The history of Nepal is characterized by its isolated position in the Himalayas and its two neighbors, India and China. Due to the arrival of disparate settler groups from outside through the ages, it is now a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multilingual country. Central Nepal was split in three kingdoms from the 15th century until the 18th century, when it was unified under the Shah monarchy. The national language of Nepal is Nepali, which is also the most-spoken language of Nepal. Nepal experienced a struggle for democracy in the 20th century. During the 1990s and until 2008, the country was in civil strife. A peace treaty was signed in 2008 and elections were held in the same year. Many of the ills of Nepal have been blamed on the royal family of Nepal. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, Nepalese voted to oust the monarchy in Nepal. In June 2008, Nepalese ousted the royal household. Nepal was formally renamed the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal when it became a federal republic. Toponymy The word Nepal is first attested in the Atharvaveda Parisista (c. 1978). Nepal was derived from the Sanskrit nipalaya, which means at the foot of the mountains or abode at the foot, a reference to its location in relation to the Himalayas. Thus, it may be an Eastern equivalent of the European toponym Piedmont. Other, folk etymologies include: It has been suggested that the name comes from the Tibetan niyampal, which means holy land. A third theory suggests that Nepal came from compounding the words NE, which means wool, and PAL, which means a tented house; a long time ago, Nepal used to produce a lot of wool and the houses were used to store the wool—hence the word NE- PAL. The name Nepal is also supposed to be derived from the Sanskrit word NEP(नेप), with the suffix AL (आल) added to it; though still under controversy, NEP were the people who used to be cow herders—the GOPALS (Yadavs)—who came to the Nepal valley for the first time from the Ganges plain. According to Nepali scholar Rishikesh Shaha, the ancient chronicles report that a sage (muni) named Ne became the protector (pāla) of this land and the founder of its first ruling dynasty. The name of the country, Ne-pāla, therefore originally meant the land protected by Ne.[1] Early ages Prehistory It appears that people who were probably of Kirat ethnicity lived in Nepal more than 2,500 years ago. The Kirat are aboriginal tribe of Nepal who lived in the north. Legends and Ancient times Though very little is known about the early history of Nepal, legends and documented references reach back to the first millennium BCE: The epic Mahabharata mentions the Kiratas among the inhabitants of Nepal. Kirati king Yalambar had the dubious honor of being slain in the battle of the Mahabharata, in which gods and mortals fought alongside each other. Legend credits him with meeting Indra, the lord of heaven, who ventured into the Valley in human guise. It is said that during the battle of Mahabharata, Yalamber went to witness the battle with a view to take the side of the losing party. Lord Krishna, knowing the intention of Yalamber and the strength and unity of the Kiratas, thought that the war would unnecessarily be prolonged if Yalamber sided with the Kauravas. So, by a clever stroke of diplomacy, Lord Krishna cut off Yalambers head. Also, the presence of historical sites, e.g., Valmiki ashram, indicates the presence of Sanatana (ancient) Hindu culture in parts of modern Nepal at that period. According to some legendary accounts in the chronicles, the successors of Ne were the gopālavaṃśi or Cowherd family are said to have ruled for some 491 years. They are said to have been followed by the mahaiṣapālavaṃśa or Buffalo-herder Dynasty, established by an Indian Rajput named Bhul Singh.[2] In a Licchavi period inscription (found on archeological stoneworks, which list mostly the dates and commissioners of these constructions, also communicate royal edicts, religious mantras or historical notes) mention the Kirata, that through the corroboration of local myths and the Vamsavalis, identify a people prior to the Licchavi dynasty. Legendary accounts of the Kirati Period Nepals very first recorded, though still legendary, history began with the Devkotas, who may have arrived from the west to the Kathmandu valley. Little is known about them, other than their deftness as sheep farmers and great fondness for carrying long knives. According to the Gopalavamsa chronicle, the Kiratas ruled for about 