Ne Muni
Local legends say that a Hindu
sage named "Ne" established himself in the valley of Kathmandu in prehistoric times and that the word "Nepal" came into existence as the place protected ("pala" in Sanskrit) by the sage "Ne". This
folk etymology of the name Nepal means, "the country looked after by Ne".
[11]
He is said to have performed religious ceremonies at Teku, at the confluence of the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers.
[12] and to have selected a pious cowherd to be the first of the many kings of the Gopala Dynasty.
[11] These rulers are said to have ruled Nepal for over 500 years.
[13] He selected Bhuktaman to be the first king in the line of the Gopala (
Cowherd) Dynasty.
[12] The Gopala dynasty is said to have ruled for 621 years. Yakshya Gupta was the last king of this dynasty.
However, according to the
Skanda Purana, a rishi called "Ne" or "Nemuni" used to live in Himalaya.
[14] In the
Pashupati Purana, he is mentioned as a saint and a protector.
[15] He is said to have practised
meditation at the Bagmati and Kesavati rivers
[16] and to have taught there.
[11]
Nepal Bhasa origin
The word "Nepal" is believed by scholars to be derived from the word "Nepa:" which refers to the
Newar Kingdom, the present day
Kathmandu Valley. In early Sanskrit sources (Atharvaveda Parisista) and in Gupta period inscriptions, the country is referred to as Nepala. The Newars of present day Nepal, the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its peripheries, were referred as "Nepa" before the advent of Shah dynasty.
History
It appears that
Kirata people were one of the first to settle in Nepal; they are said to have ruled Nepal for about 2,500 years.
[17]
Ancient
Nepal is first mentioned in the late Vedic text, Atharvaveda Parisista as a place exporting blankets, and in the post-Vedic
Atharva Siras Upanisad.
[18] In Samudragupta's Allahabad inscription it is mentioned as a bordering country. The 'Skanda Purana' has a separate chapter known as 'Nepal Mahatmya', which "
explains in more details about the beauty and power of Nepal."
[19] Nepal is also mentioned in
Hindu texts such as the
Narayana Puja.
[18]
Around 500 BCE, small kingdoms and confederations of clans arose in the southern regions of Nepal. From one of these, the
Shakya polity, arose a prince named
Siddharta Gautama (traditionally dated 563–483 BCE), who later renounced his status to lead an ascetic life and came to be known as the
Buddha ("the enlightened one"). It is believed that the 7th Kirata king, Jitedasti, was on the throne in the Nepal valley at the time. By 250 BCE, the southern regions came under the influence of the
Mauryan Empire of northern India, and Nepal later on became a nominal vassal state under the
Gupta Empire in the fourth century CE. Beginning in the 3rd century CE, rulers called
the Licchavis governed the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding central Nepal.
There is a quite detailed description of the kingdom of Nepal in the account of the renowned Chinese Buddhist pilgrim monk
Xuanzang, dating from
c. 645 CE.
[20][21]
The Licchavi dynasty went into decline in the late eighth century, probably due to Tibetan dominance, and was followed by a
Newari or Thakuri era, from 879 CE (Nepal Samvat 1), although the extent of their control over the country is uncertain. In the 11th century it seems to have included the Pokhara area.
Medieval
Main article:
Malla (Nepal)
In the early 12th century, leaders emerged in far western Nepal whose names ended with the Sanskrit suffix
malla ("wrestler"). These kings consolidated their power and ruled over the next 200 years, until the kingdom splintered into two dozen petty states. Another Malla dynasty, beginning with Jayasthiti, emerged in the Kathmandu valley in the late 14th century, and much of central Nepal again came under a unified rule. However, in 1482 the realm was divided into three kingdoms: Kathmandu,
Patan, and
Bhaktapur.
Kingdom of Nepal
Hindu temples in
Patan, capital of one of the three medieval
Newar kingdoms
In the mid-18th century,
Prithvi Narayan Shah, a
Gorkha king, set out to put together what would become present-day Nepal. He embarked on his mission after seeking arms and aid from India and buying the neutrality of bordering Indian kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges, notably the
Battle of Kirtipur, he managed to conquer the Kathmandu Valley in 1769. A detailed account of Prithvi Narayan Shah's victory was written by Father Giuseppe who was an eyewitness to the war.
