Himalayan region for at least 9,000 years. It appears that people who were probably
of Kirant ethnicity lived in Nepal more than 2,500 years ago. The Kirant are a tribe of
jungle and mountain people who migrated from various parts of India and the Himalayas.

[edit] Legends and Ancient times

Though very little is known about the early history of Nepal, legends and documented
references, like the following, reach back to the first millennium BCE:
 • The epic Ramayana, which dates from an era before the Mahabharata, states that
Mithila, currently known as Janakpur in Nepal, is the birth place of the highly
revered princess Sita, the virtuous queen of Hindu divine king Lord Rama.
• Also, the presence of historical sites, e.g., Valmiki ashram, indicates the presence
of Sanatana (ancient) Hindu culture in Nepal at that period.
• The epic Mahabharata mentions the Kiratas among the inhabitants of Nepal.
Kirati king Yalambar had the dubious honor of being slain in the battle of the
Mahabharata, in which gods and mortals fought alongside each other. Legend
credits him with meeting Indra, the lord of heaven, who ventured into the Valley
in human guise.
• According to some of the chronicles, the successors of Ne were the gopālavaṃśi
or "Cowherd family", whose names often end in -gupta and are said to have ruled
for some 491 years. They are said to have been followed by the
mahaiṣapālavaṃśa or "Buffalo-herder Dynasty", established by an Indian
Rajput named Bhul Singh.[2]
• inscriptions found on archeological stoneworks, which list mostly the dates and
commissioners of these constructions, also communicate royal edicts, religious
mantras or historical notes sometimes and, through the corroboration of local
myths with such evidence, a people prior to the Licchavi have been identified,
known as the Kirata.

[edit] Kirat Period

Nepal's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the 7th or 8th century
BCE from the east to the Kathmandu valley. Little is known about them, other than their
deftness as sheep farmers and fondness for carrying long knives. The Kirats ruled for
about 1225 years (800 BCE-300 CE), their reign had a total of 29 kings during that time.
Their first and best-remembered king was Yalambar, who is referenced in the epic
Mahabharata.

In the chronicle of Bansawali William Kirk Patrick mentions that the Kirat rule existed
from about 900 BCE to 300 CE. During this long period altogether 29 Kirat Kings ruled
over the country. The 29 Kirat Kings were;

• 1. Yalambar
• 2. Pari
• 3. Skandhar
• 4. Balamba
• 5. Hriti
• 6. Humati
• 7. Jitedasti
• 8. Galinja
• 9. Oysgja
• 10. Suyarma
• 11. Papa
 • 12. Bunka
• 13. Swawnanda
• 14. Sthunko
• 15. Jinghri
• 16. Nane
• 17. Luka
• 18. Thor
• 19. Thoko
• 20. Verma
• 21. Guja
• 22. Pushkar
• 23. Keshu
• 24. Suja
• 25. Sansa
• 26. Gunam
• 27. Khimbu
• 28. Paruka
• 29. Gasti

• The 1st Kirat King Yalambar laid the foundation of the Kirat dynasty after
defeating the last ruler of the Abhir dynasty. When Kirats occupied the valley,
they made Matatirtha their capital. The Kirat kingdom during the rule of
Yalambar had extended to Tista in the East and Trisidi in the West. It is said
Yalambar had gone to witness the battle of Mahabharata between the Pandavas
and the Kauravas. He was so brave and powerful that Lord Krishna beheaded him
prior to the battle suspecting he might fight for the Kauravas.

• The 7th Kirat King 'Jitedasti'

During the rule of the 7th Kirat King Jitedasti, Lord Gautam Buddha visited the valley
with his several disciples. He visited holy places of Swayambhu, Guheswari, etc., and
preached his religious teaching. The Kirats of the valley refused to follow his doctrine but
welcomed Lord Buddha and his disciples.

• The 14th Kiirat King 'Sthunko'

During the rule of the 14th Kirat King Sthunko, the Indian Emperor Ashok came to the
Kathmandu Valley with his daughter, princess Charumati. During his stay in the valley,
he had four stupas built in four directions and one in the centre of Patan. He arranged his
daughter Charumati's marriage with a local young prince named Devpal. Prince Devpal
and his consort Charumati lived at Chabahil near Pashupati area. Later Charumati had the
stupas of Devpatan built after the death of her husband in his memory. Charumati who
had later on become a nun herself also got erected a convent where she resided and
practiced Lord Buddha's doctrine.

