Reference
A History of Nepal
A concise, reliable history of Nepal from the Gorkha unification to the republic.
Gorkha Kingdom
Kingdom
Level 2
1559 – 1768
Hill kingdom of the Shah dynasty that unified Nepal.
- Capital
- Gorkha
- Region
- Himalaya
- Duration
- 209 years
- Main period
- Mughal Empire
Approximate extent.
At a glance
Move along the chart to read any year; click a ruler or event to open the map there.
Rulers
- Drabya Shah King1559 – 1570Founder.
- Prithvi Narayan Shah King1743 – 1768Began the unification of Nepal.
Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.
Key events
| Year | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 1559 | Drabya Shah founds the Gorkha kingdom | Gorkha |
📚 Recommended reading on the Gorkha Kingdom
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Contemporaries
Powers that coexisted with the Gorkha Kingdom for a significant part of its history. The bar shows when, within its own span.
Sultanate of the Maldives ★
Islands · c. 1153 – 1968
Overlap: 209 years
Malla Dynasty of Nepal ★
Himalaya · 1201 – 1769
Overlap: 209 years
Ahom Kingdom ★
Northeast · 1228 – 1826
Overlap: 209 years
Mewar (Sisodia) ★
West · 1326 – 1949
Overlap: 209 years
Vijayanagara Empire ★
South · 1336 – 1646
Overlap: 87 years
Kingdom of Mysore ★
South · 1399 – 1950
Overlap: 209 years
Kingdom of Kandy ★
Sri Lanka · c. 1469 – 1815
Overlap: 209 years
Portuguese Estado da Índia ★
Coastal · 1505 – 1961
Overlap: 209 years
Mughal Empire ★
North · 1526 – 1857
Overlap: 209 years
British East India Company ★
Pan-Indian · 1600 – 1858
Overlap: 168 years
Maratha Empire ★
Deccan · 1674 – 1818
Overlap: 94 years
Nawabs of Bengal ★
East · 1717 – 1765
Overlap: 48 years
Hyderabad State (Nizams) ★
Deccan · 1724 – 1948
Overlap: 44 years
Zamorins of Calicut
South · c. 1124 – 1766
Overlap: 207 years
Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
West · c. 1128 – 1949
Overlap: 209 years
Jaffna Kingdom
Sri Lanka · c. 1215 – 1619
Overlap: 60 years
Marwar (Rathore)
West · c. 1226 – 1949
Overlap: 209 years
Kashmir Sultanate
North · 1339 – 1586
Overlap: 27 years
Kingdom of Kotte
Sri Lanka · 1412 – 1597
Overlap: 38 years
Ahmadnagar Sultanate (Nizam Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1636
Overlap: 77 years
Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1686
Overlap: 127 years
Bidar Sultanate (Barid Shahi)
Deccan · 1492 – 1619
Overlap: 60 years
Portuguese Cochin
Coastal · 1503 – 1663
Overlap: 104 years
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)
Northeast · 1515 – 1949
Overlap: 209 years
Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)
Deccan · 1518 – 1687
Overlap: 128 years
Madurai Nayaks
South · 1529 – 1736
Overlap: 177 years
Portuguese Bassein & Bombay
Coastal · 1534 – 1739
Overlap: 180 years
Portuguese Diu
Coastal · 1535 – 1961
Overlap: 209 years
Portuguese Daman
Coastal · 1559 – 1961
Overlap: 209 years
Portuguese Hooghly
Coastal · 1579 – 1632
Overlap: 53 years
Portuguese Ceylon
Sri Lanka · 1597 – 1658
Overlap: 61 years
Dutch East India Company (VOC) in India
Coastal · 1605 – 1825
Overlap: 163 years
Dutch Coromandel (Pulicat)
Coastal · 1610 – 1825
Overlap: 158 years
Bhutan under the Zhabdrung (Druk Desi)
Himalaya · 1616 – 1907
Overlap: 152 years
Danish India
Coastal · 1620 – 1869
Overlap: 148 years
Danish Tranquebar
Coastal · 1620 – 1845
Overlap: 148 years
Fort St George, Madras
Coastal · 1639 – 1858
Overlap: 129 years
Dutch Chinsurah
Coastal · 1656 – 1825
Overlap: 112 years
Dutch Ceylon
Sri Lanka · 1658 – 1796
Overlap: 110 years
Dutch Malabar (Cochin)
Coastal · 1663 – 1795
Overlap: 105 years