kingdom · South Asia
Thakuri dynasty
Origins
After the Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal faded in the 8th century, the history of the valley is obscure. The Thakuri period is conventionally dated from 879, the start of the Nepal Sambat era, though the founder is uncertain; later chronicles name Raghavadeva and credit Gunakamadeva with founding Kantipur, the city that became Kathmandu.
Rule and society
Royal power was often divided, with rival kings ruling different towns of the valley at the same time. The valley prospered as the main route between India and Tibet, and its monasteries produced many illustrated Buddhist manuscripts, which became important sources as Buddhism declined in India. Shaiva Hinduism, centred on Pashupatinath, and Newar Buddhism flourished side by side, and Newari began to be written.
Decline and legacy
Thakuri rule ended around 1200 with the accession of Arimalla, founder of the Malla dynasty, which ruled the valley until the Gorkha conquest of 1768 to 1769.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
Lineage
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- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Thakuri dynasty. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thakuri-dynasty
- MLA
- “Thakuri dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thakuri-dynasty. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Thakuri dynasty.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thakuri-dynasty.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Thakuri dynasty’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/thakuri-dynasty (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