prithvi narayan shah essay in nepali language

• Login  /  Register

• Intenet & Communication
• Electronics
• Information Technology
• Data science and AI
• Biotechnology
• Marketing & Sales
• Startups & Business
• Imports & Exports
• Stock & Investment
• Manufacturing
• Religion and Culture
• Hotel and Tourism
• Natural Resources
• Agricultural
• Metals & Mining
• Infrastructure
• Renewable Energy

Join Our Newsletter

Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, updates and special offers directly in your inbox

Prithvi Narayan Shah: Founder of Modern Nepal

Discover prithvi narayan shah, the visionary leader who united nepal, shaped its history, and fostered national unity. uncover his strategies, challenges, and enduring legacy as the "father of the nation"..

Prithvi Narayan Shah, widely regarded as the founding father of modern Nepal, was a visionary leader who played a pivotal role in uniting various small kingdoms into one cohesive nation. This article delves deep into the life, accomplishments, and historical significance of Prithvi Narayan Shah, shedding light on his early years, his rise to power, and the enduring legacy he left behind.

Early Life and Background

Prithvi Narayan Shah, the visionary architect of Nepal's unification, was born in 1723 in the Gorkha Kingdom, which is now part of modern-day Nepal. He hailed from the Shah dynasty, a lineage tracing back to the ancient Malla dynasty of Kathmandu. From a young age, Prithvi Narayan Shah exhibited exceptional qualities of leadership, displaying a profound interest in politics and military affairs.

Growing up in the turbulent political landscape of 18th-century Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah witnessed the fragmentation of the country into numerous small kingdoms, each with its own rulers and interests. The constant conflicts and lack of unity among these kingdoms deeply impacted Prithvi Narayan Shah and instilled in him a resolute determination to bring about a change.

As a young prince, Shah received a comprehensive education that included military training, political philosophy, and diplomacy. His exposure to these various disciplines equipped him with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex political terrain of the time.

Furthermore, Prithvi Narayan Shah was influenced by his family's rich cultural heritage and the history of his ancestors. The Shah dynasty's connection to the Malla dynasty, renowned for its patronage of arts and culture, inspired Prithvi Narayan Shah's deep appreciation for Nepal's traditions, language, and diverse ethnic groups.

In addition to his intellectual and cultural upbringing, Prithvi Narayan Shah inherited a kingdom characterized by strategic advantages. Gorkha, his birthplace, was geographically situated in a central location, providing him with a vantage point from which to launch his unification campaign. The region's hilly terrain also played a crucial role in developing the martial skills of the Gorkhali people, who would later become the backbone of his army.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's formative years were marked by a profound understanding of the political, cultural, and geographical aspects of Nepal. This foundation would shape his vision for a unified Nepal and lay the groundwork for his remarkable achievements in the years to come.

By expanding on Prithvi Narayan Shah's early life and background, we can better comprehend the factors that shaped his character, fueled his ambition for unification, and set the stage for his subsequent rise to power.

The Fragmented Kingdoms of Nepal

During Prithvi Narayan Shah's time, Nepal was a land characterized by a fragmented political landscape, with numerous small kingdoms ruling over distinct territories. These kingdoms, including Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Patan, and others, operated as separate entities with their own rulers, armies, and interests.

The fragmentation of Nepal posed several challenges to the overall stability and development of the region. The individual kingdoms often engaged in conflicts and power struggles, leading to a lack of unity and coordination in addressing common issues. This internal disunity made it easier for external forces, such as the British East India Company, to exploit the divisions and exert influence over the region.

Moreover, the fragmented nature of the kingdoms hindered economic growth and hindered inter-regional trade. Each kingdom maintained its own trade policies, creating barriers to commerce and limiting opportunities for economic prosperity.

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the detrimental effects of this fragmented state and understood that the only way to safeguard Nepal's sovereignty and ensure its progress was through unification. His vision extended beyond the narrow interests of individual kingdoms and embraced a broader concept of a unified Nepal that would be strong, self-reliant, and capable of resisting external threats.

By focusing on the unification of Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah sought to consolidate the strength of the smaller kingdoms into a single unified nation. He understood that a united Nepal would be better equipped to defend its borders, assert its sovereignty, and promote the welfare of its people.

Through strategic alliances, military campaigns, and diplomatic negotiations, Prithvi Narayan Shah gradually brought together the smaller kingdoms under his leadership. He navigated the complexities of regional politics, leveraging alliances and exploiting divisions among the rival kingdoms to further his unification efforts.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign was not just a military conquest but also a process of fostering a sense of shared identity and purpose among the diverse communities residing within the territories. He recognized the importance of incorporating the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity of Nepal into a cohesive national identity, thereby creating a sense of unity among the people.

