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Political change may mean something to the leaders, but it hasn’t made a difference for us common people.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—Hari Ballav Pant, Nepalese shopkeep, interviewed by <i>The Diplomat</i> in 2019.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="navbox" style="float: right; clear:right; border: 2px solid silver; margin: 0 0 .5em .5em; width: 200px;"> <div style="background-color: #e7ece6; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; padding: .3em;"><b>Nepal</b> <b></b></div> <center><a href="/wiki/File:Flag_of_Nepal.svg" class="image"><img alt="Flag of Nepal.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Flag_of_Nepal.svg/195px-Flag_of_Nepal.svg.png" decoding="async" width="195" height="238" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Flag_of_Nepal.svg/293px-Flag_of_Nepal.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Flag_of_Nepal.svg/390px-Flag_of_Nepal.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="726" data-file-height="885" /></a></center> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>Demographics</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by population" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by population">Population</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>29,190,035 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by GDP (nominal)" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by GDP (nominal)">GDP (million)</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>29,813 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita">GDP p/cap.</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>1,047 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by life expectancy" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by life expectancy">Life expectancy</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>70.5 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by Human Development Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by Human Development Index">Development Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>0.579 </td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>Government</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Democracy Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Democracy Index">Democracy Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>5.28 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Corruption Perceptions Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Corruption Perceptions Index">Corruption Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>34 </td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>More</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Education Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Education Index">Education Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>0.475 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importance_of_religion_by_country" class="extiw" title="wp:Importance of religion by country" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Importance of religion by country">Religiosity</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>93 </td></tr></tbody></table> </div> <p>The <b>Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal</b> is a country north of <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> best known for its Himalayas mountains. Nepal has at least partial control of eight of the world's ten tallest peaks, including Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, and Lhotse.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> Most of Nepal's population is <a href="/wiki/Hindu" class="mw-redirect" title="Hindu">Hindu</a>, but there are significant minorities of <a href="/wiki/Buddhist" class="mw-redirect" title="Buddhist">Buddhists</a> and <a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslims</a>. Nepal's religious traditions go back a long way, and there are a variety of notable temples scattered across the country that attract tourism.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup> The country's capital and largest city is Kathmandu. </p><p>But Nepal isn't all backpackers and monasteries. Nepal recently transitioned into a <a href="/wiki/Republic" title="Republic">republic</a> in 2008 after the abolition of the <a href="/wiki/Monarchy" title="Monarchy">monarchy</a>, and it still struggles with political disputes between Maoists and <a href="/wiki/Conservative" class="mw-redirect" title="Conservative">conservatives</a>. Nepal's economy suffers from widespread poverty and other significant problems like poor infrastructure, a major obstacle to industrialization. Most of the people are employed in the agricultural sector. Unfortunately, human trafficking, sex <a href="/wiki/Slavery" title="Slavery">slavery</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Child_abuse" title="Child abuse">child</a> <a href="/wiki/Prostitution" title="Prostitution">prostitution</a> are also commonplace. Some girls are abducted by slaving gangs or tricked by promises of paid jobs, while others are sold into slavery by their poverty-stricken families. Many are sold across the border by human traffickers, ending up in red light districts of Indian cities. </p><p>Nepal has an ancient history. In the middle of the 1 millennium BCE, Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal. Over these early centuries, Nepal was influenced by <a href="/wiki/Tibet" title="Tibet">Tibetan</a> culture from the north and Indo-Aryan culture from closer to home. Nepal became a hub for trade along the Silk Road, turning it into a diverse and cosmopolitan area in the old world. In 1768, the Gorkha Kingdom, ruled by the Shah dynasty (no relation to <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a>), unified Nepal by conquest. It entered a close relationship with the <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a>, which used it as a buffer state between British India and <a href="/wiki/Imperial_China" title="Imperial China">Imperial China</a>. However, the Shahs had a rival family called the Rana dynasty, and the <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> conflict between them threw Nepal into turmoil and caused much bloodshed. </p><p>By 1991, things had come to a head with the Shah kings trapped between their Rana rivals and growing popular discontent and support for Maoist <a href="/wiki/Communism" title="Communism">communism</a>. Nepal blew up into <a href="/wiki/Civil_war" title="Civil war">civil war</a> in 1996, which lasted ten years and eventually led to Nepal's reestablishment as a <a href="/wiki/Secular" title="Secular">secular</a> republic in 2008 with representation for the Maoists. Nepal still struggles with the legacy of that war and the damage it caused. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Historical_overview"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Historical overview</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#Early_history"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Early history</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Rise_of_Buddhism"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Rise of Buddhism</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Disunity_and_warfare"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">Disunity and warfare</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#The_Gorkhas"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">The Gorkhas</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#Aristocratic_feuds"><span class="tocnumber">1.5</span> <span class="toctext">Aristocratic feuds</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#Rule_of_the_Ranas"><span class="tocnumber">1.6</span> <span class="toctext">Rule of the Ranas</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#Rising_political_tensions"><span class="tocnumber">1.7</span> <span class="toctext">Rising political tensions</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="#Return_of_the_kings"><span class="tocnumber">1.8</span> <span class="toctext">Return of the kings</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10"><a href="#Civil_war"><span class="tocnumber">1.9</span> <span class="toctext">Civil war</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="#Romeo_and_Juliet_destroy_the_monarchy"><span class="tocnumber">1.10</span> <span class="toctext">Romeo and Juliet destroy the monarchy</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12"><a href="#End_of_the_war"><span class="tocnumber">1.11</span> <span class="toctext">End of the war</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13"><a href="#Nepal_today"><span class="tocnumber">1.12</span> <span class="toctext">Nepal today</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14"><a href="#Gallery"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Gallery</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Historical_overview">Historical overview</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Historical overview">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg/250px-Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="188" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg/375px-Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg/500px-Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2560" data-file-height="1920" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_DSCN2126a.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Limbuni, Nepal, the alleged birthplace of Gautama Buddha.</div></div></div> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_history">Early history</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Early history">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>People have lived in Nepal since at least the Stone Age, although their cultures are too unknown for us to say much about. Things started to heat up around 2000 BCE when northern India came under the rule of a group called the Arya, or the <a href="/wiki/Aryan" title="Aryan">Aryans</a>. The Indo-Aryans formed many little kingdoms that then constantly battled and formed alliances for protection. Despite all of that violence, the Silk Road trade route brought goods and <a href="/wiki/Gold" title="Gold">gold</a> from nearby China, allowing many of the kingdoms in the region to develop cities and urban living.<sup id="cite_ref-early_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-early-4">[4]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Rise_of_Buddhism">Rise of Buddhism</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Rise of Buddhism">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>One of these warring states in southern Nepal was ruled by the Shakya clan, and sometime around the 5th to 4th century BCE, the clan produced its most famous member: Siddhārtha Gautama.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> Gautama would become known as <a href="/wiki/Buddha" class="mw-redirect" title="Buddha">Buddha</a> after abandoning his aristocratic lifestyle in favor of asceticism and teaching spirituality. He was the founder of the Buddhist <a href="/wiki/Religion" title="Religion">religion</a>, which remains influential in Nepal today. </p> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:227px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg/225px-Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="148" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg/338px-Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg/450px-Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg 2x" data-file-width="6258" data-file-height="4117" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Changunarayan_temple_2019.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Changu Narayan, Nepal's oldest temple and held sacred by both Buddhists and Hindus.</div></div></div> <p>Warfare in northern India eventually produced the Mauryan Empire in 322 BCE, whose rulers had adopted a remarkably aggressive policy of <a href="/wiki/Imperialism" title="Imperialism">imperialism</a> to conquer almost the entire Indian subcontinent.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup> At its height, the empire was inherited by Ashoka Maurya, or Ashoka the Great, who started off as a great warmonger before unexpectedly and suddenly converting to Buddhism and renouncing war and conquest.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup> Ashoka's conversion greatly magnified the influence of Buddhism, and Ashoka commissioned a bunch of monuments across Nepal to commemorate Buddha and his message.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup> </p><p>Even after the downfall of the Mauryans and the resumption of warfare in northern India, Nepal was known as a refuge where Buddhist ways and writings could be preserved.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup> It also served as a base from which Buddhist teachings entered <a href="/wiki/Tibet" title="Tibet">Tibet</a> and spread from there. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Disunity_and_warfare">Disunity and warfare</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Disunity and warfare">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Patanpalace.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Patanpalace.JPG/250px-Patanpalace.JPG" decoding="async" width="250" height="188" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Patanpalace.JPG/375px-Patanpalace.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Patanpalace.JPG/500px-Patanpalace.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="960" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Patanpalace.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Palace built by Hindu conquerors in the Kathmandu Valley.</div></div></div> <p>Nepal remained disunited throughout ancient times and the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a>, likely due to its mountainous landscape making conquest and consolidation difficult. Medieval times brought about seismic changes to Nepal's religious landscape because let's face it, even eastern religions didn't always get along. <a href="/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a>, which had controlled most of India before Buddhism threatened its power, struck back with a vengeance, and the era where Nepal served as a Buddhist home base ended abruptly.<sup id="cite_ref-schis_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-schis-10">[10]</a></sup> Buddhists also started fighting amongst themselves (it wasn't all zen and meditating) over the increasing class divides between elaborate monasteries and everyday monks.<sup id="cite_ref-schis_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-schis-10">[10]</a></sup> Monasteries became more rich and powerful, evolving to the point where they often became small towns. </p> <div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:167px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg/165px-Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg" decoding="async" width="165" height="165" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg/248px-Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg/330px-Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg 2x" data-file-width="796" data-file-height="796" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Prithvi_Narayan_Shah.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Prithvi Narayan Shah, unifier of Nepal.</div></div></div> <p>This collapse into infighting came at just the wrong time. Muslim Turks conquered their way into northern India, establishing the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 and moving on to conquer most of the subcontinent.