A contemporary history of nepal is a story of nepal s transformation from war to peace, monarchy to republic, a hindu kingdom to a secular state, and a unitary to a potentially federal state. It is a multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multi religious, and multilingual country. Wilson, the spectator hugely enjoyable and readable book. Dec 24, 2007 nepal s major political parties have agreed to abolish the worlds last hindu monarchy as part of a deal to bring former communist rebels back into the government, the onetime insurgents said monday. Founded by king prithvi narayan shah, a gorkhali monarch of rajput origin from. John whelptons history of nepal focuses on the period since the overthrow of the rana family autocracy in 19501. However, even the powerful monarchs of the 17th cent. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, nepalese parliament voted to oust the monarchy in june 2006.
It saw the death of the one and only remaining hindu kingdom in the world and it saw the victory of ultracommunist revolutionary republicans of the very worst order. In nepal, longlived monarchy fades from view the new york. The constitution of nepal was announced publicly on 1st paush, 2019. The earthquake of june 7, 1255 ad 10 bs is the first recorded earthquake in the history of nepal. Founded by king prithvi narayan shah, a gorkhali monarch of rajput origin from medieval india, it existed for 240 years until the abolition of the nepalese monarchy in 2008. His road to democracy could set up a historical landmark in different corners of the world. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, nepalese parliament voted to oust the monarchy in j.
The history of nepal has been influenced by its position in the himalaya and its two neighbors, modern day india and china. The history of nepal can broadly be divided in to three phases, ancient, medieval and modern. Drawing on recent research, the author portrays a country of extraordinary contrasts, whose history has been constantly buffeted by its neighbours, china and india. Ram baran yadav becomes nepals first president and maoist leader prachanda becomes prime minister of coalition government. Nepals monarchy started in 1746 when prithvi narayan shah, the first king successfully captured the surrounding kingdoms around gorkha and sealed various borders around the country. Since the monarchy is one of the few institutions in belgium that are truly representative of the a country, rather than of one of its regions the others being the soccer team and some beers, according to yves leterme, a recent prime minister, it makes perfect sense to associate the survival of the monarchy with the survival of belgium itself. A peace treaty was signed in 2006 and elections were held in the same year. A contemporary history of nepal is a story of nepals transformation from war to peace, monarchy to republic, a hindu kingdom to a secular state, and a unitary to a potentially federal state.
The pseudomonarchia daedonum is a catalog of 69 noble demonsprominent members of hells monarchytheir specialties, and the methods of conjuring them. The news in the media about the peoples movement for democracy in 1990, the maoist insurgency which. Jun 25, 2014 india has significant influence within nepal, and if actors feel as though india no longer advocates a democratic state or stands in the way of the restoration of the monarchy, this idea could. Both versions are accepted indiscriminately in the festivals associated with legendary events, a tribute to the. The independence of nepal and the first free election. Nepal had experienced a struggle for democracy at times in the 20th. Monarchy abolished in nepal with it becoming a republic. India has significant influence within nepal, and if actors feel as though india no longer advocates a democratic state or stands in the way of the restoration of the monarchy, this idea could. Its civilization can be traced back to thousands of years before the birth of christ. During the earthquake nearly one third of the total population of kathmandu were killed. Pdf transition of nepal from monarchy to democracy. A brief timeline on nepals political history with an. Earthquake history of nepal historical photos nepali.
The loss of the monarchy in nepal was a disaster for the world on a number of levels. Nepal is one of the most beautiful places in the world. With this, nepal was turned into an independent, secular, inclusive, federal, democratic republic with sovereignty and authority entrusted in nepali people. Nevertheless, nepal has much more than monarchs when it comes to realm of history. The history of nepal is intertwined with the history of the broader indian subcontinent and the. They are also said to be the aborigines inhabiting actually from the eastern part of nepal, having their own administrative setup. There are usually both buddhist and brahmanic hindu versions of these various legends. In may 1991, nepal held its first parliamentary elections. It is a landlocked country located between india to the east, south, and west and the tibet autonomous region of china to the north. He was succeeded by his son pratap singh shah and since then the kings birth date, january 11th has been celebrated in nepal as rastriya ekta diwas unity day. Whether its about nepal, its people and their manners, its mountains, hills and villages, stories set in the country youre visiting will provide you with a new perspective and add another layer of excitement into planning your actual trip. Nepal was formally renamed the federal democratic republic of nepal when it became a federal republic. Nepal, country of asia, lying along the southern slopes of the himalayan mountain ranges.
