This is a timeline of Nepalese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Nepal and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Nepal. See also the list of monarchs of Nepal.
King Yalamber establishes his first Kirat kingdom in Kathmandu (present-day Nepal) defeating Bhuwan Singh, the third and last king of the Ahir Dynasty. Kirat Kingdom originally came from beyond the Dudh Koshi river.[1][2]
Nimisha defeats Gasti, the last ruler of the Kirata Kingdom, and establishes the Soma dynasty. It was founded by Nimistakar Barma (sometimes referred to as Nimish I) in 205 CE, after the fall of the Kirata Kingdom.
4th century
Year
Event
305
Bhaskar Varma, the last ruler of the Soma dynasty, having no sons or daughters adopts Bhoomi Varma to succeed him starting the rule of Licchavi dynasty.[1][3]
5th century
Year
Event
464
Manadeva reigns until 491 A.D. His reign is characterized by great architectural and sculptural achievements.[1]
Amshuverma, who started as a feudal lord and now the prime minister, starts minting coins in his name and assumes the title of Maharajadhiraj reducing the king to a mere figurehead. Eventually, he marries the king's daughter and succeeds Shiva Deva I as the ruler after the king's death. Amshuverma's reign also is also characterized by architectural achievements.[1][2][3]
A period of political struggle begins between the House of Bhonta (the region of Banepa) headed by Jayabhimadeva and the House of Tripura (Bhadgaon) headed by Jayasimha Malla.[7]
King Jayadeva Malla dies. The two contending houses reach an agreement to share the throne alternately. Jayabhimadeva becomes the King following the agreement.[7]
1271
Jayasimha Malla becomes the King following the agreement between the two Houses.[7]
1274
King Jayasimha Malla is deposed with the help of House of Bhonta; Ananta Malla becomes the king.[7]
1287
Jitari Malla of the Khasa area in the Karnali region attacks Nepal three times until 1290.[7]
14th century
Year
Event
1300
Doya from Mithila invades Nepal again penetrating as far as Bhadgaon, and inflicting fines on the House of Tripura.[7]
After Jayasaktideva of House of Bhonta is defeated by Jayatunga Malla of House of Tripura, Jayasaktideva calls the Doya for help. This backfires as the Doya imprisoned Brahmins, looted people[clarification needed] and set houses on fire.[7]
1312
Following an agreement between the House of Tripura and the Tirhuts, along with other wealth, Devalakshmidevi, the daughter of Jayatunga Malla, is given in marriage to King Harisimhadeva.[7][8]
Jayarudra Malla, the son of Jayatunga Malla, controls much of the valley.[9]
1313
After five years without a King, Jayarudra Malla installs Jayanandadeva, his rival from the House of Bhonta, as the ruler.[7]
1320
Jayarudra Malla withdraws support for Jayanandadeva and installs Jayari Malla, his relative and the son of Ananta Malla, as the King.[7]
1324
The Karnat Kingdom of Mithila is annexed by the King of Delhi. The invader then sets up a vassal state appointing from the Oiniwar dynasty a ruler of the region.[7]
King Harisimhadeva of Mithila, along with his wife Devalakshmidevi and so Jagatsimha flees to Kathmandu Valley. Harisimha dies on the way and Devalakshmidevi, and Jagatsimha were welcomed by her brother, Jayarudra Malla.[1][9]
1328
Aditya Malla from the Khasa Kingdom invades the Kathmandu valley.
1330
Jayarudra Malla dies at the age of 30, leaving Nayakadevi, his daughter, to assume the throne of House of Tripura.[7]
1335
Harischandra, the husband of Nayakadevi, was poisoned by the nobles.[7]
Rajalladevi is born to Nayakadevi and Jagatsimha. Nayakadevi dies ten days later and Jagatsimha was thrown to prison leaving Rajalladevi to the care of Devalakshmidevi.[7]
Devalakshmidevi comes to an agreement with the House of Bhonta on the condition that a king would be from the House of Bhonta while Devalakshmidevi would act as the de facto ruler. Following this agreement, Jayarajadeva, the illegitimate son of the late King Jayanandadeva, becomes the King. Devalakshmidevi, however, is given royal titles higher than the King himself.[7][8]
1349
Sultan Shams ud-din Ilyas of Bengal conquers Tirhut and leads raid in Kathmandu Valley destroying temples and damaging the images of gods and goddesses. This event is often cited as the one that destroyed much of the Lichchhavi era and early Malla era monuments and artifacts.[7]
1354
Rajalladevi marries Jayasthiti Malla. It is generally accepted that Jayasthiti Malla was brought from Mithila by Devalakshmidevi to marry Rajalladevi.[7][8]
1361
King Jayarajadeva dies. He is succeeded by his son Jayarjunadeva.[7]
King Parthibendra Malla is poisoned by the nobles and on his death, as many as twenty-four women went Sati. He is succeeded by his 14 years old son Bhupalendra Malla with his wife Riddhilakshmi acting as the regent.[9][2]
1688
Lakshminarayan, a minister, rises to the power of supreme authority and inscribes his name on the coin issued by the monarch. He also assassinates prominent nobles.[7]
1690
Lakshminarayan is assassinated following a rumor of illicit relationship with the regent and the king's mother, Riddhilakshmi.[7]
An epidemic breaks out in Kantipur killing approximately 20,000 people.
