History of Kathmandu Timeline

Early modern Nepal began its evolution in the 16th century with the founding of the House of Gorkha by Dravya Shah in 1559.

Image source: Dravya Shah

Ram Shah of Gorkha reigned from 1606 to 1633 and started expanding the Gorkha kingdom, laying groundwork for later conquests.

Image source: Ram Shah

By 1743, Prithvi Narayan Shah had ascended to the throne of Gorkha and began planning the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley.

In 1767, a request to the British for help by the traditional valley kings under threat from Gorkha expansion resulted in an ill-equipped and ill-prepared expedition numbering 2,500 led by Captain Kinloch.

Image source: Sino-Nepalese War

In 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah's forces conquered Kirtipur and Kantipur in the Battle of Kathmandu, striking a decisive blow against the Malla confederacy.

Image source: Battle of Kathmandu

Between 1768 and 1790, Gorkha conquered Kathmandu and Patan, Bhadgaon, eastern Nepal, and western Nepal, greatly expanding the kingdom's territory.

Image source: Unification of Nepal

After the conquest of Kantipur, the Malla confederacy fought from Bhaktapur, where the rulers of all three states surrendered. By 1769 this enabled Prithvi Narayan Shah, king of Gorkha, to conquer the valley, forming the foundations for the modern Kingdom of Nepal.

The Gorkha armies had overrun all of eastern Nepal by 1773 as part of their ongoing expansionist campaigns.

Prithvi Narayan Shah, the first king of united Nepal, died in 1775 after establishing the foundations of the modern Nepalese state.

Image source: Prithvi Narayan Shah

Gorkha forces had annexed some western portions of Sikkim and in 1788 seized their then capital Rabdentse, extending Gorkha influence further east.

In the west, all rulers as far as the Kali River had submitted or been replaced by 1790, consolidating Gorkha control over vast territories.

In 1792 China sent a huge army, expelling the Nepalese from Tibet to within 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of their capital at Kathmandu, forcing Nepal onto the defensive.

By 1803 the Raja of Garhwal, Pradyuman Shah, had been defeated; he was killed in the struggle in January 1804 and all his land was annexed by Nepal.

Image source: Kingdom of Nepal

Further west, general Amar Singh Thapa overran lands as far as Kangra, the strongest fort in the hill region, and laid siege to it, although by 1809 Ranjit Singh, ruler of the Sikh state in the Punjab, intervened and drove the Nepalese army east of the Sutlej river.

Image source: Amar Singh Thapa

Bhimsen Thapa, Nepalese Prime Minister from 1806 to 1837, installed his own father as governor of Palpa, leading to serious border disputes between Nepal and the British East India Company.

Image source: Bhimsen Thapa

As a result of border tensions and ambitious expansionism, conflict came to a head in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–1816 between the Kingdom of Nepal and the British East India Company.

Image source: Anglo-Nepalese War

After the successful initial campaign by Ochterlony, the Kathmandu durbar failed to ratify the peace agreement signed on 28 November 1815, prolonging the conflict.

Image source: Treaty of Sugauli

However, the Tarai lands had proved difficult to govern and some of them were returned to Nepal later in 1816, with the annual payments abolished.

After the decisive Battle of Makwanpur on 28 February 1816 and the fall of the fort of Hariharpur, the Gurkhas were forced to surrender and the Treaty of Sugauli was ratified on 4 March 1816.

The 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake damaged many parts of the city of Kathmandu, causing widespread destruction of buildings and heritage structures.

Image source: 1934 Nepal–India earthquake

The Nepali Congress Party was founded in 1946, becoming a major force in the struggle against Rana rule, and diplomatic relations were established with the USA.

Image source: Nepali Congress

In 1948 the country's first constitution, the Government of Nepal Act, was promulgated, an early step toward constitutional governance.

Image source: Constitution of Nepal

By 1950 the Ranas fell into open conflict with King Tribhuvan as they suspected the Nepali Congress Party's conspiracy against Rana power was instigated by the King.