Rise to Power

Prithvi Narayan Shah's ascent to power marked the beginning of a new era for Nepal. His journey to becoming the unifying force behind the nation was fraught with challenges and required astute political maneuvering, strategic alliances, and military prowess.

Inheriting the Gorkha Kingdom:

Prithvi Narayan Shah inherited the Gorkha Kingdom from his father, King Nara Bhupal Shah. However, the kingdom itself was relatively small and not a dominant power in the region. Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the limitations of his kingdom and set his sights on expanding its influence.

Strategic Vision:

Prithvi Narayan Shah possessed a visionary outlook and realized the need for Nepal to emerge as a unified nation to counter external threats and ensure stability. He understood the fragmented nature of the region, with numerous smaller kingdoms vying for power, and recognized the inherent weaknesses in Nepal's divided state.

Military Reforms:

To fulfill his vision of a unified Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah implemented significant military reforms. He modernized the Gorkha army by introducing new weapons, training methods, and military strategies. These reforms bolstered the strength and efficiency of his forces, enabling them to engage in successful campaigns.

Diplomatic Alliances:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the importance of strategic alliances with neighboring powers to achieve his goals. He skillfully forged alliances with influential regional entities, such as the Kingdom of Palpa and the King of Nuwakot, to consolidate his power base and gain support for his unification campaign.

Expansionist Policies:

Prithvi Narayan Shah adopted an expansionist approach, systematically annexing smaller kingdoms and bringing them under his rule. His military campaigns extended beyond Gorkha, gradually subjugating territories such as Lamjung, Tanahun, and Kaski. This strategic expansion allowed him to build a strong foundation for a unified Nepal.

Diplomacy and Negotiations:

While military conquest played a significant role, Prithvi Narayan Shah also employed diplomacy and negotiation to further his objectives. He engaged in diplomatic negotiations with regional powers, presenting compelling arguments for a unified Nepal that would benefit all parties involved. His diplomatic skills were instrumental in securing alliances and ensuring the success of his unification campaign.

Enduring Resistance:

Prithvi Narayan Shah faced formidable resistance from various quarters, including rival kingdoms and external forces. However, his strategic acumen, determination, and military strength allowed him to overcome these obstacles. His perseverance in the face of adversity demonstrated his unwavering commitment to his mission of unifying Nepal.

By strategically utilizing military might, diplomatic alliances, and skillful negotiations, Prithvi Narayan Shah successfully rose to power and established himself as the driving force behind Nepal's unification. His rise to power showcased his visionary leadership and set the stage for the transformative changes that would shape Nepal's future as a united nation.

The Unification Campaign

Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign stands as a testament to his unwavering determination and strategic brilliance. This section delves deeper into the major battles, conquests, and diplomatic triumphs that characterized his quest to forge a unified Nepal.

Military Campaigns:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized that military conquest was essential to achieving his goal of unifying Nepal. He strategically planned and executed a series of military campaigns to expand his influence and bring smaller kingdoms under his control. Notable military campaigns include:

Conquest of Nuwakot:

Annexation of kathmandu valley:, eastern conquests:, diplomatic maneuvers:.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's success in the unification campaign was not solely reliant on military conquests. He skillfully employed diplomatic maneuvers to gain strategic advantages and neutralize potential threats. Key diplomatic strategies include:

Treaty with Tibet:

Innovative tactics:.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's military campaigns were not solely dependent on sheer force. He implemented innovative tactics to outmaneuver and defeat his opponents, including:

Psychological Warfare:

Guerrilla warfare:, consolidation of power:.

As Prithvi Narayan Shah expanded his influence, he faced the challenge of consolidating power and integrating diverse regions and ethnicities into a cohesive nation. He implemented several measures to ensure stability and unity, including:

Administrative Reforms:

Cultural integration:.

So, Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign was characterized by strategic military conquests, diplomatic negotiations, and innovative tactics. Through his visionary leadership, he transformed a fragmented Nepal into a unified nation, laying the foundation for the political, social, and cultural development that shaped the country's history. His campaigns and consolidation efforts continue to be revered as a testament to his strategic brilliance and enduring legacy.

Contributions and Reforms

Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification of Nepal was not limited to military conquests. He recognized the need to strengthen the newly unified nation through various reforms and initiatives. This section explores the significant contributions made by Prithvi Narayan Shah to promote stability, development, and cultural preservation in Nepal.

Prithvi Narayan Shah introduced administrative reforms to establish a robust governance system. He centralized power and created a unified administration, bringing together the diverse regions under a single authority. This allowed for better coordination and efficient decision-making, laying the foundation for a more cohesive and organized nation.

Economic Reforms:

Realizing the importance of economic prosperity, Prithvi Narayan Shah implemented measures to boost trade and commerce. He promoted domestic industries and encouraged self-sufficiency, reducing Nepal's reliance on external sources. He established trade routes and improved transportation infrastructure, facilitating the movement of goods and stimulating economic growth.

