History
Nepal since 1768
From Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification of Nepal in 1768 to the federal republic of today: the turning points, the land policies that changed the country's forests and fields, and the disasters it survived. New major earthquakes and floods are added automatically.
Timeline
1768 · State & politics
Unification: Kathmandu taken
Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha takes Kathmandu during Indra Jatra; it becomes the capital of the unified kingdom.
1814–1816 · State & politics
Anglo-Nepalese War
Ends with the Treaty of Sugauli (1815-16): Nepal loses Sikkim, Kumaon, Garhwal and much of the Terai.
1846 · State & politics
Rana rule begins
After the Kot massacre Jung Bahadur Rana seizes power; hereditary Rana prime ministers rule for 104 years.
1860 · State & politics
Western Terai returned
Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur (the 'Naya Muluk') are restored to Nepal.
1923 · State & politics
Sovereignty recognised
Nepal-Britain Treaty of Friendship.
1934 · Disasters
Nepal-Bihar earthquake
M ~8.0 on 15 January; thousands killed and much of Kathmandu Valley destroyed.
1951 · State & politics
Democracy; Rana rule ends
Nepal opens to the outside world.
1953 · Conservation & milestones
Everest first climbed
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, 29 May.
1955 · Land policy
Terai opened to settlement
Malaria control and resettlement schemes (e.g. Rapti valley, Chitwan) bring large-scale clearing of Terai forest for farms.
1957 · Land policy
Private forests nationalised
Private Forests Nationalization Act.
1960–1990 · State & politics
Panchayat era
Party-less Panchayat system under the king.
1964 · Land policy
Land reform
Lands Act sets ceilings on holdings and tenancy rights.
1973 · Conservation & milestones
First national park
Chitwan National Park established.
1976 · Conservation & milestones
Sagarmatha National Park
Everest region protected; UNESCO site in 1979.
1978 · Land policy
Community forestry begins
Panchayat forest rules let local communities manage forests.
1988 · Disasters
Udayapur earthquake
M 6.9 in eastern Nepal, 21 August.
1990 · State & politics
Multiparty democracy restored
People's Movement; constitutional monarchy.
1993 · Land policy
Forest Act 1993
Community forest user groups get legal rights - a key driver of Nepal's forest recovery.
1996–2006 · State & politics
Armed conflict
Maoist insurgency; ends with the Comprehensive Peace Accord.
2008 · State & politics
Federal republic
Monarchy abolished on 28 May.
2015 · Disasters
Gorkha earthquake
Mw 7.8 on 25 April and Mw 7.3 on 12 May; about 9,000 deaths, tens of thousands of landslides.
2015 · State & politics
New constitution
Seven provinces; 753 local governments elected in 2017.
2021 · Disasters
Melamchi flood
Debris flood in Sindhupalchok, 15 June.
2022 · Conservation & milestones
Tiger numbers nearly triple
National survey counts 355 wild tigers (121 in 2010).
2023 · Disasters
Jajarkot earthquake
M 5.7 on 3 November in Karnali Province.
2024 · Disasters
September floods
Extreme rain on 27-28 September; worst flooding in decades in Kathmandu Valley.
2025 · Disasters
M7.1 earthquake
2025 Southern Tibetan Plateau Earthquake, 07 Jan 2025 (USGS).
Population
people; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 29,618,118 (2025).
Urban population
% of total; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 67.0 (2025).
Forest area
% of land area; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 43.6 (2024).
Agricultural land
% of land area; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 26.1 (2024).
Access to electricity
% of population; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 97.9 (2024).
GDP per capita
current US$; World Bank World Development Indicators. Latest: 1,536 (2025).
Source: Curated timeline from the historical record; recent earthquakes: USGS; floods: GloFAS; statistics: World Bank WDI (FAO for forest and farmland).