INDEX

Topics Page No.

1. Introduction
2. Early Ages
3. Pre-History
4. Legends and Ancient time
5. Kiranti Dynasty
6. Lichchhavi Dynasty
7. Thakuri Dynasty
8. Malla Dynasty
9. Shaha Dynasty
10. Kingdom of Nepal
11. Gorkha Rule
12. Rana Rule
13. Revolution of 1951
14. Nepalese Civil war
 Acknowledgement

I extend my deep sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to our subject teacher

Mr. R.B. Jha and my class teacher Mr. Pankaj Sharma for his valuable support

and guidance in carrying my project work.

I also express my gratitude to all the faculty members, parents and my

classmates who have helped me to carry out this work. Last but not the least,

I thank my almighty God for his blessing showed on me during this period.

Thank You!!
 INTRODUCTION

Like all other countries of the

world, Nepal has also its pre-
historic period, shrouded in
obscurity. Its records of early
times are as legendary as
those of Homer and India. In
the absence of facts and
figures and other authentic
records which help one to say something definitely about a
particular historical event, one has to depend, whether one
likes it or not, on myths and legends. Nepal has. its own
myths and legends to tell us of its origin. Regarding the
origin of Nepal which, in the pre-historic period, was taken to
mean only the valley of Kathmandu, Swayambhu Puran and
Nepal Mahatmya have it to say that to begin with, Nepal was
a lake with no outlet of water whatsoever.

The valley of Kathmandu remained under water till

Manjushree, a Bodhisatwa (potential Buddha) who came
from China on pilgrimage sometime in Tretayuga to pay
unreserved homage to Swayambhu which appeared on the
lotus that grew out of the seed thrown in the lake by Bipasvi
Buddha who came to Nepal sometime in the golden age, cut
a rock through which the water of the lake flowed out,
making the valley habitable. The authenticity of the legend,
though to a certain extent, stands when it is put to the test
of geographical and geological survey. Naghrad (abode of
serpents), -a name given to Ancient. Nepal-also goes to lend
evidence to the fact that Nepal was once a lake. Ancient
Nepal having thus come into existence was ruled over by the
rulers of different tribes and clans which immigrated into the
valley from time to time. Manjushree not only made the
valley habitable but also founded a town which extended
from the hillock of Swayambhu- to Guhyeswari and was
named Manjupattan after him. He then returned to China
after having made Dharmakar (who had accompanied
Manjushree to Naghrada,) King of Manjupattan.
Dharmakara ruled over the territory in his own way, but as
he had no issue, he made Dharmapal his successor.
Dharmapal is said to have come to Nepal with
Krakuchhanda Buddha. After him Sudhanwa a descendant
of Dharmapal, Kushadhoj brother of King Janaka, and some
other kings ruled over the country successively.
Later on, Nepal is said to have been ruled over by Prachanda
Deva from Gaur (present Bengal). He is said to have been
sent to Nepal by Kankamuni
Buddha who came to Nepal on
pilgrimage. Basupur, Agnipur,
Bayupur, Nagpur and Shantipur-all
shrines dedicated to the different
elements of nature as earth, fire,
air, water etc., which stand even to
this day in the precincts of
Swayambhu, are said to have been
built by Prachanda Deva. After the
death of Prachanda Deva, his son Shakti Deva ruled over
Nepal. After him Gunakama Deva and his son Simha Ketu
ruled over the valley. Gunakama Deva is said to have
founded the city of Kathmandu.

