Kingdom of Nepal

Hindu Kingdom of Nepal नेपाल अधिराज्य Nepal Adhirajya
1768–2008
Flag (before 1962) Coat of Arms
Anthem: Rastriya Gaan (राष्ट्रिय गान्) "May Glory Crown You, Courageous Sovereign"
Territory of the Kingdom of Nepal in 1808
Territory of the Kingdom of Nepal in 2008
Status	Sovereign monarchy[1][2][3]
Capital	Kathmandu
Common languages	Nepali (Gorkhali)
Religion	Hinduism
Government	Absolute monarchy (1768–1990, 2002–2006) Constitutional monarchy (1990–2002, 2006–2008)
Mahārājādhirāja
• 1768–1775	Prithvi Narayan Shah Dev (first)
• 2001–2008 (presently as a titular reign)	Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (last)
Prime Minister
• 1799–1804	Damodar Pande (first)
• 2006–2008	Girija Prasad Koirala (last)
Legislature	Curia regis (1768–1990, 2002–2006) Parliament (1990–2002, 2006–2007) Interim legislature (2007–2008)
History
• Unification under Prithvi Narayan Shah	25 September 1768
• Thapa dynasty (under Shah dynasty)	1806–1837 and 1843–1845
• Rana dynasty (under Shah dynasty)	1846–1953
• Constitutional monarchy	1990–2007
• Republic	28 May 2008
Currency	Nepalese mohar (1768–1932) Nepalese rupee (1932–2008)
Calling code	977
ISO 3166 code	NP
Preceded by Succeeded by Malla (Nepal) Baise Rajya Chaubisi rajya Gorkha Kingdom Nepal
Today part of	Nepal

The Kingdom of Nepal (Nepali: नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Kingdom of Gorkha (Nepali: गोर्खा अधिराज्य), was a Hindu kingdom on the Indian subcontinent, formed in 1768,^[4] by the unification of Nepal. Founded by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkhali monarch of Rajput origin,^[5] it existed for 240 years until the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008. During this period, Nepal was formally under the rule of the Shah dynasty, which exercised varying degrees of power during the kingdom's existence.

After the invasion of Tibet and plundering of Digarcha by Nepali forces under Prince Regent Bahadur Shah in 1792, the Dalai Lama and Chinese Ambans reported to Chinese administration for military support. The Chinese and Tibetan forces under Fu Kang An attacked Nepal but went for negotiation after failure at Nuwakot.^[3] During the early-nineteenth century, however, the expansion of the East India Company's rule in India led to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816), which resulted in Nepal's defeat. Under the Sugauli Treaty, the kingdom retained its independence, but in exchange for territorial concessions making Mechi River to Mahakali River its boundary under Nepalese rule,^[2] sometimes known as "Greater Nepal". Forces sent by Jung Bahadur Rana defeated the Tibetan forces on 1855 to force the Tibetan side to sign treaty favouring Nepal.^[3] Political instability following the war resulted in the ascendancy of the Rana dynasty of Khas Chhetri Rajput origin, which made the office of Prime Ministers of Nepal hereditary in their family for the next century, from 1843 to 1951. Beginning with Jung Bahadur, the first Rana ruler, the Rana dynasty reduced the Shah monarch to a figurehead role. Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution.^[6][7]

In July 1950, the newly independent republic of India signed a friendship treaty in which both nations agreed to respect the other's sovereignty. In November of the same year, India played an important role in supporting King Tribhuhvan, whom the Rana leader Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana had attempted to depose and replace with his infant grandson King Gyanendra. With Indian support for a new government consisting largely of the Nepali Congress, King Tribhuvan ended the rule of the Rana dynasty in 1951.

Unsuccessful attempts were made to implement reforms and a constitution during the 1960s and 1970s. An economic crisis at the end of the 1980s led to a popular movement which brought about parliamentary elections and the adoption of a constitutional monarchy in 1990. The 1990s saw the beginning of the Nepalese Civil War (1996–2006), a conflict between government forces and the insurgent forces of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). The situation for the Nepalese monarchy was further destabilised by the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre, in which Crown Prince Dipendra reportedly shot and killed ten people, including his father King Birendra, and was himself mortally wounded by what was allegedly a self-inflicted gunshot.