• The 15th Kirat king 'Jinghri'

During the rule of the 15th Kirat King Jinghri, another religious doctrine, Jainism, was
being preached by Mahavir Jain in India. In this regard, Bhadrabhau, a disciple of
Mahavir Jain, came to Nepal. But Jainism did not gain as much popularity as Buddhism
in Nepal.

• The 28th Kirat King 'Paruka'

During the rule of the 28th Kirat King Paruka, the Sombanshi ruler attacked his regime
many times from the west. Although he successfully repelled their attacks, he was forced
to move to Shankhamul from Gokarna. He had a royal palace called "Patuka" built there
for him. The 'Patuka' palace can no longer be seen, except its ruins in the form of a
mound. Patuka changed Shankhamul into a beautiful town.

• The 29th Kirat King 'Gasti'

The last King of the Kirat dynasty was Gasti. He proved to be a weak ruler and was
overthrown by the Sombanshi ruler Nimisha. This ended the powerful Kirat dynasty that
had lasted for about 1225 years. After their defeat, the Kirats moved to the Eastern hills
of Nepal and settled down, divided into small principalities. Their settlements were
divided into three regions, i.e., 'Wallokirat' that lay to the East of the Kathmandu,
'Majkirat' or Central Kirat region and 'Pallokirat' that lay to the far East of the Kathmandu
valley. These regions are still heavily populated by Kirats.

[edit] Birth of Buddha

Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal.

One of the earliest confederations of South Asia was that of the Shakya clan, whose
capital was Kapilvastu, Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Siddharta Gautama (563–
483 BCE), who renounced his royalty to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the
Buddha ("the enlightened one") was orn to the Shakya king Sudhodhan. After finding
enlightenment, Lord Gautam Buddha returned to his home place Kapilvastu now part of
Nepal to teach his wife Yesodhara what he had learned. But by 260 BCE, most of North
India and southern Nepal were ruled by the Maurya Empire. Buddha and his disciple
Ananda visited the Kathmandu Valley and stayed for a time in Patan. Although not all of
Nepal was under Maurya occupation, there is evidence of at least the influence of Maurya
Emperor Ashoka the Great, the legendary Buddhist proselytiser and ruler from 273 BCE
to 232 BCE. Ashoka was a visitor to Kathmandu in this period and, as a follower of
Buddhism, he visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and erected 4 stupas in
Kathmandu. His daughter married a local prince and further spread the religion. The
remains of a Buddhist convent have been found in the Kathmandu Valley.

[edit] Licchavi rule

Main article: Licchavi

It is unclear when exactly the Licchavi kingdom began. From the findings at the ancient
capital of Handigaun, it appears that Licchavi rulers were in power on two occasions:
from about 200 CE to the 5th century, and from about 750 to 1200 CE.[3] Archaeological
evidence for the Licchavi period mainly consists of stonework inscriptions, dated from
two separate, consecutive eras; the former era, the Åšaka or Saka era, is dated 78 CE,
whereas the latter, of the Aṃshuvarmā or Manadeva-II's era, is dated 576 CE.

In between, in the fourth century CE, the country fell under the influence of the Indian
Gupta Empire - considered to be a golden period of Hinduism in India - whose cultural
diffusion is evident, despite their lack of direct control of Nepal.

First Licchavi rule evidence: A well-preserved life-sized sandstone sculpture of a king

named Jaya Varman, discovered in Maligaon in the eastern part of Kathmandu, contains
an inscription dating from the 'samvat' year 107, which most probably is in the Shaka era
and is, therefore, from 185 CE; this dating is also supported by the style of the sculpture,
which is clearly Kushan in origin. It is unclear whether Jaya Varman was a Licchavi or a
pre-Licchavi monarch. However, most scholars are agreed that, Licchavi rule of the
Kathmandu valley must have begun in the first or second century CE.[4][5]

Second Licchavi rule evidence: Two inscriptions of a known date, both Licchavi, are a
broken pillar inscription from Pashupati dated 381 (459 CE), and the Changu Narayana
pillar inscription of King Manadeva in 386 (464 CE).[5][6]

There is a good and quite detailed description of the kingdom of Nepal in the account of
the renowned Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk, Xuanzang, dating from c. 645 CE.[7][8]

The Licchavi rulers arranged for the documentation of information on politics, society,
and the economy in the region. Most of the Licchavi records—written in Sanskrit—are
deeds reporting donations to religious foundations, predominantly Hindu temples; and the
last such record was added in 733.

