Shah dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty
of the Kingdom of Nepal.
dynasty of the Narsinghgarh
state in Malwa (Madhya Pradesh, India). The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj. Similarly the Rana dynasty
—Nepal's hereditary prime ministers A.D. 1846-1953—claims descent from the Ranawat clan of Sisodiya Rajput dynasty of Mewar
, Rajasthan
, whose former capital was Chittor and is now Udaipur
. After India became a secular state
in 1950 and retired all its remaining rajahs, Nepal was left the only Hindu kingdom until its monarchy was abolished in 2008 and Nepal also became a republic.
Ajaya Simha declared himself prince of Nuwakot
(Syangja
), Lamjung
, Kaski, and Tanahun
in c. 1495. His successor, Jagdeva, conquered Kaski. Drabya Shah, great-grandson of Jagdeva, conquered Gorkha
and established himself as the founder of the dynasty. Drabya's descendant Prithvi Narayan
entered the Kathmandu valley
and defeated the Malla
dynasty, becoming king in 1768. Prithvi Narayan's successors conquered all the remaining petty principalities and unified the kingdom which at its peak spanned across the Himalayas lap from Tista river in the East to Sutlej river in the West.
. The rulers of neighboring principality of Ligligkot, now in Gorkha
, were Magar people. They had a tradition of choosing a ruler every fall by way of a running match open to everyone. Whoever won the race was to become the ruler for a year. However, Dravya Shahwas not a physically robust man and so tricked his way to the win with the backing of the Bhattarai, Aryal, Adhikari, and Acharya clans of Bahun
. He then did away with the tradition of choosing a ruler every fall. He ruled with an iron fist and executed anyone who suggested the reinstatement of the very tradition of choosing a ruler by which he himself became a ruler. By the time of his death in 1570, Dravya Shah had managed to erase the memory of the tradition of choosing the ruler by way of running a match open to everyone. He was a shrewd politician, and with the backing of the clan of Bahun, he additionally sought the help of the Pant clan of Bahun. He was a totalitarian king who ruled with an iron fist to silence any dissent. He used the power and might of the Magar army to increase the size of the kingdom by including some of the neighbouring states. His successors continued to increase the kingdom's territory.
succeeded to the throne of Gorkha and set out for the unification of Nepal
. By September 1768, he became the King of Nepal.
In 1815 the Gurkha War
broke out between Nepal
and the British East India Company
. By the end of the war in 1816 Nepal had lost one third of its territory.
During the mid-19th century the Shah dynasty lost control of Nepal to the Rana dynasty
, who reduced the King of Nepal to a figurehead while they ruled the country through hereditary government positions.
It wasn't until 1951 that the Shah dynasty regained control with the resignation of Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
, the last Rana prime minister.
turned Nepal into a constitutional monarchy
. Birendra believed in the consensus between the absolute power of the monarchy and open democratic governance. However, it is believed that his brother Gyanendra
and his wife Queen Aishwarya
staunchly opposed this view.
On June 1, 2001, a number of members of the Shah dynasty were murdered in the royal palace. The report produced by the then high Commission formed, concluded that the royal family was slaughtered by Crown Prince Dipendra
, which still remains controversial. Among the dead were the Crown Prince's father King Birendra and his brother Prince Nirajan. Following the death of Birendra, the comatose Dipendra was declared king but only reigned for a few days until his eventual death, at which point his uncle Prince Gyanendra
succeeded him. In February 2005 King Gyanendra dismissed Parliament and took over control of the government.
The Nepalese Constituent Assembly
came to fruition on December 24, 2007 when it was announced that the monarchy would be abolished in 2008 after the Constituent Assembly election
s; and on May 28, 2008, Nepal was declared a Federal Democratic Republic and the dynasty was removed from power.
voted overwhelmingly in favour of abolishing the Himalayan nation's 240-year-old Hindu
monarchy and declaring a republic. In an historic vote that caps a peace deal between Maoist rebels and mainstream parties, passed an order for King Gyanendra
to step down and for his palace to be turned into a museum. The constituent Assembly ordered King Gyanendra
to vacate his Kathmandu palace within 15 days, who ascended to the throne after most of the royal family was massacred in 2001. A senior member of the 601-member Constituent Assembly, Kul Bahadur Gurung, said 560 members voted in favour and just four opposed. The remaining lawmakers were absent. Supporters of the Monarch were found crying while the former royal couple drove away from the Kathmandu palace respecting the verdict of people. This led to an end of the 240 years old institution and Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
remaining as a final Shah ruler in the himalayan nation, Nepal
.
The former royal couple shifted to Nagarjuna Palace — a nationalised palace for their residence. This happened possible when the government decided that the former king would be allowed to stay as a commoner in the summer residence of the former royal family, the Nagarjuna palace, located amid forested hills about eight kilometres northwest of the capital, till he finds suitable accommodation.This was followed by Gyanendra’s
request to the then Home Minister of Nepal. The decision was based on the mutual agreement between the three largest party in the nation namely Nepali Congress
, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
of the Kingdom of Nepal.