As a result of the massacre, King Gyanendra returned to the throne. His imposition of direct rule in 2005 provoked a protest movement unifying the Maoist insurgency and pro-democracy activists. He was eventually forced to restore Nepal's House of Representatives, which in 2007 adopted an interim constitution greatly restricting the powers of the Nepalese monarchy. Following an election held the next year, the Nepalese Constituent Assembly formally abolished the kingdom in its first session on 28 May 2008, declaring the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in its place.

Until the abolition of the monarchy, Nepal was the world's only country to have Hinduism as its state religion; the country is now formally a secular state.^[8][9]

18th century

Expansion

Main article: Unification of Nepal

The old king's palace on a hill in Gorkha

Gorkhali soldiers preparing war against Kathmandu Valley

After decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms, the Kingdom of Nepal was re-unified 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.

Origins

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Nepal (1962-2008)

The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom.^[10] The Parbate Brahmins and the ruling dynasty among the Gorkhali people trace their ancestry to the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India who entered modern Nepal from the West following Muslim advances. The actual historical process however by which this migration took place and the history of the Gorkhalis' ultimate conquest of Nepal span a couple of centuries and are drastically different from what Chauhan proposes. More importantly, Chauhan's overall thesis claiming the existence of a Gurkha identity way before the Shahs came to the Nepali hills is not supported by historical evidence available in Nepal. In Nepal the warrior people are not referred to as 'Gurkhas', they are called 'Gorkhalis', meaning the 'inhabitants of Gorkha.' Their famed battle cry is 'Ayo Gorkhali', meaning 'the Gorkhali has come.'

The etymology of the geographical name 'Gorkha' is indeed related to the Hindu mendicant-saint Gorakhnath. In the village of Gorkha is situated a temple dedicated to Gorakhnath as well as another dedicated to Gorakhkali, a corresponding female deity. The Nepali geographical encyclopedia 'Mechi-dekhi Mahakali' ('From Mechi to Mahakali') published in 2013 Bikram Era (1974-75 AD) by the authoritarian Panchayat government to mark the coronation of King Birendra Shah agrees with the association of the name of the place with the saint but does not add any further detail.^[11] The facts regarding when the temples were built and the place named after the saint are lost in the sweeping winds of time. We may guess that these developments took place in the early part of the second millennium of the Common Era following the rise of the Nath sect. In fact, the pilgrimage circuit of the sect across the northern Indian sub-continent also spans a major part of present-day Nepal including Kathmandu Valley. The Newars of Medieval Nepal have a couple of important temples and festivals dedicated to the major Nath teachers. Immediately before the rule of Gorkha by the Shahs, Gorkha was inhabited by both Aryan and Mongoloid ethnic groups and ruled by the Khadkas, who were probably of Khas origin. Dravya Shah defeated the Khadkas in 1559 AD and commenced Shah rule over the principality.^[11] Prithvi Narayan Shah belonged to the ninth generation of the Shahs in Gorkha. He took the reins of power in 1742 AD.^[12]

Tibetan conflict

Further information: Sino-Nepalese War

Battle of Jhunga in 1788 A.D., Nepali forces (in black) achieved victory against Tibetan forces (in red & yellow)

After the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Shah dynasty began to expand their kingdom into what is present day North India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed Tashi Lhunpo Monastery of Shigatse. Tibet sought Chinese help and the Qianlong Emperor of the Chinese Qing Dynasty appointed Fuk'anggan commander-in-chief of the Tibetan campaign. Heavy damages were inflicted on both sides. The Nepali forces retreated step by step back to Nuwakot to stretch Sino-Tibetan forces uncomfortably. Chinese launched uphill attack during the daylight and failed to succeed due to strong counterattack with Khukuri at Nuwakot.^[3] The Chinese army suffered a major setback when they tried to cross a monsoon-flooded Betrawati, close to the Gorkhali palace in Nuwakot.^[13] A stalemate ensued when Fuk'anggan was keen to protect his troops and wanted to negotiate at Nuwakot. The treaty was favouring more to Chinese side where Nepal had to send tributes to the Chinese emperor.^[3]

19th century

Thapa dynasty

Main article: Thapa dynasty

PM Bhimsen Thapa, founder of Khas Thapa dynasty

Thapas, who were Khas Kshatriya, rose to power when the King of Nepal Rana Bahadur Shah was cut down by his half brother Sher Bahadur Shah on the year 1806.^[14] Bhimsen Thapa (1775-1839), the leading Thapa Kaji, taking opportunity of the occasion massacred nearly 55 military and civil officers and catapulting Thapas into the power.^[14] He took the title of Mukhtiyar succeeding King Rana Bahadur as Chief Authority and his niece Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal as Queen Regent of junior King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah.^[15]

Rana dynasty rule

Main article: Rana dynasty

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 Ranas.

