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History & Society · Political record

Political & Constitutional History of Nepal नेपालको राजनीतिक तथा संवैधानिक इतिहास

From Prithvi Narayan Shah's conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1768 to Balendra Shah's landslide in March 2026, Nepal has cycled through monarchy, oligarchy, royal coups, a ten-year people's war and repeated popular uprisings — each one rewriting the state. This page maps the entire arc: eight eras, seven constitutions, twelve kings and an interactive timeline of every turning point, current through the March 2026 general election. Every date is cited to the sources at the foot of the page.

Constitutions

7 since 1948

From the Government of Nepal Act (1948) to the 2015 constitution, still in force

Monarchy

240 years

Shah kings 1768–2008 · abolished 28 May 2008

Civil war deaths

≥13,000

Maoist 'People's War', 1996–2006 · ~1,300 missing

Current PM

Balendra Shah

Since 27 Mar 2026 · RSP, 182 of 275 seats

Eight eras

From hill kingdom to federal republic

Eight chapters carry the story from Gorkha's expansion to the Gen Z reset. Open any era for the full narrative, key figures, dates and sources.

1743–1846

Unification of Nepalनेपाल एकीकरण

From the Gorkha kingdom to a unified Himalayan state

Prithvi Narayan Shah's Gorkha campaign forged dozens of hill principalities into one kingdom, capped by the conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in 1768–69. Expansion ended against the British East India Company: the Anglo-Nepal War (1814–16) and the Treaty of Sugauli fixed borders Nepal largely keeps today.

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1846–1951

The Rana oligarchyराणा शासन

104 years of hereditary prime ministers; kings reduced to figureheads

After the Kot massacre of 14 September 1846, Jung Bahadur Rana made the premiership the hereditary property of his family. For 104 years the Ranas ruled as de-facto monarchs — isolationist, autocratic, but also the era of sati's abolition (1920), slavery's end (1924–26) and Britain's recognition of full Nepali sovereignty (1923).

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1951–1960

First democratic experimentप्रथम प्रजातन्त्र

Democracy won, a parliament elected — then dismissed at royal gunpoint

King Tribhuvan's return from exile on 18 February 1951 (now Democracy Day) sealed the Delhi Compromise and ended Rana rule. The decade peaked with Nepal's first general election (1959) and B.P. Koirala's Nepali Congress government — and ended when King Mahendra dismissed it all on 15 December 1960.

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1960–1990

The Panchayat systemपञ्चायत व्यवस्था

Three decades of party-less royal rule

King Mahendra's 1962 constitution banned political parties and routed all power through a four-tier 'panchayat' council system under the crown. A 1980 referendum narrowly kept the system alive; mounting repression and economic stagnation primed the explosion of 1990.

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1990–1996

Jana Andolan I & constitutional monarchyजनआन्दोलन र बहुदलीय प्रजातन्त्र

The people force open the system; a constitutional monarchy is born

Seven weeks of mass protest (Jana Andolan I, Feb–Apr 1990) forced King Birendra to legalise parties and accept the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 (9 November 1990) — a constitutional monarchy with multiparty parliament, fundamental rights and an independent judiciary.

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1996–2006

The Maoist insurgencyमाओवादी जनयुद्ध

A ten-year 'People's War' that remade the state

The CPN (Maoist) launched its insurgency on 13 February 1996. A decade of war killed at least 13,000 people, displaced over 100,000, and intersected with the 2001 royal massacre and King Gyanendra's seizures of power — until Jana Andolan II and the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 21 November 2006 ended both the war and, soon, the monarchy itself.

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2006–2015

Peace process & the federal republicगणतन्त्रको स्थापना

Monarchy abolished, federalism written — the long road to the 2015 constitution

The Interim Constitution (15 January 2007) and Madhesh movements reshaped the transition. Nepal's first Constituent Assembly (elected 10 April 2008) abolished the 240-year Shah monarchy on 28 May 2008; after a failed first assembly, the second finally promulgated the Constitution of Nepal on 20 September 2015 — amid protest and a crippling border blockade.

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2015–present

The federal era — and the Gen Z resetसंघीय युग

Three-party musical chairs, a youth uprising, and the 2026 landslide

Nepal's first federal governments cycled the same three leaders (Oli, Dahal, Deuba) through revolving coalitions. In September 2025 a social-media ban ignited the Gen Z uprising: parliament burned, K.P. Oli resigned, and Sushila Karki became the first woman PM of an interim government. The 5 March 2026 election swept Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party to power with 182 of 275 seats.