[22]
At its maximum extent,
Greater Nepal extended from the
Tista River in the east, to
Kangara, across the
Sutlej River in the west as well as further south into the Terai plains and north of the Himalayas than at present. A dispute with Tibet over the control of mountain passes and inner Tingri valleys of Tibet forced the Qing Emperor in Peking to start the
Sino-Nepalese War compelling the Nepalese to retreat and pay heavy reparations to Peking.
Rivalry between Nepal and the
British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the
Anglo-Nepalese War (1815–16). At first the British underestimated the Nepalese and were soundly defeated until committing more military resources than they had anticipated needing. They were greatly impressed by the valour and competence of their adversaries. Thus began the reputation of
"Gurkhas" as fierce and ruthless soldiers. The war ended in the
Treaty of Sugauli, under which Nepal ceded recently captured portions of Sikkim and lands in Terai as well as the right to recruit soldiers.
Factionalism inside the
royal family had led to a period of instability. In 1846 a plot was discovered revealing that the reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Bahadur Kunwar, a fast-rising military leader. This led to the
Kot Massacre; armed clashes between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. Jung Bahadur Kunwar emerged victorious and founded the
Rana Lineage and was later known as
Jung Bahadur Rana.
The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-British and assisted them during the Indian
Sepoy Rebellion in 1857 (and later in both
World Wars). Some parts of the Terai Region were given back to Nepal by the British as a friendly gesture, because of her military help to sustain British control in India during the Sepoy Rebellion. In 1923, the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, which superseded the
Sugauli Treaty signed in 1816.
Nepalese royalty in the 1920s
Slavery was abolished in Nepal in 1924.
[24] Nevertheless debt bondage even involving debtors' children has been a persistent social problem in the Terai.
In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Meanwhile, with the invasion of Tibet by China in the 1950s, India sought to counterbalance the perceived military threat from its northern neighbour by taking pre-emptive steps to assert more influence in Nepal. India sponsored both King
Tribhuvan (ruled 1911–55) as Nepal's new ruler in 1951 and a new government, mostly comprising the
Nepali Congress Party, thus terminating Rana hegemony in the kingdom.
After years of power wrangling between the king and the government,
King Mahendra (ruled 1955–72) scrapped the democratic experiment in 1959, and a "partyless"
panchayat system was made to govern Nepal until 1989, when the "Jan Andolan" (People's Movement) forced
King Birendra (ruled 1972–2001) to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament that took seat in May 1991.
[25] In 1991–92,
Bhutan expelled roughly 100,000 Bhutanese citizens of Nepali descent, most of whom have been living in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal ever since.
[26]
In 1996, the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started a bid to replace the royal parliamentary system with a people's socialist republic by violent means. This led to the long
Nepal Civil War and more than 12,000 deaths. On 1 June 2001, there was a
massacre in the royal palace. King Birendra, Queen
Aiswarya, and seven other members of the royal family were killed. The perpetrator was
Crown Prince Dipendra, who committed suicide (he died three days later) shortly thereafter. This outburst was alleged to have been Dipendra's response to his parents' refusal to accept his choice of wife. Nevertheless there are speculation and doubts among Nepalese citizens about who was responsible.
Following the carnage, Birendra's brother
Gyanendra inherited the throne. On 1 February 2005, Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers to quash the violent Maoist movement,
[25] but this initiative was unsuccessful because a stalemate had developed where the Maoists were firmly entrenched in large expanses of countryside yet could not dislodge the military from numerous towns and the largest cities. In September 2005, the Maoists declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire to negotiate.
In response to the
2006 democracy movement King Gyanendra agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the people. On 24 April 2006 the dissolved House of Representatives was reinstated. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on 18 May 2006 the House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a
secular state, ending its time-honoured official status as a Hindu Kingdom. On 28 December 2007, a bill was passed in parliament to amend Article 159 of the constitution – replacing "Provisions regarding the King" by "Provisions of the Head of the State" – declaring Nepal a
federal republic, and thereby abolishing the monarchy.