Third Nepalese Tibet War

Main article: Nepalese-Tibetan War

Battle of Guntagadhi where Nepali forces (dressed in black) achieved victory over Tibet on 1855 AD

Jung Bahadur Rana sent forces under his brothers Bam Bahadur Kunwar Rana and Dhir Shamsher Rana to attack Tibet again to achieve complete victory. His forces succeeded on defeating Tibetan forces on two sides. The Tibetan team arrived on January 1856 to sign treaty. After a month, Treaty of Thapathali was signed which was more favourable to Nepal.^[3]

20th century

End of Panchayat system

There was resentment against the authoritarian regime and the curbs on the freedom of the political parties. There was widespread feeling of the Palace being non-representative of the masses, especially when the Marich Man Singh government faced political scandals on charges of misappropriation of funds allotted for the victims of the earthquake in August 1991 or when it reshuffled the Cabinet instead of investigating the deaths of the people in a stampede in the national sports complex in a hailstorm. Also the souring of the India-Nepal trade relations affected the popularity of the Singh government.

In April 1987, Nepal had introduced the work permit for Indian workers in three of its districts, and in early 1989, Nepal provided 40% duty concession to Chinese goods and later withdrew duty concessions from Indian goods in such a manner that the Chinese goods became cheaper than the Indian goods. This led to the souring of relations which were already strained over the purchase of Chinese arms by Nepal in 1988. India refused to renew two separate Treaties of Trade and Transit and insisted on a single treaty dealing with the two issues, which was not acceptable to Nepal. A deadlock ensued and the Treaties of Trade and Transit expired on 23 March 1989. The brunt of the closure of the trade and transit points was mainly faced by the lower classes in Nepal due to the restricted supply of consumer goods and petroleum products such as petrol, aviation fuel and kerosene. The industries suffered because of their dependence on India for resources, trade and transit. The Government of Nepal tried to deal with the situation by depending on foreign aid from the US, UK, Australia and China. However, the government's strategy to manage the crisis could not satisfy those people who desired negotiations with India rather than dependence on foreign aid as a solution.

Taking advantage of the uneasiness amongst some people against the government and the strained India-Nepal relations, the Nepali Congress (NC) and the left-wing parties blamed the government for perpetuating the crisis and not taking any serious measures to solve it. In December 1989, the NC tried to utilize B.P. Koirala's anniversary by launching a people's awareness program. The left-wing alliance known as the United Left Front (ULF) extended its support to the NC in its campaign for a party system. On 18–19 January 1990, the NC held a conference in which leaders from various countries and members of the foreign Press were invited. Leaders from India attended the conference; Germany, Japan, Spain, Finland supported the movement; and the Embassies of the USA and West Germany were present on the occasion. Inspired by the international support and the democratic movements occurring throughout the world after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1989, the NC and the ULF launched a mass movement on 18 February to end the Panchayat regime, and the installation of an interim government represented by various parties and people.

On 6 April the Marich Man Singh government was dismissed and Lokendra Bahadur Chand became the Prime Minister on the same day. However, the agitating mob was not satisfied with the change of government as they were not against the Singh government per se but against the party-less system. On 16 April the Chand government was also dismissed and a Royal Proclamation was issued the next day which dissolved the National Panchayat, the Panchayat policy and the evaluation committee and the class organizations. Instead, the proclamation declared "functioning of the political parties" and maintained that "all political parties will always keep the national interest uppermost in organizing themselves according to their political ideology."

During this protest many civilians were killed: after the end of the Panchayat rule they were seen as 'undeclared martyrs'. One of those martyrs is Ram Chandra Hamal, member of the Nepali Congress and killed during his imprisonment.^[18]

1990 People's Movement

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.

21st century

Palace massacre

Main article: Nepalese royal massacre

The Narayanhiti Palace where the royal massacre occurred.

On 1 June 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra allegedly 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. The massacre shattered the aura of mythology that still surrounded the Royal Family, exposing their far too human intrigues.