Social Reforms:

Prithvi Narayan Shah aimed to foster social harmony and unity among the diverse ethnic and religious communities of Nepal. He encouraged cultural exchange and mutual respect, emphasizing the shared heritage of the Nepali people. His policies promoted inclusivity, ensuring the representation and participation of various groups in the nation-building process.

Preservation of Cultural Heritage:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the importance of preserving Nepal's rich cultural heritage. He took measures to protect religious and cultural sites, ensuring their preservation for future generations. Additionally, he promoted the Nepali language, literature, and arts, encouraging the development and promotion of indigenous cultural expressions.

Infrastructure Development:

To facilitate trade, communication, and governance, Prithvi Narayan Shah prioritized infrastructure development. He constructed roads, bridges, and irrigation systems, improving connectivity and enabling economic activities to flourish. These infrastructure projects not only enhanced the living standards of the people but also promoted unity and integration across the newly unified nation.

Patronage of Education and Religion:

Prithvi Narayan Shah understood the significance of education and religious institutions in the development of a nation. He patronized the establishment of schools, monasteries, and temples, providing access to education and fostering spiritual growth. This support for education and religion not only contributed to the intellectual and moral development of the people but also reinforced the cultural fabric of Nepal.

Encouragement of Local Governance:

Prithvi Narayan Shah valued local governance and encouraged the participation of local communities in decision-making processes. He respected the autonomy of smaller regions and appointed trusted representatives to govern them. This approach helped maintain a balance between centralized authority and local autonomy, ensuring a sense of ownership and participation among the people.

By implementing these contributions and reforms, Prithvi Narayan Shah laid the foundation for a stronger and more cohesive Nepal. His vision extended beyond military conquests, focusing on the holistic development of the nation. These initiatives played a crucial role in shaping Nepal's identity, fostering unity among diverse communities, and promoting sustainable progress in various spheres of society. Prithvi Narayan Shah's contributions continue to inspire and guide the nation to this day.

Cultural Preservation and Promotion

Prithvi Narayan Shah's reign was characterized by a deep appreciation for Nepal's diverse cultural heritage. He recognized the importance of preserving and promoting the country's unique traditions, languages, and arts. This section will delve further into Prithvi Narayan Shah's efforts to safeguard and nurture Nepal's rich cultural identity.

Protection of Religious and Cultural Sites:

Prithvi Narayan Shah understood the significance of Nepal's religious and cultural sites as repositories of the nation's history and spirituality. He took proactive measures to protect and maintain these sites, ensuring that they remained accessible to the people of Nepal. Through his patronage, he supported the renovation and restoration of temples, palaces, and monasteries that hold immense cultural and religious significance.

Promotion of the Nepali Language and Literature:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the importance of a unified language in fostering a sense of national identity. He played a crucial role in promoting the Nepali language as a unifying force among the diverse ethnic groups within Nepal. Under his patronage, Nepali literature flourished, with the encouragement of poets, scholars, and writers who composed literary works in Nepali. This support helped in the standardization and popularization of the Nepali language, contributing to the development of a shared cultural heritage.

Patronage of Arts and Architecture:

Prithvi Narayan Shah's reign witnessed a remarkable flourishing of artistic expression and architectural grandeur. He encouraged the creation of sculptures, paintings, and other art forms that celebrated Nepal's cultural traditions. Prithvi Narayan Shah himself was an avid patron of the arts, supporting artists and craftsmen in their endeavors. His patronage also extended to the field of architecture, with the construction and renovation of palaces, forts, and other structures that showcased Nepal's distinct architectural styles.

Preservation of Festivals and Rituals:

Nepal's festivals and rituals hold immense cultural and religious significance, serving as important occasions for communities to come together and celebrate. Prithvi Narayan Shah actively worked towards the preservation and promotion of these festivals, ensuring that they continued to be observed throughout the kingdom. By safeguarding and supporting these traditions, he reinforced the cultural bonds that united the people of Nepal.

Encouragement of Cultural Exchange:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the value of cultural exchange in fostering understanding and unity among different ethnic communities. He encouraged interactions between diverse groups and facilitated the exchange of ideas, traditions, and artistic practices. This inclusive approach promoted a sense of belonging and shared cultural heritage among the people of Nepal, fostering a strong national identity.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's commitment to cultural preservation and promotion played a vital role in shaping Nepal's identity. His efforts to protect religious and cultural sites, promote the Nepali language and literature, support arts and architecture, preserve festivals and rituals, and encourage cultural exchange laid the foundation for Nepal's diverse cultural heritage. Today, his legacy continues to inspire the Nepali people to cherish and celebrate their cultural roots while embracing the spirit of unity that he fostered.