Map of Nepal
The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century and was followed by a
Malla dynasty, from 879, although the extent of their control over the entire country is
uncertain.

Thakuri rule

By 879, the Licchavi era had petered out and was succeeded by the Thakuri dynasty. A
grim period of instability and invasions often referred to as the 'Dark Ages' followed, but
Kathmandu Valley's strategic location ensured the kingdom's survival and growth.

Malla dynasty

Main article: Malla

Several centuries later, the Thakuri king, Arideva, founded the Malla dynasty, kick-
starting another renaissance of Nepali culture. Despite earthquakes, the occasional
invasion, and frequent feuding between the independent city-states of Kathmandu, Patan
and Bhaktapur, the dynasty flourished, reaching its zenith in the 15th century under
Yaksha Malla.

Chalukkya dynasty

By the late 11th century, southern Nepal came under the occupation of the Chalukaya
Empire of southern India. Under the Chalukayas, Nepal's religious establishment changed
as the kings patronised Hinduism instead of the prevailing Buddhism.

[edit] Age of Principalities

Three city-states

Main article: Malla

After the 15th century, the Kathmandu Valley lost its central control and was ruled as
three city-states: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon. Many Nepalese architectural
heritages, such as temples, palaces, including many UNESCO world heritage sites, were
built during the rule of the Newar Kings. These include the Kathmandu Old Palace
(Kathmandu Durbar Square), Patan Palace (Patan Durbar Square), Bhaktapur Palace
(Bhaktapur Durbar Square) etc. By this time, people living in and around Kathmandu
Valley (irrespective of their ethnic origins) were called "Newars" (or "Nepa:mi" in
"Newari" language meaning, the citizens of Nepal).
Hindu and Buddhist temples in Patan, the capital of one of the three medieval Newar
kingdoms

Magar Principalities
Magars are martial people that first established their kingdom in present day western
Nepal. They were animistic and shamanic in their religious practices. The Kham Magar
of the upper Karnali basin and their brethren of the mid-hills of Nepal had a flourishing
and empirical kingdom. Much archaeological proof of their existence can be found in the
western mid-hills of Nepal.

The Magar have a strong military and warrior tradition. However, their hospitality and
concern for their fellow human beings is also legendary. Two waves of immigrants
became the undoing of the Magar empire.

Firstly, the Khasas were welcomed and assimilated within Magar empire. Secondly, due
to the advance of Muslim forces into the Gangetic plains of India, the Brahmins entered
the Magar empire as refugees.

These two groups were given sanctuary in the Magar empire. The latter group of refugees
started to impose their view of Hinduism upon the Magars, while the former group were
given the status of Chettri by the latter group in accordance with their view of Hinduism.

This left the Magar people boxed into the third tier in their own kingdom (the first being
the Brahmins, the second being the newly elevated Chettri, previously the Khasas).

This meant that the one-time rulers of the Nepali mid-hills became the ruled upon. This
was the start of the degradation of the Magar empire. The introduction of Hinduism in
itself became the cataclysmic event in the undoing of the Magar empire.

[edit] History of Kirat

In the meantime, the History of Kirat covers much of the history and achievements of the
Kirant people of Eastern Nepal/Kiratdesh from ancient period until the Gorkha conquest
in the eastern Nepal.

[edit] History of Limbuwan

History of Limbuwan shows the history and political development of the people of
Limbuwan until their unification with the Kingdom of Gorkha in 1774 AD. During King
Prithivi Narayan Shah's unification of Nepal, the present-day Nepal east of Arun and
Koshi River was known as Pallo Kirant Limbuwan. It was divided into ten Limbu
Kingdoms of which the Morang Kingdom was the most powerful and had the central
government. The capital of the Morang Kingdom of Limbuwan was Bijaypur, now
Dharan. After the Limbuwan-Gorkha War and seeing the threat of the rising power of the
British East India Company, kings and ministers of all the ten Limbu Kingdoms of
Limbuwan gathered in Bijaypur, present day Dharan, to agree upon the Limbuwan-
Gorkha treaty. This Treaty formally united ten Limbu Kingdoms into the Gorkha
Kingdom, but it also gave Limbuwan full autonomy under Limbuwan Kipat System.