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup> The various Nepalese kingdoms militarized rapidly for their own survival, but many of them became vassals to Delhi despite never being annexed. This time, the Hindus came to Nepal's rescue by rising against the Delhi Sultanate and bringing about its downfall.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup> </p><p>Nepal went back to being split up between various kingdoms, but its culture and traditions still evolved. Nepalese kings usually walked a delicate balance between the two major religions in Nepal, making ostentatious shows of monetary support to both Hindu and Buddhist monasteries and temples.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup> By appealing to the peoples' faith, the kings could easily keep them compliant. Nepal's kingdoms remained isolated even as the outside world underwent massive change. Nepal's Buddhist friends to the north, Tibet, were conquered by the decidedly less friendly <a href="/wiki/Qing_dynasty" class="mw-redirect" title="Qing dynasty">Qing dynasty</a>. Meanwhile, most of the rest of India came under the rule of the Muslim-ruled Mughal Empire. </p><p>Perhaps most important was the growth of British power in India, which occurred as the Mughal Empire began fading away. By 1764 the British East India Company, officially a private trading corporation but fielding its own army, had forced the Mughals to turn over big chunks of northern India at gunpoint. That put them right within striking distance of Nepal. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="The_Gorkhas">The Gorkhas</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: The Gorkhas">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Anglo-Nepal_war.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Anglo-Nepal_war.jpg/250px-Anglo-Nepal_war.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="176" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Anglo-Nepal_war.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="350" data-file-height="247" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Anglo-Nepal_war.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Nepali warriors give the redcoats a scare during the Anglo-Nepal War.</div></div></div> <p>The Gorkha state, which had begun as a modest holding in the mountains, used its army skills and weapons bought from the British to militarily unify Nepal in 1768 under the rule of Prithvi Narayan Shah.<sup id="cite_ref-sha_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sha-14">[14]</a></sup> The Gorkha state's expansionism brought it into conflict with Tibet over their mountain border, leading them into war with the Qing dynasty.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a></sup> Although vastly outnumbered, the Nepalis punched far above their weight class, and they ended the war with a stalemate and a minor diplomatic victory.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup> </p><p>This ended Nepal's period of military expansion northward, so they turned southward for new conquests. This brought them into conflict with a power that had proven just a little bit better at imperialism than the Gorkha: the <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a>. At the war's outbreak in 1814, the Gorkha was again pitted against an enemy they had no business surviving, let alone winning against. But for a second time, Nepal outperformed expectations and kicked ass until the British were forced to redeploy imperial forces to the front and take the war seriously.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a></sup> Even in defeat, Nepal maintained its political and diplomatic independence, only being forced to give up on its imperialist ambitions and host a British ambassador. </p><p>That war left a lasting impression on the British, who had come away with the accurate image that Nepal was filled with crazy badass mountain men. The British called these men the "Gurkhas" and were keen to hire Gurkha troops in many of their wars. Beginning with the 1857 uprising against British rule in India, the Gurkhas fought alongside the British and developed strong ties with them. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Aristocratic_feuds">Aristocratic feuds</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Aristocratic feuds">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:177px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg/175px-Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="211" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg/263px-Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg 2x" data-file-width="328" data-file-height="396" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Maharaj_Jung_London_1850_AD.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>London sheet music honoring Jung Bahadur Rana and his pro-British policies.</div></div></div> <p>As a country, though, the newly-formed Nepali kingdom started out as more of a distant military dictatorship than a centralized state. To keep people placated, the Shah kings appointed military commanders to act as regional administrators, and they otherwise left people to their own devices.<sup id="cite_ref-rana_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rana-18">[18]</a></sup> Nepal also put great energy into keeping the army happy, mostly by paying them well and handing out agricultural land grants. Emphasis on land grants and the rising power of local landlords rather than the central government meant that Nepal soon evolved into an aristocratic government where different landholder families would duke it out for government influence. Welcome to <a href="/wiki/Feudalism" title="Feudalism">feudalism</a>. </p><p>The Shah kings kept their close friends, the Thapa family, in charge of the government, but the Thapas soon proved insufficiently friendly to British economic interests. The British stepped in during the 1830s to help empower the Kunwar family, who then used a string of assassinations and imprisonments to sweep the Thapas out of power and sweep themselves into it.<sup id="cite_ref-rana_18-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rana-18">[18]</a></sup> The Kunwars soon proved to be exceptionally ruthless in pursuing power. In 1846, they organized the Kot Massacre in the royal court, killing hundreds of people, wiping out many rival families, and killing off a big chunk of the Shah dynasty itself.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup> Goddamn. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Rule_of_the_Ranas">Rule of the Ranas</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Rule of the Ranas">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:(1-1)_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_(near_Merville,_France)._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._(13874158663).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg/250px-%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="191" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg/375px-%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg/500px-%281-1%29_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_%28near_Merville%2C_France%29._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._%2813874158663%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5114" data-file-height="3914" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:(1-1)_Gurkhas_at_work_on_a_fire_trench_and_a_communication_trench_(near_Merville,_France)._Photographer-_H._D._Girdwood._(13874158663).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Gurkha riflemen in the trenches of <a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a> in WWI.</div></div></div> <p>Family head Jung Bahadur changed the Kunwar family's name to the more prestigious-sounding Rana and then centralized power around himself as prime minister.