1225 years (800 BCE–300 CE), their reign had a total of 29 kings during that time. Their first king was Elam; also known as Yalambar, who is referenced in the epic Mahabharata. The 1st Kirata King Kushal laid the foundation of the Kirata dynasty after defeating the last ruler of the Abhira dynasty. When Kiraats occupied the valley, they made Matatirtha their capital. The Kirat kingdom during the rule of Yalambar extended to Tista in the East and Trisidi in the West. It is said Yalambar had gone to witness the battle of Mahabharata between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was so brave and powerful that Lord Krishna beheaded him prior to the battle suspecting he might fight for the Kauravas. The 7th Kirata King Jitedasti During the rule of the 7th Kirat King Jitedasti, Lord Gautam Buddha (BC 623-BC 543) is said to have come to the valley with his several disciples and to have visited holy places of Swayambhu, Guheswari, etc., and to have preached his religious teaching. The Kiratas of the valley refused to follow his doctrine but welcomed Lord Buddha and his disciples. The 14th Kirata King Sthunko During the rule of the 14th Kirat King Sthunko, the Indian Emperor Ashoka is said to have come to the Kathmandu Valley with his daughter, princess Charumati. During his stay in the valley, he is said to have four stupas built around Patan in the four cardinal directions and one in the centre. He is said to have arranged his daughter Charumatis marriage with a local young prince named Devapala. Prince Devapala and his consort Charumati lived at Chabahil near Pashupati area. Later Charumati had the stupas of Devapatana built after the death of her husband in his memory. Charumati later on become a nun herself and built a convent where she resided and practiced Lord Buddhas doctrine. The 15th Kirata king Jinghri During the rule of the 15th Kirata King Jinghri, another religious doctrine, Jainism, was being preached by Mahavir in India. Bhadrabhau, a disciple of Mahavira Jaina, is said to have come to Nepal. But Jainism did not gain as much popularity as Buddhism in Nepal. The 28th Kirat King Paruka During the rule of the 28th Kirata King Paruka, the Sombanshi ruler attacked his regime many times from the west. Although he successfully repelled their attacks, he was forced to move to Shankhamul from Gokarna. He had a royal palace called Patuka built there for him. The Patuka palace can no longer be seen, except its ruins in the form of a mound. Patuka changed Shankhamul into a beautiful town. The 29th Kirat King Gasti The last King of the Kirat dynasty was Gasti, a weak ruler, who is said to have been overthrown by the Somavanshi ruler Nimisha. This ended the powerful Kirata dynasty that had lasted for about 1225 years. After their defeat, the Kiratas moved to the Eastern hills of Nepal and settled down, divided into small principalities. Their settlements were divided into three regions, i.e., Wallokirat that lay to the East of the Kathmandu Valley, Majkirat or Central Kirat region and Pallokirat that lay to the far East of the Kathmandu valley . These regions are still heavily populated by Kiratas (Rai and Limboo, Sunuwar, Yakkha etc.). History of Nepal Before Nepals emergence as a nation in the later half of the 18th century, the designation Nepal was largely applied only to the Kathmandu Valley and its surroundings. Thus, up to the unification of the country, Nepals recorded history is largely that of the Kathmandus Valley. References to Nepal in the Mahabharata epic, in Puranas and in Buddhist and Jaina scriptures establish the countrys antiquity as an independent political and territorial entity. The oldest Vamshavali or chronicle, the Gopalarajavamsavali, was copied from older manuscripts during the late 14th century, is a fairly reliable basis for Nepals ancient history. The Vamshavalis mention the rule of several dynasties the Gopalas, the Abhiras and the Kiratas—over a stretch of millennia. However, no historical evidence exists for the rule of these legendary dynasties. The documented history of Nepal begins with the Changu Narayan temple inscription of King Manadeva I (c. 464–505 AD) of the Licchavi dynasty. Thakuri Dynasty Rule of the Thakuri kings The Thakuri Dynasty was a Rajput Dynasty. After Aramudi, who is mentioned in the Kashmirian chronicle, the Rajatarangini of Kalhana (1150 CE), many Thakuri kings ruled over the country up to
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 14:16:49 +0000
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