If you are travelling to nepal, spend some time reading these books. While john whelptons history focuses on the period since the overthrow of the rana family autocracy in 19501, the early chapters are devoted to. In june 2008, parliament ousted the royal household. A classic case is nepal, where an absolute monarchy is ruling the country. The end of monarchy in nepal and its delicate journey towards. Late king birendra was very popular and deeply loved by the people of nepal who were greatly shocked and saddened by the news and it took quite a long time for the countrymen to come out from their self mourning. The epic fight in nepal deals with the period after the infamous palace massacre of june 2001. It is the appendix to his seminal work against the persecution of witchcraft, the praestigiis daemonum, hailed by sigmund freud as one of the most important books of all time. Jun 04, 2009 the loss of the monarchy in nepal was a disaster for the world on a number of levels. The interim constitution was a compromise document between the seven major political parties. Earthquake history of nepal historical photos posted on september 18, 2011 february 3, 20 by anand nepal.
Discover librarianselected research resources on nepalese history from the. Hamilton, francis buchanan 1819, an account of the kingdom of nepal, and the territories annexed to this dominion by the house of gorkha, a constable. Then on 1st june 2001, a horrific tragedy wiped out the entire royal family of nepal including king birendra and queen aishwarya along with most of their closest relatives. Best suited to academic collections on nepalese history. If jonathan gregsons account of nepals turbulent history is to be believed, the fate of that countrys monarchy may have been determined by a bowl of curd. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, members of constituent assembly voted to oust the monarchy in nepal. List of books and articles about monarchy and kingship. The most spoken language of nepal is nepali followed by several other ethnic languages. Naberius, for example, is a marquess who comes in the form of. Nepal became a federal republic and was formally renamed the federal democratic republic of nepal ending the 200 year old shah dynasty. List of books and articles about nepalese history online.
The doomed royal dynasty of nepal by jonathan gregson m. List of books and articles about nepalese history online research. The king was asked to leave the royal palace narayanhiti within 15 days, which was to be turned into an historical museum. Nepal is one of the founding members of south asian association for regional cooperation saarc which was formed in december 1985. If jonathan gregsons account of nepal s turbulent history is to be believed, the fate of that countrys monarchy may have been determined by a bowl of curd. Nepal country constitutional profile constitutionnet. Forget kathmandu by manhushree thapa gives a good and succinct overview of nepals history.
This book takes an unconventional approach to indianepal relations. Until 1990, nepal was an absolute monarchy running under the executive control of the king. A book which has something to say, and which is entertainingly presented. It starts with how nepal, initially a collection of small idependant kingdoms, was unified by prithvi narayan shah and brings you up to speed with events u. The lichhavi monarchical dynasty was established in nepal by defeating last kirati king khigu, according to. Nepals major political parties have agreed to abolish the worlds last hindu monarchy as part of a deal to bring former communist rebels back into. Its little wonder, then, that this beautiful and diverse country has fascinated travelers and explorers for centuries. He arrived in the country in the midst of the decadelong maoist insurgency, and has witnessed all of the countrys recent upheavals, from the massacre of the royal family to the end of the war and the formation of the republic, to the earthquakes in 2015. But as gregson shows in this labyrinthine analysis of nepals monarchy, the catastrophe was wholly in keeping with the.
Shortly after the king gave up power in 2006, the government ordered the printing of money, starting with the 500rupee note, free of the kings portrait. During this period, nepal was formally under the rule of the shah dynasty, which exercised varying degrees of power during the kingdoms existence. The king in nepal is seen as a living god, the reincarnation of lord vishnu. Needless to say things have been chaotic in nepal ever. The kingdom of nepal was founded on 25 september 1768 by prithvi narayan shah, a gorkha king who succeeded in unifying the kingdoms of kathmandu, patan, and bhaktapur into a single state under his shah dynasty. The sunday times in the great survivors, peter conradi has penned an impeccably researched account on the subject of kings and queens, and what they get up.
