India and Nepal initiated their relationship with the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship and accompanying secret letters that defined security relations between the two countries, and an agreement governing both bilateral trade and trade transiting Indian territory. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. In 1962, though, King Mahendra (r. 1955-72) disbanded the Congress and jailed most of the government. The towering Himalaya Mountains attest to the colossal tectonic force of the Indian Subcontinent as it plows into mainland Asia. Nepal's Geography Nepal is a landlocked country lying between 800 4'- 800 12' east longitude and 260 22'- 300 4' north latitude. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. The Mallas, weakened by familial dissension and widespread social and economic discontent, were no match for the great Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah. The regents and the nobility competed for political power, using the young rulers as puppets; both factions wanted a monopoly of political offices and power for their families, with their rivals exterminated, exiled to India, or placed in a subordinate status. Situated in the lap of Himalayas is a country with unbelievably diverse topography and culture. The history of Sikkim, an area in present-day North-East India, began in 1642 as a kingdom established when India and Nepal were still many princely states with many rulers at that time and had not unified to the present Union of India and present country of Nepal. They made considerable progress, but successive setbacks in wars with China and Tibet (1788–92), with the Sikh kingdom in the Punjab (1809), with British India (1814–16), and again with Tibet (1854–56) frustrated Nepal and set the present boundaries of the kingdom. Its territory extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. Nepal is primarily a Hindu country, with more than 80% of the population adhering to that faith. Nepal is home to nearly 29,000,000 people. KANCHHI, SHARMILA MALLA ON COVER OF ‘KAMANA’ IN 1985. Netherlands - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Preprimary Primary Education, Secondary Education Nauru Nepal - History Background In 1769, Prithvi Narayan Shah defeated the Mallas and conquered Kathmandu. The earliest points of Nepal history include reference to the Newars, the original settlers of the country. One of the legacies of the Lichhavis is the Changu Narayan Temple near Bhaktapur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Culture), which dates back to the 5th Century. The excluded noble families had only two alternatives—to accept inferior posts in the administration and army or to conspire for the overthrow of the dominant family. Birendra introduced limited democratization again in 1980, but public protests and strikes for further reform rocked the nation in 1990, resulting in the creation of a multiparty parliamentary monarchy. Nepal was also in contact with China. A new constitution was finally ratified in 1959, and a national assembly elected. Jaya Sthiti’s successor, Yaksha Malla (reigned c. 1429–c. Nepal covers 147,181 sq. Politically the first rulers of Nepal were the Kirats. The position of the Shah dynasty was weakened by the fact that the two kings who ruled successively between 1777 and 1832 were minors when they ascended the throne. Geography & History of Nepal. This was accomplished by the Rana family regime after 1860 on terms that were mutually acceptable, if occasionally irritating, to both. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This set a precedent for what became the normal pattern thereafter—Hindu kings claiming high-caste Indian origin ruling over a population much of which was neither Indo-Aryan nor Hindu. Gopal Dynasty (Ancient Period) The Shah dynasty proved weak. However, Buddhism (at about 11%) also exerts a lot of influence. In the 6th century BC, Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born into the Sakya royal family of Kapilavastu, near Lumbini, later embarking on a path of meditation and thought that led him to enlighten… In 1972, Mahendra's son Birendra succeeded him. The total area comprises 147181 sq. Nepal, however, was also careful to maintain a friendly relationship with China and Tibet, both for economic reasons and to counterbalance British predominance in South Asia. Anti-Rana forces, composed mainly of Nepalese residents in India who had served their political apprenticeship in the Indian nationalist movement, formed an alliance with the Nepalese royal family, led by King Tribhuvan (reigned 1911–55), and launched a revolution in November 1950. Nepal Democratic Congress In 1948, a new political party named the Nepal Democratic Congress was established in Calcutta. There are usually both Buddhist and Brahmanic Hindu versions of these various legends. They were ousted by the Kirantis around the 7th or 8th Century B.C. Gautama achieved enlightenment as Buddha and spawned Buddhism. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. There is substantial archaeological evidence of an early Buddhist influence in Nepal, including a famous column inscribed by Ashoka (emperor of India, 3rd century bce) at Lumbini and several shrines in the valley. Nepal's recorded history kicks off with the Hindu Kiratis. Nepal has a unicameral legislature, the Constituent Assembly, with 601 seats. The president of Nepal serves as chief of state, while the prime minister is head of government. A pivotal moment in Nepal's history was the birth of Buddhism. The history of Nepal is something that every Nepalese looks back at and feels proud. The British conquest of India in the 19th century posed a serious threat to Nepal—which expected to be another victim—and left the country with no real alternative but to seek an accommodation with the British to preserve its independence. History. He became known as the Buddha, or "the enlightened one.". Standing at 8,848 meters (29,028 feet), Everest is called Saragmatha or Chomolungma in Nepali and Tibetan. Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The Durbar Square is a public area containing centuries-old royal palaces … A coherent dynastic history for Nepal Valley becomes possible, though with large gaps, with the rise of the Licchavi dynasty in the 4th or 5th century ce. Sketches from Nepal, Historical and Descriptive, 1880, 1974. Despite its tourism and energy-production potential, Nepal remains one of the world's poorest countries. According to Nepal's constitution, all of the national languages can be used as official languages. See also the list of monarchs of Nepal. The per capita income for 2007/2008 was just $470 US. There are usually both Buddhist and Brahmanic Hindu versions of these various legends. This action neutralized potentially disintegrative political forces and involved them in national politics, but it also severely limited the centre’s authority in outlying areas because local administration was based upon a compromise division of responsibilities between the local elites and the central administration. He conquered the valley in 1769 and moved his capital to Kathmandu shortly thereafter, providing the foundation for the modern state of Nepal. Major Cities: Pokhara, population 200,000, Patan, population 190,000, Biratnagar, population 167,000, Bhaktapur, population 78,000. In 1950, the push for democratic reforms began. There were also numerous small principalities in the western and eastern hill areas, whose independence was sustained through a delicate balance of power based upon traditional interrelationships and, in some cases, common ancestral origins (or claims thereto) among the ruling families. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. Published On 18th July 2017This video is about the origination of the word and the country Nepal. The population is primarily rural (Kathmandu, the largest city, has less than 1 million inhabitants). km. The two largest are Indo-Aryan: Chetri (15.8% of the population) and Bahun (12.7%). Kirats ruled Nepal for about 1000 years (800 BC to 300 AD). In the 3rd century BC the great Indian Emperor introduced Buddhism into Nepal. Nepal also marks the collision point between Hinduism and Buddhism, between the Tibeto-Burmese language group and the Indo-European, and between Central Asian culture and Indian culture. Most people live in the temperate hilly midlands. Nepal lies at roughly the same latitude as Saudi Arabia or Florida. Arriving from the east around the 7th or 8th century BC, these Mongoloid people are the first known rulers of the Kathmandu Valley. Of course, Nepal is associated with the Himalayan Range, including the world's tallest mountain, Mt. The Malla dynasty, which ruled from the 10th to 18th centuries, imposed a uniform Hindu legal and social code on Nepal. Prince Siddharta Gautama (563-483 B.C. Nepal, country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. Both Brahmanic Hindu and Buddhist legends relate the tales of ancient rulers from Nepal. Agriculture employs more than 75% of the population and produces 38% of GDP. These Tibeto-Burmese peoples feature prominently in ancient Indian classics, suggesting that close ties bound the region almost 3,000 years ago. In the early 7th Century, Amshuvarma, the first Thakuri king took over the throne from his father-in-law who was a Lichhavi. See more ideas about nepal, history, vintage. The civil war between Maoist rebels and the government, which began in 1996 and ended in 2007, severely reduced Nepal's tourism industry. Smaller minority religions include Islam, with about 4%; the syncretic religion called Kirat Mundhum, which is a blend of animism, Buddhism, and Saivite Hinduism, at about 3.5%; and Christianity (0.5%). A Maoist insurgency began in 1996, ending with a communist victory in 2007. Nepal - Nepal - Animal life: The forested areas of the Tarai are the home of tigers and leopards, gaurs (wild ox), occasional elephants and buffalo, and many deer; the deer include chital, or axis, deer (which have white-spotted bodies), sambar (a large Asiatic deer with coarse hair on the throat and strong antlers), and swamp deer. Lumbini, Gautama Buddha’s birthplace in southern Nepal, and Nepal Valley also figure prominently in Buddhist accounts. For geographic and historical reasons, most of Nepal’s trade is with India. Nepal’s contacts with China began in the mid-7th century with the exchange of several missions. ), of Lumbini, forswore his royal life and devoted himself to spirituality. References to Nepal Valley and Nepal’s lower hill areas are found in the ancient Indian classics, suggesting that the Central Himalayan hills were closely related culturally and politically to the Gangetic Plain at least 2,500 years ago. Pigg, Stacy Leigh. Meanwhile, in 2001, the Crown Prince massacred King Birendra and the royal family, bringing the unpopular Gyanendra to the throne. This is a timeline of Nepalese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Nepal and its predecessor states. Background of experiment with democracy 1950 movement for democratization In the nineteenth century, the Ranas, who were ministers to the kings, assumed real power, and the Shahs became puppet rulers. In these periods, the Shah ruler was relegated to an honorary position without power, while effective authority was concentrated in the hands of the leading members of the dominant family. China and the United States are also trade partners of some significance. The current president is Ram Baran Yadav; former Maoist rebel leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka Prachanda) is Prime Minister. Several of the kings were children when they took power, so noble families vied to be the power behind the throne. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Most Famous Historical Monuments of Nepal. Nepal’s rich prehistory consists mainly of the legendary traditions of the Newar, the indigenous community of Nepal Valley (now usually called Kathmandu Valley). The towering Himalaya Mountains attest to the colossal tectonic force of the Indian Subcontinent as it plows into mainland Asia. Everest. The most commonly used are Nepali (also called Gurkhali or Khaskura), spoken by nearly 60 percent of the population, and Nepal Bhasa (Newari). The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal. In the north, the high Himalayas are extremely cold and increasingly dry as the altitude rises. The lowest point is Kanchan Kalan, at just 70 meters (679 feet). Nepal is primarily a Hindu country, with more than 80 % of the Indian Plain Asian history culture... 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