History of Nepal

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The History of Nepal is characterized by its isolated position in the Himalayas and its two dominant neighbors, India and China. Even though it was independent through most of its history, it was split in three from the 15th to 18th century. It was united as a monarchy, and experienced a failed struggle for democracy in the 20th century. Since the 1990s, the country has been in civil strife.

Toponymy

The word Nepal is derived from Nepa: (नेपा:) Nepal Bhasa, the language of Newars, as the old name of Kathmandu valley was Nepa: (नेपा:). Another evidence for this is that the term Nepal Bhasa, language of Newars was called as Nepal Bhasa long before the unification of Nepal. The term Nepali, national language of Nepal, was given to a language called Khas Kura long after unification of Nepal.

Other theories have only served to distort the historical truth. Other theories include: The toponym "Nepal" may derive 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 the word NE which means wool and PAL means tented house. 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.

According to Rishikesh Shaha, the ancient chronicles report that a sage (muni) named Ne became the protector (pāla) of the land and the founder of the first ruling dynasty. The origin of the name of the country, Ne-pāla, therefore originally meant the land 'protected by Ne.'

The name Nepal is supposed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "NEP"(नेप) and with the suffix added to the word "AL"(आल). Though still under controversy. NEP were the people who use to be cow dwellers The GOPALS (गोपाल) who came to the Nepal valley for the first time through the high hills from India.

Ancient history

Nepal's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the 7th or 8th century BCE from the east. Little is known about them, other than their deftness as sheep farmers and fondness for carrying long knives. It was during this period that Buddhism first came to the country; indeed it is claimed that Buddha and his disciple Ananda visited the Kathmandu Valley and stayed for a time in Patan. By 200 CE, Buddhism had waned, and was replaced by Hinduism, brought by the Licchavis, who invaded from northern India and overthrew the last Kirati king. The Hindus also introduced the caste system (which still continues today) and ushered in a classical age of Nepalese art and architecture. By 879, the Licchavi era had petered out and was succeeded by the Thakuri dynasty. A grim period of instability and invasion often referred to as the 'Dark Ages' followed, but Kathmandu Valley's strategic location ensured the kingdom's survival and growth. Several centuries later, the Thakuri king, Arideva, founded the Malla dynasty, kick-starting another renaissance of Nepali culture. Despite earthquakes, the odd invasion and feuding between the independent city-states of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, the dynasty flourished, reaching its zenith in the 15th century under Yaksha Malla.

Neolithic tools found in the Kathmandu Valley indicate that people have been living in the Himalayan region for at least 9,000 years. Documented references reach back to the first millennium BCE, when ancient Indian epics such as the Mahabharata mention the Kiratas, the inhabitants of Nepal. It appears that people who were probably of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity lived in Nepal 2,500 years ago. The Ramayana, which dates from an era before the Mahabharata, states that Mithila, currently known as Janakpur in Nepal, is the birth place of goddess Sita. Also, the presence of historical sites, e.g., Valmiki ashram, indicates the presence of Aryan culture in Nepal at that period.

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.

Birth of Buddhism

Aryan tribes began arriving around 1500 BCE from the northwest. Around 1000 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the region. One of the earliest confederations was that of the Shakya clan, whose capital was Kapilavastu, present-day Nepal. One of its princes was 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"). By 260 BCE, most of North India northern India was ruled by the Maurya Empire. Although not all of Nepal was under Maurya rule, there is evidence of at least the influence of Ashoka the Great (the ruler of the Maurya Empire from 273 to 232 BCE). The remains of a Buddhist convent have been found in the Kathmandu Valley. In the fourth century CE, the area fell under the Gupta Empire. Cultural diffusion is evident despite the lack of direct control of Nepal by the Gupta Empire.

Kirat

Kirat era Period (800 BCE-300 CE)

Very little is known about this period in the history of Nepal. The Kirats ruled for about 1225 years and were ruled by a total of 28 kings during that time. The first and best remembered king was Yalambar. Legend credits him with meeting Indra, the lord of heaven, who ventured into the Valley in human guise. He had the dubious honor of being slain in the epic battle of the Mahabharata, in which gods and mortals fought alongside each other.

Another remarkable event during this period is the coming of Gautam Buddha in the time of the seventh king. The Buddha supposedly spent time in Patan, where he elevated the blacksmith caste to goldsmiths and bestowed upon them the name of his own clan, Sakya.

The great emperor of India, Ashoka, was also a visitor to Kathmandu in this period. As a follower of Buddhism, Ashoka visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, and erected stupas . His daughter married a local prince and further spread the religion. As the Kirat dynasty came to an end in the valley, parts still remained in the eastern mountains where they are considered to be the forefathers of today's Limbu and Rai castes.

Licchavi

It is unclear when exactly the Licchavi kingdom began. The discovery of a well-preserved life-sized sandstone sculpture of a king named Jaya Varman in Maligaon in the eastern part of Kathmandu, contains an inscription dating it to the 'samvat' year 107, which most probably is in the Shaka era and is, therefore, from 185 CE. This dating is supported by the style of the sculpture which is clearly Kushan in origin. It is also unclear whether Jaya Varman was a Licchavi or a pre-Licchavi monarch. Most scholars are agreed, however, that Licchavi rule of the Kathmandu valley must have begun in the first or second century CE.