According to some sources it was about 723 A.D. If we are

to accept those sources, the city of Kathmandu was founded
twelve hundred forty-eight years ago. From this it can be
affirmed that Gunakama Deva must have only extended the
city and not founded it, but its authenticity still awaits
research and investigation. The time when the city of
Kathmandu was first founded corresponds to the reign of
Harsha Vardhan in northern India, and Pulkeshin II in
southern India. China was then ruled over by Sui dynasty. It
was about the time when the Great Wall of China was going
to be reconstructed.
 Early Ages

Pre-History
Prehistoric sites
of Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic origins have been
discovered in the Siwalik hills of Dang district. The earliest
inhabitants of modern Nepal and adjoining areas are
believed to be people from the Indus Valley Civilization. It is
possible that the Dravidian people whose
history predates the onset of the Bronze
Age in the Indian subcontinent (around
3300 BC) inhabited the area before the
arrival of other ethnic groups like
the Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-
Aryans from across the border. Tharus,
Tibeto-Burmans who mixed heavily with
Indians in the southern regions, are
natives of the central Terai region of
Nepal. 

The first documented tribes in Nepal are the Kirat people,

who arrived into Nepal from Tibet roughly 4000 to 4500
years ago and moved into the Kathmandu valley and
southern parts of Nepal, before being made to retreat
elsewhere by the invading Licchavais from India who ruled
the Kathmandu valley in modern-day southern parts
of Nepal. Other ethnic groups of Indo-Aryan origin later
migrated to southern part of Nepal from Indo-Gangetic Plain
of northern India.
Another possibility for the first people to have inhabited
Nepal are the Kasandra people. According to Hogdson
(1847), the earliest inhabitants of Nepal were perhaps the
Kusunda people, probably of proto-Australoid origin. Stella
Kramrisch (1964) mentions a substratum of a race of Pre -
Dravidians and Dravidians, who were in Nepal even before
the Newars, who formed the majority of the ancient
inhabitants of the valley of Kathmandu.
LEGENDS AND ANCIENT TIMES

Although very little is known about the early history of Nepal,

legends and documented references reach far back to the
30th century BC. Also, the presence of historical sites such
as the Valmiki ashram, indicates the presence
of Sanatana (ancient) Hindu culture in parts of Nepal at that
period.

According to legendary accounts, the early rulers of Nepal

were the Gopālavaṃśi (Gopal
Bansa) or "cowherd dynasty",
who presumably ruled for
about five centuries. They are
said to have been followed by
the Mahiṣapālavaṃśa or
"buffalo-herder dynasty",
established by
a Yadav named Bhul Singh.

The Shakya clan formed an independent oligarchic

republican state known as the 'Śākya Gaṇarājya' during the
late Vedic period (c. 1000 – c. 500 BCE) and the later so-
called second urbanization period (c. 600 – c. 200 BCE). Its
capital was Kapilavastu, which may have been located
either in present-day Tilaurakot, Nepal. Gautama Buddha (c.
6th to 4th centuries BCE), whose teachings became the
foundation of Buddhism, was the best-known Shakya. He
was known in his lifetime as "Siddhartha Gautama" and
"Shakyamuni" (Sage of the Shakyas). He was the son
of Śuddhodana, the elected leader of the Śākya Gaṇarājya.

According to Hindu mythology, Nepal derives its name from

an ancient Hindu sage called Ne, referred to variously as Ne
Muni or Nemi. According to Pashupati Purana, as a place
protected by Ne, the country in the heart of the Himalayas
came to be known as Nepal.
KIRANTI DYNASTY

Though mention of Gopal Dynasty and Ahir Dynasty is found

in the chronicles, Nepal enters into real historical era with
the conquest of Kathmandu valley by the Kirantis. The
Kirantis are said to have been the aborigines inhabiting
Eastern Nepal and having their own administrative set-up.
Under the able leadership of their chieftain Yalambar the
Kirantis defeated 5 Bhuwan Singh; the
last king in the Ahir Dynasty and
brought the Kathmandu valley under
their sway.

