History of Nepal

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. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multi-religious, and multilingual country. The most spoken language is Nepali followed by several other ethnic languages. The Kingdom of Nepal was established in 1768 and started a campaign of unifying what would form the modern territories of Nepal. Some former territories had been lost due to the Sino-Nepalese War. The conflict ended with both victories and losses with the kingdom ultimately accepting tributary status with the Qing dynasty of China from 1792 to 1865. The Anglo-Nepalese War ended in British victory and resulted in the ceding some Nepalese territory in the Treaty of Sugauli. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, the Nepalese parliament voted to abolish the monarchy in June 2006. Nepal became a federal republic on 28 May 2008 and was formally renamed the 'Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal' ending the 200-year-old reign of the Shah monarchs. In a Licchavi-era inscription found in Tistung, the local people have been addressed as the 'Nepals'. Experts are of the opinion that some or all of the inhabitants of Nepal in the ancient period were likely called 'Nepals', which meant that the word 'Nepal' was used to refer to both the land and its population. These Nepals are considered the progenitors of modern-day Newars. Nowadays 'Nepali' is one of the more respectful terms, alongside the terms 'Nepal' and 'Newar', which are variations of the same term. Other variants found in medieval texts are 'Nepar' and 'Newal'. The derivation of the word Nepal is also the subject of a number of other theories: The Sanskrit word Nepalaya means "at the foot of the mountains" or "abode at the foot"; Nepal may be derived from this. The Tibetan word Niyampal means "holy land". Nepal may be derived from it. Some inhabitants of northern Nepal came from Tibet, where they herded sheep and produced wool.

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Related concepts (8)

History of Nepal

Kirati people

The Kirati people, also spelled as Kirant or Kiranti, are a Sino-Tibetan ethnic group. They are Indigenous peoples of the Himalayas, mostly the Eastern Himalaya extending eastward from Nepal to North East India (predominantly in the Indian state of Sikkim and the northern hilly regions of West Bengal, that is, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts). Kirat means lion-hearted people or people of a lion nature. It also means mountain people. The word Kirata is a derivation from Kirati or Kiranti to name the group of people in Eastern Nepal and Northeast India.

Newar people

Newar (nɪˈwɑr; नेवार, endonym: Newa; नेवा, Pracalit script: ) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation. Newars form a linguistic and cultural community of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicities following Hinduism and Buddhism with Nepal Bhasa as their common language. Newars have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills.