Rana dynasty

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Rana dynasty
राणा वंश

Ranas of Nepal
Parent familyKunwar family
CountryKingdom of Nepal
Founded1846
Founder Bir Narsingh Kunwar (Jung Bahadur Rana)
Current head
Mohan Shumsher Rana
TitlesShree Teen Maharaja of Nepal, Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski
Motto
"Janani Janmabhumishcha Swargadapi Gariyasi"
Mother and Motherland are superior to heaven
PropertiesRana palaces of Nepal
Dissolution1951
Rana Dynasty

1846–1951 CE
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
 (1948–1951 CE)

The Rana dynasty (

King Tribhuvan.[10]

The Rana dynasty were descended from the

Pande dynasty of Gorkha through the Thapa dynasty.[5]

Origins

Please note that the following genealogy by Daniel Wright was most likely fabricated during the nineteenth century, and there is no historical evidence before that time to back it up.[13]

Chronicler Daniel Wright has published the genealogy of

Chittaurgarh.[4] His nephew Fakht Siṃha Rāṇā had a son named Rāma Siṃha Rāṇā, who came to the hills after the siege of Chittaur.[4] He was employed by a hill Raja for ten or twelve months who wanted to retain Rāma Siṃha in his country. The hill Raja asked for the daughter of the Raja of Bīnātī, a Bagāle Kṣetrī, and married her to Rāma Siṃha.[4] They had six sons over 10–12 years, one of whom was recognized by the title of Kum̐vara Khaḍkā for bravery displayed in the battle against Raja of Satān Koṭ.[4] The title was used by his descendants. Rāma Siṃha was suddenly met by his younger brother who requested him to return Chittaur for once, and Rāma Siṃha died reaching there.[14] The hill Raja made Rāma Siṃha's son Rāut Kunwar a nobleman (Sardār) and commandant of the army.[14] Ahirāma Kunwar, a son of Rāut Kunwar, was invited by the King of Kaski and was made a nobleman with a birta or jagir of Dhuage Saghu village.[14] The King of Kaski asked for the hand of Ahirāma's daughter, who was a great beauty, through only Kalas Puja, to which Ahirāma replied to give his daughter only through lawful marriage.[14] The King brought his troops and tried to take on the village by force.[14] Ahirāma was supported by the villagers belonging to the Parājulī Thāpā caste and a war was initiated.[14] On the same day, Ahirāma took his immediate family including two sons namely; Ram Krishna Kunwar and Jaya Krishna Kunwar, to the King of Gorkha, Prithvi Narayan Shah where the lands of Kunwar-Khola were given to them as birta.[15]

John Whelpton opines that the Kunwar origin legend which states that the first of their ancestors to enter the hill married a daughter of Bagale Kshetri might have directed their family links to Bagale Thapa, the clan of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa.[16]

The Rana dynasty descended from Kunwar Kumbhakaran Singh, younger brother of

Khas language and attempted to disassociate from their Khas past.[19] Also, many historians are of the opinion that ruling families in Nepal often claim Indian Rajput descent for political purposes.[20] The Ranas claimed the Vatsa gotra.[2]

Historical background

Further information: Kunwar family
Sardar Ram Krishna Kunwar, prominent male ancestor of Ranas of Nepal

The founder of this dynasty was

Pande dynasty by their maternal grandmother Rana Kumari Pande who was daughter of Mulkaji Ranajit Pande.[5]

Rise of Jung Bahadur

Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, founder of Rana dynasty

Bal Narsingh's son Kaji

Mathabar Singh Thapa.[23] On 17 May 1845 around 11 pm, Mathabar Singh was summoned to the royal palace and was assassinated in a cold blood by Jung Bahadur on the royal orders.[23] He was considered to have been merciless, ruthless and fatal due to his association with Mathabar Singh.[23] Jung Bahadur was made a Kaji (equivalent to minister) after following the order of assassination of Mathabar.[11]

On the night of 14 September 1846, Queen

Henry Montgomery Lawrence stated that there were 32 Bharadars (courtiers) killed in the massacre.[36]

Kot massacre episode

When Jang Bahadur refused the Junior Queen's request to place Prince Ranendra in the place of Crown Prince

grand-uncle Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa.[12]

Rana Regime; Rule of Jang

After the massacres of Kot and Bhandarkhal, the

Banaras. Similarly, some citizens had gone to settle in Nautanwa and Bettiah. Chautariya Guru Prasad Shah too had gone to live with the King of Bettiah. After knowing about the presence of the King and the Queen in Benaras, Guru Prasad went there and started to congregate an army and a plan to execute Jung Bahadur started to be formed.[38]

Battle of Alau

On 12 May 1847, Jung Bahadur gave a speech in

Simraungadh, not too far from Alau. The battle of Alau was a decisive one between the forces of King Rajendra and Jang Bahadur. The King lost significantly in the battle. If the massacre of Kot had established Jung Bahadur as a dictator, the battle of Alau had helped him strengthen his dictatorship. Rajendra was imprisoned in an old palace in Bhaktapur.[38]