<sup id="cite_ref-lp_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lp-20">[20]</a></sup> The Shah kings became less than figureheads, requiring written permission from the Ranas to so much as leave their palaces. Jung Bahadur became a close ally of the British, having decided that adopting British ways and British friendship would be the best way to maintain Nepal's political independence.<sup id="cite_ref-jung_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jung-21">[21]</a></sup> Using European legal principles, Jung Bahadur had Nepal's legal codes standardized around the country for the first time ever. He also provided military aid to the British and allowed them to recruit Gurkha troops. As a reward, the British handed Nepal big chunks of territory and made it their official policy to keep the Rana dynasty in charge. </p> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:202px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim,_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma,_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman,_November_1944._SE2952.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg/200px-Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="198" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg/300px-Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg/400px-Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim%2C_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma%2C_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman%2C_November_1944._SE2952.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="790" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Lieutenant_General_Sir_William_Slim,_commanding_British_Fourteenth_Army_in_Burma,_chatting_with_a_Gurkha_rifleman,_November_1944._SE2952.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>British General William Slim chats with a Gurkha rifleman during WWII.</div></div></div> <p>After Jang Bahadur's death, the Ranas had to fight off a bunch of assassination and coup plots. They were keenly aware that their family power was legally unfounded, so they became masters at aristocratic knife-fighting and rooting out dissent.<sup id="cite_ref-ranai_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ranai-22">[22]</a></sup> They also came to rely heavily on goodwill from the military, which soon became the primary means of social mobility in Nepal. </p><p>During <a href="/wiki/World_War_I" title="World War I">World War I</a>, the Ranas sent about 200,000 Gurkha warriors to fight for the British. Many of them became feared and decorated soldiers for their brave actions.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup> About 20,000 of them died. Gurkhas served throughout the war, most notably on the Western Front, <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a>, and the Gallipolli Campaign. </p><p>The British showed their gratitude in 1923, signing a "Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship" to confirm Nepal's status as an independent state and valued ally of the British Empire.<sup id="cite_ref-ranai_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ranai-22">[22]</a></sup> All of this benefited the Ranas, who got to send restless young men to die for the British. Using British conflicts as a pressure valve ensured that troublesome people would have something else to focus on and somewhere else to go. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Rising_political_tensions">Rising political tensions</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Rising political tensions">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>The Ranas had been strict about preventing political activity, but many Nepali citizens had been exposed to foreign ideas while serving overseas in the Great War. Political parties began forming, such as the pro-democratic Praja Parishad, but the Ranas infiltrated them and had leaders arrested.<sup id="cite_ref-polisci_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polisci-24">[24]</a></sup> Nepalis were also influenced by the Indian National Congress, which had become an increasingly powerful political force calling for Indian self-determination and an end to British colonial rule. </p> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg/250px-Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="172" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg/375px-Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg/500px-Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg 2x" data-file-width="996" data-file-height="687" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepali_Congress_1951.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Leaders of the Nepali National Congress in 1951.</div></div></div> <p>The Ranas once again helped out the British in <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, sending 250,280 Gurkha warriors to serve in just about every theatre of the war.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25">[25]</a></sup> After the war, though, the Rana family's political position became even more precarious. Close neighbor <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> went up in a full-on <a href="/wiki/Communist" class="mw-redirect" title="Communist">communist</a> revolution led by <a href="/wiki/Mao_Zedong" title="Mao Zedong">Mao Zedong</a>. At the same time, their British sponsors were pulling out of India. With the Rana family's hold on power loosening, pro-democracy forces put together a new political party: Nepali National Congress. The party was dedicated to ending the Rana dictatorship and establishing <a href="/wiki/Social_democracy" title="Social democracy">social democracy</a> to benefit impoverished Nepalis.<sup id="cite_ref-polisci_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-polisci-24">[24]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Return_of_the_kings">Return of the kings</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Return of the kings">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>In 1950, a ripe time for a change, Nepali King Tribhuvan Shah pretended to go on a hunting expedition before suddenly changing course and seeking asylum in the Indian embassy like a boss.<sup id="cite_ref-lp_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-lp-20">[20]</a></sup> In 1951, he came back and teamed up with the Nepali National Congress to force the ouster of the Ranas and establish a constitutional monarchy. </p><p>Unfortunately, there wasn't to be a happy ending. Tribhuvan died and was succeeded by his son Mahendra. In 1961, Mahendra scrapped any semblance of democracy and declared all political parties illegal, and had their leaders arrested.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26">[26]</a></sup> Instead, Nepal would be ruled by administrators personally chosen by the king, in a system he called the <i>Panchayat</i>, or "National Guidance." With India at war with <a href="/wiki/Pakistan" title="Pakistan">Pakistan</a> and thus preoccupied, the Nepali National Congress had no real international allies. </p><p>Nepal remained a royal dictatorship for decades without any hope of successful opposition. While the monarchy did modernize Nepal somewhat, it also curtailed civil liberties and imposed heavy <a href="/wiki/Censorship" title="Censorship">censorship</a> to ensure its hold on power. Amid growing unrest, King Birendra, who took the throne in 1972, finally agreed in 1991 to institute a parliament and hold elections. However, these reforms were mostly superficial, and the king's power remained largely unchecked.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27">[27]</a></sup> Once the people realized that they had been conned, things started to go bad again. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Civil_war">Civil war</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Civil war">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="" src="/w/images/thumb/8/8f/Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg/250px-Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg" decoding="async" width="250" height="150" class="thumbimage" srcset="/w/images/thumb/8/8f/Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg/375px-Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg 1.5x, /w/images/8/8f/Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="460" data-file-height="276" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_civil_war_patrol.jpeg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Nepali soldiers keep watch for Maoist rebels.</div></div></div> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>Torture and murders committed by the army, police and Maoist rebels left 17,000 people dead or missing... Deaths and disappearances of civilians, as well as rape, torture and abductions, became commonplace.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—Lucas Font and Julia Fernández Cadenas, <i>Lacuna Magazine.</i><sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28">[28]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>While the monarchy was stomping out dissent, a quiet opposition movement arose in Nepal. Many Nepalese who were unhappy with the monarchy's <a href="/wiki/Authoritarianism" title="Authoritarianism">authoritarianism</a> turned to a new direction that they viewed as the best way to overthrow the monarchy: Maoism. Forming in 1994, the Communist Party of Nepal largely managed to slide under the government's notice until it felt that it was ready to launch a full-on assault against the monarchy.<sup id="cite_ref-mao_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mao-29">[29]</a></sup> In 1996, the Maoists began their insurgency in the mountains. At first, the government sent out Nepali police to deal with the crisis, but it soon became clear that cops weren't gonna cut it. </p><p>The government also banned any anti-monarchy statements and created an effective police state to crush any dissent, no matter how small.<sup id="cite_ref-wat_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wat-30">[30]</a></sup> Rather than seeking total societal transformation, the Maoists only demanded that the government hold elections and end the monarchy. The monarchy, naturally, refused to consider this. </p><p>While the government maintained tight control of most of Nepal's cities, the Maoists were able to operate with impunity in the rural countryside. Much of that was due to significant rural support for the Maoist rebels, as the Maoists could provide government services to parts of the country that had long been neglected by the monarchy.<sup id="cite_ref-mao_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mao-29">[29]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Romeo_and_Juliet_destroy_the_monarchy">Romeo and Juliet destroy the monarchy</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Romeo and Juliet destroy the monarchy">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:317px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_royal_family.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="" src="/w/images/thumb/1/1f/Nepal_royal_family.jpeg/315px-Nepal_royal_family.jpeg" decoding="async" width="315" height="177" class="thumbimage" srcset="/w/images/thumb/1/1f/Nepal_royal_family.jpeg/473px-Nepal_royal_family.jpeg 1.5x, /w/images/1/1f/Nepal_royal_family.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="337" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Nepal_royal_family.jpeg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Nepal's doomed royal family (left to right): Crown Prince Dipendra, King Birendra, Prince Nirajan, Queen Aiswarya and Princess Shuriti.</div></div></div> <p>So, that was the status going into the year 2001. The war was in deadlock, and both sides were unwilling to talk. Luckily for those who wanted peace, but unluckily for the royal family, something huge would get events moving again. </p><p>In 2001, the heir apparent to the throne was Crown Prince Dipendra "Dippy" Shah, who had been educated in the West and had apparently developed a taste for <a href="/wiki/Alcohol" title="Alcohol">alcohol</a>. While studying in <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a>, Dippy fell madly in love with a young hottie named Devyani Rana.<sup id="cite_ref-devi_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-devi-31">[31]</a></sup> Notice her last name? Yes, the family that had feuded with and even murdered many of the Shahs now had its prized daughter hook up with the heir of the Shah dynasty. Naturally, the Shah family wasn't down with this since Dippy was banging the old enemy, but he was also supposed to be engaged to a rich heiress with political connections. And, since he wasn't content with even that level of assholery, on top of all that, he was ridiculously abusive towards Devyani.<sup id="cite_ref-devi_31-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-devi-31">[31]</a></sup> King Birendra threatened to disown Dippy's ass and cut him out of the inheritance if he didn't dump poor Devyani. Yeah, Shakespeare has nothing on real life. </p><p>Long story short, Dippy Shah got (or pretended to get) super drunk one night, gathered up his favorite guns, and busted into the royal palace to go <i>Scarface</i> on his whole family.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32">[32]</a></sup> Dippy then shot himself and died in a hospital three days later, having briefly been declared king.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33">[33]</a></sup> Among those killed included Dippy's father, King Birendra, his mother, Queen Aishwarya, his younger brother Prince Nirajan, his younger sister Princess Shruti, and his aunts and uncles. His otherwise even more apeshit crazy cousin Paras, in one of the only good acts of his life, kept it from being even worse by pulling a couch over himself and three others. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="End_of_the_war">End of the war</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: End of the war">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Dippy's uncle Gyanendra then took the throne, and people promptly rioted in the streets due to a popular <a href="/wiki/Conspiracy_theory" title="Conspiracy theory">conspiracy theory</a> stating that he had orchestrated the Shah massacre.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34">[34]</a></sup> Apart from being a suspected killer, Gyanendra also proved to be exactly the wrong man at the wrong time. While Dipendra had been convinced of the need for a constitutional monarchy and genuine elections, Gyanendra used his power to scuttle peace talks and assume total control over Nepal to crush the Maoists.<sup id="cite_ref-wat_30-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wat-30">[30]</a></sup> The new king had countless people jailed and <a href="/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">tortured</a>, which thoroughly alienated whatever international support the Nepali monarchy had.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35">[35]</a></sup> </p><p>Amid constant protests and escalating violence, Gyanendra finally caved and reinstated Nepal's parliament in 2006, which began the peace process and opened the way for a cease-fire.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36">[36]</a></sup> The parliament promptly voted unanimously to strip the king of his authority.<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37">[37]</a></sup> </p> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Prachanda.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Prachanda.jpg/250px-Prachanda.jpg" decoding="async" width="250" height="177" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Prachanda.jpg/375px-Prachanda.