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| Ahirs and Gopalas: | The early history of Nepal is poorly understood. The Ahirs are thought to be the early cattle-tending people of Lord Krishna. There were also several successive waves of Tibeto-Burman migrants. |
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| Kirats (circa 800 B.C. - 300 A.D.): | Over 25 outstanding kings in the reigned during this early period. Buddha was born in Lumbini (southern Nepal) in about 563 B.C. The last Kirat king -- Kirati Gastee, succumbed to a Licchavi invasion from India in about 300 A.D. |
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| Licchavis (circa 400 - 600 A.D.): | They were Indian invaders who brought with them the first golden age of Nepalese arts. They brought Hinduism and the caste system to Nepal. |
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| Thakuris: (circa 600 - 1100 A.D.): | After 600 A.D. the Thakuris took over. This was a grim period of instability, often referred to as the "Dark Ages". In the 10th century King Gunakamadeva founded Kantipur, today's Kathmandu. Several centuries later (1100 A.D.) the Thakuri king, Arideva, founded the Malla dynasty that started a renaissance of Nepali culture. |
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| Mallas (circa 1100 - 1768): | This period was a stable age of peace and prosperity when great works of art, statues and temples were created. It is considered to be the golden age of Nepal. |
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| Shah (1768 - 1846): | In 1768, King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha unified the country after defeating the Malla kings in the Valley. At this time, all of what is now Nepal was divided into small principalities. In 1816, after a war with the British, Nepal adopted a policy of seclusion from foreign contacts. Ranas (1846 - 1950): These (hereditary) prime ministers usurped the ruling power from the Shah kings in 1846 A.D. but still accepted the king as sovereign. They ruled the country for the next 104 years. |
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| Shahs (1950 - present): | The popular revolution of November 1950 started by King Tribhuvan brought the Shah kings back to power. After the fall of the Rana regime in February 1951, Nepal saw the dawn of democracy. The parliamentary government under the multi-party system was adopted for some years. In 1960, King Mahendra abolished the multi-party system, replacong it with the partyless Panchyat system. However, the popular democratic revolt of 1990 reinstated the multi-party democratic system and a new democratic constitution was adoptedon November 9, 1990. King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (descendant of King Prithivi Narayan Shah and 10th king in dynasty) lost much of his power, but was still revered by the people. On June 1, 2001 the 55-year-old King Birendra Shah Dev, Queen Aishwarya, the king and queen's other two children - Prince Nirajan and Princess Sruti, three of the king's sisters (Jayanti, Sharada and Shanti) and brother-in-law Kumar Khadga were murdered (automatic rifle gunfire) by Crown Prince Dipendra. Dipendra who shot himself in the head was named king but remained in a coma until his death two days later. The late King Birendra's younger brother -- Gyanendra Shah Dev -- was then named King on June 4, 2001. |
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