The Nepalese democracy movement was the combination of a series of political initiatives and movements from the 20th century to 2008 that advocated the establishment of representative democracy, a multi-party political system and the abolition of monarchy in Nepal. It has seen three major movements, the Revolution of 1951, Jana Andolan and Loktantra Andolan (Nepali: लोकतन्त्र आन्दोलन, romanized: Loktantra Āndolan) which ultimately abolished the Shah monarchy, transitioned Nepal towards a republic and reintroduced multi-party bicameral democracy.
The beginning of a national movement for democracy in Nepal was the ousting of the Ranas, the long-established Nepalese royal family, in the mid-20th century which was influenced by ethnic and political developments from the Indian nationalist movement. However, this period of democracy ended in 1960 and the Panchayat system of government was introduced, abolishing recent democratic institutions, banning political parties and restricting some forms of freedom of speech.
Student protests in 1979 led to a referendum on the direction of the political system resulted in minor adaptations to the existing party-less system, at times increasing executive control over the opposition. A period of economic disputes with India and mounting repression in Nepal led to the Jana Andolan popular movement resulting in the re-establishment of multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy framework.
Until 2001, the economic and political situation progressed despite corruption, nepotism and the presence of a Maoist insurgency which developed into a nation-wide civil war between the Maoist insurgents and the Government of Nepal. Following the assassination of the Nepalese royal family, King Gyanendra took control of the government and ruled until 2006 through emergency powers enforcing nation-wide oppression of media and civil society. Widespread protests headed by a coalition of seven Nepalese Parties alongside the Maoists led to the resignation of the King and the reinstation of the Parliament, the abolishment of monarchy and transitioned Nepal towards a federal republic, marking an end to the country's civil war.
Rana dynasty
As one of the regions oldest nation-states, Nepal was unified by the Shah Dynasty and has since been ruled by the Rana royal family after a coup d'état that installed Jung Bahadur Kunwar as prime minister, and later Maharaja of Kaski and Lamjung. During the 19th century, Nepal's expansionist aspirations came in conflict with the British Empire and the British East India Company culminating in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16.
The war eventually concluded with the Treaty of Sugauli on 4 March 1816 which defined Nepal's current territorial boundaries. The treaty therefore spared Nepal of colonisation similar to that of neighbouring countries. Throughout the Shah dynasty Nepali society underwent a period of Sanskritisation which established the political, economic and cultural dominance of high-caste Indo-Aryans, most notably the Bahuns and Chhetri caste who established Khas Kura, later known as Nepali, as the official state language.
Democracy movement of 1951
The mid-20th century saw the emergence of an educated elite in Nepal due to an expansion of the country's education system leading to much increased literacy rates and rising levels of higher education attainment in the country. After India's independence, political parties were established and engaged an organised struggle against the Rana monarchy in neighbouring Nepal. The Nepal Communist Party was founded in 1949 with the goal to set up a democracy and People's Republic. Conversely, the Nepali Congress Party, later Nepali Congress, was formed in 1947 and gained support from the Nepal Communist Party to stage an armed revolution against the Rana monarchy. Under significant international and domestic pressure, the royal family and the Nepali Congress agreed to institute a peaceful and stable transition of democracy regarded as the Delhi Compromise of 1951. A transitional government was instituted with in a constitutional monarchy framework, and elections won by the Nepali Congress Party which was instrumental in abolishing the Rana regime and ran on a social-democratic basis. In December 1960 King Mahendra dissolved the parliament and devised a ban on political parties and police jailed members of political parties and members of the national cabinet.