Unification, expansion and consolidation (1768–1951)
Main articles: Unification of Nepal and Kingdom of Nepal
Prithvi Narayan Shah began the unification process of what would become the present-day country
of Nepal.
During Bhimsen Thapa's premiership, Nepal reached its zenith.
Jung Bahadur Rana, who established the autocratic Rana regime in 1846 and instituted a pro-British
foreign policy
During King Mahendra's reign, Nepal experienced a period of industrial, political, and economic
change.
In the mid-18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha king, set out to put together
what would become present-day Nepal. He embarked on his mission by securing the
neutrality of the bordering mountain kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges,
notably the Battle of Kirtipur, he managed to conquer the Kathmandu Valley in
1769.[59] The Gorkha control reached its height when the Kumaon and Garhwal
Kingdoms in the west to Sikkim in the east came under Nepalese control. A dispute
with Tibet over the control of mountain passes and inner Tingri valleys of Tibet
prompted the Qing Emperor of China to start the Sino-Nepali War compelling the Nepali
to retreat to their own borders in the north.[60] The rivalry between the Kingdom of Nepal
and the East India Company over the control of states bordering Nepal eventually led to
the Anglo-Nepali War (1815–16). At first, the British underestimated the Nepali and
were soundly defeated until committing more military resources than they had
anticipated needing. Thus began the reputation of Gurkhas as fierce and ruthless
soldiers. The war ended in the Sugauli Treaty, under which Nepal ceded recently
captured lands.[61][48]
Factionalism inside the royal family led to a period of instability. In 1846, a plot was
discovered revealing that the reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Bahadur
Kunwar, a fast-rising military leader. This led to the Kot massacre; armed clashes
between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of
several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. Bir Narsingh Kunwar
emerged victoriously and founded the Rana dynasty, and came to be known as Jung
Bahadur Rana. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was
made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted them
during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (and later in both World Wars). In 1860 some parts
of the western Terai region were gifted to Nepal by the British as a friendly gesture
because of its military help to sustain British control in India during the rebellion (known
as Naya Muluk, new country). In 1923, the United Kingdom and Nepal formally
signed an agreement of friendship that superseded the Sugauli Treaty of 1816.[62]
The Hindu practice of Sati, in which a widow sacrificed herself in the funeral pyre of her
husband, was banned in 1919, and slavery was officially abolished in 1924.[63] Rana rule
was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious
persecution.[64][65]
Contemporary history
In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in
Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Following the success of Indian
Independence Movement which Nepalese activists had taken part in, with India's
support and cooperation of King Tribhuvan, Nepali Congress was successful in toppling
the Rana regime, establishing a parliamentary democracy. After a decade of power
wrangling between the king and the government, King Mahendra (ruled 1955–1972)
scrapped the democratic experiment in 1960, and a "partyless" Panchayat system was
made to govern Nepal. The political parties were banned and politicians imprisoned or
exiled.[66] The Panchayat rule modernised the country, introducing reforms and
developing infrastructure, but curtailed liberties and imposed heavy censorship. In 1990,
the People's Movement forced King Birendra (ruled 1972–2001) to accept constitutional
reforms and to establish a multiparty democracy.[66][67]
In 1996, the Maoist Party started a violent bid to replace the royal parliamentary system
with a people's republic.[66] This led to the long Nepalese Civil War and more than
16,000 deaths.[68] With the death of both the King and the Crown Prince in a massacre in
the royal palace, King Birendra's brother Gyanendra inherited the throne in 2001[66] and
subsequently assumed full executive powers aiming to quash the Maoist insurgency
himself.[69]
The Maoist Party joined mainstream politics following the success of the
peaceful democratic revolution of 2006;[70] Nepal became a secular state,[71] and on 28
May 2008, it was declared a federal republic,[70] ending its time-honoured status as the
world's only Hindu kingdom.[72] After a decade of instability and internal strife which saw
two constituent assembly elections,[73][74][75][76] the new constitution was promulgated on 20
September 2015, making Nepal a federal democratic republic divided into seven
provinces.[77][78]
