Nepal is a landlocked country located in South Asia. It borders my country in the north and India in other directions, with a total area of about 147,000 square kilometers. Nepal was once very strong in history. During the Qing Dynasty, Nepal also invaded Tibet in our country. Nepal's historical territory is also larger than it is now, with an area of 217,000 square kilometers. Compared with the historical territory, Nepal has reduced its area by 70,000 square kilometers. So what's going on? Why is there only 147,000 square kilometers left in Nepal now?
First, the rise of Nepal. Nepal is close to two ancient civilizations, China and India, and its development history is also very early. In the 8th century BC, many kingdoms had appeared in Nepal. In the 6th century BC, Nepal gradually moved towards unification and a unified dynasty emerged. The earliest unified dynasty was called the Kirat Dynasty, which lasted from the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. There were 32 kings who ruled Nepal for a thousand years.
Although Nepal borders two major powers, China and India, it is directly connected to the Ganges plain in the north through the Himalayas and the south of India. This terrain has led to more frequent exchanges with India in Nepal's history, and the Nepal dynasty and India have also had many border conflicts in history. During the Kirat Dynasty, Nepal participated in the Northern Indian War many times, expanding from the Kathmandu Valley to the south and west, and its territory gradually expanded.
In the 4th century AD, Nepal entered the period of the Lichawei Dynasty, which was the first Hindu dynasty in Nepal's history. The king of the Lichawei Dynasty regarded himself as the incarnation of Vishnu, who was the Hindu god. The reason why Nepal was influenced by Hinduism was because of frequent interactions with India, which led to the introduction of Hinduism.
In the 7th century, the Tubo dynasty rose, and Tubo was the regime established by the Tibetans in our country on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The throne was passed down from Songtsen Gampo to Langdama for nine generations. After the rise of the Tubo Dynasty, it once controlled the Li Chawei Dynasty in Nepal. Nalando Dev, the seventh king of the Li Chawei Dynasty in Nepal, was persecuted and exiled to the Tubo Dynasty for 16 years. Tubo provided him with protection. Later, under the escort of the Tubo army, he returned to Nepal to restore the throne and married the Tibetan queen.
In 842, the Tubo Dynasty collapsed and collapsed, and the Lichawei Dynasty in Nepal continued until the 13th century and was replaced by the Mara dynasty. The Mara dynasty was a dynasty established by the Mara people in Nepal. The Mara people were also Hindus. Like India, they divided the country into four castes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra.
The Mara dynasty period was a period of rapid development of Nepal culture. At that time, Buddhism and Hindu culture blended and a unique culture was formed in Nepal. Architect, carving, painting and metal craftsmanship have localized styles. Many of the classic buildings in Nepal are built during the Mara dynasty. It can be said that the influence of the Mala dynasty on Nepal culture is incomparable to other dynasties. The texts used by the Nepali people were also unified during the Mara dynasty. Various buildings in Nepal now also absorb the architectural style of the Mara dynasty era. During the Mara Dynasty, Nepal's national strength was strong, its culture was prosperous, and its territory was further expanded.
In the 18th century, the Gurkha dynasty in Nepal rose and destroyed the Mara dynasty. Gurkha soldiers were brave in combat and were good at using Gurkha scimitars. During the Gurkha Dynasty, it continued to expand into surrounding areas, which was invincible in South Asia. In 1789, the arrogant Gurkha dynasty of Nepal also invaded our country's Tibet and occupied land.
The Qing Dynasty immediately dispatched troops to fight, recovered the lost territory, and pursued it to the foot of Yangpu, the capital of Nepal. After this war, the Gurkha dynasty in Nepal paid tribute to the Qing Dynasty and promised never to invade the territory. To pacify Gurkha was also regarded by Qianlong as one of his ten-perfect martial arts. After that, the Gurkha dynasty in Nepal did not dare to expand northward and continued to expand southward. In 1810, Nepal's territory reached its largest, with an area of about 217,000 square kilometers from Kashmir to Sikkim.
Second, 70,000 square kilometers were lost. In the early 19th century, Britain integrated India and established a British Indian colony. After Britain controlled India, it continued to expand to Nepal. The first time Britain and Nepal fought, 30,000 British and Indian troops were killed by 10,000 Nepalese soldiers holding cold weapons and fled back to India in a panic, which impressed Britain. It was not until 1814 that Britain made a comeback, using superior weapons to defeat the Nepalese army. Britain forced Nepal to sign the Sugulian Treaty, encroaching about 70,000 square kilometers of Nepal's land and incorporating it into British India.
By cede land, Nepal temporarily retained its independence, but by 1846, the British general Rana, who supported the pro-British British, seized the power of Nepal. Nepal has since become a British protector. Britain recruited a large number of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers into the British army's service. In 1857, a great anti-British uprising broke out in India, and Nepal Gurkha soldiers fought bravely, helping Britain to pacify the Indian uprising.
The UK has since regarded Nepal as a base for recruiting troops, consolidating Britain's rule over India. However, the UK did not return the land to Nepal. In 1947, after India's independence, these Nepal lands occupied by Britain were merged into several Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, etc. In this way, Nepal has only 147,000 square kilometers.
