Panchayat (Nepali: पञ्चायत) is the political system of Nepal in effect from 1962 until 1990. It was based on the Panchayat system of self-governance historically prevalent in South Asia.
It was formulated by King Mahendra after overthrowing the democratically elected government and dissolving the parliament in 1960. The Panchayat system was first institutionalized by the 1962 Constitution of Nepal. The political system was a party-less "guided" democracy in which the people could elect their representatives, while real power remained in the hands of the monarch.