Shah dynasty
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| Shah Dynasty शाह वंश House of Shah Royal House of Gorkha | |
|---|---|
Royal House | |
 | |
| Country | |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Founder | Kulamandan Shah Khad |
| Current head | Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| Final ruler | Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| Titles |
|
Shree Paanch Badamaharajdhiraja | |
| Motto | Bidya Mai Chha Maha Shakti; Karma Mai Chha Supujan (Great power lies in knowledge; Better worship lies in action) |
| Estate(s) | Kingdom of Nepal |
| Deposition | 28 May 2008 |
| Cadet branches | Chautariya family |
| History of Nepal |
|---|
 |
 Nepal portal |
The Shah dynasty (
The Shah dynasty traces their historical ancestor to King of Kaski, Kulamandan Shah Khad, whose grandson Dravya Shah captured the throne of Ligligkot from Ghale Magar king Dalshur ghale Magar with the help of accomplices from six resident clans of Majhkot and Ligligkot. Dravya Shah named his new kingdom Gorkha.
Origins
The Shah descendants claimed to be of Rajput origin.[1] However, they are ranked as Thakuris.[2]
Coronation of Dravya Shah
Dravya Shah was the youngest son of Yasho Brahma Shah, Raja (King) of Lamjung and grandson of Kulamandan Shah Khad, Raja (King) of Kaski.[3] He became the king of Gorkha with the help of his accomplices namely Kaji Ganesh Pandey. He ascended the throne of Gorkha in 1559 A.D. The loose translation of the Nepali work known as the "Wright Chronicle"[4] describes the coronation of Dravya Shah thus:
On Wednesday the 8th of
Rohini Nakshatra (i.e. the moon in the Rohini mansion) being an auspicious day, Drabya Shah aided by Bhagirath Panth, Ganesa Pande, Gangaram Rana, Narayan Das Arjyal, Khanal Bohra and Murli Khawas of Gorkha, concealed himself in a hut. Ganesa Pande had collected all the people of who wore the brahmanical thread such as the Thapas, Busals, Ranas and Maski Ranas of the Magar tribe, they went by the Dahya Gauda route and the Durbar. Drabya Shah killed the Khadka, Raja Mansingh Khadka Magar [note 1] his own hand, with a sword, during the battle ensued. At the same auspicious moment Drabya took his seat on the gaddi, amidst the clash music.— History of Nepal[3]
Absolute monarchy (1768–1846)
In 1743,
Hereditary prime ministers (1846–1951)
In 1846, the
Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)
In 1990, under King Birendra, Nepal became a constitutional monarchy after a mass movement from people forced Birendra Shah to restore democracy.[5]
Massacre of the royal family
On 1 June 2001, some members of the Shah dynasty were murdered in the royal palace. A High Commission report concluded that the royal family was slaughtered by Crown Prince Dipendra. This remains controversial.[6] Among the dead were the Crown Prince's father, King Birendra and his brother, Prince Nirajan. After the attack, Dipendra was in a coma and was declared king for a short time. He died a few days later. Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Dipendra's uncle, took the throne. In February 2005, he dismissed the parliament in order to govern in his own right.
Abolition of the Shah monarchy
On 24 December 2007, Nepal's Provisional Parliament met. It was decided that the monarchy would be abolished in 2008 after the Constituent Assembly elections.[7] The motion enjoyed overwhelming support in the chamber, passing by a 270-vote majority. Of the 329 sitting members of parliament, only three voted against abolishing the monarchy.[8] It was decided that for the time being, Gyanendra would retain his title and continue residing in the Royal Palace, albeit stripped of all political power and authority.[8]
On 28 May 2008, following scheduled elections, the
Gyanendra vacated the palace in Kathmandu which later became a museum. Until they could find permanent accommodation, the royal couple were offered residence as commoners at the Nagarjuna Palace, a former royal summer residence. The Nagarjuna palace lies in forested hills about eight kilometres (five miles) northwest of Kathmandu.[citation needed]
Monarchs of Shah dynasty (1559–2008)
Monarchs of Shah dynasty of Gorkha (1559–1768)
The following is list of all ten kings of Gorkha hill principality.[citation needed]
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dravya Shah
| died 1570 | 1559 | 1570 | Son of Yasho Brahma Shah | Shah | |
Purna Shah/Purendra Shah
| died 1605 | 1570 | 1605 | Son of Dravya Shah | Shah | |
Chatra Shah
| died 1609 (heirless) | 1605 | 1609 | First son of Purendra/Purna Shah | Shah | |
Ram Shah
| died 1636 | 1609 | 1633 (abdicated) | Second son of Purna/Purendra Shah adopted title of Svasti Sri Giriraj | Shah |  |
Dambar Shah
| died 1645 | 1633 | 1645 | Son of Ram Shah | Shah | |
Krishna Shah
| died 1661 | 1645 | 1661 | Son of Dambar Shah | Shah | |
Rudra Shah