[edit] Kingdom of Nepal

Main article: Kingdom of Nepal

[edit] Gorkha rule

The old king's palace on a hill in Gorkha

After decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms, modern Nepal was created in
the latter half of the 18th century, when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of the small
principality of Gorkha, formed a unified country from a number of independent hill
states. Prithvi Narayan Shah dedicated himself at an early age to the conquest of the
Kathmandu Valley and the creation of a single state, which he achieved in 1768.

The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom. It is a misconception that the
Gurkhas took their name from the Gorkha region of Nepal. The region was given its
name after the Gurkhas had established their control of these areas. The Gurkha, also
spelled Gorkha, are people from Nepal who take their name from the legendary eighth-
century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. Gurkhas claim descent from the Hindu
Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India, who entered modern Nepal from the west.

After Shah's death, the Shah dynasty began to expand their kingdom into what is present
day North India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed Tashilhunpo
Monastery of Shigatse. Alarmed, the Chinese emperor Qianlong appointed Fu Kangan
commander-in-chief of the Tibetan campaign and Fu not only defeated the Gurkha army
and conquered Tibet but also conquered Nepal. Therefore, the Gurkhas were forced to
accept surrender on China terms.

After 1800, the heirs of Prithvi Narayan Shah proved unable to maintain firm political
control over Nepal. A period of internal turmoil followed.

Rivalry between Nepal and the British East India Company - over the princely states
bordering Nepal and India - eventually led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), in
which Nepal suffered a complete rout. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816, ceding
large parts of the Nepali territories of Terrai and Sikkim, (nearly one third of the
country), to the British, in exchange for Nepalese autonomy. As the territories were not
restored to Nepal by the British when freedom was granted to the people of British India,
these have become a part of the Republic of India, although Sikkim overwhelmingly
voted to join the Indian Union in 1975.

[edit] Rana Administration

Rani (Queen) of Nepal surrounded by her Ladies-in-Waiting, 1920

Factionalism among the royal family led to a period of instability after the war. In 1846,
Queen Rajendralakshmi plotted to overthrow Jang Bahadur, a fast-rising military leader
of Indian Rajput ancestry who was presenting a threat to her power. The plot was
uncovered and the queen had several hundred princes and chieftains executed after an
armed clash between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen. This came
to be known as the Kot Massacre. However, Bahadur emerged victorious eventually and
founded the Rana dynasty; the monarch was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime
Minister was made powerful and hereditary, held by a Rana.
The Rana regime, a tightly centralized autocracy, pursued a policy of isolating Nepal
from external influences. This policy helped Nepal maintain its national independence
during the British colonial era, but it also impeded the country's economic development
and modernisation. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted the British during
the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and later in both World Wars.

[edit] 20th century

In 1923 Britain and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, in which Nepal
and India (which was under British Rule at that time) negotiated and ended up
exchanging some cities.

Slavery was abolished in Nepal in 1924.[9]

[edit] Democratic Reform

Main article: Democracy movement in Nepal

Popular dissatisfaction against the family rule of the Ranas had started emerging from
among the few educated people, who had studied in various Indian schools and colleges,
and also from within the Ranas, many of whom were marginalised within the ruling Rana
hierarchy. Many of these Nepalese in exile had actively taken part in the Indian
Independence struggle and wanted to liberate Nepal as well from the internal autocratic
Rana occupation. The political parties such as The Prajaparishad and Nepali Congress
were already formed in exile by leaders such as B.P. Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh,
Subarna Sumsher Rana, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai,Girija Prasad Koirala and many other
patriotic-minded Nepalis who urged the military and popular political movement in
Nepal to overthrow the autocratic Rana Regime. Among the prominent martyrs to die for
the cause, executed at the hands of the Ranas, were Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Shukraraj
Shastri, Gangalal Shrestha and Dasharath Chand. This turmoil culminated in King
Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fleeing from his "palace prison"
in 1950, to newly independent India, touching off an armed revolt against the Rana
administration. This eventually ended in the return of the Shah family to power and the
appointment of a non-Rana as prime minister. A period of quasi-constitutional rule
followed, during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of fledgling political parties,
governed the country. During the 1950s, efforts were made to frame a constitution for
Nepal that would establish a representative form of government, based on a British
model.

In early 1959, Tribhuvan's son King Mahendra issued a new constitution, and the first
democratic elections for a national assembly were held. The Nepali Congress Party, a
moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory in the election. Its leader,
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, formed a government and served as prime minister. After
years of power wrangling between the kings (Tribhuvan and Mahendra) and the
government, Mahendra dissolved the democratic experiment in 1960.
[edit] Royal Coup by King Mahendra

Declaring parliamentary democracy a failure, King Mahendra carried out a royal coup 18
months later, in 1962. He dismissed the elected Koirala government, declared that a
"partyless" panchayat system would govern Nepal, and promulgated another new
constitution on December 16, 1962.