Meanwhile, the Maoist rebellion escalated, and in October 2002 the king temporarily deposed the government and took complete control of it.^[21] A week later he reappointed another government, but the country was still very unstable because of the civil war with the Maoists, the various clamouring political factions, the king's attempts to take more control of the government, and worries about the competence of Gyanendra's son and heir, Prince Paras.

Geography

Topographic map of Nepal

The arid and barren Himalayan landscape

The Kingdom of Nepal was of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and 200 kilometres (125 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi). Nepal was commonly divided into three physiographic areas: the Mountain, Hill, and Terai Regions. These ecological belts run east-west and are bisected by Nepal's major river systems. Nepal is roughly the same size as the US state of Arkansas or the country of England.

The Madhesi Plains bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic plains. They were formed and are fed by three major rivers: the Kosi, the Narayani (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali. This region has a hot, humid climate.

The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 1,000 to 4,000 metres (3,300–13,125 ft) in altitude. Two low mountain ranges, the Mahabharat Lekh and Shiwalik Range (also called the Churia Range) dominate the region. The hilly belt includes the Kathmandu Valley, the country's most fertile and urbanised area. Unlike the valleys Called Inner Tarai (Bhitri Tarai Uptyaka) elevations above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) are sparsely populated.

The Mountain Region contains the highest region in the world. The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali) at 8,850 metres (29,035 ft) is located on the border with China. Eight more of the world's ten highest mountains are located in Nepal: Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu. Deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.

Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to altitude. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,940 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,900–7,875 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,875–11,800 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,800–14,400 ft), and the Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,400 ft). Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in winter, and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns.

Although Nepal shares no boundary with Bangladesh, the two countries are separated by a narrow strip of land about 21 kilometre (13 mi) wide, called the Chicken's Neck. Efforts are underway to make this area a free-trade zone.

Situated in the Great Himalayan Range in Northern part of Nepal, Mount Everest has the highest altitude of any mountain in the world. Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepali side of the mountain is easier to climb, so most climbers travel to Everest through Nepal. The Annapurna mountain range also lies in Nepal.

Zones, districts, and regions

Nepalese Zones

Nepal was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped into 5 development regions. Each district was headed by a fixed chief district officer responsible for maintaining law and order and coordinating the work of field agencies of the various government ministries. The 14 zones are:

Economy

Terraced farming on the foothills of the Himalayas

Agriculture sustains 76% of the population and accounts for about 39% of the GDP; services comprise 41%, and industry 22%. Nepal remains isolated from the world's major land, air and sea transport routes though air traffic is frequent. Hilly and mountainous terrain in the northern two-thirds of the country has made the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. There were just over 8,500 km of paved roads, and one 59 km railway line in the south in 2003. There is only one reliable road route from India to the Kathmandu Valley. The only practical seaport of entry for goods bound for Kathmandu is Kolkata in India. Internally, the poor state of development of the road system (22 of 75 administrative districts lack road links) makes volume distribution unrealistic.

Aviation is in a better state, with 48 airports, ten of them with paved runways. There is less than one telephone per 19 people; landline telephone services are not adequate nationwide but concentrated in cities and district headquarters; mobile telephony is in a reasonable state in most parts of the country with increased accessibility and affordability. There were around 175,000 Internet connections in 2005, but after the imposition of the "state of emergency", intermittent losses of service were reported. Uninterrupted Internet connections have resumed after the brief period of confusion as Nepal's second major people's revolution took place to overthrow the King's absolute power.^[24]

Its landlocked location and^[25] technological backwardness and the long-running civil war have also prevented Nepal from fully developing its economy. The country receives foreign aid from India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, China, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries. The government's budget is about US$1.153 billion, with expenditures of $1.789bn (FY05/06). The inflation rate has dropped to 2.9% after a period of higher inflation during the 1990s. The Nepali Rupee has been tied to the Indian Rupee at an exchange rate of 1.6 for many years. Since the loosening of exchange rate controls in the early 1990s, the black market for foreign exchange has all but disappeared. A long-standing economic agreement underpins a close relationship with India.

The distribution of wealth among the Nepali is consistent with that in many developed and developing countries: the highest 10% of households control 39.1% of the national wealth and the lowest 10% control only 2.6%.