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Prachanda.jpg/500px-Prachanda.jpg 2x" data-file-width="899" data-file-height="636" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Prachanda.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Maoist political rally after their legalization, 2007.</div></div></div> <p>With the Maoists becoming a legal mainstream party and gaining the largest portion of seats in 2008, parliament voted to abolish the monarchy amid much celebration.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38">[38]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Nepal_today">Nepal today</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Nepal today">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Nepal is now a federal republic. Promulgated in 2015, Nepal's new constitution completed the country's transition to a republican parliamentary system and theoretically protected basic rights.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39">[39]</a></sup> </p><p>Sadly, like most post-war societies, Nepal still struggles with the task of re-establishing political stability. Although the Maoists are now a legitimate political party, they still have a vast weapons stockpile. They often use terrorist tactics to show their power and punish individuals or corporations that fail to comply with the Nepali government.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40">[40]</a></sup> </p><p>Nepal's parliament has also been notoriously unstable. Nepal shuffles through governments at roughly one per year, as the legacies of war make political infighting both inevitable and unstoppable.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41">[41]</a></sup> The peace commission, tasked with investigating <a href="/wiki/War_crimes" title="War crimes">war crimes</a>, murders, and <a href="/wiki/Rape" title="Rape">rapes</a> committed during the war, suffers from a lack of funding or direction. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Gallery">Gallery</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Gallery">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <center><ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:43px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:0904_kathmandu_3_(3049755354).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg/225px-0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="169" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg/338px-0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg/450px-0904_kathmandu_3_%283049755354%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3264" data-file-height="2448" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:48.5px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Dalbath.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Dalbath.jpg/250px-Dalbath.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="158" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Dalbath.jpg/500px-Dalbath.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="1499" data-file-height="1051" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Traditional Nepali rice meal. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:53px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Tourists_trekking_in_Annapurna_region.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Tourists_trekking_in_Annapurna_region.jpg/250px-Tourists_trekking_in_Annapurna_region.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="149" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Tourists_trekking_in_Annapurna_region.jpg/500px-Tourists_trekking_in_Annapurna_region.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="863" data-file-height="573" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Tourists trekking through the Himalayas. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:52.5px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:2015-3_Budhanilkantha,Nepal-Wedding_DSCF4937.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/2015-3_Budhanilkantha%2CNepal-Wedding_DSCF4937.JPG/250px-2015-3_Budhanilkantha%2CNepal-Wedding_DSCF4937.JPG" decoding="async" width="225" height="150" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/2015-3_Budhanilkantha%2CNepal-Wedding_DSCF4937.JPG/500px-2015-3_Budhanilkantha%2CNepal-Wedding_DSCF4937.JPG 1.5x" data-file-width="2304" data-file-height="1536" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Women at a Nepali wedding. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:52.5px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg/225px-Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="150" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg/338px-Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg/450px-Buddha_Monastery-Buddha_monastery-0402.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5355" data-file-height="3570" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Boudhanath, one of the world's largest Buddhist stupas. </p> </div> </div></li> </ul></center> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Nepal&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2; font-size:80%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/06/11-years-on-has-nepals-republic-succeeded/">11 Years on, Has Nepal’s Republic Succeeded?</a> <i>The Diplomat.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_mountains_on_Earth" class="extiw" title="wp:List of highest mountains on Earth" rel="nofollow">List of highest mountains on Earth</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.holidify.com/collections/monasteries-in-nepal">Monasteries in Nepal</a>. <i>Holidify.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-early-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-early_4-0">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/4.htm">Ancient Nepal</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakya" class="extiw" title="wp:Shakya" rel="nofollow">Shakya</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-6">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ancient.eu/Mauryan_Empire/">Mauryan Empire</a>. <i>Ancient History Encyclopedia.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-7">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ancient.eu/Ashoka_the_Great/">Ashoka the Great</a>. <i>Ancient History Encyclopedia</i>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-8">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kunal Chakrabarti; Shubhra Chakrabarti (2013). <i>Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis</i>. Scarecrow Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-8108-8024-5.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-9">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Rose, Leo E.; Scholz, John T. (1980). <i>Nepal: profile of a Himalayan kingdom</i>. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-89158-651-7.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-schis-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-schis_10-0">10.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-schis_10-1">10.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/6.htm">Medieval Nepal</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-11">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Sultanate" class="extiw" title="wp:Delhi Sultanate" rel="nofollow">Delhi Sultanate</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-12">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, <i>A History of India</i>, 3rd Edition, Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0-415-15482-0, pp 187-190</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-13">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/8.htm">Nepal: The Three Kingdoms</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-sha-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-sha_14-0">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/9.htm">Expansion of the Gorkha</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-15">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Landon, Perceval (1928). <i>Nepal</i>, Vol. 1. Public Resource. Constable & Co. (Edinburgh). ISBN 8-120-60724-4 p. 68-69.