Legacy and Impact

Prithvi Narayan Shah's legacy reverberates throughout Nepal's history, society, and culture, leaving an indelible mark on the nation. His unification of Nepal and the policies he implemented during his reign continue to shape the country's trajectory. Here are some key points that highlight the lasting legacy and impact of Prithvi Narayan Shah:

National Unity and Identity:

Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign brought together diverse ethnic groups, languages, and cultures under one national identity. By establishing a unified Nepal, he fostered a sense of pride and shared heritage among the people. His efforts laid the foundation for a collective Nepali identity that endures to this day.

Political Stability:

Under Prithvi Narayan Shah's rule, Nepal experienced a significant period of political stability after centuries of fragmented governance. By centralizing power and establishing a strong monarchy, he laid the foundation for effective governance and administration. This stability allowed Nepal to focus on internal development and resist external threats.

Territorial Integrity:

Prithvi Narayan Shah's military campaigns resulted in the expansion of Nepal's territorial boundaries. By incorporating various kingdoms and regions, he ensured the territorial integrity of the nation. This expanded Nepal's influence and provided a more secure geopolitical position, protecting the country from potential invasions.

Cultural Preservation and Promotion:

Prithvi Narayan Shah recognized the importance of preserving Nepal's rich cultural heritage. He took significant steps to protect religious and cultural sites, promote the Nepali language, literature, and arts, and foster a sense of national identity. His patronage of religious institutions and encouragement of cultural exchange helped preserve and promote Nepal's unique traditions and customs.

Prithvi Narayan Shah introduced several administrative reforms aimed at establishing a strong governance system. He implemented a centralized bureaucracy and established a network of officials to ensure efficient administration throughout the kingdom. His reforms laid the groundwork for a more organized and efficient administration, contributing to the long-term stability of Nepal.

Inspiration for Future Leaders:

Prithvi Narayan Shah's leadership, strategic brilliance, and determination serve as inspiration for future leaders in Nepal. His visionary thinking, military acumen, and commitment to the welfare of the people provide a blueprint for effective governance and nation-building. His legacy encourages leaders to prioritize national unity, cultural preservation, and development for the betterment of the country.

Commemoration and Honors:

Prithvi Narayan Shah's contributions are commemorated and celebrated in various ways throughout Nepal. His birth anniversary is observed as a national holiday, marked by ceremonies, parades, and cultural events. Monuments, statues, and institutions are named in his honor, further emphasizing his enduring significance in Nepal's history.

Prithvi Narayan Shah's legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Nepal's history and identity. His unification efforts, political stability, cultural preservation, administrative reforms, and lasting inspiration have left an indelible impact on the nation. As Nepal continues to progress and face new challenges, the legacy of Prithvi Narayan Shah serves as a reminder of the power of leadership, unity, and foresight in shaping a nation's destiny.

In conclusion, Prithvi Narayan Shah's vision, leadership, and determination transformed Nepal's fragmented kingdoms into a united nation. His strategic brilliance, military prowess, and commitment to preserving Nepal's culture and heritage continue to inspire generations. Prithvi Narayan Shah's legacy stands as a testament to the power of leadership, unity, and foresight, making him a revered figure in Nepal's history and an influential figure in shaping the nation's identity and aspirations for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who was prithvi narayan shah, what was the significance of his unification campaign, how did he unify nepal, what challenges did he face during his campaign, how did he contribute to the formation of modern-day nepal, what were his major accomplishments as a ruler, how did his unification impact nepal's diverse ethnic groups and cultures, what were his strategies for maintaining national unity, what is his lasting legacy in nepal's history, how is he remembered and celebrated in nepal today, when did prithvi narayan shah pass away, who united modern nepal.

Modern Nepal was united by King Prithvi Narayan Shah. He is considered the architect of a unified Nepal and the founder of the Shah dynasty.

Who was the founder of modern Nepal?

The founder of modern Nepal is King Prithvi Narayan Shah. He ascended to the throne in 1768 and played a crucial role in unifying the various small kingdoms of the region into a single nation, Nepal.

• Prithvi Narayan Shah
• Nepal's unification
• Nepali history
• National unity
• Nepali culture
• Prithvi Narayan Shah's legacy
• Unifying diverse ethnic groups
• Founder of modern Nepal
• Historical figures of Nepal
• Nepal's national identity

Previous Article

Brodox: Revolutionizing the Business Industry in Nepal

Next Article

Nepali Rudraksha: A Symbol of Divine Connection and Protection

What's your reaction.

Anisha Khanal

Related Posts

Mastering Education: Best Online Learning Platforms 2024

Anisha Khanal Dec 10, 2023 0

Illuminating Nepal: The Profound Contributions of Iman...

prajwalol Jan 30, 2024 0

The Gig Economy: Opportunities and Challenges

Swostika Shrestha Feb 2, 2024 0

Financial Literacy in Nepal: An Overview with Latest Statistical...