Image source: 1951 Nepalese revolution

In January 1951, the tide turned in favour of the Shah monarchy when the Ranas were forced to surrender all executive powers — financial management, appointment of government officials, and command of the armed forces — to the Monarchy.

Local elections to a municipal council were held for the first time on 9 September 1953, marking a milestone in local democratic governance in Kathmandu.

Following the death of King Tribhuvan in 1955, Mahendra assumed power. During this period Nepal joined the United Nations, the National Police Force was formed, and a border treaty was signed with China.

Image source: Mahendra of Nepal

The first general elections were held in 1956 with the Nepal Congress Party winning an absolute majority, and Tribhuvan University was founded during this period.

Image source: Tribhuvan University

A new constitution was promulgated in 1959, superseding the Constitution of 1951 and enabling multiparty democracy.

Image source: Constitution of Nepal

During the 1950s the USSR opened an embassy at Kathmandu and the United States opened an embassy there in 1959, reflecting Nepal's growing international engagement.

In December 1960, King Mahendra abolished multiparty democracy and brought the Panchayat Raj system into force, concentrating power in royal hands.

Image source: 1960 Nepal coup d'état

In 1962, King Mahendra adopted a new constitution, the third since 1951, and established the centrally controlled partyless council system of governance called panchayat.

Image source: Panchayat (Nepal)

In 1963, after the Emergency was lifted, Panchayat elections were held and the National Guidance Council was formed amid continuing political unrest.

In 1965, the local government of Nepal was reorganized as part of administrative restructuring under the panchayat system.

In 1971 a new trade and transit treaty was negotiated with India from Kathmandu, regulating commerce between the two countries.

Image source: India–Nepal relations

In 1972 King Mahendra died and was succeeded by King Birendra, who continued the panchayat system of governance.

Image source: Birendra of Nepal

King Birendra was crowned in 1973 in a grand ceremony in Kathmandu, marking the formal start of his reign.

Image source: Coronation of Birendra of Nepal

In the May 1980 referendum, voters reaffirmed the status quo of the panchayat system against the reintroduction of political parties, concurring with continuation of rule by the king.

Image source: 1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum

Elections in 1981 and 1986 were characterized by the lack of political programs, as party politics remained banned. Second elections to the Rastriya Panchayat were held in 1986.

Image source: Rastriya Panchayat

In 1989, failure to renegotiate trade and transit treaties with India disrupted the economy, fueling public discontent with the panchayat regime.

Image source: 2015–16 Nepal blockade

Following the economic disruption, demonstrations for the restoration of democracy were held across Nepal, including in Kathmandu.

Image source: 1990 Nepalese revolution

On 9 April 1990, the King restored multi-party democracy, lifting the ban on agitating political parties and ushering in a new constitutional era.

Following the restoration of multi-party democracy, the first general elections to Parliament were held on 12 May 1991 under the new constitution.

Image source: 1991 Nepalese general election

In 1992, local elections were held and the Nepali Congress won a majority of the seats in municipal councils including Kathmandu.

Image source: Elections in Nepal

In 1993, Madan Bhandari was killed in a mysterious car crash, which resulted in violent demonstrations by communists seeking to overthrow Koirala's government.

Image source: Madan Bhandari

On 1 June 2001, a gruesome royal massacre occurred when Crown Prince Dipendra gunned down his immediate family, including his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishvarya, his brother and sister, and five other relatives, at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace.

Image source: Nepalese royal massacre

In April 2004, a mob of some 4,000 people, mainly youths, expressed anger at the killing of 12 Nepalese jobseekers in Iraq, burning down and vandalising many buildings including more than a dozen private employment agencies and the city's Jama Masjid Mosque.

In summer 2008, Kathmandu reached global headlines when political protests capitulated, and political protests have plagued the city ever since.

Image source: Kathmandu

In November 2009, protests by Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rebels continued following the collapse of the Maoist-led government in May 2009. They demanded a referendum in parliament about the extent of presidential powers and accused the head of the army of opposing integration of thousands of former Maoist rebels into the national army.

Image source: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)

The city was severely damaged by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015, which destroyed thousands of homes and historic structures across the Kathmandu Valley.

Image source: April 2015 Nepal earthquake