| died 1673 | 1661 | 1673 | Son of Krishna Shah | Shah | |
Prithvipati Shah
| died 1716 | 1673 | 1716 | Son of Rudra Shah | Shah | |
Nara Bhupal Shah
| 1697 – 3 April 1743 | 1716 | 1743 | Grandson of Prithvipati Shah and Son of Prince Birbhadra Shah | Shah | |
Prithvi Narayan Shah
| 7 January 1723[citation needed] – 11 January 1775 (aged 52) | 1743 | 25 September 1768 | Son of Nara Bhupal Shah | Shah | |
Monarchs of Shah dynasty of Patan (1761–1765)
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dal Mardan Shah
| ?—? | 1761 | 1765 | Son of Nara Bhupal Shah | Shah |
Monarchs of Shah dynasty of Nepal (1768–2008)
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
| 18 August 1875 – 11 December 1911 (aged 36) | 17 May 1881 | 11 December 1911 | Grandson of Surendra Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
| Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign)
| 30 June 1900 – 13 March 1955 (aged 54) | 11 December 1911 | 7 November 1950 (went into exile) | Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah | Shah | .png) |
| Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign)
| 7 July 1947 | 7 November 1950 | 7 January 1951 (stepped down) | Grandson of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Shah | |
| Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign)
| 30 June 1900 – 13 March 1955 (aged 54) | 7 January 1951 | 13 March 1955 | Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
| 11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972 (aged 51) | 14 March 1955 | 31 January 1972 | Son of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
| 28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001 (aged 55) | 31 January 1972 | 1 June 2001 (assassinated) | Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah
| 27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001 (aged 29) | 1 June 2001 | 4 June 2001 (declared braindead) | Son of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
| Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign)
| 7 July 1947 | 4 June 2001 | 28 May 2008 (deposed) | Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Paternal roots of Shah dynasty
Family tree of the all Shah kings of Nepal (not of previous Gorkha Kingdom) except Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, brother of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah:
Rajendra Rajya Lakshmi Devi )(Thakuri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rana Bahadur Shah | Kantavati Devi (Maithil Brahmin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah | Gorakshya Rajya Lakshmi Devi (unknown) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rajendra Bikram Shah | Samrajya Lakshmi Devi (Rajput) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Surendra Bikram Shah | Trailokya Rajya Lakshmi Devi (Thakuri) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lalit Rajeshwari Rajya Lakshmi Devi )(Chhetri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah | Divyeshwari Rajya Lakshmi Devi (Rajput) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Kanti Rajya Lakshmi Devi (Rajput) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi (Chhetri) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birendra Bir Bikram Shah | Aishwarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi (Chhetri) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
References
Footnotes
Notes
- ^ ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
- ISBN 978-81-85119-39-7.
- ^ a b c Wright 1877, p. 278.
- ^ On the historicity and publication history of the "Wright Chronicle," see pp. 86-92 of Manik Bajracharya and Axel Michaels, "On the Historiography of Nepal: The ‘Wright’ Chronicle Reconsidered," European Bulletin of Himalayan Research 40: 83-98 (2012). [1]
- TheGuardian.com. 9 April 2015.
- ^ "Nepal royal massacre: 'Eyewitness' claims Dipendra innocent". timesofindia. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ "Nepalese monarchy to be abolished." BBC 24 December 2007 Accessed 25 December 2007.
- ^ a b Sharma, Gopal, “Nepal parliament votes to end monarchy”, Reuters, (December 28, 2007). www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSSP27532120071228. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Acharya, Baburam. Shree Panch BadaMaharajdhiraj Prithivi Narayan Shah ko Sanxipta Jiwani, Part I (in Nepali). p. 42.
- ^ Chaudhari, K.C (1960). Anglo-Nepalese Relation. Calcutta: Modern Book Agency Private Ltd.
- ISBN 978-11146-30-72-7.
Books
- Wright, Daniel (1877), History of Nepal, Cambridge University Press
- Hamilton, Francis Buchanan (1819), An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal, and the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha, A Constable
External links
- Royal Court of Nepal Nepalese government website.
- Gregson J. "Massacre at the palace; the doomed royal dynasty of Nepal." 2002.