The Rajput Lineage
The former royal family of Nepal claims descent from the Parmar RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
dynasty of the Narsinghgarh
Narsinghgarh
Narsinghgarh is a town of historical importance in the Damoh District of Madhya Pradesh in India. There is one ancient fort built by Shah Taiyab in Narsinghgarh. The town Narsinghgarh is situated on Sonar River. Birla group has established one cement factory at Narsinghgarh.-External links:*...
state in Malwa (Madhya Pradesh, India). The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj. Similarly the Rana dynasty
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...
—Nepal's hereditary prime ministers A.D. 1846-1953—claims descent from the Ranawat clan of Sisodiya Rajput dynasty of Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, whose former capital was Chittor and is now Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
. After India became a secular state
Secular state
A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential...
in 1950 and retired all its remaining rajahs, Nepal was left the only Hindu kingdom until its monarchy was abolished in 2008 and Nepal also became a republic.
Ajaya Simha declared himself prince of Nuwakot
Nuwakot
Nuwakot is a village in Nuwakot district of central Nepal. It is the most central settlement in the entire country. Located just 75 km from Kathmandu, this historic town was once the capital of the Valley in the days before the unification of Nepal....
(Syangja
Syangja
Syangja is the headquarters of Syangja District in the Gandaki Zone of Nepal. It is located at 28°4'60N 83°52'0E with an altitude of 1088 metres .At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 8914 people residing in 1884 individual households. -External links:**...
), Lamjung
Lamjung District
Lamjung District of 177,149. Lamjung mainly consists of agricultural villages. The picture on the right is a scene taken in a village called "Kapur Gaun". CHESS Nepal is based in Lamjung District.-Village Development Committees :*Archalebot...
, Kaski, and Tanahun
Tanahu District
Tanahun District of 315,237. Previously the town of Bandipur was its district headquarters.-Coordinates & Location type:*Latitude: 27.91667*Longitude:84.25*Latitude :27° 55' 0 N*Longitude :84° 15' 0 E-Village Development Committees :...
in c. 1495. His successor, Jagdeva, conquered Kaski. Drabya Shah, great-grandson of Jagdeva, conquered Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
and established himself as the founder of the dynasty. Drabya's descendant Prithvi Narayan
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
entered the Kathmandu valley
Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley , located in Nepal, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia, and has at least 130 important monuments, including several places of pilgrimage for the Hindus and the Buddhists. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this valley.-Etymology:The city of...
and defeated the Malla
Malla (Nepal)
The Malla Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Nepal from the 12th to the 18th century. Malla kings of Nepal visited Lumbini in the 11th and 12th century. It was during their reign the people living in and around the Kathmandu Valley began to be called as "Newars" . The Mallas were the ruling clan of...
dynasty, becoming king in 1768. Prithvi Narayan's successors conquered all the remaining petty principalities and unified the kingdom which at its peak spanned across the Himalayas lap from Tista river in the East to Sutlej river in the West.
Beginning of Shah dynasty
In the sixteenth century, Prince Yashobramha Shah of Kaski (son of King Kulamandan Shah) was enthroned in the principality of LamjungLamjung District
Lamjung District of 177,149. Lamjung mainly consists of agricultural villages. The picture on the right is a scene taken in a village called "Kapur Gaun". CHESS Nepal is based in Lamjung District.-Village Development Committees :*Archalebot...
. The rulers of neighboring principality of Ligligkot, now in Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
, were Magar people. They had a tradition of choosing a ruler every fall by way of a running match open to everyone. Whoever won the race was to become the ruler for a year. However, Dravya Shahwas not a physically robust man and so tricked his way to the win with the backing of the Bhattarai, Aryal, Adhikari, and Acharya clans of Bahun
Bahun
Bahun is a colloquial Nepali term for a member of the Pahari or "hill" Brahmin caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. They are also known as Barmu in Newari. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu...
. He then did away with the tradition of choosing a ruler every fall. He ruled with an iron fist and executed anyone who suggested the reinstatement of the very tradition of choosing a ruler by which he himself became a ruler. By the time of his death in 1570, Dravya Shah had managed to erase the memory of the tradition of choosing the ruler by way of running a match open to everyone. He was a shrewd politician, and with the backing of the clan of Bahun, he additionally sought the help of the Pant clan of Bahun. He was a totalitarian king who ruled with an iron fist to silence any dissent. He used the power and might of the Magar army to increase the size of the kingdom by including some of the neighbouring states. His successors continued to increase the kingdom's territory.
Absolute monarchy (1768–1990)
In 1743, Prithvi Narayan ShahPrithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
succeeded to the throne of Gorkha and set out for the unification of Nepal
Unification of Nepal
-Early rulers:Nepal's recorded history began with the Kiratis, who arrived in the 7th or 8th century BCE from the east to Kathmandu valley. Little is known about them, other than their deftness as sheep farmers and fondness for carrying long knives. The Kirats ruled for about 1225 years , their...