Bijay Bastola Feb 11, 2023 0

Impact of Social Media on Children: Understanding the Risks...

Anisha Khanal Jan 14, 2023 0

Role of INGOs in Nepal

Alisha Dahal Apr 5, 2023 0

Popular Posts

Top 5 richest person in Nepal

Alisha Dahal May 30, 2023 0

Brain Drain in Nepal: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

Alisha Dahal Jun 23, 2023 0

Industrial Development in Nepal: Importance, Sectors, Challenges,...

Anisha Khanal Feb 10, 2023 0

The Current State of Business in Nepal: Challenges and...

Anisha Khanal Feb 19, 2023 2

Natural Resources of Nepal: Key to Development

Alisha Dahal Sep 12, 2022 3

Recommended Posts

Anurag Bhusal Apr 7, 2024 0

Discover Authentic Nepali Rudraksha at Rudraksha Market

Bhushan Lamsal Apr 5, 2024 0

The Ancient Power of Nepali Rudraksha: A Comprehensive...

Bhushan Lamsal Apr 2, 2024 0

Is AI Boon or a Bane ? AI Good or Bad

Anish Timalsina Mar 30, 2024 0

The Psychology of Decision Making

Bijay Bastola Mar 27, 2024 0

Random Posts

AI is both boon and curse. It depends on the fellow how he's operating ? For some,...

Exploring the Beauty of Langtang Trek: A Himalayan Adventure

prajwalol Jan 28, 2024 0

Nepal, a country nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, is a haven for trekkers...

Discover the significance of industrial development in Nepal and the sectors that...

Nepal's Media Industry: Current Status and Future Prospects

Swostika Shrestha Dec 29, 2022 0

Get an in-depth understanding of Nepal's media industry, including its history,...

Biotechnology in Nepal - A Look at the Development and...

Anisha Khanal Dec 26, 2022 0

Discover the history and current state of biotechnology in Nepal. Learn about the...

Popular Tags

• personal finance
• Trekking in Nepal
• digital marketing
• cultural heritage

Voting Poll

Dibya Upadesh

Dibya Upadesh also known as Divya Upadesh means the collection of teachings or life experiences expressed by Prithvi Narayan Shah when he neared death after the Unification of Nepal .

Dibya Upadesh in its literal meaning stands for “celestial counsel or divine teachings”. It was imparted by Prithvi Narayan Shah around December 1774 A.D.

The most prevalent Edition of Dibya Upadesh in circulation in Nepal was edited by Yogi Naraharinath and Baburam Acharya.

• 1.1 On His Childhood
• 1.2 On Treaty with Lamjung
• 1.3 On Diplomacy and Marriage
• 1.4 On Foreign Relations
• 1.5 On Laws and Regulations
• 1.6 On Nationalism
• 1.7 On Kathmandu Valley
• 1.8 On Trade
• 1.9 National Security
• 1.10 Civil Service
• 2 Political Context of Dibya Upadesh
• 3 Importance of Dibya Upadesh

Features of Dibya Upadesh

Dibya Upadesh is characterized by the life lessons learned by Prithvi Narayan Shah and the guidelines he established while unifying and governing Nepal through decades of observation, analysis, and interpretation.

On His Childhood

According to the text, Prithvi Narayan Shah was born along with five siblings and three mothers. When he attained 14 years of age, his Father declared that he would be married to Princess Indra Kumari who was the daughter of Hemkarna Sen, the King of Makwanpur .

However, P.N. Shah was denied the princess because of the low economic standards of Gorkha .

It was then Prithvi Narayan Shah dreamt of uniting various small kingdoms into one. He envisioned being the ruler of Bhaktapur , Patan , and Kathmandu .

He was also assured by an astrologer that his ambition to become the King of Nepal would come true. Then, he returned to Gorkha with the determination to expand his territories.

On Treaty with Lamjung

When Prithvi Narayan Shah expressed his interest in attacking Makwanpur, his maternal brother advised him to quickly deal with the Kingdom of Lamjung. He put forward the analogy that if Kathmandu was the Frog and Gorkha was the Snake then Lamjung was the Eagle.

Then, he met King Ripumardan Shah of Lamjung and attempted to conduct a Treaty of Mutual Peace and Friendship alongside Kalu Pandey .

On Diplomacy and Marriage

Prithvi Narayan Shah favoured Biraj Bhakti to serve as Kazi of Gorkha but the People desired Kalu Pandey and hence, he chose Kalu Pande in the position of Kazi according to the text.

He also initiated a diplomatic marriage between the daughter of Kalu Pandey and the son of Shiva Ram Singh Basnet. He termed the union to symbolize the Shield of Pandey and the Sword of Basnet.