[27] The bill came into force on 28 May 2008.
[28]
Republic
The
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the
Constituent Assembly election held on 10 April 2008, and formed a coalition government which included most of the parties in the CA. Although acts of violence occurred during the pre-electoral period, election observers noted that the elections themselves were markedly peaceful and "well-carried out".
[29]
The newly elected Assembly met in Kathmandu on 28 May 2008, and, after a polling of 564 constituent Assembly members, 560 voted to form a new government,
[28][30] with the monarchist
Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which had four members in the assembly, registering a dissenting note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic,
[31] with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from 28 to 30 May.
[citation needed] The King was thereafter given 15 days to vacate the
Narayanhiti Royal Palace, to re-open it as a public museum.
[32]
Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power-sharing battles have continued in Nepal. In May 2009, the Maoist-led government was toppled and another coalition government with all major political parties barring the Maoists was formed.
[33]Madhav Kumar Nepal of the
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition government.
[34] In February 2011 the Madhav Kumar Nepal Government was toppled and
Jhala Nath Khanal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was made the Prime Minister.
[35] In August 2011 the Jhala Nath Khanal Government was toppled and
Baburam Bhattarai of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was made the Prime Minister.
[36]
Geography
Mount Everest, the highest peak on earth, lies in Nepal
NASA Landsat-7 Image of Nepal. Nepal shares most of its boundaries with
India.
Barun Valley – There are many such valleys in the Himalaya created by glacier flows.
Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, 800 kilometres (497 mi) long and 200 kilometres (124 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 km
2 (56,827 sq mi). See
List of territories by size for the comparative size of Nepal. It lies between latitudes
26° and
31°N, and longitudes
80° and
89°E.
Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: Mountain,
Hill and
Terai. These ecological belts run east-west and are vertically intersected by Nepal's major, north to south flowing river systems.
The southern lowland plains or
Terai bordering India are part of the northern rim of the
Indo-Gangetic plains. They were formed and are fed by three major Himalayan rivers: the
Kosi, the
Narayani, and the
Karnali as well as smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This region has a subtropical to tropical climate. The outermost range of foothills called
Shiwalik or Churia Range cresting at 700 to 1,000 metres (2,297 to 3,281 ft) marks the limit of the Gangetic Plain, however broad, low valleys called
Inner Tarai (Bhitri Tarai Uptyaka) lie north of these foothills in several places.
The
Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,625 to 13,123 ft) in altitude with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 metres (3,937 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres (11,811 ft). The
Mahabharat Range reaching 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,921 to 9,843 ft) is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to the north of this range. Population density is high in valleys but notably less above 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) and very low above 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) where snow occasionally falls in winter.
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to the altitudes. The
tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,937 ft), the
temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,937 to 7,874 ft), the
cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,874 to 11,811 ft), the
subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,811 to 14,436 ft), and the
Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,436 ft).
Nepal experiences five seasons: summer,
monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from
Central Asia in the winter and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns. In a land once thickly forested, deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
Nepal is popular for mountaineering, containing some of the highest and most challenging mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. Technically, the south-east ridge on the Nepali side of the mountain is easier to climb; so, most climbers prefer to trek to Everest through Nepal.
Neotectonics
The Indian plate continues to move north relative to Asia at the rate of approximately 50 mm (2.0 in) per year.
[43] Given the great magnitudes of the blocks of the Earth's crust involved, this is remarkably fast, about twice the speed at which human fingernails grow. As the strong Indian continental crust subducts beneath the relatively weak Tibetan crust, it pushes up the Himalayan mountains. This collision zone has accommodated huge amounts of crustal shortening as the rock sequences slide one over another. As such Nepal is prone to frequent earthquakes, a major earthquake happening within every 100 years.
[44]
Erosion of the Himalayas is a very important source of sediment, which flows via several great rivers (the
Indus to the Indian Ocean, and the
Ganges and
Brahmaputra river system) to the
Bay of Bengal.
[45]
Environment
Above these elevations, the
biogeography of Nepal is generally divided from east to west by the Gandaki River. Ecoregions to the east tend to receive more precipitation and to be more species-rich. Those to the west are drier with fewer species.