1722
After about six months in confinement to be safe from the plague, King Bhaskara Malla returns to the palace after the death rate dropped. He dies some days later due to the plague. He is succeeded by Jagajjaya Malla, the grandson of Mahipatendra Malla.[9][11]
Nepalese troops lay siege to Kangra, farthest extent of Gurkha empire.
1814
Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816) ends resulting in Sugauli Treaty which establishes Nepal's current boundaries and sows the seeds for political instability.
1837
Bhimsen Thapa falls, beginning unstable period in court politics.
New constitution provides for non-party system of councils known as Panchayat under which king exercises sole power. First elections to Rastrya Panchayat held in 1963.
Division within the NC results in Girija Prasad Koirala losing the support of 36 congress members in a parliamentary vote. He resigns and King Birendra dismisses the cabinet announcing a new election.[26][27]
Radical leftist group, the CPN (MC), begins insurrection in rural areas aimed at abolishing monarch and establishing a people's republic, sparking a conflict that would drag on for over a decade.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba loses a no-confidence vote, ushering in a period of increased political instability, with frequent changes of the prime minister.[27]
Maoists end four-month-old truce with government, declare peace talks with government failed. Launch coordinated attacks on army and police posts.[34]
26 Nov
The government declares a state of emergency throughout the country and full mobilization of the army against rebels listing the CPN (Maoist Centre) as a "terrorist organization".[23][34]
2002
22 May
King Gyanendra dissolves the parliament and called for early elections. Sher Bahadur Deuba heads the interim government, and renews the state of emergency.[34][31][35]
4 Oct
Prime minister Deuba formally asks the king to defer the election dates until November 2003. King Gyanendra responds by dismissing the government headed by Deuba, removing Deuba as the prime minister, postponing the elections indefinitely, and assuming full executive power.[35][36][31][34]
Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigns as PM; king appoints his own nominee Surya Bahadur Thapa as new premier (to June).
Aug
Rebels pull out of peace talks with government and end seven-month truce. The following months see resurgence of violence and frequent clashes between students/activists and police.
2004
Apr
Nepal joins the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
May
Royalist Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa resigns following weeks of street protests by opposition groups.
5 June
King Gyanendra reappoints Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister with the task of holding elections.[37]
2005
1 Feb
2005 Nepal coup d'état by King Gyanendra after which he assumes absolute direct power, sacks the government, and declares a state of emergency restoring absolute monarchy. Many prominent leaders including the prime minister were placed under house arrest.[34][31][36]
30 Apr
King lifts the state of emergency amid international pressure.
22 Nov
Several political parties and the CPN (Maoist Centre) sign an agreement to work together against the rule of King
Parliament votes unanimously to curtail the king's political powers. The government and Maoist rebels begin peace talks, the first in nearly three years.
16 June
Rebel leader Chairman Prachanda and PM Koirala hold talks – the first such meeting between the two sides – and agree that the Maoists should be brought into an interim government.
Maoist leaders enter parliament under the terms of a temporary constitution. Violent ethnic protests erupt in the south-east; demonstrators demand autonomy for the region.
Apr
Former Maoist rebels join interim government, a move that takes them into the political mainstream.
May
Elections for a constituent assembly pushed back to November.
May
A US offer to resettle thousands of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal has raised hopes but has also sparked tension in the camps, says Human Rights Watch.
Sep
Three bombs hit Kathmandu in the first attack in the capital since the end of the Maoist insurgency.
Sep
Maoists quit interim government to press demand for monarchy to be scrapped. This forces the postponement of November's constituent assembly elections.
Oct
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges Nepal's parties to sink their differences to save the peace process.
Dec
Parliament approves abolition of monarchy as part of peace deal with Maoists, who agree to re-join government.
2008
Jan
A series of bomb blasts kill and injure dozens in the southern Terai plains. Groups there have been demanding regional autonomy.
May
Nepali Congress leader Bal Chandra Poudel attacked by maoists in Dandagaun, Rasuwa during election
Prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal announces his resignation blaming the CPN (MC) for their continuous obstruction in the government.[46]
2011
3 Feb
CPN (MC) withdraws its candidate and backs Jhala Nath Khanal of CPN (UML). Khanal becomes the prime minister after more than seven months of political gridlock and more than sixteen rounds of voting in the parliament.[47]
Prime minister Baburam Bhattarai dissolves the constituent assembly after it failed to promulgate a new constitution four years after its election and calls for a fresh election for 22 November.[49]
2013
14 Mar
Prime minister Baburam Bhattarai resigns. Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi becomes the interim prime minister until the elections after four main political parties agreed to form a CJ-led electoral cabinet.[50]
^Brass, Paul R. (6 August 2013). Routledge handbook of South Asian politics: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Routledge. ISBN9780415716499. OCLC843078091.