Yalambar is said to be the

contemporary of the Pandavas. When
the battles of Mahabharat were
fought between the Kauravas and the
Pan davas, Yalambar with a view to
siding with the losing party went to witness the battles.
Shree Krishna knowing the intention of Yalambar and the
strength and unity of the Kirantis thought that the
Mahabharat war would be unnecessarily prolonged in case
Yalambar sided with the Kauravas. So, by a clever stroke of
diplomacy Krishna cut off Yalambara's head. It is said that
Gautam Buddha visited Nepal proper during the regime of
Jitedasta, the seventh ruler in the Kiranti Dynasty. Ashoka is
said to have visited Nepal in about 250 B.C. during the
regime of Sthunko, the fourteenth ruler of the Kiranti
Dynasty. To commemorate his visit, he got four "stupas''
erected in four quarters of Lalitpattan. They exist even to this
day. Ashoka's visit to Kathmandu is testified even by the fact
that he gave away his daughter Charumati (who
accompanied him in his pilgrimage to Nepal) in marriage to
Devapal, a Kshetriya prince. She founded the town of
Devapatan in memory of her husband, Devapal.

She also got a Vihar erected for herself and it was called
Charumati Vihar after her. The
nunnery and its surrounding
area are now known as
Chabahil. The twenty-eighth
Kiranti king Patuka had to flee
to Sankhamul two miles south-
east of Kathmandu from his
presidential palace at Gokarna,
owing to the repeated invasions
of Somavamshis (lunar dynasty) who came from the western
part of Nepal. There he built a palace known as "Patuko
Palace".

Though nothing but a mound of the palace in ruins now

exists, the place is still called Patuko. The last Kiranti ruler
Gasti was, however, defeated by the army of Nimish, a
prince of Somavamshi.
Lichchhavi dynasty

The Lichchhavis who were ruling over Baisali (modern

Muzaffarpur) after having suffered defeat at the hands of
Lich chhavis who ruled over Raj Griha seemed to have
-migrated to Nepal. Bhoomi Barma the adopted son and
successor of Bhaskar Varma got a palace built at Baneswar
and ruled over Nepal. King Chandra, Jaya, Barsa, Sarva,
Prithvi, Jestha, Hari Siddhi
and Hari Dutta ruled over
Nepal successively.

During the reign of Hari

Dutta, the practice of
worshipping four
Narayans and of taking, a bath at Shankhamool on a
particular day was observed. Brisha Barma, another king in
the Lichchhavi dynasty, espoused and spread Buddhism. He
established a Manju Bahal (a monastery known as Manju
Vihar) and Bande Gaon at Chabahil. It was in his region that
a man Prachanda Deva by name came from Gaud and built
a Swayambhu Chaitya. After him Shankar Deva became
king. It is written in family chronicle that he was named
Shankar Deva in memory of the visit of Shankaracharya in
Nepal. After Shankar Deva, Dharma Deva became king. His
son Mana Deva is the most famous Lichchhavi king.
Mana Deva I:
Mana Deva I seemed to have reigned from 520 B. E.-549
B.E. (464 A.D.-491 A.D.). His father died when he was a
small boy. His mother Rajyabati, because of her love for her
son, gave up her idea of being a
Satee (Le. the practice of
emulating oneself along with
one's demised husband). Finding
a boy king on the throne, the
Thakuri Chieftain in the eastern
province rose in rebellion with a
view to becoming independent.

Mana Deva, when he heard the news, marched with a huge

army towards the east to suppress the rebels. By his
superior skill in warfare, he defeated the rebels and brought
them under his control. He then marched westward,
defeated the Mallas on the other side of the Gandaki and
captured Nabalpur. As a result, Mana Deva's kingdom
extended to the other side of Gandaki on the west and Koshi
in the east. After having returned to the capital trium
phantly, he performed many Yajnas and gave away a lot in
charity to the Brahmans. Changu Narayan was worshipped
with great pomp and grandeur. He got other temples also
built. This evinces his interest in architecture. As he was
sincerely devoted to his mother, in almost all the temples he
built he has got it written that they were
built for the greater accumulation of merit
for his mother. Though he was a follower of
Vishnu, he was tolerant to other, religions.
Buddhism also received favorable
treatment and impetus under his reign. He
got a palatial building named Mangriha
built for his residence. Later, it became a
center of administration for the Lichchhavi
kings.

