Editing Nepal (section)

=== Contemporary history ===
In the late 1940s, newly emerging pro-democracy movements and political parties in Nepal were critical of the Rana autocracy. Following the success of [[Indian Independence Movement]] which Nepalese activists had taken part in, with India's support and cooperation of King Tribhuvan, [[Nepali Congress]] was successful in toppling the Rana regime, establishing a parliamentary democracy. After a decade of power wrangling between the king and the government, [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]] (ruled 1955–1972) scrapped the democratic experiment in 1960, and a "partyless" [[Panchayat (Nepal)|Panchayat]] system was made to govern Nepal. The political parties were banned and politicians imprisoned or exiled.{{sfn|Hutt|2004|pp=3–7}} The Panchayat rule modernised the country, introducing reforms and developing infrastructure, but curtailed liberties and imposed heavy censorship. In 1990, the [[People's Movement I (1990)|People's Movement]] forced [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra]] (ruled 1972–2001) to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty democracy.{{sfn|Hutt|2004|pp=3–7}}<ref name="Nepal_Timeline">{{cite news |title=Nepal profile – Timeline|date=19 February 2018|work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166516.stm |access-date=29 September 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303103321/https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166516.stm |archive-date=3 March 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1996, the [[Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)|Maoist Party]] started a violent bid to replace the royal parliamentary system with a people's republic.{{sfn|Hutt|2004|pp=3–7}} This led to the long [[Nepalese Civil War]] and more than 16,000 deaths.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8268651.stm|title=Nepal raises conflict death toll|date=22 September 2009|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=11 March 2020|archive-date=5 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105182206/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8268651.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> With the death of both the King and the Crown Prince in a [[Nepalese royal massacre|massacre in the royal palace]], King Birendra's brother [[Gyanendra of Nepal|Gyanendra]] inherited the throne in 2001{{sfn|Hutt|2004|pp=3–7}} and subsequently assumed full executive powers aiming to quash the Maoist insurgency himself.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hutt|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Hutt (academic and translator)|year=2005|title=King Gyanendra's Coup and its Implications for Nepal's Future|jstor=24590670|journal=[[The Brown Journal of World Affairs]]|volume=12|issue=1|pages=111–123|issn=1080-0786}}</ref>

The Maoist Party joined mainstream politics following the success of the peaceful [[2006 Nepalese revolution|democratic revolution of 2006]];<ref name="Abolish">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |title=Nepal votes to abolish monarchy |work=[[BBC News]] |date=28 May 2008 |access-date=18 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107130737/https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7424302.stm |archive-date=7 January 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nepal became a [[secular state]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/nepal.king/|title=Nepal king stripped of most powers|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=18 May 2006|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=23 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123080202/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/nepal.king/|url-status=live}}</ref> and on 28 May 2008, it was declared a federal republic,<ref name="Abolish"/> ending its time-honoured status as the world's only [[Hindu king]]dom.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/world/birenda-55-ruler-of-nepal-s-hindu-kingdom.html|title=Birenda, 55, Ruler of Nepal's Hindu Kingdom|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|last=Crossette|first=Barbara|author-link=Barbara Crossette|date=3 June 2001|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724150104/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/world/birenda-55-ruler-of-nepal-s-hindu-kingdom.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After a decade of instability and internal strife which saw two constituent assembly elections,<ref name="mao">{{cite news |last=Kaphle |first=Anup |date=7 July 2010 |title=Long stalemate after Maoist victory disrupts life in Nepal |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070605214.html |url-status=live |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104015054/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/06/AR2010070605214.html |archive-date=4 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=17 April 2008 |title=Nepal's election The Maoists triumph |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11057207&fsrc=nwl |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214103506/https://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11057207&fsrc=nwl |archive-date=14 February 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 August 2011 |title=Baburam Bhattarai elected prime minister of Nepal |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14700892 |url-status=live |access-date=12 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010024052/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14700892 |archive-date=10 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 May 2012 |title=Nepal PM calls new elections after constitution failure |publisher=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nepal-pm-calls-new-elections-after-constitution-failure-1.1251219 |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528045008/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/05/27/nepal-elections.html |archive-date=28 May 2012}}</ref> the [[Constitution of Nepal|new constitution]] was promulgated on 20 September 2015, making Nepal a [[Federated state|federal]] democratic republic divided into [[Provinces of Nepal|seven provinces]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2015/09/20/constitution-special-the-evolution-of-nepals-constitution|title=[Constitution special] The evolution of Nepal\'s constitution|newspaper=[[The Kathmandu Post]]|language=English|date=20 September 2015|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=18 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518203321/https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2015/09/20/constitution-special-the-evolution-of-nepals-constitution|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2015/09/20/people-celebrate-constitution-promulgation-in-photos|title=Constitution of Nepal 2015 Promulgated|newspaper=[[The Kathmandu Post]]|language=English|date=20 September 2015|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301131012/https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2015/09/20/people-celebrate-constitution-promulgation-in-photos|url-status=live}}</ref>
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