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Interactive timeline

Every turning point, 1743–2026

Filter by thread — constitutions, monarchy, movements, war, government, treaties and elections. Major events link to the full story of their era.

  1. 1743Monarchy

    Prithvi Narayan Shah crowned in Gorkha

    The 20-year-old king begins the campaign that will unify Nepal.

  2. 25–26 Sep 1768Monarchy

    Conquest of Kathmandu

    Gorkhali forces take Kathmandu during Indra Jatra; Prithvi Narayan Shah moves his capital — the Kingdom of Nepal is born.

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  3. Nov 1769War & conflict

    Bhaktapur falls — Valley unified

    The last Malla kingdom is absorbed, completing the unification of the Kathmandu Valley.

  4. 1 Nov 1814War & conflict

    Anglo-Nepal War begins

    Border disputes over the Terai ignite war with the British East India Company.

  5. 4 Mar 1816Treaties

    Treaty of Sugauli ratified

    Nepal cedes Sikkim, Kumaon, Garhwal and much of the Terai; Mechi and Mahakali become the borders; Gurkha recruitment begins.

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  6. 14 Sep 1846Government

    Kot massacre — Rana era begins

    Jung Bahadur Rana eliminates ~40 rivals in the palace armoury and becomes hereditary prime minister; kings become figureheads for 104 years.

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  7. 1854Government

    Muluki Ain civil code

    Jung Bahadur's legal code formalises (and stratifies) social order — parts endure until 1963.

  8. 8 Jul 1920Government

    Sati abolished

    PM Chandra Shumsher outlaws widow immolation.

  9. 21 Dec 1923Treaties

    Britain recognises Nepal's full sovereignty

    The Nepal–Britain Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship supersedes Sugauli.

  10. 28 Nov 1924Government

    Slavery abolished

    Chandra Shumsher proclaims emancipation; ≈60,000 slaves freed by 1926.

  11. 26 Jan 1948Constitutions

    First written constitution

    Padma Shumsher's Government of Nepal Act promises limited representation — his successor shelves it.

  12. 18 Feb 1951People's movements

    Democracy Day — Rana rule ends

    After the Delhi Compromise (7 Feb), King Tribhuvan returns; a Rana–Congress coalition takes office under the Interim Government Act.

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  13. 27 May 1959Elections

    B.P. Koirala — first elected PM

    Nepali Congress wins a two-thirds majority in Nepal's first general election under the new 1959 constitution.

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  14. 15 Dec 1960Monarchy

    Royal coup

    King Mahendra dismisses and jails the elected government, bans parties and suspends the constitution.

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  15. 16 Dec 1962Constitutions

    Panchayat constitution

    A party-less council system routes all power through the palace.

  16. May 1980Elections

    National referendum

    Reformed Panchayat defeats multiparty democracy 55%–45%, amid manipulation claims.

  17. 9 Nov 1990People's movements

    Jana Andolan I wins a constitution

    After seven weeks of protest, Nepal becomes a constitutional monarchy with multiparty democracy.

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  18. 13 Feb 1996War & conflict

    Maoist 'People's War' begins

    CPN (Maoist) attacks police posts in six districts; a decade of civil war follows, killing ≥13,000.

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  19. 1 Jun 2001Monarchy

    Royal massacre

    Crown Prince Dipendra kills King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and seven other royals, then himself; Gyanendra becomes king.

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  20. 1 Feb 2005Monarchy

    Gyanendra's coup

    The king seizes direct power and declares emergency; parties and Maoists begin to align against the palace.

  21. 24 Apr 2006People's movements

    Jana Andolan II restores parliament

    Nineteen days of protest force the king to back down; on 21 Nov the Comprehensive Peace Accord ends the war.

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  22. 15 Jan 2007Constitutions

    Interim constitution; Madhesh movement

    The Maoists enter an interim legislature; Terai protests demand federalism and inclusion.

  23. 28 May 2008Government

    Monarchy abolished — republic declared

    The newly elected Constituent Assembly ends 240 years of Shah rule at its first sitting; Ram Baran Yadav becomes first president on 23 July.

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  24. 27 May 2012Government

    First Constituent Assembly dissolves

    Four years and four extensions fail to produce a constitution; federalism's shape is the sticking point.

  25. 20 Sep 2015Constitutions

    Constitution of Nepal promulgated

    507 of 598 CA members adopt the federal constitution — 7 provinces, secularism, proportional inclusion. Madhesi protests and a 4.5-month border blockade follow.

