Egypt’s last king Farooq had predicted that only five kings would survive in the world, four kings of cards and the British sovereign. Since Frooq made that statement, dozens of monarchies have become history and the latest casualty is likely to be in Nepal, where parliament voted, December 28, in favour of abolishing the monarchy and turning the Himalayan nation into a republic. The vote to remove the king would be implemented after elections to a special (constituent) assembly, expected to be held by mid-April, 2008.
The vote by the parliament is endorsement of an agreement by Nepal’s major political parties, on December 23, to abolish the monarchy as part of a deal to bring former communist rebels – Maoists – back into government. Maoists ended their decade-long rebellion in 2006 and joined the country’s interim government last April, but they withdrew in September, demanding immediate abolition of monarchy.
The sitting monarch, Gyanendra, ascended to the throne in 2001 following a palace massacre in which crown prince is accused of gunning down Gyanendra’s elder brother and Shah Dynasty 11th King Birendra, and much of the royal family before turning the gun on himself. The murders pierced the mystique surrounding Nepal’s royal family, with king considered reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
In 2005, Gyanendra dismissed the Parliament, seized total control, vowing to bring order to a chaotic political scene and to quell the Maoist insurgency. But the insurgency worsened, the economy faltered and Gyanendra used force to silence opposition, banning criticism on himself, his government and the army. The result was weeks of unrest, which ended with Gyanendra restoring the Parliament in April 2006.  He has since been stripped of his powers, command over the army and immunity from prosecution. 
The history of monarchy in Nepal dates to pre-BC era. The first rulers of the Kathmandu Valley, Kirats, find mention in the Indian epics of Ramayan and Mahabharat in reference with Nepal. Kirats ruled for nearly 1,500 years – from 1,000 BC to 500 AD. Later, different clans of Indian Khyatriyas, who mostly hailed from Rajputana, ruled over the Kathmandu Valley, for some 700 years. In 1200 AD, the native Malla Dynasty clinched power and ruled over the Kathmandu Valley till 1768 AD, when Prithvi Narayan, Shah Dynasty’s founder, conquered it.
Narayan’s ancestors had migrated from Udaipur (Rajasthan: India) to Gorkha region, east of Katmandu, during the Mughal period. During those days, 24 Rajas/Kings ruled over various parts of Nepal, which has a total landmass of 147,181 square kilometers.
Initially, the Shahs strengthened their hold over Gorkha region when Prithvi Narayan Shah became the King of Gorkha in 1743 after the death of his father Narbhupal Shah. After becoming king, Narayan succeeded in uniting Nepal’s eastern and western parts and also capturing the Kathmandu Valley.
To obtain legitimacy for his conquests, Narayan obtained a mandate from the Mughal Emperor and also gave currency to a dream, maintaining that Hindu deity Manakamana had ordained him to unify Nepal into one kingdom.
On assuming power, Narayan banished Muslims and Christians from his kingdom. Even the Buddhists felt the heat. In his book “Nepal Darshan”, Indian author, Ashok Vyas writes: “Shankaracharya, the Indian scholar and a Yogi, who had taken upon himself to combat the growing influence of Buddhism in India to safeguard Hinduism, also visited Nepal. He ordered Buddhists books and writings to be burnt when he visited the valley. This way, he contributed to the growth and progress of Hinduism in Nepal.”  
Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee, in its “Bhaktapur Tourism Bulletin” (December–February 2004 issue), writes that when “Narayan Shah conquered Bhaktapur, the building that had in store all the books of record was burned down. It is believed that the building was kept burning for 7 consecutive days and nights. One can imagine the magnitude of the destruction to the records.”
ANCIENT CITIES:
Nepal’s capital city, Katmandu, owes its name to the Kathmandu Valley, in which it is located. This picturesque valley comprises of three self-reliant Royal Cities of Katmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each more beautiful than the other as if vying to attract the visitors. There are four ancient Ashokan Stupas, old royal palaces, ponds, places of worship and museums dotting the landscape, while the Himalayan snow, which shines and shimmers on a clear morning, dominates the horizon.
Moving around these cities, one is taken back and forth in time, especially in the old parts, like Darbar Squares’ market places, alleys and streets. One notices the smell of history, timelessness and ancient past everywhere. Even in the 21st century, people live there with the cultural ethics, values, art and activities of the 17th and 18th century. Being rich repositories of woodcarving, metal work, terracotta and stonework, these cities are an ode to the Newar artisans and architects.
Compared to ancient cities found elsewhere, what is most striking about these three Royal cities, despite their antiquity, is the absence of any ruins. These cities are living, throbbing cities humming with life and gaiety till this day. There is continuity of life. There is continuity of arts, crafts, architecture and history. What was built or created centuries ago is being followed and created even today.
Tourism is the major foreign exchange earner of Nepal. The municipalities of the ancient royal cities of the Kathmandu Valley also generate bulk of their revenues, up to 80 per cent in the case of Bhaktapur, from tourism.
After visiting these cities, one is impelled to describe Nepal as the “world’s biggest museum.” With an area of just about 300 sq. kms, there are seven sites in the Kathmandu Valley, which have been declared as “world heritage site” by UNESCO. Nowhere else in the world are there so many sites in such a small area which the international community has found fit to preserve as the “world heritage”. These sites include the three famous “Darbar Squares” of the cities of Katmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, temples of Pashupatinath, Changu Narayan and Bauddhnath.
During Malla rule, the three royal cities of Patan, Bhaktapur and Katmandu acquired great splendour. In the early 15th century, one of the Malla Rajas decreed these cities into autonomous regions, allocating one each to his three sons. Eager to outdo the others, a healthy competition between the three resulted in enormous artistic activity and blossoming of paintings, stone cutting, woodcarving and architecture.
Later, these autonomous regions of the Kathmandu Valley became three different principalities/city kingdoms. Expenditure on enlarging and beautifying the cities, coupled with rivalries, exhausted treasuries of the city kingdoms, leaving little for defence and making them vulnerable to conquests. Finally, Prithvi Narayan conquered them in 1768 AD.
Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbhini, in the southern foothills of the Nepal Himalayas in the sixth century BC. The Mauryan Ruler Ashoka visited Lumbhini and erected a pillar there.  Known as the birthplace of Lord Buddha – the apostle of peace, and Sita – the ideal Hindu woman, Nepal is an important pilgrimage to both Buddhists and Hindus. Many foreign tourists visit Nepal because of scintillating Himalayan range, the lush green forests in mid-hills and the terai plans in the south, rivers and lakes that contribute to an unparalleled natural beauty.