How did the Malla dynasty change Nepalese social and legal customs?

During the Malla dynasty (10th–18th century), the approach to governance in the Nepal Valley shifted significantly regarding social and legal structures. Unlike the preceding Licchavi kings, who generally did not impose Brahmanic values on their non-Hindu subjects, the Malla rulers actively integrated these principles into the state framework.12

The most transformative change occurred under the ruler Jaya Sthiti (reigned c. 1382–1395), who introduced the first formal legal and social code strongly influenced by contemporary Hindu practices. This codification established a structured social order that diverged from the more pluralistic policies of earlier eras. These reforms remained a defining feature of the Malla period until the dynasty was eventually overthrown by Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1769.3142