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  26. Nov–Dec 2017Elections

    First federal elections

    The UML–Maoist alliance wins a near two-thirds majority; K.P. Oli becomes PM of the first elected federal government.

  27. 20 Nov 2022Elections

    Hung parliament; RSP debuts

    Nepali Congress leads with 89 seats; the new Rastriya Swatantra Party wins 20 in its first election.

  28. 8–13 Sep 2025People's movements

    Gen Z uprising

    A social-media ban ignites youth protests; 76 die, parliament and Singha Durbar burn, PM Oli resigns.

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  29. 12 Sep 2025Government

    Sushila Karki — first woman PM

    The former chief justice heads an interim government; the House is dissolved and elections set for 5 March 2026.

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  30. 5 Mar 2026Elections

    RSP landslide

    Rastriya Swatantra Party wins 182 of 275 seats (47.8% PR vote) — the strongest mandate since 1959; NC and UML collapse to historic lows.

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  31. 27 Mar 2026Government

    Balendra Shah sworn in

    At 35, the former Kathmandu mayor becomes Nepal's youngest PM, leading the first single-party majority government since 1999.

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Seven charters

The seven constitutions

Granted by Ranas and kings, extracted by movements — and finally, in 2015, written by elected representatives.

ConstitutionPromulgatedByLifespanEssence
Government of Nepal Act (1948)26 January 1948PM Padma Shumsher RanaNever honouredNepal's first written constitution — limited representation under continued Rana control; shelved by Padma's successor.
Interim Government of Nepal Act (1951)1951 (post-Delhi Compromise)King Tribhuvan1951–1959Transitional charter after the fall of the Ranas; promised a constituent assembly that never met.
Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (1959)12 February 1959King Mahendra22 monthsWestminster parliament under a strong crown (drafted with Sir Ivor Jennings); suspended in the 15 Dec 1960 royal coup.
Constitution of Nepal (Panchayat) (1962)16 December 1962King Mahendra1962–1990Party-less panchayat system; all power routed through the palace; parties banned for 28 years.
Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (1990)9 November 1990King Birendra (after Jana Andolan I)1990–2007Constitutional monarchy, multiparty parliament, fundamental rights — sovereignty vested in the people for the first time.
Interim Constitution of Nepal (2007)15 January 2007Restored House of Representatives2007–2015Post-war bridge charter; brought Maoists into the legislature, suspended then abolished the monarchy, mandated a constituent assembly.
Constitution of Nepal (2015)20 September 2015Constituent Assembly (507 of 598 votes)In forceFederal democratic republic: 7 provinces, 3 tiers of government, secularism, proportional inclusion; Nepal's first constitution written by elected representatives.
Heads of state & government

Kings, presidents and prime ministers

Twelve Shah monarchs reigned from unification to abolition; three presidents have served the republic since 2008; seven governments have held office in the federal era.

Shah monarchs, 1768–2008

MonarchReignNote
Prithvi Narayan Shah1768–1775Founder of unified Nepal (King of Gorkha from 1743)
Pratap Singh Shah1775–1777Died at 25; succession passed to his infant son
Rana Bahadur Shah1777–1799Abdicated; assassinated 1806
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah1799–1816Child king during the Anglo-Nepal War
Rajendra Bikram Shah1816–1847Sidelined by the Kot massacre; deposed
Surendra Bikram Shah1847–1881Figurehead under Jung Bahadur Rana
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah1881–1911Figurehead under Rana PMs
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah1911–1955Sided with the 1950–51 revolution; 'Father of the Nation'
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah1955–19721960 coup; built the Panchayat state
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah1972–2001Accepted the 1990 constitution; killed in the royal massacre
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah1–4 June 2001Comatose 3-day reign; perpetrator of the massacre
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah2001–2008Nepal's last king; monarchy abolished 28 May 2008

Presidents of the republic

PresidentTermNote
Ram Baran Yadav23 Jul 2008 – 28 Oct 2015First President; Nepali Congress; Madheshi community
Bidya Devi Bhandari29 Oct 2015 – 13 Mar 2023First woman President; two terms; CPN-UML
Ram Chandra Paudel13 Mar 2023 – presentThird President; Nepali Congress

Ram Baran Yadav became the first president on 23 July 2008; Bidya Devi Bhandari was the first woman to hold the office.

