A Brief History of Nepal
Newars are thought to have lived in the Nepal Valley since the 4th century AD, developing a Hindu-Buddhist culture. The Gurkha principality was later established by RAJPUT warriors from India, and in 1769 they conquered lands beyond the present-day borders of Nepal. After incursions into northern India in which the Gurkhas were defeated, Nepal lost part of its territory to British India but retained its independence and enjoyed close ties with the British.It has maintained its close association with India since the latter gained independence in 1947.
Nepal, the world's only Hindu monarchy, was controlled by a hereditary prime ministership until 1951. The nation's first election was held in 1959, but in 1960, King Mahendra dismissed the cabinet, dissolved parliament, and banned political parties. A 1962 constitution created a nonparty panchayat (council) system of government. After a 1980 referendum approved a modified version of the panchayat system, direct parliamentary elections were held in 1981. 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. After months of violence, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev dissolved parliament. The opposition formed an interim government in April 1990, and a new constitution creating a constitutional monarchy and a bicameral legislature became effective on Nov. 9, 1990. Multiparty legislative elections held in May 1991 were won by the centrist Nepali Congress party; the Communists became the leading opposition party. Mid-term elections in November 1994, which were called after the government lost a parliamentary vote, resulted in a hung parliament and the communists, who emerged as the single largest party, formed a minority government.
Source: Grolier's Encyclopedia
Nepal: Chronology of Important Events
Period
Description
ca. 563 B.C.
Buddha born in Lumbini;
ca. A.D.400-750
Licchavi kingdom in power in Kathmandu
750-1200
"Transitional" kingdom in power in Kathmandu Valley
1100-1484
Khasa Mall kings rule in western Nepal
1200-16
Arimalla, first monarch of the Malla Dynasty, rules in Kathmandu Valley.
1312
Khasa king Ripumalla leads raid in Kathmandu Valley
1345-46
Sultan Shams ud-din Ilyas of Bengal leads raid in Kathmandu Valley.
1382-95
Jayasthitimalla rules as king of united Malla kingdom in Kathmandu Valley.
1428-82
Yakshamalla reigns - height of united Malla kingdom.
1484
Malla kingdom divided; three kingdoms of Kathmandu, Bhadgaon, and Patan established.
1559
Gorkha kindgom established by Dravya Shah.
1606-33
Ram Shah of Gorkha reigns; Gorkha kindgom experiences first expansion.
1743
Prithvi Narayan Shah ascends to throne of Gorkha.
1768-90
Gorkha conquers Kathmandu and Patan, Bhadgaon, eastern Nepal, and western Nepal.
1775
Prithvi Narayan Shah dies, first king of united Nepal.
1814-1816
The Anglo-Nepalese War and the resulting Treaty of Sagauli reduces the territory of Nepal.
1846
Jang Bahadur Rana takes over as prime minister and establishes hereditary Rana rule.
1946
The Nepali Congress Party is founded.
1947
The United States establishes diplomatic relations with Nepal.
1948
The country's first constitution, the Government of Nepal Act, is promulgated; Prime Minister Padma Shamsher Rana resigns in the wake of opposition to the new constitution from conservative Ranas; Mohan Shamsher becomes prime minister; constitution is suspended.
1950
Ranas are in open conflict with King Tribhuvan implicated in Nepali Congress Party conspiracy against Rana power, seeks and is granted asylum in India; government troops desert to the rebel side; over 140 Ranas join the dissidents. Treaty of Peace and Friendship and Treaty of Trade and Commerce are signed with India.
1951
Mohan Shamsher capitulates; King Tribhuvan is restored to the throne; Mohan Shamsher heads new coalition cabinet for 10 months; he is secceeded by Nepali Congress Party leader M.P. Koirala as prime minister;
1952
Koirala resigns; king assumes direct rule.
1953
Koirala is recalled as prime minister.
1955
King Tribhuvan dies and is succeeded by Mahendra; Nepal joins the United Nations; National Police Force is formed; Koirala resigns; Mahendra takes over direct control.
1956
Tanka Prasad Acharya is named prime minister; Border treaty with China concluded;
1957
Acharya resigns; K.I. Singh becomes prime minister for a few months.
1958
USSR opens an embassy at Kathmandu; Subarna Shamsher is named new prime minister.
1959
United States opens an embassy at Kathmandu; New constitution is promulgated, superseding Constitution of 1951; First general elections are held; Nepal Congress Party wins absolute majority; Tribhuvan University founded;
1960
B.P. Koirala heads first popular government; Koirala's policies are opposed by the king, and Koirala is abruptly dismissed; all political parties are banned; the king takes over direct control of government; Treaty of Peace and Friendship with China is concluded.
1961
Kind proclaims guided democracy; Boundary treaty with China renewed.
1962
New constitution, third since 1951, establishes panchayat form of government; Land Reorganization Act and Mulki Ain, new legal code, are promulgated; anti-Indian riots erupt in Kathmandu over Indian aid to dissidents.
