Brief history of Nepal

Chronology Of Important Events

ca. 563 B.C.The Buddha born in Lumbini, in Tarai Region of Nepal

268-31 B.C.

Ashoka establishes empire in north India

ca. A.D. 353-73

Samudragupta establishes empire in north India

400-750

Licchavi kingdom in power in Kathmandu Valley

750-1200

"Transitional" kingdom in power in Kathmandu Valley

1100-1484

Khasa Malla kings rule in western Nepal

1200-16

Arimalla, first monarch of the Malla Dynasty, rules inKathmandu Valle

1312

Khasa king Ripumalla leads raid in Kathmandu Valley

1345-46

Sultan Shams ud-din Ilyas of Bengal leads raid in KathmanduValley

1382-95

Jayasthitimalla rules as king of united Malla kingdom inKathmandu Valley

1428-82

Yakshamalla reigns--height of united Malla kingdom

1484

Malla kingdom divided; three kingdoms of Kathmandu, Bhadgaon,and Patan expand

1526

Mughal Empire established in north India

1559

Gorkha kingdom established

1606-33

Ram Shah of Gorkha reigns; Gorkha kingdom experiences firstexpansion. 1728 Chinese influence established in Tibet

1743

Prithvi Narayan Shah ascends to throne of Gorkha

1764

British East India Company gains control of Bengal

1768-90

Gorkha conquers Kathmandu and Patan, Bhadgaon, eastern Nepal,and western Nepal

1775

Prithvi Narayan Shah dies, first king of united Nepal

1791-92

Nepal defeated in war with China

1806

Bhimsen Thapa becomes prime minister

1809

Nepalese troops lay seige to Kangra, farthest extent of Gorkhaempire

1814-16

Anglo-Nepalese War waged; Nepal defeated

1837

Bhimsen Thapa falls, beginning unstable period in courtpolitics

1846

Kot Massacre takes place; Jang Bahadur becomes prime minister

1855-56

War waged with China

1856

Royal decree gives absolute power to prime minister and hisfamily

1857-58

Sepoy Rebellion waged against British in north India; Nepalaids British

1858

Jang Bahadur receives title of Rana

1877

Jang Bahadur Rana dies

1885

Ranoddip Singh Rana assassinated; Bir Shamser Rana becomesprime minister

1901

Dev Shamsher Rana forced to abdicate; Chandra Shamsher Ranabecomes prime minister

1914-18

Thousands of Nepalese citizens fight as soldiers for Britishin World War I

1923

Treaty of Friendship with Britain confirms independence ofNepal and special relationship with British Empire

1935

Praja Parishad established, first political party in Nepal

1939-45

Tens of thousands of Nepalese citizens fight as soldiers forBritish in World War II

1947

Nepali National Congress established through merger of formerAll-India Nepali National Congress with Nepalese Society ofBanaras and Gorkha Congress of Calcutta

1948

Prime Minister Padma Shamsher Rana announces firstconstitution of Nepal, then resigns; his replacement, MohanShamsher Rana, represses opposition

1950

Nepali National Congress absorbs Nepal Democratic Congress andbecomes Nepali Congress Party; civil war breaks out

1950-51

Ranas fall; King Tribhuvan regains control over army andadministration; interim constitution enacted

1952

King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ascends throne

1955

Nepal admitted to United Nations

1956

First Five-Year Plan of economic development initiated

1959

King Mahendra enacts new constitution; first general electionsin Nepal bring to power Nepali Congress Party with B.P.Koirala as prime minister

1960

King Mahendra dismisses the democratic government andimprisons B.P. Koirala and other leaders

1962

War waged between India and China; new constitution sets uppanchayat system

1963

First elections held to National Panchayat

1972

King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ascends throne

1980

National Referendum supports panchayat system

1982

B.P. Koirala, Nepali Congress Party leader, dies

1986

Second elections held to National Panchayat

1989

Failure to renegotiate trade and transit treaties with Indiadisrupts economy

1990

New constitution promulgated as result of agitations andsuccesses of Movement for the Restoration of Democracy

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
Sources: The Third World Encyclopedia; Nepal and Bhutan, Country Studies.