KATHMANDU:  Nepal Sambat, which has national recognition, is slightly different from the eras (Sambats) prevalent in the world.

Among the prevalent Sambats, some are named after a king, some after a religious leader or other individual, and some are associated with a dynasty or a specific event. Nepal Sambat is the only era that is named after the country itself.

Perusing historical materials reveals that many Sambats were in use in Nepal. Some Sambats are imported, while others originated within Nepal. Historical documents sometimes mention the Sambat with its name, while others mention only the Sambat without a name, and its identification is based on calculation and other facts. For ease of recognition, historians now often mention that certain Sambats began with a particular king. For example, a new Sambat is found to have emerged during the time of the Lichhavi King Amshuverma.

Nepal Sambat is not the first Sambat to have originated in Nepal. Before it, other Sambats are found to have emerged, remained in use for some time, but then a different Sambat would start, beginning again from the day the previous one started.

Nepal Sambat is one of them. In the historical materials found from its early stages, the word ‘Sambat’ alone is used, but later the name Nepal Sambat is explicitly mentioned.

Furthermore, it is also explicitly mentioned as ‘Shankhadhar-created Nepal Sambat,’ clarifying many things.

The commencement of Nepal Sambat by a person named Shankhadhar has been historically confirmed. However, there is no single opinion regarding the reason for its emergence. The most prevalent story in the Kathmandu Valley regarding the commencement of Nepal Sambat is as follows:

At that time, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur were two separate kingdoms. A soothsayer from Bhaktapur saw an auspicious moment when sand brought at a specific time of the night from the stream (Lukhutirtha) that merges into the Bishnumati River in Kathmandu would turn into gold.

The King of Bhaktapur sent laborers to fetch the sand. However, the merchant Shankhadhar of Kathmandu, suspecting a mystery behind the incident of people coming from Bhaktapur at night to fetch sand, paid some money and took the sand, and sent the laborers to fetch more for Bhaktapur. The sand taken to his house at the auspicious moment turned into gold the next day, but the sand taken to Bhaktapur remained ordinary.

It is said that Shankhadhar used the suddenly acquired gold to pay off the debts of the people, freeing them from the burden of debt, and started the Nepal Sambat after getting approval from the then King of Kathmandu, Gunakamadev.

Although the commencement of Nepal Sambat is mentioned in the Gopal Raj Vanshavali, said to be the first chronicle of Nepal, this story is not mentioned. Found only in later chronicles, this story is magical and unbelievable and does not align with historical facts. At that time, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu were not two separate kingdoms.

With the decline of the Lichhavi dynasty’s influence and the absence of significant events due to a lack of a strong central ruler, no historical materials, including inscriptions, were found.

This is why some historians refer to this period as the ‘Dark Age.’ It is a separate matter that in the study of Nepal’s history, the start of Nepal Sambat is considered the end of the ancient period and the beginning of the medieval period.

Even though the story of the sand turning into gold is widely prevalent in society, if it is taken only as an ‘amusing story,’ the question remains: why and how was Nepal Sambat brought into use?

Many arguments and counter-arguments are found in this regard. According to the French scholar Sylvain Lévi, who conducted an in-depth study of Tibet, Nepal was once under the control of Tibet, and Nepal Sambat was celebrated in joy of gaining independence from Tibet.

However, the fact is that no historical evidence is found anywhere to support the claim that Nepal was under the control of Tibet. If it was not under control, the question of independence does not arise. It can, however, be speculated that a certain sequence of events might have been the basis for the claim that Nepal was once under the control of Tibet.

That is, the successor of King Amshuverma (reign 605–621 AD), Udayadev, sat on the throne only for a short time and went to Tibet with his family for asylum. Bhrikuti, the Nepali princess who married the Tibetan King Shrongtsen Gampo (605–649 AD), is the daughter of this same king. Even though Prince Narendradev (643–679 AD) regained his ancestral throne in Nepal with the help of the Tibetan army after the marriage alliance, he could not free himself from Tibetan influence.

This might have led to the narrative that Nepal was once under the control of Tibet. And, it can be speculated that Nepal Sambat might have been initiated in the context of being freed from Tibetan influence in the long run. Whatever the case, due to the lack of conclusive historical evidence in this regard, there is scope for speculation as one prefers.

Although the end of the fiscal year in Nepal nowadays falls in the month of Asar (mid-July), in the Newar society of Kathmandu, the end of the year is on the day of Laxmi Puja, and the start of the new year is the following day, according to the Nepal Sambat tradition. Even though the state has not recognized this traditional fiscal year, there are still Newar merchants who keep their internal accounts traditionally.

Some believe that King Prithivi Narayan Shah replaced the Nepal Sambat with the Vikram Sambat. But the reality is that this king introduced the Shaka Sambat, which was widely prevalent in the Kathmandu Valley and Gorkha, not the Vikram Sambat.

The Vikram Sambat, which was not widely used in Nepal, was implemented by Rana Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher.

Although the Nepal Sambat was neglected at the state level, the Newar community not only upheld it but also continued and promoted it for a long time, and even launched an agitation demanding its national recognition. Finally, it received recognition as a national era in republican Nepal. Although interrupted for some time, Nepal Sambat is the one that has been widely used for the longest period in Nepal’s history.

There was a time when Nepal Sambat was understood only as the era of the Newar community. Discussing it often led to accusations of trying to spread communal views, and ‘Newar Sambat’ was used instead of Nepal Sambat. Due to this influence and the delay in its adoption by other communities, people still wish ‘Nhudanya Bhintuna’ when extending new year greetings for Nepal Sambat, and they do not feel the need to extend greetings to non-Newars. This means that awareness regarding the issue of national identity has not yet fully arrived.