Morang's recorded history begins in the 7th century, when King Mung Mawrong Hang cleared forest in present-day Rangeli, built a town there and named his kingdom Morang after himself (the district infobox gives 'Established: 7th century circa'). Rangeli remained the district headquarters until 1914, when Colonel Jit Bahadur Khatri moved the offices to Gograha Bazaar, laying the foundations of modern Biratnagar; the town was named Biratnagar in 1919 by Keshar Shamsher Rana after ruins of a palace thought to belong to King Virat of Mahabharata fame. On 4 March 1947 the first anti-Rana movement in Nepal began at the Biratnagar Jute Mills under Girija Prasad Koirala and B. P. Koirala, sparking the demonstrations that ended Rana rule. Biratnagar was declared a metropolitan city on 22 May 2017, and today Morang is described as the industrial capital of Nepal and its most ethnically diverse district.
Researched by the ChillNepal team from published sources. Spot something out of date? Tell us from the place's page.