Nepal's workforce of about 10 million suffers from a severe shortage of skilled labour. Agriculture employs 81% of the workforce, services 16% and manufacturing/craft-based industry 3%. Agricultural produce—mostly grown in the Terai region bordering India—includes rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, and water buffalo meat. Industry mainly involves the processing of agricultural produce, including jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. The spectacular landscape and deep, exotic culture of Nepal represents considerable potential for tourism, but growth in this export industry has been stifled by recent political events. The rate of unemployment and underemployment approaches half of the working-age population. Thus many Nepali citizens move to India in search of work, the Gulf countries and Malaysia being new sources of work. Poverty is acute.^[26] Nepal receives US$50 million a year through the Gurkha soldiers who serve in the Indian and British armies and are highly esteemed for their skill and bravery. The total remittance value is worth around 1 billion USD, including money sent from Persian Gulf and Malaysia, who combined employ around 700,000 Nepali citizens.

Nepal's GDP for the year 2005 is estimated at just over US$39 billion (adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity), making it the 83rd-largest economy in the world. Per-capita income is less than US$300. Nepal's exports of mainly carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods and grain total $822 million. Import commodities of mainly gold, machinery and equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer total US$2 bn. India (53.7%), the US (17.4%), and Germany (7.1%) are its main export partners. Nepal's import partners include India (47.5%), the United Arab Emirates (11.2%), China (10.7%), Saudi Arabia (4.9%), and Singapore (4%).^[27]

Government and politics

Until 1990, Nepal was an absolute monarchy running under the executive control of the king. Faced with a people's movement against the absolute monarchy, King Birendra, in 1990, agreed to large-scale political reforms by creating a parliamentary monarchy with the king as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of the government.

Nepal's legislature was bicameral consisting of a House of Representatives and a National Council. The House of Representatives consists of 205 members directly elected by the people. The National Council had sixty members, ten nominated by the king, thirty-five elected by the House of Representatives and the remaining fifteen elected by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and towns. The legislature had a five-year term, but was dissolvable by the king before its term could end. All Nepali citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote.

The executive comprised the King and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet). The leader of the coalition or party securing the maximum seats in an election was appointed as the Prime Minister. The Cabinet was appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Governments in Nepal have tended to be highly unstable; no government has survived for more than two years since 1991, either through internal collapse or parliamentary dissolution by the monarch on the recommendation of prime minister according to the constitution.

The movement in April 2006 brought about a change in the nation. The autocratic King was forced to give up power. The dissolved House of Representatives was restored. The House of Representatives formed a government which had successful peace talks with the Maoist Rebels. An interim constitution was promulgated and an interim House of Representatives was formed with Maoist members. The number of seats were also increased to 330. The peace process in Nepal made a giant leap in April 2007, when the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) joined the interim government of Nepal. The peace process seems to be in jeopardy after Maoists decided to leave coalition government on 18 September 2007, demanding the declaration of a republic before the scheduled constituent assembly.

Kings and Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Nepal

Kings of Nepal (1768–2008)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Prithvi Narayan Shah बडामहाराजधिराज पृथ्वीनारायण शाह	(1723-01-07)7 January 1723[28] – 11 January 1775(1775-01-11) (aged 52)	25 September 1768	11 January 1775	Son of Nara Bhupal Shah	Shah
Pratap Singh Shah प्रतापसिंह शाह	(1751-04-16)16 April 1751 – 17 November 1777(1777-11-17) (aged 26)	11 January 1775	17 November 1777	Son of Prithvi Narayan Shah	Shah
Rana Bahadur Shah रण बहादुर शाह	(1775-05-25)25 May 1775 – 25 April 1806(1806-04-25) (aged 30)	17 November 1777	8 March 1799 (abdicated)	Son of Pratap Singh Shah	Shah
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah गीर्वाणयुद्ध विक्रम शाह	(1797-10-19)19 October 1797 – 20 November 1816(1816-11-20) (aged 19)	8 March 1799	20 November 1816	Son of Rana Bahadur Shah	Shah
Rajendra Bikram Shah राजेन्द्र बिक्रम शाह	(1813-12-03)3 December 1813 – 10 July 1881(1881-07-10) (aged 67)	20 November 1816	12 May 1847 (abdicated)	Son of Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah	Shah
Surendra Bikram Shah सुरेन्द्र बिक्रम शाह	(1829-10-20)20 October 1829 – 17 May 1881(1881-05-17) (aged 51)	12 May 1847	17 May 1881	Son of Rajendra Bikram Shah	Shah
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah पृथ्वी वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1875-08-18)18 August 1875 – 11 December 1911(1911-12-11) (aged 36)	17 May 1881	11 December 1911	Grandson of Surendra Bikram Shah	Shah
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign) त्रिभुवन वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1906-06-30)30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955(1955-03-13) (aged 48)	11 December 1911	7 November 1950 (went into exile)	Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign) ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1947-07-07) 7 July 1947	7 November 1950	7 January 1951 (stepped down)	Grandson of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign) त्रिभुवन वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1906-06-30)30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955(1955-03-13) (aged 48)	7 January 1951	13 March 1955	Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah महेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1920-06-11)11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972(1972-01-31) (aged 51)	14 March 1955	31 January 1972	Son of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah वीरेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1945-12-28)28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001(2001-06-01) (aged 55)	31 January 1972	1 June 2001 (assassinated)	Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah[29] दीपेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1971-06-27)27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001(2001-06-04) (aged 29)	1 June 2001	4 June 2001 ( brain Dead)	Son of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah	Shah
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign) ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह	(1947-07-07) 7 July 1947	4 June 2001	28 May 2008 (deposed)	Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah	Shah

