Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of interest, the antiquity of humans in Nepal has little geoﾭ
graphical significance.
ANCIENT TIMEs
The Nagas are considered the first known people to settle in
and around the Kathmandu Valley. According to legend, their
king, Banashur, was defeated by Lord Krishna, who established
the Gopala Dynasty. The Gopala were cattle herders who are
believed to have introduced agricultural activities, includﾭ
ing animal husbandry, in the Kathmandu Valley. Bhuktaman
(first) and Yakshya Gupta (last) were the popular kings of this
dynasty. Another groupﾭthe Ahirasﾭlived in this region. The
Ahiras were buffalo herders (Asian buffalo, not to be confused
with the American bison). Many historians believe that they
defeated the Gopala's king, Yakshya Gupta, after which they
ruled for about 200 years.
The Kirat ruled for approximately 1,225 years, from the
eighth century B.C. to about A.D. 300. The powerful tribe came
to Nepal from the TibetoﾭBurman ethnic region of the eastﾭ
ern Himalayas. Several Hindu religious books have described
the Kirat Dynasty and their people; they were known to be
fierce fighters who were experts at guerrilla warfare. Yalamber,
the first king of the Kirat Dynasty, rose to power by defeating
the Ahiras Dynasty.
Aryans, who had migrated northward into Nepal from
India, ruled the country from about A.D. 300 to 1200. The Licﾭ
chavi Aryans became one of the most renowned dynasties in
ancient Nepalese history. The first Licchavi king, Susupta, came
into power by defeating the Kirat king, Gasti. These Aryans
ruled the region until perhaps the eighth century. They are
recognized for their elitism, prosperity, and the flourishing of
culture during their era of control. Advancements were made in
language and writing, and they introduced many social reforms.
The last recordﾭinscribed in Sanskritﾭof the Licchavi Dynasty
