Place · region

Kathmandu Valley

Also known as Nepal Valley

The Kathmandu Valley is a fertile basin in the hills of central Nepal containing the cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. It was the heart of the Licchavi kingdom from the 5th century and of the Malla kings, whose realm split into three city kingdoms in the 15th century, home to a rich Newar culture. Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha conquered the valley in 1768–1769 and made Kathmandu the capital of the Kingdom of Nepal.

Kathmandu Valley
Image: ISS Expedition 25 crew · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Kingdom of NepalFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, Summary

Mentioned in 8 state histories

Kirata dynastyLicchavi Kingdom of NepalKarnat dynastyMalla dynasty (Nepal)Kingdom of PalpaKingdom of MakwanpurGorkha KingdomKingdom of Nepal

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kathmandu Valley. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kathmandu-valley
MLA
“Kathmandu Valley.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kathmandu-valley. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kathmandu Valley.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kathmandu-valley.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kathmandu Valley’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/kathmandu-valley (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