Editing History of Nepal (section)

==Toponymy==
Nepal's origin remains a mystery despite written records dating back to the fifth century A.D. Classical Indian sources mention Nepal, and Nepali stories delve into mythology, religion, and culture rather than providing a clear historical account.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Shaha |first=Rishikesk |title=Ancient and medieval nepal |date=1992 |publisher=[[Ratna Pustak Bhandar]] |isbn=9788185425696 |location=Kathmandu |pages=2}}</ref>

The derivation of the word Nepal is a subject of various theories:

* Most inhabitants of northern Nepal came from [[Tibet]], where they herded sheep and produced wool. In Tibetan, ne means "wool" and pal means "house". Thus, Nepal is "house of wool".<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Bhattarai |first=Krishna P. |url=http://archive.org/details/nepal0000bhat |title=Nepal |date=2008 |publisher=New York : Chelsea House |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7910-9672-7}}</ref>
* [[Newar people]] in the [[Kathmandu Valley|Kathmandu valley]] named their homeland Nepal, derived from "Nepa," meaning "country of the middle zone," highlighting its central location in the Himalayas.<ref name=":12" />
* A popular theory is that [[Lepcha people]] associated Nepal with a "sacred or holy cave."<ref name=":12" />
* According to Hindu mythology, Nepal derives its name from an ancient Hindu sage called Ne, referred to variously as Ne Muni or Nemi.
* According to Buddhist legend, the deity [[Manjushri]] drained the water from Nagadaha (a mythical lake believed to have filled the Kathmandu Valley). The valley became habitable, ruled by Bhuktaman a cow-herder, who took advice from the sage named "Ne". Pāla means "protector" or "taking care", so Nepal reflected the name of the sage who took care of the place.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Shaha |first=Rishikesk |title=Ancient and medieval nepal |date=1992 |publisher=[[Ratna Pustak Bhandar]] |isbn=9788185425696 |location=Kathmandu |pages=6–7}}</ref>
{{wide image|Map of Greater Nepal (with part of ceded territory).jpg|750px|A map of the Himalayan region annexed by Gorkha Kings around 1768 as per the book published in 1819 by Francis Hamilton M. D. named "An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal and the Territories annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha".}}