. By September 1768, he became the King of Nepal.
In 1815 the Gurkha War
Gurkha War
The Gurkha War , sometimes called the Gorkha War or the Anglo–Nepalese War, was fought between the Kingdom of Nepal and the British East India Company as a result of border tensions and ambitious expansionism...
broke out between Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. By the end of the war in 1816 Nepal had lost one third of its territory.
During the mid-19th century the Shah dynasty lost control of Nepal to the Rana dynasty
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...
, who reduced the King of Nepal to a figurehead while they ruled the country through hereditary government positions.
It wasn't until 1951 that the Shah dynasty regained control with the resignation of Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Field-Marshal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, GCB, GCIE, GBE was the prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal from 30 April 1948 until 12 November 1951....
, the last Rana prime minister.
Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)
In 1990 King BirendraBirendra 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...
turned Nepal into a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
. Birendra believed in the consensus between the absolute power of the monarchy and open democratic governance. However, it is believed that his brother 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...
and his wife Queen Aishwarya
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 :...
staunchly opposed this view.
On June 1, 2001, a number of members of the Shah dynasty were murdered in the royal palace. The report produced by the then high Commission formed, concluded that the royal family was slaughtered by Crown Prince Dipendra
Dipendra of Nepal
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 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...
, which still remains controversial. Among the dead were the Crown Prince's father King Birendra and his brother Prince Nirajan. Following the death of Birendra, the comatose Dipendra was declared king but only reigned for a few days until his eventual death, at which point his 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...
succeeded him. In February 2005 King Gyanendra dismissed Parliament and took over control of the government.
The Nepalese Constituent Assembly
Nepalese Constituent Assembly
The Nepalese Constituent Assembly is a unicameral body of 601 members formed as a result of the Constituent Assembly election that was held on April 10, 2008. The Constituent Assembly is tasked with writing a new constitution, and it will act as the interim legislature for a term of two years...
came to fruition on December 24, 2007 when it was announced that the monarchy would be abolished in 2008 after the Constituent Assembly election
Nepalese Constituent Assembly election, 2008
A general election for the Constituent Assembly was held in Nepal on 10 April 2008 after having been postponed from earlier dates of 7 June 2007 and 22 November 2007. The Nepalese Constituent Assembly will draft a new constitution; it will therefore decide, amongst other things, on the issue of...
s; and on May 28, 2008, Nepal was declared a Federal Democratic Republic and the dynasty was removed from power.
Abolishment of the Shah Monarchy
A constitutional assembly in NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
voted overwhelmingly in favour of abolishing the Himalayan nation's 240-year-old Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
monarchy and declaring a republic. In an historic vote that caps a peace deal between Maoist rebels and mainstream parties, passed an order for King 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...
to step down and for his palace to be turned into a museum. The constituent Assembly ordered King 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...
to vacate his Kathmandu palace within 15 days, who ascended to the throne after most of the royal family was massacred in 2001. A senior member of the 601-member Constituent Assembly, Kul Bahadur Gurung, said 560 members voted in favour and just four opposed. The remaining lawmakers were absent. Supporters of the Monarch were found crying while the former royal couple drove away from the Kathmandu palace respecting the verdict of people. This led to an end of the 240 years old institution and Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
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...
remaining as a final Shah ruler in the himalayan nation, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.
The former royal couple shifted to Nagarjuna Palace — a nationalised palace for their residence. This happened possible when the government decided that the former king would be allowed to stay as a commoner in the summer residence of the former royal family, the Nagarjuna palace, located amid forested hills about eight kilometres northwest of the capital, till he finds suitable accommodation.This was followed by Gyanendra’s
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...
request to the then Home Minister of Nepal. The decision was based on the mutual agreement between the three largest party in the nation namely Nepali Congress
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress is a Nepalese political party. Nepali Congress led the 1950 Democratic Movement which successfully ended the Rana dynasty and allowed commoners to take part in the polity. It again led a democratic movement in 1990, in partnership with leftist forces, to end monarchy and...
, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Nepal , also known as CPN-UML, CPN, is one of the largest communist parties in Nepal. It was created on January 6, 1991 through the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal...
and Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
See also
- Kingdom of Nepal
- List of monarchs of Nepal
- Line of succession to the Nepalese ThroneLine of succession to the Nepalese throneThe line of succession to the Nepalese throne was determined by absolute primogeniture. This meant that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender inherited the throne. In 2006 the Nepalese government proposed adopting absolute primogeniture. The House of Representatives subsequently...
- Nepalese royal massacreNepalese royal massacreThe 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...
- Rana dynastyRana dynastyThe 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...
External links
- Massacre at the Palace; the doomed royal dynasty of Nepal, Gregson, Jonathan, 2002