Rise to royalty

On 15 May 1848, a Lal Mohar (Red sealed document) was issued claiming descent from

Ranas of Mewar and authorizing the Kunwar family of Jang Bahadur to style themselves as Kunwar Ranaji.[40] On 6 August 1856, Jang Bahadur Kunwar (now Ranaji) was conferred the title of Maharaja (Great King) of Kaski and Lamjung, two former hill principalities, by King of Nepal, Surendra Bikram Shah.[41]

Rana Regime; Rule of the Shamshers

Bir Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, the first Shumsher Rana ruler

In 1885, the Shumsher family, the nephews of

Jang Bahadur to their name, although they were descended from Jang's younger brother Dhir Shumsher.[5]

Kunwar family tree

Ram Krishna Kunwar
Ranajit Kunwar
Bal Narsingh KunwarBalaram KunwarRewant Kunwar
Bhakta Bir Kunwar
Dhir Shamsher Kunwar

Rana Prime Ministers

Nine Rana rulers took the hereditary office(s) of Prime Minister, Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Grand Master of the Royal Orders. All were crowned as the Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski.

Succession

Succession to the role of the Prime Ministers and the title of Shree Teen Maharaja of Nepal and Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski was by agnatic seniority, by which the oldest male heir among the sons of equal (a-class) marriages in a generation would succeed. The order of succession was determined by seniority, with each eligible male heir holding a military command, as follows:

  1. Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief (Mukhtiyar the Heir Apparent, with the rank of Field Marshal).
  2. Western Commanding-General.
  3. Eastern Commanding-General.
  4. Southern Commanding-General.
  5. Northern Commanding-General.

Notable Rana members

Other notable connected members

Gallery

  • Major-General Vishnu Shamsher Rana and wife
    Major-General Vishnu Shamsher Rana and wife
  • Commanding General Babar Shumsher Rana and family
    Commanding General Babar Shumsher Rana and family
  • Dhir Shamsher Rana and sons make up Shamsher Rana dynasty
    Dhir Shamsher Rana and sons make up Shamsher Rana dynasty
  • Chandra Shamsher and sons
    Chandra Shamsher and sons

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. Pande dynasty of Ranajit Pande.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ Dor Bahadur Bista 1991, p. 37.
  2. ^ a b Sharma Baral 1964, p. 111.
  3. ^ Regmi 1975, p. 90.
  4. ^ a b c d e Wright 1877, p. 285.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-99933-39-91-5
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-7735-7130-3. Archived
    from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  7. ^ Dietrich, Angela (1996). "Buddhist Monks and Rana Rulers: A History of Persecution". Buddhist Himalaya: A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  8. ^ Lal, C. K. (16 February 2001). "The Rana resonance". Nepali Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  9. ^ "The Rana reign | Nepali Times Buzz | Nepali Times".
  10. ^ Kraemer, Karl-Heinz. "Democratization and political parties in Nepal". Harvard University. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e Joshi & Rose 1966, p. 30.
  12. ^ a b c Acharya 2012, p. 11-12.
  13. ^ Whelpton, John (August 1987). "The Ancestors of Jang Bahadur Rana: History, Propaganda and Legend" (PDF). Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 14 (3): 162, 163 – via SOCANTH Himalaya, Cambridge University.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Wright 1877, p. 286.
  15. ^ Wright 1877, pp. 286–87.
  16. ^ Whelpton 1991, p. 36.
  17. ^ Rana, Prabhakar S. J. B.; Rana, Pashupati Shumshere Jung Bahadur; Rana, Gautam S. J. B. (2003). "THE RANAS OF NEPAL".
  18. ^ "Ranas Of Nepal". 2003.
  19. ^ Richard Burghart 1984, pp. 118–119.
  20. ISBN 978-81-7024-847-7
    .
  21. ^ Acharya 2012, p. 177-178.
  22. ^ a b Pradhan 2012, p. 193.
  23. ^ a b c d Adhikari 1984, p. 27.
  24. ^ Hamal 1995, pp. 180–181.
  25. ^ Hamal 1995, p. 181.
  26. ^ Pradhan 2012, p. 13.
  27. ^ a b Acharya 2012, p. 67.
  28. ^ Nepal 2007, pp. 62–63.
  29. ^ Pradhan 2012, pp. 27–28.
  30. ^ a b Pradhan 2012, p. 28.
  31. ^ Acharya 2012, pp. 68–71.
  32. ^ Nepal 2007, pp. 63–64.
  33. ^ Acharya 2013, pp. 137.
  34. ^ Acharya 2013, pp. 137–145.
  35. ^ Joshi & Rose 1966, pp. 30–31.
  36. ^ Stiller 1981, pp. 304–306.
  37. ^ Jung, Padma (1909). Life of Maharaja Sir Jung Bahadur Rana. Allahabad. pp. 88.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  38. ^
    ISBN 9789994630721
    .
  39. ISBN 978-81-7303-087-1
    .
  40. ^ Whelpton 1991, p. 253.
  41. ^ Whelpton 1991, p. 192.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links
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