It is said that it was situated somewhere at Gokarna. He got

coins minted in his name and engraved Mananka on them.
Trade with India and Tibet also flourished during his reign.
After Mana Deva, his son Mahi Deva became king. His son
Basanta Deva succeeded him. After him Udaya Deva, Mana
Deva and Gunakama Deva ruled over Nepal successively.
Then came Shiva Deva. A man named Amshuvarma was
invested with plenipotentiary power for administration. Shiva
Deva became a nominal figure-head. In and from 598 A.D.
Amshuvarma got coins minted in his own name and himself
assumed the title of Maharajadhiraj. He belonged to the
Thakuri dynasty. Shiva Deva, seeing
his administrative ability and prowess
gave him his 11 daughters in
marriage. Amshuvarma became the
de facto ruler. Shiva Deva got a nine-
storied palace called Kaliashkut
Bhavan built at Gokarna. The beauty of
the palace is highly spoken of even by
the Chinese pilgrim Huen Tsang.
Kailashkut Bhavan became the center
of administration. Amshuvarma was not only a man of
valour but also a shrewd politician, a diplomat and a
statesman. With a view not to burden the people with
taxation he did away with all sorts of taxes. He was also a
man of letters. Under his patronage Nepalese art and
architecture and literature developed. He was tolerant to
other religions, though himself a Shaivite. He had equal
regard for Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism.
Thakuri dynasty

RULE OF THE THAKURI KINGS:

The Thakuri dynasty were Rajputs. After Aramudi, who is

mentioned in the Kashmirian chronicle, the Rajatarangini of
Kalhana (1150 CE), many Thakuri kings ruled over parts of
the country up to the middle of the 12th century CE.
Raghava Deva is said to have founded a ruling dynasty in
879 CE, when the Lichhavi rule came to an end. To
commemorate this important event, Raghava Deva started
the 'Nepal Era' which began on 20 October, 879 CE.
After Amshuvarma, who ruled from 605 CE onward; the
Thakuri had lost power and they could regain it only in 869
CE.

Gunakama deva:

After the death of King Raghava Dev, many Thakuri kings

ruled southern Nepal up to the middle of the 12th century
CE. Gunakama Deva, who ruled from 949 to 994 CE,
commissioned the construction of a big wooden shelter,
built from the wood of a single tree,
called Kasthamandapa. The name of the capital,
'Kathmandu', is derived from this. Gunakama Deva founded
the town Kantipur (modern-day Kathmandu). The tradition
of Indra Jatra started during his reign. Temples to the north
of the temple of Pashupatinath were renovated in this
period.

SHIVA DEVA iii:

After Harsha Deva, Shivadeva the third ruled from 1099 to

1126 CE. He was a brave and powerful king. He founded the
town of Kirtipur and roofed the temple of Pashupatinath
with gold. He introduced twenty-five paisa coins. He also
constructed wells, canals, and tanks at different places.
After Sivadeva III, Mahendra Deva, Mana Deva, Narendra
Deva II, Ananda Deva, Rudra Deva, Amrita Deva, Ratna Deva
II, Somesvara Deva, Gunakama Deva II, Lakmikama Deva III
and Vijayakama Deva II ruled Nepal in quick succession.
Historians differ about the rule of several kings and their
respective times. After the fall of the Thakuri dynasty, a new
dynasty was founded by Arideva or Ari Malla, known as the
'Malla dynasty'.
MALLA DYNASTY

Early Malla rule started with Ari Malla in the 12th century.

