Nepal HistoryNepal History: From the Kirats to the Republic
Nepal History: From the Kirats to the Republic
A chapter-by-chapter history of Nepal written for exam preparation: ancient and medieval Nepal, the unification, the Treaty of Sugauli, the Bhandarkhal and Kot parvas, the Rana regime, the 2007 revolution, the Panchayat years, the 1990 and 2006 movements, and the 2015 constitution — ending with a one-page revision sheet.
Table of contents
- 1
Nepal's History at a Glance: A Timeline and How to Study It
From the Kirats to the republic in one page: the main periods, the turning points and a simple method for remembering them — the starting chapter of our Nepal History guide.
4 min read - 2
Ancient Nepal: The Gopals, Mahispals and Kirats, and the Birth of the Buddha
Before written inscriptions, Nepal's story is told through chronicles and tradition: the Gopal and Mahispal dynasties, the Kirats of the valley and the east, Janakpur and the Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini.
4 min read - 3
The Lichchhavi Period in Nepal: Inscriptions, Kings and a Golden Age
The first well-documented age of Nepal's history: Manadeva's Changu Narayan inscription of 464 AD, Amshuvarma and Narendradeva, the Tibet trade, Bhrikuti and the art of the valley.
4 min read - 4
Medieval Nepal: The Thakuris, the Mallas and the Western Principalities
Jayasthiti Malla's reforms, the split of the valley into three kingdoms, Pratap Malla and Bhupatindra Malla, the Khas Malla kingdom in the west, and the Baise and Chaubise states — the medieval period explained.
4 min read
- 5
The Unification of Nepal: Prithvi Narayan Shah and the Making of a Nation
How a small hill kingdom, Gorkha, brought together the valley and many hill states: Prithvi Narayan Shah's plans, the key battles, the conquest of Kathmandu, the Divya Upadesh and his ideas about Nepal.
4 min read - 6
The Anglo-Nepal War and the Treaty of Sugauli (1814–1816)
How the expanding Gorkha kingdom clashed with the British East India Company, the battles of Nalapani and Almora, the terms of the Treaty of Sugauli, and what Nepal kept and lost.
5 min read
- 7
Bhimsen Thapa and the First Bhandarkhal Parva (1806)
After Prithvi Narayan Shah: the regency, Rana Bahadur Shah, the murder that led to the first Bhandarkhal Parva in 1806, Bhimsen Thapa's three decades in power and his fall — the beginning of Nepal's court intrigues.
5 min read - 8
Kot Parva and the Second Bhandarkhal Parva (1846): How Jung Bahadur Took Power
The murder of Gagan Singh Bhandari, the night at the Kot, Queen Rajya Laxmi's plot, the second Bhandarkhal Parva and the start of Rana rule — the most dramatic episodes of Nepali history, explained step by step.
4 min read - 9
The Rana Regime in Nepal (1846–1951): Rulers, Reforms and Resistance
A hereditary family of prime ministers ruled for 104 years. Jung Bahadur's Muluki Ain and Sanad, the later Rana prime ministers, Chandra Shumsher's reforms, the first protests and the four martyrs — the Rana period explained.
5 min read
- 10
The End of Rana Rule and the 2007 BS Revolution (1950–1951)
King Tribhuvan's flight to the Indian embassy, the armed revolt of the Nepali Congress, the Delhi Compromise, and the first years of democracy — how 104 years of Rana rule ended, and what followed until 1960.
5 min read - 11
The Panchayat Era and the 1990 People's Movement (2017–2046 BS)
Thirty years of the party-less Panchayat system under Kings Mahendra and Birendra, the 1980 referendum, the 1989 blockade, and the people's movement of 1990 that restored multiparty democracy.
4 min read - 12
From Conflict to Republic: The People's War, the 2006 Movement and the 2015 Constitution
The armed conflict that began in 1996, the 2001 royal massacre, the 2005 royal takeover, the 2006 people's movement, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the end of the monarchy and the constitution of 2015.
5 min read