Nepal 1816

The Himalayan range had four major kingdoms: Ladakh, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. Only Nepal and Bhutan remain sovereign today. Ladakh and Sikkim, now part of India, still captivate tourists with their stunning landscapes. Nepal became a republic in 2008, leaving Bhutan the sole Himalayan monarchy. This post focuses on Nepal, India's neighbor with a long history of friendly relations and shared culture, allowing visa-free travel for Indians.

It's understandable to believe that Sikkim and Garhwal-Kumaon (Uttarakhand) were once part of a larger Nepal before the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816). After India's independence in 1947, these territories remained with India. However, before Nepal's unification in the 18th century, the region consisted of numerous independent or vassal states.

1. Jumla or Jyumla (1788)
2. Doti (1786)
3. Acham
4. Bajura (1791)
5. Cham
6. Dailekh
7. Dullu or Raskot (1790)
8. Jajarkot (1786)
9. Bangphi
10. Salianah
11. Tulsipur
12. Malneta
13. Khungri
14. Bhingri
15. Sattala
16. Piuthan
17. Khanchi (1786)
18. Rukum
19. Musikot (1786)
20. Jehari
21. Parbat (1786)
22. Kari-tog-pa Chiefs
23. Kaski
24. Lo
25. Argha
26. Gulmi
27. Phalabang
28. Salyan (1786)
29. Thalahara
30. Udayapur
31. Poin
32. Dhurkot
33. Isma
34. Galkot 
35. Kaski (1856)
36. Satahung
37. Bhirkot (1785)
38. Nayakot or Nuwakot (1744)
39. Lamjung or Lambjang (1856)
40. Tanahun
41. Palpa (1804)
42. Gajarkot
43. Rishing
44. Butwal
45. Gorkha
46. Makwanpur (1762)
47. Kantipur
48. Bhaktapur
49. Lalitpur
50. Kirat
51. Patan
52. Newar Chiefs
53. Dolakha
54. Chaudandi or Chaynpur (1773)
55. Vijayapur (1774)

The Gorkha kingdom under Prithvi Narayan Shah (last king of the Gorkha Kingdom; r.1743 to 1768) expanded eastward in the 1740s-50s. In 1768, they conquered the Kathmandu Valley's Malla confederation (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur), ending Malla rule. Over time, Kantipur's Kasthamandap temple gained prominence, becoming Kathmandu, the future capital. By the 1800s, Nepal (the Gorkha kingdom) stretched from Kumaon-Garhwal to Sikkim.

This expansion aimed to counter growing British influence in the south and a perceived Chinese threat. The British used similar justifications for attacking Nepal in 1814, leading to the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-16).

The Sugauli Treaty (1816) forced Nepal to cede territories (Sirmur, Almora, Garhwal, Kumaon, Morung, Sikkim, parts of Oudh) to British India. A weakened Nepal, facing internal issues and a powerful British neighbor, couldn't reclaim these lands. From 1816 to 1923, Nepal became a British protectorate, a buffer state.

Interestingly, "Nepal" or "Newar" originally referred only to the Kathmandu Valley. The larger kingdom was called "Kingdom of the Gorkhas," "Gorkha Rajya," or "Gorkhako Adhin" by annexed territories. The British used "Nepal" for the entire kingdom.Only in the 1930s did the Gorkha government officially adopt "Nepal" for the whole country. Until the 19th century,"Khas Desh" was another local term. Afterward, both "Khas" and "Newar" names fell out of use, with "Khas" referring to a caste by 1854.