On Foreign Relations

The Father of Modern Nepal has envisioned Nepal as a gourd or yam caught between two stones. He outlined his approach to Foreign Relations as guided by Mutual Friendship and Equitable Balance of Power.

He stated the need to maintain a strong friendship with the Emperor of China in the north meanwhile being cautious and prepared against the British Company Government.

Prithvi Narayan Shah understood the threat faced by Nepal in the Chure Hills and the invaders it could lure. Therefore, he suggests securing the strongholds of Chure and identifying the weak defense lines of Nepal.

He also suggested using Natural Forts such as Shivapuri, Mahadevpokhari, Chandragiri, etc. to defend against external threats.

On Laws and Regulations

Prithvi Narayan Shah acknowledged the rules and regulations propounded by King Ram Shah of Gorkha , King Jayastithi Malla of Nepal , and King Mahendra Malla of Kathmandu .

He proposed establishing laws with Caste Hierarchy as its basis and a strategic regulation to close western and eastern routes.

On Nationalism

Prithvi Narayan Shah propounded that Nepal was a garden of people from all castes and backgrounds living with a shared identity. He proposed that Nepal was united under 4 Main Castes and 36 Ethnic Groups. Moreover, he considered Nepal to be the True Hindusthan.

Additionally, he promoted honesty within Nepal while advocating against the Death Penalty or harsh execution against his subjects.

He also propounded that giving and receiving bribes are the primary enemy of the Nation and when caught doing so must have their property confiscated or even executed.

On Kathmandu Valley

He duly notes some observations on the people of the Kathmandu Valley whom he believed to be more centered on activities of enjoyment, and leisure and lacking in wisdom and bravery.

The King was surprised by the differences in lifestyle of the People of Gorkha and the Kathmandu Valley. Therefore, he planned to build houses and shelters for the personnel from Gorkha in Dahachowk, a hill in Thankot Kathmandu.

The King has also advised Foreign Traders to be restricted from entering Nepal. He promoted the wearing of simple handmade clothes and trained local weavers to promote domestic products and make Nepal capable as well as wealthy.

He devised exporting Nepalese Products and Herbs internationally to earn income and limit the accumulation of excessive wealth among all Public Officials.

National Security

Prithvi Narayan Shah repeatedly mentioned the dedication, passion, and sacrifice of soldiers and the army during his Unification campaign in the text. He argued that Soldiers must be provided with Houses and Paddy Fields so that they could focus on their duties without stress.

He also recommends organizing the Army where a Subedar would command 100 Soldiers.

Moreover, while selecting the armies, caste, and ethnic diversity must be maintained. He proposed recruiting Khas, Magar, Gurung, and Thakuri castes for effective and brave military practice. While selecting the soldiers, they must be ready and willing to sacrifice for the nation.

Civil Service

Finally, Prithvi Narayan Shah devised an administrative Governance where honesty and regulations are the pillars of Civil Service. He advanced the practice of holding senior employees accountable regularly while creating rules and regulations for managing the Government.

He suggested hiring individuals from the Thakuri community in the role of Dittha and the Magar Community in the role of Bichari . For Dharmadhikari , he suggests selecting a knowledgeable Pandit with an understanding of laws and principles of Justice i.e. Dharmashastras.

Political Context of Dibya Upadesh

Dibya Upadesh, according to most historical accounts was written around 1774 A.D. five years after the unification of Nepal. The text itself is the collection of the final thoughts of the King, his reminiscence on Unification, his observation, and his hierarchy of importance for Nepal.

It was written to provide counsel to his future generation of Shah Kings of Nepal to identify the valuable aspects of administering Nepal.

The First half of Dibya Upadesh is mostly dedicated to events, experiences, and observations. First, he states the rejection from the Kingdom of Makwanpur to marry Indra Kumari as the primary source of his ambition to conquer Nepal.

His further discussion with his Maternal Brother and request advice from important individuals set the basis for the Unification campaign whereas putting Kalu Pandey in the position of Kazi was quite an effective decision.

He also visited Bhaktapur for a year and understood the fundamental aspects of the Kathmandu Valley. When he returned he immediately set his eyes on Nuwakot but failed twice before succeeding the third time.

His desire to conquer and defeat the Kathmandu Valley was deeply impacted by his humiliation at the Makwapur Kingdom twice. By 1769 A.D. Shah captured Makwapur, Kirtipur, and the three Kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley technically unifying Nepal.

After dedicating himself to decades of unification campaigns, Prithvi Narayan Shah was insecure about the future of Nepal, the threats of Britishers, and the fragility of the Nepali Army along with the nature of the Nepalese People.

Therefore, Dibya Upadesh revolves around advising the future King ( Pratap Singh Shah and Bahadur Shah ) to ascertain their priorities for the National Prosperity of Nepal.