Prime Ministers during the Absolute monarchy (1799–1990)

Mul-Kajis during the Shah expansion era (1799–1806)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office
	1		Damodar Pande (1752–1804)	1799	1804	Independent

Muktiyars during the Thapa/Pande era (1806–1846)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office
	—		Rana Bahadur Shah (1775–1806)	26 February 1806	26 April 1806	Independent
	2		Bhimsen Thapa (1775–1839)	1806	1837	Independent
	3		Rana Jang Pande (1789–1843) 1st time	1837	1837	Independent
	4		Ranga Nath Poudyal (1773–?) 1st time	1837	1838	Independent
	5		Chautariya Puskhar Shah (1784–1846)	1838	1839	Independent
	(3)		Rana Jang Pande (1789–1843) 2nd time	1839	1840	Independent
	(4)		Ranga Nath Poudyal (1773–?) 2nd time	1840	1840	Independent
	6		Fateh Jung Shah (1805–1846) 1st time	November 1840	January 1843	Independent
	7		Mathabar Singh Thapa (1798–1845)	28 November 1843	17 May 1845	Independent
	(6)		Fateh Jung Shah (1805–1846) 2nd time	September 1845	14 September 1846	Independent

Prime Ministers during the Rana era (1846–1951)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office
	8		Jung Bahadur Rana (1816–1877) 1st time	15 September 1846	1 August 1856	Independent
	9		Bam Bahadur Kunwar (1818–1857)	1 August 1856	25 May 1857	Independent
	—		Krishna Bahadur Kunwar Rana (1823–1863) Acting Prime Minister	25 May 1857	28 June 1857	Independent
	(8)		Jung Bahadur Rana (1816–1877) 2nd time	28 June 1857	25 February 1877	Independent
	10		Ranodip Singh Kunwar (1825–1885)	27 February 1877	22 November 1885	Independent
	11		Bir Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1852–1901)	22 November 1885	5 March 1901	Independent
	12		Dev Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1862–1914)	5 March 1901	27 June 1901	Independent
	13		Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1863–1929)	27 June 1901	26 November 1929	Independent
	14		Bhim Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1865–1932)	26 November 1929	1 September 1932	Independent
	15		Juddha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1875–1952)	1 September 1932	29 November 1945	Independent
	16		Padma Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1882–1961)	29 November 1945	30 April 1948	Independent
	17		Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1885–1967)	30 April 1948	12 November 1951	Independent

Prime Ministers during the Transition era (1951–1960)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office
	18		Matrika Prasad Koirala (1912–1997) 1st time	16 November 1951	14 August 1952	Nepali Congress
	—		Direct rule by King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1906–1955)	14 August 1952	15 June 1953	—
	(18)		Matrika Prasad Koirala (1912–1997) 2nd time	15 June 1953	14 April 1955	Rastriya Praja Party
	—		Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1920–1972)	14 April 1955	27 January 1956	—
	19		Tanka Prasad Acharya (1912–1992)	27 January 1956	26 July 1957	Nepal Praja Parishad
	20		Kunwar Inderjit Singh (1906–1982)	26 July 1957	15 May 1958	United Democratic Party
	21		Subarna Shamsher Rana (1910–1977)	15 May 1958	27 May 1959	Nepali Congress
	22		Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914–1982)	27 May 1959	26 December 1960	Nepali Congress