Its territory extends roughly 500 miles 800 kilometres from east to west and 90 to 150 miles from north to south. Seismologists have predicted an earthquake would hit nepal, but the country was illprepared for a disaster of this scale. They are interrelated with each other by all measures, including geography, ethnicity, language, religion, and caste. Both in the light of recent nepalese politics and the historiography of south asia, john whelptons a history of nepal is a timely introductory textbook. The most spoken language of nepal is nepali followed by other various ethnic languages. The great survivors is packed with so many revealing facts and amusing stories. Landlocked and isolated by the himalayas, nepal is bordered on the west, south, and east by india, and on the n by the tibet region of china. In the 3rd century bc the great indian emperor introduced buddhism into nepal. Nepals rich prehistory consists mainly of the legendary traditions of the newar, the indigenous community of nepal valley now usually called kathmandu valley. The history of the nepalese monarchy has been the integral and inseparable part of the history of nepal. The story of the kings and queens of england is long and fascinating. Nepal s rugged, mountainous terrain made the search for survivors and attempts to deliver food and medical supplies to affected areas perilous endeavors. Nepal became a federal republic on 28 may 2008 and was formally renamed the federal democratic republic of nepal ending the 200 year old shah dynasty. Monarchy in nepal nepal monarchy history of monarchy.
Journeys in search of the himalayan kings, an authority on nepal, brings his insider knowledge and expertise to the question of how the family came to such a violent end. Oct 20, 2015 with this, nepal was turned into an independent, secular, inclusive, federal, democratic republic with sovereignty and authority entrusted in nepali people. The history of nepal is inseparable with its monarchy. It is a story of treachery, lust, persecution, and faltering but unremitting progress, sometimes despite the monarchs themselves. Between 1846 and 1951, the country was ruled by the rana family, which always held the office of prime minister. Another strong earthquake hit nepal just three weeks later, on may 12. In 1923, britain recognized the absolute independence of nepal. Monarchy in nepal nepal monarchy history of monarchy in. General historical information on nepal nepal has a long glorious history.
It begins with the early monarchs who were little more than tribal warlords, and moves down through the centuries to the present day and the court of queen elizabeth ii. In 1951, however, the king took over all power and proclaimed a constitutional monarchy. From the dawn of nepals history till today, kings and feudal chiefs controlled the lands and. Partreportage, parthistory, partanalysis, partmemoir, and partbiography of the key characters, the book breaks new ground in political writing from the region. It has not the long story of beauties but also a long history. This was more pronounced when nepal got painted red with the incessant battering of the maoist rebels and was split between monarchy and republicanism.
The history of nepal is intertwined with the history of the broader indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of south asia and east asia. Jan 29, 2018 history of nepal from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia part of a series on the history of nepal kirata kingdom 800 b. History, news, books and links about the royal family of nepal. Apr 23, 2020 a peace treaty was signed in 2006 and elections were held in the same year. Nepals rugged, mountainous terrain made the search for survivors and attempts to deliver food and medical supplies to affected areas perilous endeavors. He traces the history of the shah dynasty, from its first warlord king to its current uncertain future. It is a multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multireligious, and multilingual country. Wright, daniel 1877, history of nepal, cambridge university press. Pdf the abolition of the institution of monarchy on may 28, 2008 marks a turning. Faced with a peoples movement against the absolute monarchy, king birendra, in 1990, agreed to largescale political reforms by creating a parliamentary monarchy with the king as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of the government. In nepal, longlived monarchy fades from view the new. In the history of nepal, junga bahadur is considered the most powerful prime.
It provided the legitimacy to the partyless panchayat system. It replaced the monarchy with a republic headed by a ceremonial president, created a supreme court, and provided for the election of a 601 member constituent assembly with added responsibility of acting as a parliament until the enactment of a new constitution. About 200 ad a people called the lichavis took power in nepal. Constitutional monarchy, the franchise, fundamental human right and multiparty democracy along with the sovereignty in nepalese people. Persistence and change in an asian monarchy by leo e. Monarchy is a form of government where the king is the executive head of the government with or without a people elected government to support it. However, from 1846 until the revolution of 1951, the. The history of nepal, since years, has revolved around the two warring dynasties namely shahs and ranas.