Federal-era prime ministers, 2017–present

Prime ministerPartyFromToNote
Sher Bahadur DeubaNepali Congress7 Jun 201715 Feb 20184th term; oversaw first federal elections
K.P. Sharma OliCPN (UML)15 Feb 201813 Jul 2021Near two-thirds left majority; dissolved the House twice — both reversed by the Supreme Court
Sher Bahadur DeubaNepali Congress13 Jul 202126 Dec 20225th term; appointed by Supreme Court mandamus
Pushpa Kamal DahalCPN (Maoist Centre)26 Dec 202215 Jul 20243rd term; flipped coalitions twice; lost confidence vote July 2024
K.P. Sharma OliCPN (UML)15 Jul 20249 Sep 20254th term; resigned amid the Gen Z uprising
Sushila KarkiIndependent (interim)12 Sep 202527 Mar 2026First woman PM; former Chief Justice; election caretaker
Balendra ShahRastriya Swatantra Party27 Mar 2026presentYoungest-ever PM (35); first single-party majority since 1999
Where things stand · June 2026

Nepal today

The federal republic's first decade was governed by a rotating trio — Oli, Dahal and Deuba — through fourteen governments in seventeen years. That cycle broke in September 2025: a social-media ban ignited the Gen Z uprising, 76 people died, parliament burned and K.P. Oli resigned, leaving former chief justice Sushila Karki — Nepal's first woman prime minister — to steer an interim government to the polls. On 5 March 2026 the Rastriya Swatantra Party swept 182 of 275 seats, and on 27 March Balendra Shah was sworn in as the youngest prime minister in Nepal's history.

Prime ministerBalendra ShahSworn in 27 March 2026, age 35 — RSP
Governing majorityRSP — 182 / 27547.8% of the PR vote — first single-party majority since 1999
PresidentRam Chandra PaudelHead of state since 13 March 2023
The road hereGen Z uprisingSep 2025 — 76 dead; interim PM Sushila Karki, first woman PM
Read the federal era in full →
Common questions

Nepal political history FAQ

When did Nepal become a republic?

On 28 May 2008 (15 Jestha 2065 BS), the newly elected Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic at its first sitting, ending 240 years of Shah monarchy. Ram Baran Yadav was sworn in as the first president on 23 July 2008.

How many constitutions has Nepal had?

Seven, beginning with the Government of Nepal Act of 1948. The current Constitution of Nepal — adopted on 20 September 2015 by 507 of 598 Constituent Assembly members — is the first written by elected representatives, establishing a federal democratic republic with seven provinces and three tiers of government.

Who is the prime minister of Nepal now?

Balendra ('Balen') Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, sworn in on 27 March 2026 at age 35 — the youngest prime minister in Nepal's history. The RSP won 182 of 275 seats (47.8% of the proportional vote) in the 5 March 2026 election, giving Nepal its first single-party majority government since 1999.

What was the Rana era?

After the Kot massacre of 14 September 1846, Jung Bahadur Rana made the premiership the hereditary property of his family; for 104 years the Ranas ruled as de-facto monarchs while the Shah kings were reduced to figureheads. Isolationist and autocratic, the era nonetheless saw sati abolished (1920), slavery ended (1924–26) and Britain recognise Nepal's full sovereignty (1923). It ended with the 1950–51 revolution and the Delhi Compromise of February 1951.

What were the Gen Z protests in Nepal?

After the government blocked 26 unregistered social-media platforms on 4 September 2025, youth-led protests erupted on 8 September; security forces killed 19 protesters outside parliament that day, and on 9 September crowds burned parliament, Singha Durbar and the Supreme Court. The uprising left 76 dead and over 2,600 injured, PM K.P. Sharma Oli resigned, and former chief justice Sushila Karki — Nepal's first woman prime minister — led the interim government that held the 5 March 2026 election.

Keep exploring

Treaties of Nepal →From the 1816 Sugauli treaty to Sino-Nepalese boundary pacts — the agreements that fixed Nepal's borders.Historic trade routes →The trans-Himalayan corridors that linked India and Tibet through Nepal for centuries.Earthquakes →The 1934 quake reshaped Rana-era Kathmandu; the 2015 disaster jolted the constitution to the finish line.People & identity →142 castes and ethnicities — the inclusion debate behind federalism and the 2015 settlement.The 100-point plan →What the new government promised in its first hundred days — the roadmap, point by point.

Sources & data note

Dates follow the Gregorian calendar with Bikram Sambat equivalents where customary. Where reputable sources differ (e.g. the civil-war death toll of 13,000–17,000, or Balendra Shah's ordinal as 43rd vs 47th PM depending on counting method), the range or the better-sourced figure is given and the disagreement acknowledged. The 2025–26 events are sourced to contemporaneous reporting by the Kathmandu Post, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters and the IISS.