Subsequently, the elected Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and hundreds of

democratic activists were arrested. (In fact, this trend of arrest of political activists and
democratic supporters continued for the entire 30 year period of partyless Panchayati
System under King Mahendra and then his son, King Birendra).

The new constitution established a "partyless" system of panchayats (councils) which

King Mahendra considered to be a democratic form of government, closer to Nepalese
traditions. As a pyramidal structure, progressing from village assemblies to a Rastriya
Panchayat (National Parliament), the panchayat system constitutionalised the absolute
power of the monarchy and kept the King as head of state with sole authority over all
governmental institutions, including the Cabinet (Council of Ministers) and the
Parliament. One-state-one-language became the national policy, and all other languages
suffered at the cost of the official language, "Nepali", which was the king's language.

King Mahendra was succeeded by his 27 year-old son, King Birendra, in 1972. Amid
student demonstrations and anti-regime activities in 1979, King Birendra called for a
national referendum to decide on the nature of Nepal's government: either the
continuation of the panchayat system with democratic reforms or the establishment of a
multiparty system. The referendum was held in May 1980, and the panchayat system won
a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, including selection of the
prime minister by the Rastriya Panchayat.

People in rural areas had expected that their interests would be better represented after the
adoption of parliamentary democracy in 1990. The Nepali Congress with support of
"Alliance of leftist parties" decided to launch a decisive agitational movement, Jana
Andolan, which forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a
multiparty parliament. In May 1991, Nepal held its first parliamentary elections in
nearly 50 years. The Nepali Congress won 110 of the 205 seats and formed the first
elected government in 32 years.

Civil Strife

In 1992, in a situation of economic crisis and chaos, with spiralling prices as a result of
implementation of changes in policy of the new Congress government, the radical left
stepped up their political agitation. A Joint People's Agitation Committee was set up by
the various groups.[10] A general strike was called for April 6.

Violent incidents began to occur on the evening before of the strike. The Joint People's
Agitation Committee had called for a 30-minute 'lights out' in the capital, and violence
erupted outside Bir Hospital when activists tried to enforce the 'lights out'. At dawn on
April 6, clashes between strike activists and police, outside a police station in Pulchok
(Patan), left two activists dead.

Later in the day, a mass rally of the Agitation Committee at Tundikhel in the capital
Kathmandu was attacked by police forces. As a result, riots broke out and the Nepal
Telecommunications building was set on fire; police opened fire at the crowd, killing
several persons. The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal estimated that 14 persons,
including several onlookers, had been killed in police firing.[11]

When promised land reforms failed to appear, people in some districts started to organize
to enact their own land reform and to gain some power over their lives in the face of
usurious landlords. However, this movement was repressed by the Nepali government, in
"Operation Romeo" and "Operation Kilo Sera II", which took the lives of many of
the leading activists of the struggle. As a result, many witnesses to this repression became
radicalized.

[edit] Nepalese Civil War

Main article: Nepalese Civil War

This article uses an unsuitable grammatical tense for an encyclopedia. Please
consider copy editing to past tense if historic, present tense if not time-based (e.g.
fiction), or future tense if upcoming.

In February 1996, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started a bid to replace the
parliamentary monarchy with a people's new democratic republic, through a Maoist
revolutionary strategy known as the people's war, which led to the Nepalese Civil War.
Led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Pushpa Kamal Dahal (also known as "Prachanda"),
the insurgency began in five districts in Nepal: Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha, and
Sindhuli. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)established a provisional "people's
government" at the district level in several locations.

on June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra went on a shooting-spree, assassinating 9

members of the royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, before
shooting himself. Due to his survival he temporarily became king before dying of his
wounds, after which Prince Gyanendra (Birendra's brother) inherited the throne,
according to tradition. Meanwhile, the rebellion escalated, and in October 2001 the king
temporarily deposed the government and took complete control of it. A week later he
reappointed another government, but the country was still very unstable.