Over the next two centuries, his kingdom expanded widely,
into much of the Indian subcontinent and western Tibet,
before disintegrating into small principalities, which later
came to be known as the Baise Rajya.
Jayasthiti Malla, with whom
commences the later Malla dynasty of
the Kathmandu valley, began to reign
at the end of the 18th century. Malla
dynasty was the longest ruling dynasty
in Nepalese history, ruling from the
12th century to the 18th century
(about 600 years). This era in the
valley is eminent for the various social and economic
reforms such as the 'Sanskritization' of
the valley people, new methods of land
measurement and allocation, etc. In this
era, new forms of art and architecture
was introduced. The monuments in
Kathmandu valley which are listed in
the UNESCO World Heritage Sites were
built during Malla rule. In the 14th
century, before Kathmandu was divided
into 3 princely states, Araniko was sent
to China upon the request of Abhaya
Malla for representing the skill of art and architecture, and
he introduced the Pagoda style of architecture to China and
subsequently, whole of Asia. Yaksha Malla, the grandson
of Jayasthiti Malla, ruled the Kathmandu valley until almost
the end of the 15th century. After his demise, the valley was
divided into three independent kingdoms—Kathmandu,
Bhaktapur, and Patan—in about 1484 CE. This division led
the Malla rulers into internecine clashes and wars for
territorial and commercial gains.
Mutually debilitating wars gradually weakened them, which
facilitated the conquest of the valley by Prithvi Narayan
Shah of Gorkha. The last Malla rulers were Jaya Prakash
Malla, Teja Narasingha Malla and Ranjit Malla of
Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur respectively.
Shah dynasty, Unification of Nepal

The Shah Dynasty also known as the Shahs of Gorkha or

the Royal House of Gorkha, was the
ruling Chaubise Thakuri dynasty from the Indian
subcontinent; and derived from the Gorkha Kingdom from
1559 to 1768 and later the unified Kingdom of Nepal from
1768 to 28 May 2008.

Prithvi Narayan Shah (c. 1779–1875) was the ninth-

generation descendant of Dravya Shah (1559–1570), the
founder of the ruling house of Gorkha. Prithvi Narayan Shah
succeeded his father Nara Bhupal
Shah to the throne of Gorkha in
1743 CE. King Prithvi Narayan Shah
was quite aware of the political
situation of the valley kingdoms as
well as of
the Baise and Chaubise principalities
. He foresaw the need for unifying
the small principalities as an urgent
condition for survival in the future
and set himself to the task accordingly.

His assessment of the situation among the hill principalities

was correct, and the principalities were subjugated fairly
easily. King Prithvi Narayan Shah's victory march began with
the conquest of Nuwakot, which lies between Kathmandu
and Gorkha, in 1744. After Nuwakot, he occupied strategic
points in the hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley. The
valley's communications with the outside world were thus
cut off. The occupation of the Kuti Pass in
about 1756 stopped the valley's trade
with Tibet. Finally, Prithvi Narayan Shah
entered the valley. After the victory
in Kirtipur, King Jaya Prakash Malla of
Kathmandu sought help from the British
and the then East India Company sent a
contingent of soldiers under Captain
Kinloch in 1767. The British force was defeated in Sindhuli
by the Gorkhali army.

This defeat of the British completely shattered the hopes of

King Jaya Prakash Malla. On 25 September 1768, as the
people of Kathmandu were celebrating the festival of Indra
Jatra, the Gorkhali army marched into the city. Prithvi
Narayan Shah sat on a throne put on the palace courtyard
for the king of Kathmandu, proclaiming himself the king.
Jaya Prakash Malla somehow managed to escape and took
asylum in Patan. When Patan was captured a few weeks
later, both Jaya Prakash Malla and Tej Narsingh Malla, the
king of Patan took refuge in Bhaktapur, which was captured
on the night of 25 November 1769. The Kathmandu valley
was thus conquered by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who
proclaimed himself King with Kathmandu as the royal
capital of the Kingdom of Nepal.
King Prithvi Narayan Shah was successful in bringing
together diverse religion-ethnic groups under one rule. He
was a true nationalist in his outlook and was in favor of
adopting a closed-door policy with regards to the British. Not
only his social and economic views guided the country's
socio-economic course for a long time, his use of the
imagery, 'a yam between two boulders' in Nepal's
geopolitical context, formed the principal guideline of the
country's foreign policy for future centuries.