1963
Emergency is eneded; Panchayat elections begin; National Guidance Council is formed; Tulsi Giri is named prime minister;
1965
Local government reorganized; Giri resigns; Surya Bahadur Thapa is appointed prime minister;
1969
Thapa yields ofice to Kirti Nidhi Bista; Indian military mission withdrawn.
1970
Bista resigns; Raj Bhandari becomes interim prime minister.
1971
Bista is recalled as prime minister; New trade and transit treaty negotiated with India.
1972
Mahedra dies and is succeeded by King Birendra; Development regions are established under National Development Council.
1973
Nagendra Prasad Rijal is named prime minister; Singha Durbar, the seat of government, burns down.
1975
Rijal resigns; Tulsi Giri is appointed prime minister; King Birendra is crowned; "Go to the Village" campaign is launched.
1976
B.P. Koirala returns from India and is arrested; Treaty with India expires and is not renewed.
1977
Tulsi Giri resigns as prime minister in the wake of corruption charges; former prime minister Kirti Nidhi Bista is reinstated as prime minister.
1979
Following nationwide demonstrations by students, Bista is replaced as prime minister by Surya Bahadur Thapa; king announces referendum on the panchayat form of government.
1980
In national referendum people vote for continuance of the panchayat form of government and against the reintroduction of political parties.
1982
B.P. Koirala, Nepali Congress Party leader dies.
1983
Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is defeated in the Rastriya Panchayat and is replaced by Lokendra Bahadur Chand.
1986
Second elections to Rastriya Panchayat held; Marich Man Singh Shrestha becomes prime minister.
1989
Failure to renegotiate trade and transit treaties with India disrupts economy.
1990
Demonstrations for the restoration of democracy; panchayat system is dissolved; interim government made up of various parties and king's representatives formed; new constitution promulgated.
1991
Elections to Parliament held; Nepali Congress wins a narrow majority; G.P. Koirala becomes prime minister.President of Nepali Congress and interim prime minister, K.P. Bhattarai, defeated in the polls by the leader of CPN-UML, Madan Bhandari.
1992
Local elections held; Nepali Congress wins a majority of the seats.
1993
Madan Bhandari killed in a mysterious car crash. Violent demonstrations by communists to overthrow Koirala's government; devastating floods kill hundreds.
1994
Prime minister Koirala resigns and calls for new elections afte losing a parliamentary vote due to the abstention of 36 members of his own party. New elections in November results in a hung parliament; CPN-UML, which emerged as the single largest party, formes a minority government.
1995
The minority goverment of CPN-UML loses power in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. A coalition government of Nepali Congress, RPP and Sadhvabana is formed.
1997
The NC-RPP coalition government loses power resulting in a UML-RPP coalition. This government itself loses power six months later to another NC-RPP coalition. Ganesh Man Singh, who led the 1990 democracy movement dies.
1999
The third general elections after restoration of democracy results in Nepali Congress coming back to power with an absolute majority in the House. Krishna P. Bhattarai becomes Prime Minister for the second time.Sources: The Third World Encyclopedia; Nepal and Bhutan, Country Studies.

A SHORT HISTORY OF NEPAL

The early history of Nepal is shadowy.In Nepal there must have been a Stone Age and Copper Age as in Northern India.Excavations and researches will one day we hope, bring to light many dark chapters of the early history of Nepal.There is no systematic presentation of historical events in their properchronoligical order.Legends and fiction are mixed up with the tiny threads of history.It is hard to distinguished facts from fiction.If therefore awaits the energy and patience of keen intellected scholar to teach out real facts and presents them before the public.For the present we must study the legends as well as facts.Here we follow the version of Buddhist chronicles which are among the oldest existing materials regarding the history of the Valley Of Nepal.Of course, there were many centres of culture in ancient Nepal as in evidenced by the existence of relics (ruins of ancient buildings,and monument in stone) at ranions spots in the Terai and in the Kathmandu Valley,but on all these our chronicles are entirely silent.Thew history of Nepal Had been for along time ,the history of the valley though it may not be the oldest centre of civilization in the whole kingdom of Nepal today.

It is understood that historians approach historical events from their own point of view, selecting some events as important others as unimportant ;some finding as true, others as false,and they differ widely as to the causes and effects of historical events and movements.So, it is necessary to the past from diverse points of view of many historian and not now conditions have changed since then.