Prime Ministers during the Panchayat era (1960–1990)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office		Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office
	—		Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1920–1972)	26 December 1960	2 April 1963	—
	23		Tulsi Giri (1926–) 1st time	2 April 1963	23 December 1963	Independent
	24		Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 1st time	23 December 1963	26 February 1964	Independent
	(23)		Tulsi Giri (1926–) 2nd time	26 February 1964	26 January 1965	Independent
	(24)		Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 2nd time	26 January 1965	7 April 1969	Independent
	25		Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 1st time	7 April 1969	13 April 1970	Independent
	—		Gehendra Bahadur Rajbhandari (1923–1994) Acting Prime Minister	13 April 1970	14 April 1971	Independent
	(25)		Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 2nd time	14 April 1971	16 July 1973	Independent
	26		Nagendra Prasad Rijal (1927–1994) 1st time	16 July 1973	1 December 1975	Independent
	(23)		Tulsi Giri (1926–) 3rd time	1 December 1975	12 September 1977	Independent
	(25)		Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 3rd time	12 September 1977	30 May 1979	Independent
	(24)		Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 3rd time	30 May 1979	12 July 1983	Independent
	27		Lokendra Bahadur Chand (1940–) 1st time	12 July 1983	21 March 1986	Independent
	(26)		Nagendra Prasad Rijal (1927–1994) 2nd time	21 March 1986	15 June 1986	Independent
	28		Marich Man Singh Shrestha (1942–2013)	15 June 1986	6 April 1990	Independent
	(27)		Lokendra Bahadur Chand (1940–) 2nd time	6 April 1990	19 April 1990	Independent

Prime Ministers during the Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of Office			Political Party
				Took Office	Left Office	Days
	29		Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (1924–2011) 1st time	19 April 1990	26 May 1991	402	Nepali Congress
	30		Girija Prasad Koirala (1925–2010) 1st time	26 May 1991	30 November 1994	1284	Nepali Congress
	31		Man Mohan Adhikari (1920–1999)	30 November 1994	12 September 1995	286	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)
	32		Sher Bahadur Deuba (1946–) 1st time	12 September 1995	12 March 1997	547	Nepali Congress
	(27)		Lokendra Bahadur Chand (1940–) 3rd time	12 March 1997	7 October 1997	209	Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand)
	(24)		Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 4th time	7 October 1997	15 April 1998	190	Rastriya Prajatantra Party
	(30)		Girija Prasad Koirala (1925–2010) 2nd time	15 April 1998	31 May 1999	411	Nepali Congress
	(29)		Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (1924–2011) 2nd time	31 May 1999	22 March 2000	296	Nepali Congress
	(30)		Girija Prasad Koirala (1925–2010) 3rd time	22 March 2000	26 July 2001	491	Nepali Congress
	(32)		Sher Bahadur Deuba (1946–) 2nd time	26 July 2001	4 October 2002	435	Nepali Congress
	—		Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (1947–)	4 October 2002	11 October 2002	7	—
	(27)		Lokendra Bahadur Chand (1940–) 4th time	11 October 2002	5 June 2003	237	Rastriya Prajatantra Party
	(24)		Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 5th time	5 June 2003	3 June 2004	364	Rastriya Prajatantra Party
	(32)		Sher Bahadur Deuba (1946–) 3rd time	3 June 2004	1 February 2005	243	Nepali Congress (Democratic)
	—		Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (1947–)	1 February 2005	25 April 2006	448	—
	(30)		Girija Prasad Koirala (1925–2010) 4th time	25 April 2006	28 May 2008	764	Nepali Congress

Military and foreign affairs

The outpost of Naamche Bazaar in the Khumbu region close to Mount Everest. The town is built on terraces in what resembles a giant Greek theatre.

Nepal's military consists of the Nepalese Army which includes the Nepalese Army Air Service (the air force unit under it). The Nepalese Police Force is the civilian police and the Armed Police Force Nepal^[30] is the paramilitary force. Service is voluntary and the minimum age for enlistment is 18 years. Nepal spends $99.2 million (2004) on its military—1.5% of its GDP. Most of the equipment and arms are supplied by India.