From 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft), are temperate broadleaf forests: the
eastern and
western Himalayan broadleaf forests. From 3,000 to 4,000 metres (9,800 to 13,000 ft) are the
eastern and
western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. To 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) are the
eastern and
western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows.
Politics
Nepal has seen rapid political changes during the last two decades. Up until 1990, Nepal was a monarchy under executive control of the King. Faced with a communist movement against absolute monarchy,
King Birendra, in 1990, agreed to a large-scale political reform by creating a
parliamentary monarchy with the King as the
head of state and a Prime Minister as the head of the government.
Nepal's legislature was
bicameral, consisting of a
House of Representatives called the Pratinidhi Sabha and a
National Council called the Rastriya Sabha. The House of Representatives consisted of 205 members directly elected by the people. The National Council had 60 members: ten nominated by the king, 35 elected by the House of Representatives, and the remaining 15 elected by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and towns. The legislature had a five-year term but was dissolvable by the king before its term could end. All Nepali citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote.
The executive comprised the King and the Council of Ministers (the cabinet). The leader of the coalition or party securing the maximum seats in an election was appointed as the Prime Minister. The Cabinet was appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Governments in Nepal tended to be highly unstable, falling either through internal collapse or parliamentary dissolution by the monarch, on the recommendation of the prime minister, according to the constitution; no government has survived for more than two years since 1991.
The movement in April 2006 brought about a change in the nation's governance: an interim constitution was promulgated, with the King giving up power, and an interim House of Representatives was formed with Maoist members after the new government held peace talks with the Maoist rebels. The number of parliamentary seats was also increased to 330. In April 2007, the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) joined the interim government of Nepal.
In December 2007, the interim parliament passed a bill making Nepal a federal republic, with a president as head of state. Elections for the constitutional assembly were held on 10 April 2008; the Maoist party led the results but did not achieve a simple majority of seats.
[46] The new parliament adopted the 2007 bill at its first meeting by an overwhelming majority, and King
Gyanendra was given 15 days to leave the Royal Palace in central Kathmandu. He left on 11 June.
[47]
On 26 June, the prime minister
Girija Prasad Koirala, who had served as Acting Head of State since January 2007, announced that he would resign on the election of the country's first president by the Constituent Assembly. The first round of voting, on 19 July, saw
Parmanand Jha win election as Nepali vice-president, but neither of the contenders for president received the required 298 votes and a second round was held two days later.
Ram Baran Yadav of the
Nepali Congress party defeated Maoist-backed
Ram Raja Prasad Singh with 308 of the 590 votes cast.
[48] Koirala submitted his resignation to the new president after Yadav's swearing-in ceremony on 23 July.
On 15 August 2008, Maoist leader
Prachanda (
Pushpa Kamal Dahal) was elected Prime Minister of Nepal, the first since the country's transition from a monarchy to a republic. On 4 May 2009, Dahal resigned over on-going conflicts with regard to the sacking of the Army chief. Since Dahal's resignation, the country has been in a serious political deadlock with one of the big issues being the proposed integration of the former Maoist combatants, also known as the People's Liberation Army, into the national security forces.
[49] After Dahal, Jhala Nath Khanal of CPN (UML) was elected the Prime Minister. Khanal was forced to step down as he could not succeed in carrying forward the Peace Process and the constitution writing. On August 2011, Maoist Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai became third Prime Minister after the election of constituent assembly.
[50] On 24 May 2012, Nepals's Deputy PM Krishna Sitaula resigned.
[51]
On 27 May 2012, the country's Constituent Assembly failed to meet the deadline for writing a new constitution for the country. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai announced that new elections will be held on 22 November. "We have no other option but to go back to the people and elect a new assembly to write the constitution," he said in a nationally televised speech. One of the main obstacles has been disagreement over whether the states which will be created will be based on ethnicity.
[52]
Nepal has also been noted for its recent speed of development, such as being one of the few countries in Asia to abolish the death penalty
[53] and the first country in Asia to rule in favor of
same-sex marriage. The decision was based on a seven-person government committee study, and enacted through
Supreme Court's ruling November 2008. The ruling granted full rights for
LGBTindividuals, including the right to marry.
