Prologue
The Abode above the Clouds – An Alternate History Timeline on Nepal
Prologue
The Indian Subcontinent in 1444 AD was a divided nation. The Delhi Sultanate which had been the most influential sultanate in India was crumbling a mere shadow of its former self. Muslims and Hindus squabbled over lands in India. However in the north, sat the Himalayas adorned a multitude of Nepali princedoms. The most influential and powerful of them all was the Malla Dynasty of Kathmandu Valley. In the Malla Kingdom, Jayaprakash Malla had adorned the thrones of Kathmandu at the age of 16 ascending the throne inn 1444.
He saw the sorry state of North India and knew that the once powerful Delhi Sultanate which had denied Nepal the notion of unification no longer held that power. Jayaprakash set his target on the Kingdom of Makwanpur, arguably the second most powerful kingdom in Nepal. From 1444 to 1446 he launched multiple raids into Makwanpur territory. In the beginning he was repulsed due to his lack of experience however he quickly adapted and by the end of 1446 Makwanpur had been absorbed by the Malla Dynasty with the King and royal family of Makwanpur given noble right in the kingdom.
Makwanpur was a goldmine for Jayaprakash. The vast open fields of the plains allowed for abundant farming. For 4 years Jayaprakash held of any other other conquest to build proper roads and roadways from the hills of Kathmandu to the plains of Makwanpur. In 1450 he invaded the loose confederation of the Chaubise Rajya consisting of 24 small princedoms. With a larger and stronger army the Conquest of Chaubise took Jayaprakash 3 years to complete after which he integrated the kingdoms to his own. In particular, he was impressed by the bravery of the Gurkha troops led by the Kingdom of Gurkha. Jayaprakash would ferociously earn their loyalty and institute the Gurkhas as the elite infantry fighters in all of Northern India. He then settled down for another 5 years to consolidate his rule and build roads. Roads were very important for Jayaprakash who saw them as vital links all throughout his kingdom building an intricate weave of roads all across his domain. In 1458 he invaded the Kingdom of Limbuwan, a formidable power which held all of Eastern Nepal and Sikkim. In a brutal 5 year long war Limbuwan was annexed into his territory. His son, Ratna Malla in the west led a campaign from 1459 into the Baise Rajya and by 1465 after 25 years of grueling conflict the lands of Nepal had been united for the first time after the Maurya Empire days in which the Khas Mallas ruled a united Nepal as a vassal and tributary state of the Maurya Empire.
In 1465, Jayaprakash declared the Kingdom of Kathmandu to be no more and proclaimed the Kingdom of Nepal under the Malla Dynasty. In 21 years of harsh warfare, Nepal stood as a nation from the Kumaon in the west all the way to Sikkim in the east.
Jayaprakash was proclaimed the first ‘Mahadhiraja of Nepal’. Nepal was a peculiar nation to look at in terms of religion and is still today. The country is nominally Hindu with a significant Buddhist minority but in every temple you go you will find a Buddhist gumba, and in every Buddhist monastery you go you will find a small Hindu temple. Because of Buddha being born in Nepal, the Nepalese worshipped both Buddha and Hinduism as one religion. The Buddhists celebrated major Hindu festivals like Krishna Janasthami, Dashain, Tihar, etc and the Hindus celebrated Buddhist festivals like Buddha Jayanti, and Buddha Janasthami. In 1468 with the abundance of Muslim ruling dynasties in India, Jayaprakash proclaimed that Nepal was the ‘Asli Hindustan’ or true Hindu Realm.
Author's note: This is version 0.0001 so its not fleshed out though I would love feedbacks.
After the unification, the country went about on focusing on its economic situation. The country was the bridge and link between Tibet and India and Nepal gained a lot of money through that way. A lot of roadways were built and farming was encouraged in the Terai plains of Nepal.
And thus began the story of Nepal.
Prologue
The Indian Subcontinent in 1444 AD was a divided nation. The Delhi Sultanate which had been the most influential sultanate in India was crumbling a mere shadow of its former self. Muslims and Hindus squabbled over lands in India. However in the north, sat the Himalayas adorned a multitude of Nepali princedoms. The most influential and powerful of them all was the Malla Dynasty of Kathmandu Valley. In the Malla Kingdom, Jayaprakash Malla had adorned the thrones of Kathmandu at the age of 16 ascending the throne inn 1444.
He saw the sorry state of North India and knew that the once powerful Delhi Sultanate which had denied Nepal the notion of unification no longer held that power. Jayaprakash set his target on the Kingdom of Makwanpur, arguably the second most powerful kingdom in Nepal. From 1444 to 1446 he launched multiple raids into Makwanpur territory. In the beginning he was repulsed due to his lack of experience however he quickly adapted and by the end of 1446 Makwanpur had been absorbed by the Malla Dynasty with the King and royal family of Makwanpur given noble right in the kingdom.
Makwanpur was a goldmine for Jayaprakash. The vast open fields of the plains allowed for abundant farming. For 4 years Jayaprakash held of any other other conquest to build proper roads and roadways from the hills of Kathmandu to the plains of Makwanpur. In 1450 he invaded the loose confederation of the Chaubise Rajya consisting of 24 small princedoms. With a larger and stronger army the Conquest of Chaubise took Jayaprakash 3 years to complete after which he integrated the kingdoms to his own. In particular, he was impressed by the bravery of the Gurkha troops led by the Kingdom of Gurkha. Jayaprakash would ferociously earn their loyalty and institute the Gurkhas as the elite infantry fighters in all of Northern India. He then settled down for another 5 years to consolidate his rule and build roads. Roads were very important for Jayaprakash who saw them as vital links all throughout his kingdom building an intricate weave of roads all across his domain. In 1458 he invaded the Kingdom of Limbuwan, a formidable power which held all of Eastern Nepal and Sikkim. In a brutal 5 year long war Limbuwan was annexed into his territory. His son, Ratna Malla in the west led a campaign from 1459 into the Baise Rajya and by 1465 after 25 years of grueling conflict the lands of Nepal had been united for the first time after the Maurya Empire days in which the Khas Mallas ruled a united Nepal as a vassal and tributary state of the Maurya Empire.
In 1465, Jayaprakash declared the Kingdom of Kathmandu to be no more and proclaimed the Kingdom of Nepal under the Malla Dynasty. In 21 years of harsh warfare, Nepal stood as a nation from the Kumaon in the west all the way to Sikkim in the east.
Jayaprakash was proclaimed the first ‘Mahadhiraja of Nepal’. Nepal was a peculiar nation to look at in terms of religion and is still today. The country is nominally Hindu with a significant Buddhist minority but in every temple you go you will find a Buddhist gumba, and in every Buddhist monastery you go you will find a small Hindu temple. Because of Buddha being born in Nepal, the Nepalese worshipped both Buddha and Hinduism as one religion. The Buddhists celebrated major Hindu festivals like Krishna Janasthami, Dashain, Tihar, etc and the Hindus celebrated Buddhist festivals like Buddha Jayanti, and Buddha Janasthami. In 1468 with the abundance of Muslim ruling dynasties in India, Jayaprakash proclaimed that Nepal was the ‘Asli Hindustan’ or true Hindu Realm.
Author's note: This is version 0.0001 so its not fleshed out though I would love feedbacks.
After the unification, the country went about on focusing on its economic situation. The country was the bridge and link between Tibet and India and Nepal gained a lot of money through that way. A lot of roadways were built and farming was encouraged in the Terai plains of Nepal.
And thus began the story of Nepal.