Nepal has close ties with both of its neighbours, India and China. In accordance with a long-standing treaty, Indian and Nepalese citizens may travel to each other's countries without a passport or visa. Nepalese citizens may work in India without legal restriction. Although Nepal and India typically have close ties, from time to time Nepal becomes caught up in the problematic Sino-Indian relationship. India considers Nepal as part of its realm of influence, and views Chinese aid with concern. Some Indians consider Nepal to be part of a greater pan-Indian state, an attitude that has caused Nepalese antagonism towards India. In 2005, after King Gyanendra took over, Nepalese relations with India, the US, and the UK worsened. These three foreign countries were vociferous opponents to the crackdown on civil liberties in Nepal.

Demographics

The Shaivaite Pashupatinath temple

Nepal has a total population of 27,676,547 as of July 2005, with a growth rate of 2.2%. 39% of the population is up to 14 years old, 57.3% are aged between 15 and 64, and 3.7% above 65. The median age is 20.07 (19.91 for males and 20.24 for females). There are 1,060 males for every 1,000 females. Life expectancy is 59.8 years (60.9 for males and 59.5 for females). Total literacy rate is 53.74% (68.51% for males and 42.49% for females).

Groups are the Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, Nepali White 2.8%. Nepali is the national language with 47.8% of the population speaking it as their first language. Other languages include Maithili 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Nepal Bhasa 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5%. Differences between Hindus and Buddhists have been in general very subtle and academic in nature due to the intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Both share common temples and worship common deities and many of Nepal's Hindus could also be regarded as Buddhists and vice versa.^[31] Gurkhas are from Nepal. Buddhism was relatively more common among the Newar. Among the other natives of Nepal, those most influenced by Hinduism were the Magar, Sunwar, Limbu and Rai. Hindu influence is less prominent among the Gurung, Bhutia, and Thakali groups, who employ Buddhist monks for their religious ceremonies.^[24][32]

The northern mountains are sparsely populated. A majority of the population live in the central highland despite the migration of a significant section of the population to the fertile Terai belt in recent years. Kathmandu, with a population of around 800,000 (Metropolitan area: 1,5 million) is the largest city in the country.

Culture

Hilly priest wearing a cultural Dhaka topi and Tilak at Kathmandu

Nepalese culture is diverse and it reflects people of different ethnic origins. A typical Nepalese meal is dal-bhat, a kind of a lentil soup served with rice and vegetables. However, the Newar community has its own unique cuisine. It consists of non-vegetarian and vegetarian items as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Mustard oil and a host of spices, such as cumin, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi (fenugreek), bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mustard seeds, vinegar, etc. are used in cooking. The cuisine served in the festivals is considered as the best diet cuisine.

Folklore is an integral part of Nepalese society. Traditional stories are rooted in the reality of day-to-day life—tales of love, affection, battles, and demons and ghosts; they reflect and explain local lifestyles, cultures and belief systems. Many Nepalese folktales are enacted in dance and music. The Newar community is very rich in cultural diversity. Most of the festivals observed in the Kthmandu valley are in the Newar community. The Newars are also well known for their music and dance. The Newar Music consists mainly of percussion instruments. Wind instruments such as flutes and similar instruments are also used. String instruments are very rare. There are songs pertaining to particular seasons and festivals. Paahan chare music is most probably the fastest played music whereas the Dapa the slowest. The dhimay music are the loudest ones. There are certain musical instruments such as Dhimay and Bhusya which are played as instrumental only and are not accompanied with songs. The Newar Dance can be broadly classified as masked dance and dance without the use of masks. The most representative of Newari dance is Lakhey dance. Almost all the settlements of Newar have Lakhey dance at least once a year. Almost all of these Lakhey dances are held in the Goonlaa month. So, they are called Goonlaa Lakhey. However, the most famous Lakhey dance is the Majipa Lakhey dance. It is performed by the Ranjitkars of Kathmandu. The dance takes place for a week during the week containing the full moon of Yenlaa month. The Lakhey are considered as the saviors of children. Likewise, in hills people enjoy their own kind of music, playing saarangi (string instrument), madal and flute. They also have many popular folk songs like lok geet and lok dohari.

The Nepali year begins in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main holidays include the National Day (birthday of the king) 28 December, Prithvi Jayanti, (11 January), and Martyr's Day (18 February) and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals such as dashai in autumn, and tihar late autumn. During tihar, the Newar community celebrates its New Year as per local calendar (Nepal Sambat).

Most houses in rural Nepal are made up of a tight bamboo framework with mud and cow-dung walls. These dwellings remain cool in summers and retain warmth in winters. Dwellings in higher latitudes are mostly timber based.

References

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Nepal.