The History Of Nepal
The documented history of Nepal begins with the Changu Narayan temple inscription of King Manadeva I ( 464–505 AD) of the Lichavi dynasty. The Lichavis are said to have migrated into Nepal from north India in around 250 A.D. The first Lichavi king of historical importance was Manadeva 1. Another important Lichavi monarch was Anshuverma who opened trade routes to Tibet. The Lichavis were followed by the Thakuris, then came the Malla dynasty. The Mallas ruled focusing mainly on the Kathmandu Valley which has been the residence for most Nepali rulers from very beginning. Kathmandu is very rich in cultural heritage, where there are seven world heritage sites.
In the 14th century A.D. King Jayasthiti Malla established a rigid social order. His grandson tried in every way to protect his country from suspected enemy states. Unfortunately, all his efforts were fruitless, everything went beyond his control and the country eventually divided up into about 50 small feudal states including the three major ones in the valley. Then came the Shah dynasty. King Prithvi Narayan Shah, who annexed small principalities including three states in the Kathmandu Valley and unified Nepal in a single kingdom. The modern era of united Nepal started with the unification of the country. Recognizing the threat of the British Raj in India, he dismissed European missionaries from the country and for more than a century, Nepal remained in isolation. During the mid-19th century Jung Bahadur Rana became Nepal’s first prime minister to wield absolute power. The Ranas were overthrown in a democracy movement of the early 1950s.