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 modern day 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.[1] 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.
Toponymy
[edit]
Nepal's origin remains a mystery despite written records dating back to the fifth century
A.D. Classical Indian sources mention Nepal, and Nepali stories delve into mythology,
religion, and culture rather than providing a clear historical account.[2]
The derivation of the word Nepal is a subject of various theories:
Most inhabitants of northern Nepal came from Tibet, where they herded sheep and
produced wool. In Tibetan, ne means "wool" and pal means "house". Thus, Nepal is "house
of wool".[3]
Newar people in the Kathmandu valley named their homeland Nepal, derived from "Nepa,"
meaning "country of the middle zone," highlighting its central location in the Himalayas. [3]
A popular theory is that Lepcha people associated Nepal with a "sacred or holy cave."[3]
According to Hindu mythology, Nepal derives its name from an ancient Hindu sage called
Ne, referred to variously as Ne Muni or Nemi.
According to Buddhist legend, the deity Manjushri drained the water from Nagadaha (a
mythical lake believed to have filled the Kathmandu Valley). The valley became habitable,
ruled by Bhuktaman a cow-herder, who took advice from the sage named "Ne". Pāla means
"protector" or "taking care", so Nepal reflected the name of the sage who took care of the
place.[3][4]
Ancient history
[edit]
Main article: Ancient history of Nepal
Prehistory
[edit]
Prehistoric sites of palaeolithic, mesolithic and neolithic origins have been discovered in
the Siwalik hills of Dang district.[5] The earliest inhabitants of modern Nepal and adjoining
areas are believed to be Tharus and Maithil people from the Mithila (region) in Madhesh
Province and Terai districts of Koshi Province and Lumbini Province. It is possible that
the Dravidian people whose history predates the onset of the Bronze Age in the Indian
subcontinent (around 3300 BC) inhabited the area ruled by King Janaka before the arrival
of other ethnic groups like the Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-Aryans from across the border.
[6]
Maithils, Indo-Aryans and Tharus, Tibeto-Burmans who mixed heavily with Indians in
the southern regions, are natives of the central Madhesh Province and Terai region of
Nepal.[7] The first documented tribes in Nepal are the Kirat people is the record of Kirat
Kings from Kirata Kingdom from 800 BC, which shows Kirats were recorded in Nepal last
2000 to 2500 years, with an extensive dominion, possibly reaching at one time to the delta
of the Ganges.[8] Other ethnic groups of Indo-Aryan origin later migrated to southern part of
Nepal from Indo-Gangetic Plain of northern India.[9][10]
Stella Kramrisch ( 1964 ) mentions a substratum of a Maithili
language speaking Maithils race of Pre - Indo-Aryans and Tharus of Dravidians race, who
were in Nepal even before the Newars, who formed the majority of the ancient inhabitants
of the valley of Kathmandu.[11]
Emperor Ashoka was responsible for the construction of several significant structures in
Nepal. These include the Ramagrama Stupa, Gotihawa Pillar of Ashoka, Nigali-Sagar
Ashoka Pillar inscription, and the Lumbini pillar inscription of Ashoka.The Chinese
pilgrims Fa-Hien (337 CE – c. 422 CE) and Xuanzang (602–664 CE) describe the
Kanakamuni Stupa and the Asoka Pillar of currently Nepal region in their travel accounts.
Xuanzang speaks of a lion capital atop the pillar, now lost. A base of a Pillar of Ashoka has
been discovered at Gotihawa, a few miles from Nigali Sagar, and it has been suggested that
it is the original base of the Nigalar Sagar pillar fragments. [12] In 249 BCE, Emperor Asoka
founded Lalitapatan city of Nepal.[13][14]