On 1 June 2001, a number of

members of the Shah dynasty
were murdered in the royal palace. A
High Commission report concluded
that the royal family was slaughtered
by Crown Prince Dipendra. This
remains controversial.
 Among the dead were the Crown Prince's father, King
Birendra and his brother, Prince Nirajan. After the attack,
Dipendra was in a coma and was declared king for a short
time. He died a few days later. Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
Dev, Dipendra's uncle, took the throne. In February 2005, he
dismissed the parliament in order to govern in his own right.

Kingdom of Nepal

Gorkha rule:
After decades of rivalry between the medieval kingdoms,
modern Nepal was 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 high states.

After the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Shah dynasty

began to expand their kingdom into much of the Indian
subcontinent. Between 1788 and 1791, during the Sino-
Nepalese War, Nepal
invaded Tibet and
robbed Tashilhunpo
Monastery in Shigatse. Alarmed,
the Qianlong Emperor of the
Chinese Qing
Dynasty appointed Fuk'anggan c
ommander-in-chief of the
Tibetan campaign; Fuk'anggan signed a treaty to protect his
troops thus attaining a draw.

Shino-Nepalese war

The Sino-Nepalese War, also known as the Sino-Gorkha

war and in Chinese the campaign of Gorkha, was an
invasion of Tibet by Nepal from 1788–1792. The war was
initially fought between Nepalese Gorkhas and Tibetan
armies over a trade dispute related to a long-standing
problem of low-quality coins manufactured by Nepal for
Tibet. The Nepalese Army under Bahadur
Shah plundered Tibet under Qing rule and Tibetans
Tamang’s signed the Treaty of Kerung paying annual tribute
to Nepal.

However, Tibetans requested for Chinese intervention and

Sino-Tibetan forces under Fuk'anggan raided Nepal up
to Nuwakot only to face strong Nepalese counterattack.
Thus, both countries signed
the Treaty of Betrawati as a
stalemate. The war ended in
Nepal accepting as tribute
state of Qing (Nepal
maintains diplomacy and
pays tribute). Nepal paid
tribute to China in 1792,
1794, 1795, 1823, 1842 and 1865.

Anglo-Nepalese war
The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March
1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between
the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-
day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India
Company (EIC, present-day India). Both sides had ambitious
expansion plans for the mountainous north of the Indian
subcontinent. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty
of Sugauli in 1816 AD, which ceded some Nepalese
controlled territory to the EIC.

The British war effort was

led by the East India
Company and supported
by a coalition of native
states; the Garhwal
Kingdom, the Patiala
State and the Kingdom
of Sikkim against the
Kingdom of Gorkha. The
Kingdom of Gorkha's war
effort was led mostly by
the Thapa Kaji.

Third Nepal-Tibet war

The Third Nepal-Tibet War was fought from 1855 to 1856
in Tibet between the forces of the Tibetan government,
then under administrative rule of the Qing dynasty) and the
invading Nepalese army, resulting in huge loss of money and
manpower for Tibet and Nepal. In 1856 the war ended with
the Treaty of Thapathali.