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-16">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Nepalese_War" class="extiw" title="wp:Sino-Nepalese War" rel="nofollow">Sino-Nepalese War</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-17">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Nepalese_War" class="extiw" title="wp:Anglo-Nepalese War" rel="nofollow">Anglo-Nepalese War</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-rana-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-rana_18-0">18.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-rana_18-1">18.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/12.htm">Nepal: Infighting among Aristocratic Factions</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-19">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kot_massacre" class="extiw" title="wp:Kot massacre" rel="nofollow">Kot massacre</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-lp-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-lp_20-0">20.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-lp_20-1">20.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal/history">History of Nepal</a>. <i>Lonely Planet.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-jung-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-jung_21-0">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/14.htm">Jang Bahadur</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-ranai-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-ranai_22-0">22.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-ranai_22-1">22.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/15.htm">Nepal: The Ranas</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-23">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Parker, John (2005). <i>The Gurkhas: The Inside Story of the World's Most Feared Soldiers</i>. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7553-1415-7. p. xvii.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-polisci-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-polisci_24-0">24.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-polisci_24-1">24.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/16.htm">Nepal: The Growth of Political Parties</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-25">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Cross, J.P & Buddhiman Gurung (2002) Gurkhas at War: Eyewitness Accounts from World War II to Iraq. Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-85367-727-4. p. 32</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-26">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://countrystudies.us/nepal/19.htm">The Panchayat System under King Mahendra</a>. <i>Country Studies.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-27">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Hutt, Michael, ed. (2004). Himalayan 'people's War': Nepal's Maoist Rebellion. C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 978-1-85065-722-4. p. 3–7</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-28">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lacuna.org.uk/war-and-peace/nepals-civil-war-we-are-tired-of-promises-we-need-justice/">Nepal’s civil war: "We are tired of promises, we need justice."</a> <i>Lacuna Magazine.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-mao-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-mao_29-0">29.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-mao_29-1">29.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Communist-Party-of-Nepal-Maoist-Centre">Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)</a>. <i>Britannica.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-wat-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-wat_30-0">30.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-wat_30-1">30.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-happened-during-the-nepalese-civil-war.html">What Happened During The Nepalese Civil War?</a> <i>World Atlas.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-devi-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-devi_31-0">31.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-devi_31-1">31.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/devyani-rana/devyani-rana-princess-thorns/">Devyani Rana – The princess of thorns</a>. <i>History of Royal Women.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-32">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-06-01/why-nepals-crown-prince-went-killing-spree">Why Nepal's Crown Prince Went on a Killing Spree</a>. <i>Public Radio International.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-33">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1366170.stm">Nepal mourns slain king</a>. <i>BBC News.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-34">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2187371/royal-mess-palace-murder-purged-princess-asias-aristocrats-have">Royal mess: From a palace murder to a purged princess, Asia’s aristocrats have been rocked by scandal</a>. <i>South China Morning Post.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-35">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Hutt, Michael (2005). "King Gyanendra's Coup and its Implications for Nepal's Future". <i>The Brown Journal of World Affairs</i>. 12 (1): 111–123. ISSN 1080-0786. JSTOR 24590670.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-36">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Nepalese_revolution" class="extiw" title="wp:2006 Nepalese revolution" rel="nofollow">2006 Nepalese revolution</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-37">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4992508.stm">Vote to curb Nepal king's powers</a>. <i>BBC News.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-38">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm">Nepal votes to abolish monarchy</a>. <i>BBC News.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-39">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Nepal" class="extiw" title="wp:Constitution of Nepal" rel="nofollow">Constitution of Nepal</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-40">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/are-the-maoists-rising-again-in-nepal/">Are the Maoists Rising Again in Nepal?</a> <i>The Diplomat.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-41">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/decade-legacy-maoist-war-stalks-nepal/">A decade on, legacy of Maoist war stalks Nepal</a>. <i>The Himalayan Times.