[54]
Government
Nepal is a multi-party system federal republic. The Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2063 has defined three organs of the government.
- Executive: The executive power of Nepal is vested in the Council of Ministers. The responsibility of issuing general directives, controlling and regulating the administration of Nepal lie in the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister of Nepal is the head of the Government. The Prime Minister appoints the Ministers. While appointing Ministers, the Prime Minister shall appoint them, on the recommendation of the concerned political party, from amongst the members of the Legislature-Parliament.
- Legislative: The Legislature-Parliament of Nepal is unicameral. Constituent assembly is working as thee legislature of Nepal at present. Legislative is composed of 601 members. Among them, 240 members are directly elected by the people from 240 constituencies. 335 members are elected through proportional basis and 26 members are nominated by the cabinet.All the bills are presented in the parliament. After passing the bills by the majority. After his approval, it becomes the law. In this way, all the laws are made in the parliament.The legislative controls over the finance of the country. Legislative passes the annual budget according to which the government spends money in various tasks.Legislative can raise questions to any work of the government. If the government does not work properly, legislative can withdraw its support and government is dissolved. In this way the legislative has control over the executive.
- Judiciary: The Constitution provides three tiers of Court which include the Supreme Court of Nepal, the Court of Appeal and the District Courts. Supreme Court is the Apex Court. All courts and judicial institutions except the constitutional assembly court, are under the supreme court. There is no distinction between Criminal and Civil court except some basic procedures. District Court is the Court of first instance upon which Court of Appeal hear appeal. In addition to these regular courts there is provision in constitution to establish special types of courts or tribunals for the purpose of hearing special types of cases by the law. According to these provision there are four Revenue Tribunals, one Administrative Court, one Labor Court, one Debt Recovery tribunal and one Debt recovery Appeal Tribunal and one special court are functioning under the respective laws. These institutions are under the judicial control of the Supreme Court. There are 16 Court of Appeal and 15 Districts in Nepal. The Supreme Court is also the ultimate interpreter of the constitution.
Subdivisions
Nepal is divided into 14
zones and 75
districts, grouped into five
development regions. Each district is headed by a permanent chief district officer responsible for maintaining law and order and coordinating the work of field agencies of the various government ministries. The five regions and 14 zones are:
This unique river passes through two beautiful and contrasting scenic areas offering a good variety of Nepali landscapes with local villages, terraced rice fields, waterfalls, jungle corridor and a beautiful white sandy beach for camping under the stars.
Originating from the Langtang Himal, a trip on the Trisuli River enjoys scenic valleys, terraced rice fields, and impressive gorges with exciting but not overly challenging white water rapids.
Named after “Kali” the goddess of destruction, the Kaligandaki is said to be one of Nepal’s most holy rivers. Beginning its journey high on the Tibetan Plateau in Mustang, the “Mighty Kali” plunges down through the Himalayas, carving into one of the deepest gorges in the world between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
No expedition to Nepal would be complete without a trek in the famous Himalaya and it is no accident that one of the world’s finest rivers starts with one of the most scenic treks.
Draining off the Northern slopes of the Annapurna Mountains, this “raging river” is steep, technical and not to be underestimated! This spectacular white water adventure shares some of the most exciting rapids in the world with some of the most beautiful mountains in the Himalaya. With two days of intense, challenging and continuous rapids and crystal clear Himalayan white water, it is no surprise that this is one of our most popular trips. This river demands 100% commitment from both crew & guide – it is not for the faint hearted!
Nepal’s longest and largest river, the Karnali springs forth from Mount Kailash, a sacred river in Tibet – the center of the universe for both Buddhist and Hindu. Flowing south into Nepal, it forms the major drainage system for the western districts before dropping off into dramatic canyons raging with big volume white water and eventually flowing into remote areas of pristine jungle abundant with wildlife, birdlife and fish such as the highly prized mahseer.
The Sun Koshi is the longest trip in river miles offered in Nepal and is rated as one of the top ten river expeditions in the world. This “river of gold” drains off of some of the highest mountains in the world following into Nepal from Tibet, allowing us to start our journey on only 3 hours outside Kathmandu..jpg)