The next known dated inscriptions are both Licchavi. They are a broken pillar inscription from Pashupati dated 381 (459 CE), and the Cangu Narayana pillar inscription of King Manadeva in 386 (464 CE). Archaeological evidence for the Licchavi period mainly consists of stonework inscriptions, reckoned on two separate, consecutive eras. The former, the Åšaka or Saka era, has an epoch corresponding to 78 CE, whereas the latter Aṃshuvarmā or Manadeva II's era reckons from 576.

Whilst most such inscriptions list the dates and commissioners of stonework construction, some communicate royal edicts, religious mantras or historical notes. It is through the corroboration of local myths with such evidence that a people prior to the Licchavi have been identified, known as the Kirata. Of these people very little is known.

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. The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century and was followed by a Newari era, from 879, although the extent of their control over the entire country is uncertain. By the late 11th century, southern Nepal came under the influence 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.

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.

Newar Empire: Three medieval kingdoms

Thirteenth-century Nepal was occasionally pillaged by the Delhi Sultanate of northern India, and was marked by increased militarisation. By the late 14th century much of the country came under the rule of the king Jayasthitimalla, a Newar King who managed to unite most of the fragmented power bases. This unity was short-lived: in 1482 the kingdom was carved into three: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhadgaon.

Gorkha rule

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. 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. Gurkha, also spelt as 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 decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms, 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. Between 1717 and 1733, the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east attacked Sikkim many times, culminating with the destruction of the capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese. The Sikkim king fled to Tibet. After Shah's death, the Shah dynasty began to expand their kingdom into India. Between 1788 and 1791, Nepal invaded Tibet and robbed Tashilhunpo Monastery of Shigatse. Alarmed, the Chinese emperor Qianlong dispatched a sizeable army that forced the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy repatriations.

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 annexation of minor states bordering Nepal 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 parts of the Terrai and Sikkim to the British in exchange for Nepalese autonomy.

Rana Administration

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 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 and founded the Rana dynasty. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. 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 colonial era, but it also impeded the country's economic development.

The Ranas were staunchly pro-British, and assisted the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and later in both World Wars.

20th century

In 1923 Britain and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, in which Nepal's independence was recognised by the British.

Democratic Reform

Popular dissatisfaction against the family rule of the Ranas had started emerging from among the few educated people, who had been taught in various Indian school and colleges, and 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 occupation. The political parties like The Prajaparishad and The Nepali Rastriya Congress were already formed in exile by the patriotic minded people who wanted to stage both 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 culminated in 1950, King Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fled his "palace prison" to newly independent India, touching off an armed revolt against the Rana administration. This allowed the return of the Shah family to power and, eventually, the appointment of a non-Rana as prime minister. A period of quasiconstitutional 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.

With the annexation of Tibet by the Chinese in 1950, India faced the prospect of an expansive military power operating under a radically different political philosophy on its long northern borders, and was thus keen to avoid instability in Nepal. India sponsored both King Tribhuvan as Nepal's new ruler in 1951, and a new government, mostly comprising the Nepali Congress Party. After years of power wrangling between Tribhuvan's son, King Mahendra and the government, Mahendra dissolved the democratic experiment in 1960. In 1962 he declared that a "partyless" panchayat system would govern Nepal.

In early 1959, 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.

Royal Coup by Mahendra

Declaring parliamentary democracy a failure 18 months later, King Mahendra carried out the royal coup. He dismissed the elected Koirala government and promulgated a new constitution on December 16, 1962. Elected Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and hundreds of democratic activists were arrested. This trend of arrest of political activists and democratic supporters continued for 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 enshrined 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 is 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. Jana Andolan forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament. The Nepali Congress won 110 of the 205 seats and formed the first government in 32 years. In May 1991, Nepal held its first election in nearly 50 years.

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. A general strike was called for April 6.

Violent incidents began to occur on the evening ahead 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 people, including several on-lookers, had been killed in police firing.

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.

Nepalese Civil War

In February 1996, one of the Maoist parties started a bid to replace the parliamentary monarchy with a so-called people's new democratic republic, through a Maoist revolutionary strategy known as the people's war, which has 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 Maoists declared the existence of a provisional "people's government" at the district level in several locations.

2001-2007

In June 2001 Crown Prince Dipendra went on a shooting-spree assassinating 11 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 resulting in Prince Gyanendra (Birendra's brother) inheriting the throne. Meanwhile, the Maoist rebellion escalated, and in October 2002 the king temporarily deposed the government and took complete control of it. A week later he reappointed another government, but the country is still very unstable because of the civil war with the Maoists, the various 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. He is not currently in office.

In the face of unstable governments and a Maoist 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 Maoist movement. 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. 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 is governed by an unicameral legislature under an interim constitution. On December 24, 2007, seven parties, including the former Maoist rebels and the government party, agreed to abolish monarchy, and as agreed Nepal was declared a Federal Republic on December 28, 2007.

Footnotes

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.