</i></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div role="navigation" aria-labelledby="Nations_of_the_world-navigationbox" class="toccolours" style="clear:both; margin:0.5em 3.5%; text-align:center;"> <div style="margin:0.15em; padding:0.1em; background:#ccccff; font-weight:bold;"><span id="Nations_of_the_world-navigationbox"><a href="/wiki/Nation" title="Nation">Nations</a> of the world</span> </div> <div class="hlist" style="font-size: 90%; margin: 0.15em 1.425em;"><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/Africa" title="Africa"><b>Africa</b></a>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Algeria" title="Algeria">Algeria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo" title="Democratic Republic of the Congo">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a> — <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> — <a href="/wiki/Eritrea" title="Eritrea">Eritrea</a> — <a href="/wiki/ESwatini" title="ESwatini">eSwatini</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ethiopia" title="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Guinea" title="Guinea">Guinea</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kenya" title="Kenya">Kenya</a> — <a href="/wiki/Liberia" title="Liberia">Liberia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Libya" title="Libya">Libya</a> — <a href="/wiki/Mali" title="Mali">Mali</a> — <a href="/wiki/Nigeria" title="Nigeria">Nigeria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Somalia" title="Somalia">Somalia</a> — <a href="/wiki/South_Africa" title="South Africa">South Africa</a> — <a href="/wiki/Sudan" title="Sudan">Sudan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Togo" title="Togo">Togo</a> — <a href="/wiki/Uganda" title="Uganda">Uganda</a> — <a href="/wiki/Zimbabwe" title="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</a> <p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/Asia" title="Asia"><b>Asia</b></a>:</big></span> <a href="/wiki/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Armenia" title="Armenia">Armenia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bahrain" title="Bahrain">Bahrain</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bangladesh" title="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> — <a href="/wiki/Brunei" title="Brunei">Brunei</a> — <a href="/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a> — <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cyprus" title="Cyprus">Cyprus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> — <a href="/wiki/Georgia_(country)" title="Georgia (country)">Georgia</a> — <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> — <a href="/wiki/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a> — <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a> — <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Jordan" title="Jordan">Jordan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kazakhstan" title="Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kuwait" title="Kuwait">Kuwait</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kyrgyzstan" title="Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a> — <a href="/wiki/Lebanon" title="Lebanon">Lebanon</a> — <a href="/wiki/Malaysia" 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href="/wiki/Croatia" title="Croatia">Croatia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cyprus" title="Cyprus">Cyprus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Czechia" title="Czechia">Czechia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Denmark" title="Denmark">Denmark</a> — <a href="/wiki/Estonia" title="Estonia">Estonia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Finland" title="Finland">Finland</a> — <a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a> — <a href="/wiki/Germany" title="Germany">Germany</a> — <a href="/wiki/Greece" title="Greece">Greece</a> — <a href="/wiki/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ireland" title="Ireland">Ireland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Man" title="Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a> — <a href="/wiki/Italy" title="Italy">Italy</a> — <a href="/wiki/Latvia" title="Latvia">Latvia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Lithuania" title="Lithuania">Lithuania</a> — <a href="/wiki/Moldova" title="Moldova">Moldova</a> — <a href="/wiki/Netherlands" title="Netherlands">Netherlands</a> — <a href="/wiki/North_Macedonia" title="North Macedonia">North Macedonia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Norway" title="Norway">Norway</a> — <a href="/wiki/Poland" title="Poland">Poland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Portugal" title="Portugal">Portugal</a> — <a href="/wiki/Romania" title="Romania">Romania</a> — <a href="/wiki/Russia" title="Russia">Russia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Serbia" title="Serbia">Serbia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Slovenia" title="Slovenia">Slovenia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Spain" title="Spain">Spain</a> — <a href="/wiki/Sweden" title="Sweden">Sweden</a> — <a href="/wiki/Switzerland" title="Switzerland">Switzerland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Turkey" title="Turkey">Turkey</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ukraine" title="Ukraine">Ukraine</a> — <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> (<a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a>, <a href="/wiki/Northern_Ireland" title="Northern Ireland">Northern Ireland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales">Wales</a>) — <a href="/wiki/Vatican_City" title="Vatican City">Vatican City</a> <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/North_America" title="North America"><b>North America</b></a>:</big></span> <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a> — <a href="/wiki/Costa_Rica" title="Costa Rica">Costa Rica</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cuba" title="Cuba">Cuba</a> — <a href="/wiki/El_Salvador" title="El Salvador">El Salvador</a> — <a href="/wiki/Grenada" title="Grenada">Grenada</a> — <a href="/wiki/Haiti" title="Haiti">Haiti</a> — <a href="/wiki/Jamaica" title="Jamaica">Jamaica</a> — <a href="/wiki/Mexico" title="Mexico">Mexico</a> — <a href="/wiki/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua">Nicaragua</a> — <a href="/wiki/Panama" title="Panama">Panama</a> — <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> (<a href="/wiki/Puerto_Rico" class="mw-redirect" title="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</a>) <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/Oceania" title="Oceania"><b>Oceania</b></a>:</big></span> <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kiribati" title="Kiribati">Kiribati</a> — <a href="/wiki/Nauru" title="Nauru">Nauru</a> — <a href="/wiki/New_Zealand" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a> — <a href="/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea" title="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea</a> — <a href="/wiki/Pitcairn_Islands" title="Pitcairn Islands">Pitcairn Islands</a> <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/South_America" title="South America"><b>South America</b></a>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Argentina" title="Argentina">Argentina</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bolivia" title="Bolivia">Bolivia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Brazil" title="Brazil">Brazil</a> — <a href="/wiki/Chile" title="Chile">Chile</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rapa_Nui" title="Rapa Nui">Rapa Nui</a>) — <a href="/wiki/Colombia" title="Colombia">Colombia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ecuador" title="Ecuador">Ecuador</a> — <a 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title="Sealand">Sealand</a> — <a href="/wiki/Somaliland" title="Somaliland">Somaliland</a> — <a href="/wiki/South_Ossetia" title="South Ossetia">South Ossetia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Tibet" title="Tibet">Tibet</a> — <a href="/wiki/Transnistria" title="Transnistria">Transnistria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Western_Sahara" title="Western Sahara">Western Sahara</a> </p> <span style="float:left;"><big><b>Historical</b>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Egypt" title="Ancient Egypt">Ancient Egypt</a> — <a href="/wiki/Belgian_Congo" title="Belgian Congo">Belgian Congo</a> — <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a> — <a href="/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America" title="Confederate States of America">Confederate States of America</a> — <a href="/wiki/East_Germany" title="East Germany">East Germany</a> — <a href="/wiki/French_colonial_empire" title="French colonial empire">French colonial empire</a> — <a 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