In the face of unstable governments and a siege on the Kathmandu Valley in August
2004, popular support for the monarchy began to wane. On February 1, 2005, Gyanendra
dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers, declaring a "state of
emergency" to quash the revolution. Politicians were placed under house arrest, phone
and internet lines were cut, and freedom of the press was severely curtailed.
The king's new regime made little progress in his stated aim to suppress the insurgents.
Municipal elections in February 2006 were described by the European Union as "a
backward step for democracy", as the major parties boycotted the election and some
candidates were forced to run for office by the army.[12] In April 2006 strikes and street
protests in Kathmandu forced the king to reinstate the parliament. A seven-party
coalition resumed control of the government and stripped the king of most of his powers.
As of 15 January 2007 Nepal was governed by an unicameral legislature under an
interim constitution. On December 24, 2007, seven parties, including the former Maoist
rebels and the ruling party, agreed to abolish monarchy and declare Nepal a Federal
Republic..[13] In the elections held on April 10, 2008, the Maoists secured a simple
majority, with the prospect of forming a government to rule the proposed 'Republic of
Nepal'.

[edit] Federal Democratic Republic

On May 28, 2008 the newly elected Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a Federal
Democratic Republic, abolishing the 240-year-old monarchy. The motion for abolition of
monarchy was carried by a huge majority; out of 564 members present in the assembly,
560 voted for the motion while 4 members voted against it.[14] Finally, on June 11, 2008
ex-king Gyanendra left the palace.[15] Ram Baran Yadav of the Nepali Congress became
the first president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on July 23, 2008.
Similarly, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, of the Communist Party
of Nepal (Maoist) was elected as the first Prime Minister on August 15, 2008, defeating
Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress Party.

[edit] Footnotes
1. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Ancient and Medieval Nepal (1992), pp. 6-7. Manohar
Publications, New Delhi. ISBN 81-85425-69-8.
2. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Ancient and Medieval Nepal (1992), p. 7. Manohar
Publications, New Delhi. ISBN 81-85425-69-8.
3. ^ Amatya, Shaphalya. (1993). "Archaeology Shrouded in Mystery." The Rising
Nepal, Sunday, Oct., 31, 1993
4. ^ "A Kushan-period Sculpture from the reign of Jaya Varman, A.D. 185."
Kathmandu, Nepal. Kashinath Tamot and Ian Alsop. [1]
5. ^ a b Shaha, Rishikesh. Ancient and Medieval Nepal (1992), p. 11. Manohar
Publications, New Delhi. ISBN 81-85425-69-8.
6. ^ "A Kushan-period Sculpture from the reign of Jaya Varman, A.D. 185."
Kathmandu, Nepal. Kashinath Tamot and Ian Alsop. [2]
7. ^ Li, Rongxi (translator). 1995. The Great Tang Dynasty Record of the Western
Regions, pp. 219-220. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research.
Berkeley, California. ISBN 1-886439-02-8
8. ^ Watters, Thomas. 1904-5. On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India (A.D. 629-645),
pp. 83-85. Reprint: Mushiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi. 1973.
 9. ^ Tucci, Giuseppe. (1952). Journey to Mustang, 1952. Trans. by Diana Fussell.
1st Italian edition, 1953; 1st English edition, 1977. 2nd edition revised, 2003, p.
22. Bibliotheca Himalayica. ISBN 99933-0-378-X (South Asia); 974-524-024-9
(Outside of South Asia).
10. ^ The organisers of the Committee were the Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal, the
Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre), Communist Party of Nepal (Masal),
the Nepal Communist League and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-
Leninist-Maoist).
11. ^ Hoftun, Martin, William Raeper and John Whelpton. People, politics and
ideology: Democracy and Social Change in Nepal. Kathmandu: Mandala Book
Point, 1999. p. 189
12. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1699935,00.html
13. ^ Nepal votes to abolish monarchy
14. ^ Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens
15. ^ Nepalnews.com, news from Nepal as it happens

[edit] References
• Tiwari, Sudarshan Raj (2002). The Brick and the Bull: An account of Handigaun,
the Ancient Capital of Nepal. Himal Books. ISBN 99933-43-52-8.
• Kayastha, Chhatra Bahadur (2003).Nepal Sanskriti: Samanyajnan. Nepal
Sanskriti. ISBN 99933-34-84-7.

[edit] External links

• Human Rights Commission
• Nepal Encyclopedia Historical Category

[edit] See also

• Sugauli Treaty
• Anglo-Nepalese War
• History of Nepal
• History of Sikkim

[show]
v•d•e
History of Asia

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nepal"

Categories: History of Nepal | 1816 in law | Unification of Nepal
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