Importance of Dibya Upadesh

Dibya Upadesh has been considered a pioneering text for Governance in Nepal, often becoming subject to Glorification and Poeticization. Nonetheless, Dibya Upadesh has imparted strategies, techniques, and plans when effectively mobilized could lead Nepal to prosperity and progress.

Its major area of significance has been considered the domain of Diplomacy and International Relations where the Father of Modern Nepal has propounded balancing the two Super-Power while maintaining isolation from Foreign Trade. He has cleverly hinted at increasing exports while decreasing imports.

National Security is another aspect of significance in the Dibya Upadesh. He has hinted at appeasing soldiers to prevent mutiny meanwhile assuring absolute faith and deviation from the Soldiers through appropriate renumeration.

Civil and Judicial Service and Governance have been sufficiently addressed by the Dibya Upadesh. Here, it has been propounded that excess money can harm the honesty and integrity of civil servants. He also detests corruption, a common source of impediment to Modern Day Governance.

Dibya Upadesh, despite its short length, encompasses the key features of Nepali Governance, Foreign Policy, Administration, and National Security in a sui-generic manner through Experience and Observation.

Pokhrel, Aupson. “Dibya Upadesh – the #1 Encyclopedia of Nepali History.” Encyclopedia of Nepali History , 5 Oct. 2023, itihasaa.com/chronicle/dibya-upadesh.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Remembering and Remaking Nepal's Founder: A Visual History of Prithvinarayan Shah

2019, Tasveer Ghar

South Asia has many traditions of nationalist iconography of divine mother figures. In this essay, however, we will focus on the history of visual representation of Nepal’s national founding father, Prithvinarayan Shah (r. 1742–75). While the trope of the nation-as-mother is also present in Nepal, as in the commonly-used metaphor of ‘Nepal Aama’, we suggest that the history of visual representation of Prithvinarayan Shah is a particularly interesting lens through which to examine Nepali nationalism because of the fact that his legacy is highly controversial in contemporary Nepal. The king from Gorkha is hailed by many as the nation-builder (rastranirmata), statesman par excellence, and the symbol of national unity for his role in the territorial unification of modern Nepal in the 18th century. On the other hand, many see him as a ruthless conqueror, a warlord, and an imperialist whose legacy of conquest casts a shadow over Nepali society even to this day. Consequently, images of Prithvinarayan Shah play a key role in ideological and political debates over the Nepali past and future. In this essay, we show that among the various images of Prithvinarayan Shah drawn in different styles and across media in different historical periods, a painting by Amar Chitrakar came to acquire a hegemonic status as the most recognized and reprinted image of the king after the 1960s, becoming a visual trope that represents Nepali national unity under the tutelage of the Shah monarch. This portrait (Fig. 01) continues to circulate widely through print media such as textbooks and newspapers and also through the internet and social media, which allow for many creative manipulations of the image. As we will show, the incarnations of Shah’s image are often used to make political arguments about contested aspects of his legacy, such as the unification of Nepal and the establishment of Nepal as a Hindu state. Finally, we suggest that the nationalist mythology and iconography of Prithvinarayan Shah is linked to the masculinist character of the Nepali state.

Related Papers

Marg Publication, edited by Deepak Shimkhada

Dina Bangdel

Marie Lecomte-Tilouine

The fi xed fi gures of kingship expressed in the rituals, and the fl exible event-and actor-based depictions presented in the " royal " narratives off er two contrasting portrayals of kingship in Nepal. We aim at outlining their internal dynamics, starting with the centralisation of the state (late-18th–mid-19th centuries), through the examination of the major royal ritual and the analysis of a royal chronicle. At the centre of these two realities of the kingdom stands the person of the king. In each confi guration, his puzzling position at the crossroads of several identities raises questions about the agency of this polymorphous personage in the functioning of the kingdom. This exploration will lead us to fi nally address the gradual simplifi cation of the fi gure of the king over time, which culminated in the straightforward and opposite statements foreshadowing his end, as either an incarnation of Vishnu or as an anachronistic authoritarian and demonic being.

Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz

The goddess Svasthani's textual-ritual complex is one of Nepal's most popular traditions, celebrated 'in every Hindu household in Nepal'. Yet, despite her ubiquity and popularity, Svasthani is nearly invisible both within and outside of her own tradition. This article examines the elusive identity of this local goddess in an effort to understand where and in what form Svasthani is and is not found and what this tells us about the politics of gender, location, iconography, and Hindu identity in Nepal. I argue that Svasthani gradually transforms from an invisible, private, unfixed, indeterminate goddess into a visible, public, fixed, specific, and local protector of place. In seeking to locate Svasthani within both the pan-Hindu pantheon and Nepal's regional divine and human populations, we are able to see the complexities of coming into being, of being female in Hindu thought and practice, and of being Hindu in medieval and modern Nepal.

