Dipendra of Nepal
Encyclopedia
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001) was a member of the Nepalese Royal Family, who briefly reigned in coma as King of Nepal from the 1st of June to the 4th of June, 2001. The official report submitted by the investigation team formed by the local government tells that, as the Crown Prince, he killed his family at a royal dinner
on 1 June 2001, including his father King Birendra
. The report also states that Dipendra was also mortally wounded by a self-inflicted gunshot to the side of the head. After the murder of his father, he officially became king for three days as he lingered in a coma before dying.
, Kathmandu. He also studied at Eton College
in England. After Eton, he attended Tribhuvan University
in Nepal and later joined the Military Academy, Kharipati. He studied for his master's degree at Tribhuvan University
and was a PhD student in the same University. He was known to have been skilled in karate
.
, daughter of Pashupati SJB Rana a member of the Rana
clan, against whom the Shah family of kings have a historic animosity. In recent times, though, Shah kings and princes have married almost exclusively members of the Rana family. The Rana clan had served as the hereditary prime ministers of Nepal until 1951 under the title 'Maharaja
', and the two clans have a long history of inter-marriages.
Dipendra's uncle, Prince Gyanendra
, is often accused of arranging the murder of all the competitors to the throne. He quickly issued an official statement claiming that the massacre had been the result of an automatic weapon accidentally misfiring. Gyanendra then appointed 2 men to investigate the massacre. According to this official account, Dipendra was denied his choice of a wife by his mother Aiswarya
, and so he massacred his family in a much-publicised incident after indulging in a drinking binge. Among the dead were his father King Birendra
, mother, brother, and sister. Dipendra survived comatose for three days, and was proclaimed King in his hospital bed. He died of his injuries on 4 June and was succeeded by Prince Gyanendra.
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Nepalese royal massacre
The Nepalese royal massacre occurred on Friday, June 1, 2001, at a house in the grounds of the Narayanhity Royal Palace, then the residence of the Nepalese monarchy, when the heir to the throne, Prince Dipendra killed nine members of his family and himself. However, it hasn't been proven that...
on 1 June 2001, including his father King Birendra
Birendra of Nepal
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a King of Nepal. The son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded in 1972, he reigned until his death in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre...
. The report also states that Dipendra was also mortally wounded by a self-inflicted gunshot to the side of the head. After the murder of his father, he officially became king for three days as he lingered in a coma before dying.
Education
Dipendra received his early education at Budhanilkantha SchoolBudhanilkantha School
Budhanilkantha School, often referred to as BNKS, is a public boarding school in Nepal. It was founded by King Birendra in 1972.It located in Narayansthan, eight kilometres north of Kathmandu on the beautiful foothills of Shivapuri mountain...
, Kathmandu. He also studied at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
in England. After Eton, he attended Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University [त्रिभुवन विश्वविध्यालय] is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest of the five universities in Nepal...
in Nepal and later joined the Military Academy, Kharipati. He studied for his master's degree at Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University [त्रिभुवन विश्वविध्यालय] is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest of the five universities in Nepal...
and was a PhD student in the same University. He was known to have been skilled in karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
.
Motive for murder
Official reports state that Dipendra assassinated family members because of anger over a marriage dispute. Dipendra's choice of a bride was Devyani RanaDevyani Rana
Devyani Rana was the prospective fiancée of the Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal. She is the daughter of Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana and Usharaje Scindia, of the Gwalior royal family...
, daughter of Pashupati SJB Rana a member of the Rana
Rana dynasty
The Rana dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1953, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other government positions hereditary...
clan, against whom the Shah family of kings have a historic animosity. In recent times, though, Shah kings and princes have married almost exclusively members of the Rana family. The Rana clan had served as the hereditary prime ministers of Nepal until 1951 under the title 'Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
', and the two clans have a long history of inter-marriages.
Dipendra's uncle, Prince Gyanendra
Gyanendra of Nepal
Gyanendra Shah was the last King of Nepal. During his life, he has held the title of the King twice: first between 1950 and 1951 as a child when his grandfather Tribhuvan was forced into exile in India with the rest of his family; and from 2001 to 2008, following the Nepalese royal massacre.King...
, is often accused of arranging the murder of all the competitors to the throne. He quickly issued an official statement claiming that the massacre had been the result of an automatic weapon accidentally misfiring. Gyanendra then appointed 2 men to investigate the massacre. According to this official account, Dipendra was denied his choice of a wife by his mother Aiswarya
Aiswarya
Aishwarya Rajyalaxmi Devi Shah was the Queen of Nepal from 1972 to 2001. She was the wife of King Birendra and the mother of Crown Prince Dipendra, Prince Nirajan, and Princess Shruti.- Biography :...
, and so he massacred his family in a much-publicised incident after indulging in a drinking binge. Among the dead were his father King Birendra
Birendra of Nepal
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a King of Nepal. The son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded in 1972, he reigned until his death in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre...
, mother, brother, and sister. Dipendra survived comatose for three days, and was proclaimed King in his hospital bed. He died of his injuries on 4 June and was succeeded by Prince Gyanendra.
See also
- List of shortest reigning monarchs of all time
- History of NepalHistory of NepalThe history of Nepal is characterized by its isolated position in the Himalayas and its two neighbors, India and China.Due to the arrival of disparate settler groups from outside through the ages, it is now a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multilingual country...
- RegicideRegicideThe broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
, patricidePatricidePatricide is the act of killing one's father, or a person who kills his or her father. The word patricide derives from the Latin word pater and the Latin suffix -cida...
and fratricideFratricideFratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
External links
- Murder and intrigue in Katmandu (World Tibet News Network)
- Nepal: Murder in Palace, Maoists in Mountains (RWOR)
- Trapped in tradition (Frontline:India's National Magazine)
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