In early April 1855 Nepalese troops attacked across the

major passes between Tibet and Nepal,
from Walungchung to Jara, with the center of their advance
in the Kuti and Kerong districts and were joined shortly later
by reinforcements completing a total of 27000 men, with
thirty-six guns and eight
mortars.
The Kerung Axis was
commanded by General Bam
Bahadur Kunwar, with 25,728
troops. The Kuti Axis was
commanded by General Dhir
Sumsher with 4,678 troops.
Humla and Mustang was
commanded by General Krishna Dhoj Kunwar with 2,500
troops. And Olangchunggola Axis was commanded by
Colonel Prithvi Dhoj Kunwar with a force of 2,000
men. Sethya Kaji was the main Tibetan commander with
about 50,000 troops under his command. There were 8000
Tibetan troops stationed on Digarcha front, whereas 40,000
troops were concentrated in the Tingri area.
On April 3 general Dhir Shamsher defeated a small Tibetan
detachment at Chusan and captured Kuti and advanced to
Suna Gompa. Kerong was occupied by Bam Bahadur without
opposition and a Tibetan force
at Kukurghat, north of Kerong,
after which the Nepalese
pushed on to Dzongka, the
Tibetan main point of
resistance in the area. The
battle for Dzongka lasted 9
days after which the Tibetans
retreated to Tingri. 

The capture of Dzongka was the last action of the campaign

after which negotiations for a cease-fire began. The
campaign had proven more costly for Jang Bahadur than
what he expected.
Nepal during world war I

The Nepalese Army participated in World War I with The

First Rifle, Kalibox, Sumsher Dal, Jabbar Jung, Pashupati
Prasad, Bhairab Nath, Second Rifle, Bhairung and Srinath
Battalions. The total number of NA troops deployed to India
at the time was 14,000, though some sources claim it to be
as 16,000. Troops were armed with the Martini-Henry and
Enfield rifles. General Babar Shumsher, General Tej
Shumsher and General Padma Shumsher, were the main
commanders. The
discipline, professionalism
and adaptability of the
Nepalese soldiers was
again well respected in the
First World War.
Additionally, Nepal also
sent almost two hundred
thousand troops, and proportionately a higher percentage of
military aged men than most countries, to fight as part of
the British Indian Army itself. Nepal provided 1 million
pounds to the British government.
Nepal during World War II

Following the German invasion of Poland, the Kingdom of

Nepal declared war on Germany on September 4, 1939.
Once Japan entered the conflict, sixteen battalions of
the Royal Nepalese Army fought on the Burmese front. In
addition to military support, Nepal contributed guns,
equipment as well as hundreds of thousands of pounds of
tea, sugar and raw materials such as timber to the Allied
war effort.

During World War II,

there was an internal
treaty between Nepal
and Britain about the
mobilization of
Nepalese soldiers. In
addition to Royal
Nepal Army's troops, Nepalese fought in the
British Gurkha units and were engaged in combat all over
the world. Gurkha troops were part of the Allied occupation
force in Japan.
The Nepali units that took part were Sri Nath, Kalibox, Surya
Dal, Naya Gorakh, Barda Bahadur, Kali Bahadur, Mahindra
Dal, Second Rifle, Bhairung, Jabbar Jung, Shumsher Dal,
Sher, Devi Dutta, Bhairab Nath, Jagannath and Purano
Gorakh Battalions. Aside from that, there were many high-
ranking Nepalese in the joint Army HQ. Commander-in–
Chief Kiran Shamsher Rana and Field Marshal Nir Shumsher
Rana were liaison officers from the Royal Nepalese Army.
When Japan went to war with the United Kingdom in
December 1941, the British presence was threatened in
the Indian subcontinent. Britain deployed its troops
in India to the Burma front. Nepalese battalions – Mahindra
Dal, Sher, Kali Bahadur and Jagannath - were also deployed.
These Nepalese battalions fought under the Allied
Command. The Jagannath Battalion took part as engineers
in order to construct tracks, bridges, water points, etc.
Nepalese troops fought with distinction in the British 14th
Army under Lieutenant
General William Slim and helped
force the eventual Japanese
retreat. Finally, following the
atomic bomb attacks
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
Japan surrendered. Most
Nepalese troops were withdrawn
to Kathmandu in October 1945.
A grand victory parade was held
on 28 October 1945 where many
Nepalese soldiers, officers and associated British officers
were honored for their appreciable performances. In the
Victory Parade at London in 1946, the Royal Nepalese Army
was led by the Commanding Officer Sir Baber Shamsher
Jang Bahadur Rana. His youngest son, Major-General
Subikhyat-Tri-Shakti-Patta, Prasidha-Prabala-Gorkha-
Dakshina-Bahu Sir Brahma Shamsher Jang Bahadur
Rana, KCIE fought in the war and was decorated with
Assam-Burma Medal (1945), British 39/45 & Burma stars,
Defense and War medals (1945).
Rana rule:

