IlisTouv. Various ruling dynastic: from a re mote period are given in the native literature, hut the first authentic mention of a ruler—An euvarnm of Thakuri dynasty—is made by Bitten Tsang. the Chinese Ituddlakt pilgrim, who visited Nepal in the seventh century. In 1324 the country was invaded and oeeupied by Hari sinha-deva. Raja of Simraungarh. his tory be!this in 17GS with its conquest by the turklms, who originally were driven from Flajp0 tuna by the :Mohammedan invasion. Gurkha ag gressions of Tibetan territory in 1790 led to their defeat by China, and the limitation of their northern boundary. In 1Sl4. by way of reprisals, the British invaded the country. but were de feated; the following year, however, advancing on lihatmandu, they obtained favorable conditions of peace and the establishment of a British Resi dency at the capital. By the assassination of his uncle in 1845, and by the stmt massacre of his opponents in the following year, Jung Bahadur, a colonel in the army, became Prime Minister and nominal ruler. flaying firmly established him self in power, he visited England in 1850, and after his return the fruits of his journey were exhibited in the wise reforms that he introduced.
During the Indian Mutiny of 857 he rendered valuable assistance to the British and was hand somely rewarded. He died in 1877 and was succeeded by his brother, who also resorted to wholesale executions to maintain his ascendency, and ruled until 18S5, when he was murdered at the instigation of fir Shamsher Jang, now Prime Minister and father-in-law by two daughters. of the reigning Maharaja. Pirthivi fir Bikram, who was born in 1875 a ml ascended the throne in IS'S].
Bthhtomm-111% Hodgson, Colonization of Nepaul (Calcutta, 1857) ; id.. Essays on the Language, Literature, and Religion of Nepaul and Tibet (London, 1874) ; Wright (ed.). History of Ne paul (Cambridge, 1877) ; Oldfield, Sketches from. Xepaul, Historical and Descriptive (ib.. 1880) ; Itunter, Imperial Gazetteer of India, vol. x. (ib., 1886) ; Bend all, of Literary and ..l rehfr °logical Research in Nepal (ib., 18861: Vansit tart, Notcs on Sepal (Calcutta, 1S951; Italian tine, On India's Frontier, or Nepal (New York, 1896) ; Waddell, _4 many the Himalayas (London, 1SOS : Boeek. Darek !Julien ins verschlossene Land Nepal (Leipzig, 1903).