Nepal: Unique variant of South Asian civilization
Nepal , the world's only Hindu monarchy, has been a kingdom for at least 1,500 years and has always remained independent. Since the fourth century, the people of the Kathmandu Valley have developed a unique variant of South Asian civilization based on Buddhism and Hinduism but influenced as well by the cultures of local Newar citizens and neighboring Tibetans. The valley's fertile soil supported thriving village farming communities, and its location along trans-Himalayan trade routes allowed merchants and rulers alike to profit. One of the major themes in the history of Nepal has been the transmission of influences from both the north and the south into an original culture.
7 th- 8 th century BC: Nepal’s earliest recorded history
Nepal 's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the 7th or 8th century BC 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 AD, 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.
4 th – mid 18 th century: Nepal divided into small kingdoms
Nepal was ruled by the Licchavi kings from the fourth to the eight centuries and then by the Malla kings from twelfth to eighteenth centuries. Though these kings may have claimed that they were overlords of the area that is present-day Nepal , their effective influence rarely extended far beyond the Kathmandu Valley . By the sixteenth century, there were dozens of kingdoms in the smaller valleys and hills throughout the Himalayan region.
Mid 18 th – mid 19 th century: Nepal united into one nation and ruled by the Gorkhas
In the late 18 th century, Gorkha, one of these small kingdoms, conquered its neighbors and finally united the entire nation. The energy generated from this union drove the armies of Nepal to conquer territories far to the west and to the east, as well as to challenge the Chinese in Tibet and the British in India . Wars with these huge empires checked Nepalese ambitions, however, and fixed the boundaries of the mountain kingdom.
Mid 19 th – mid 20 th century: Dictatorship rule by the Ranna dynasty
Nepal took a fateful turn in the mid-nineteenth century when its prime ministers, theoretically administrators in service to the king, usurped complete control of the government and reduced the kings to puppets. This dynasty of prime ministers called Ranna imposed dictatorship upon the country that lasted 100 years. As the rest of the world underwent modernization, Nepal remained a medieval nation based on the exploitation of peasants and some trade revenues and dominated by a tradition-bound aristocracy that had little interest in modern science or technology.
1950 - 1990: System of consultative democracy
After the revolt against the Ranas in 1950, Nepal struggled to overcome its long legacy of underdevelopment and to incorporate its varied population into a single nation. Although political parties were crucial in the revolution that overthrew Rana rule, their constant wrangling conflicted with the monarchy's views of its own dignity and with the interests of the army. King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev launched a coup in late 1960 against Bishweshwar Prasad (B.P.) Koirala's popularly elected government and set up a system of indirect elections that created a consultative democracy. The system served as a sounding board for public opinion and as a tool for economic development without exercising effective political power. Nepal remained until 1990 one of the few nations in the world where the king, wielding absolute authority and embodying sacred tradition, attempted to lead his country towards the twenty-first century.
1990 – Present: Constitutional monarchy and bicameral legislature
A dispute with India led to India 's closing of most border crossings from March 1989 to July 1990, and the resultant economic crisis fueled demands for political reform. A new constitution creating a constitutional monarchy and a bicameral legislature became effective on Nov. 9, 1990 . In the 1991 parliamentary elections, the centrist Nepali Congress party won a slim majority and formed a government, which collapsed in 1994. Following a succession of failed coalition governments, the Congress party once again won a majority in the 1999 legislative elections.
Sources:
Library of Congress Country Studies, Grolier’s Encyclopedia, www.atlapedia.com