Jung Bahadur Rana was the first ruler from this dynasty.

Rana rulers were titled "Shree Teen" and "Maharaja",
whereas Shah kings were "Shree Panch" and
"Maharajadhiraja". Jung Bahadur codified laws and
modernized the state's bureaucracy. In the coup d'état of
1846, the nephews of Jung Bahadur and Ranodip
Singh murdered Ranodip Singh
and the sons of Jung Bahadur,
adopted the name of Jung
Bahadur and took control of
Nepal. Nine Rana rulers took the
hereditary office of Prime
Minister. All were styled (self-
proclaimed) Maharaja
of Lamjung and Kaski.

The Rana regime, a tightly centralized autocracy, pursued a

policy of isolating Nepal from external influences. This policy
helped Nepal maintain its independence during the British
colonial era, but it also impeded the country's economic
development and modernization.

The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted the

British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and later in
both World Wars. At the same time, despite Chinese claims,
the British supported Nepalese
independence at the beginning of the
twentieth century. In December 1923,
Britain and Nepal formally signed a
"treaty of perpetual peace and
friendship" superseding the Sugauli
Treaty of 1816 and upgrading the British
resident in Kathmandu to an envoy.
Slavery was abolished in Nepal in 1924
under premiership of Chandra Shamsher
Jang Bahadur Rana.
Following the German invasion of Poland, the Kingdom of
Nepal declared war on Germany on September 4, 1939.
Once Japan entered the conflict, sixteen battalions of
the Nepali Army fought on the Burmese front. In addition to
military support, Nepal contributed guns, equipment as well
as hundreds of thousands of pounds of tea, sugar and raw

materials such as timber to the Allied war effort.

 Revolution of 1951

The revolution of 1951 started when dissatisfaction against

the family rule of the Ranas started emerging from among
the few educated people, who had studied in various South
Asian schools and colleges, and also from within the Ranas,
many of whom were marginalized 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 autocratic Rana
occupation.

The political parties such as the Praja Parishad 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. The Nepali Congress also formed a
military wing Nepali Congress's Liberation Army. 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 who were the members of the Praja
Parisad. This turmoil culminated in King Tribhuvan, a direct
descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fleeing from his
"palace prison" in 1950, to 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 following a tri-
partite agreement signed called 'Delhi Compromise'. 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.

A 10-member cabinet under Prime Minister Mohan

Shumsher with 5 members of the Rana family and 5 of the
Nepali Congress was formed. This government drafted a
constitution called the 'Interim Government Act' which was
the first constitution of Nepal. But this government failed to
work in consensus as the Ranas and Congressmen were
never on good terms. So, on 16 November 1951, the king
formed a new government of 14 ministers under Matrika
Prasad Koirala, which was later dissolved.
 Nepalese civil war

In March 1997, the Communist Party of Nepal

(Maoist) started a bid to replace the parliamentary
monarchy with a new people's 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, 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 inherited the
throne, as per tradition. Meanwhile, the 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 was still
very unstable.
On February 1, 2005, King 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.

On December 24, 2007, seven parties, including the former

Maoist rebels and the ruling party, agreed to abolish the
monarchy and declare Nepal a federal republic. In
the elections held on 10 April 2008, the Maoists secured a
simple majority, with the prospect of forming a government
to rule the proposed 'Republic of Nepal'.