Veronique BOUILLIER

in "Gender, Caste and Power in South Asia", ed. JP Neelsen, Delhi 1991

David Gellner

This lecture traces some of the ways in which Nepal has been imagined, starting over 1500 years ago when the name referred to the Kathmandu Valley ruled by the Licchavi dynasty. That spatialised hierarchical conception (‘Nepal mandala’) is contrasted with later ideas of Nepal as interface, empire, nation-state, and multicultural federal republic. At each stage, Nepal has been imagined as made up of different kinds of people. In the modern period formal and official categorisations have become increasingly egalitarian and, recently, even explicitly antihierarchical. Since 1990, ethnic identities have been massively transformed and politicised. Entirely new ‘macro categories’ have come into existence. However, the old order has not simply disappeared, but remains ‘back stage’, reworked; it can be discerned in informal but still powerful hierarchies of language and national belonging.

Annex 2: Chronology

Andrea de la Rubia

The research work Modern Art of Nepal (1850-1990). Picturing a Nation, Performing an Identity consists in an historical reconstruction, and critical analysis, about the process of development of the avant-garde aesthetics in Nepalese art, promoted over the last centuries as a visual means of communication for the cultural definition of the Himalayan Kingdom and its national identity.

Sacred Kingship in World History: Between Immanence and Transcendence, eds A.A. Moin & A. Strathern

Nepal was proud to label itself ‘the world’s only Hindu kingdom’ from 1960 to 2007. In 1990 the central place of the monarchy both in the country’s constitution and in its understanding of itself was, for most people, still utterly taken for granted. Yet just 17 years later the country became a republic. The chapter examines the two main steps taken to ensure that ex-King Gyanendra was not able to project himself as a king in the public sphere: (1) removing him from his role in prominent festivals and replacing him by the president; (2) converting the Narayanhiti Royal Palace into a museum.

Pratyoush Onta

South Asian Popular Culture

Michael Baltutis

RELATED PAPERS

Jesus Salinas

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

abubakar muhammad

Optics Communications

International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics

Zahid Al-mandhari

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology

Sandra Fernández

Malaria journal

Mamadou alpha Diallo

Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences

Filomena Cianciaruso

Revista Brasileira de Biociências

Ana Paula Guedes Frazzon

Journal of Environmental Management

Chaithanya Madhurantakam

New Forests

santiago Lozada

Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales y del Ambiente

Francisco José Zamudio Sánchez

The International Journal of Health Planning and Management

Somasundaram Arumugam

Wood Material Science & Engineering

Noora Viholainen

Luisa Marquez

Optics and Lasers in Engineering

Emam Z Omar

Bhanu Kiran

Ingeniería e Innovación

OSCAR MANUEL DUQUE SUAREZ

Luis Fernando Zelada Briceño

British Journal of Dermatology

Francesca Prignano

Zbornik Matice srpske za prirodne nauke

Mila Grahovac

Botanica Serbica

Journal of Dental Research

Clifton Carey

ASEG Extended Abstracts

Fatma Nurten Sisman

Eszterházy Károly Katolikus Egyetem Líceum Kiadó eBooks

gabriella daroczi

Journal of Geodynamics

Miroslav Bielik

See More Documents Like This

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Prithiwinarayan Shah, Nepal’s Unification And His Contributions

Whether a book of this sort on the father of nepal is indeed a bold move for a foreigner in nepal. the pages of the history of nepal already bear the mark of too many foreign misunderstandings over simplifications., by ludwig f. stiller.

Prithwi Narayan Shah stepped onto the stage of Nepal history at a time when the whole Indian subcontinent was in ferment. The sap of the Mughul Emperor had dried up, and the leaves were withering on the branches. Rot had set in, and there was not lack of those who were prepared to seize the advantages such as collapses presented. The Maratha in the west, the schemes of Haider Ali in the south and not least of all relentlessly growing influence of the British Factory at Kalighat (Calcutta), all were more than sufficient to shred the peace of the land. If, in addition to these, one were to take into consideration the efforts of individual petty rulers to carve out confusion is the result. This was the situation in India at the time when Prithwinarayan Shah entered into Nepal’s history.

In Nepal things were hardly different. To west of the Kathmandu Valley, nestled in tiny valleys formed by the great ridges of the high Himalayas and the lesser wrinkles thrown up in the earth crust by the inner Himalaya, lay two core and more of petty kingdoms, dividing the lands and the loyalty of the people of what is now modern Nepal. In the Karnali region, the kingdoms were known under the collective title of Baise Rajyas. Of these, we know little, particularly nothing beyond the title. The Kingdoms of the Gandaki area, the Chaubise Rajas, are little better known. But any attempts to demarcate there principalities will prove, at the present, a takes of domed to frustrations. A few facts can be sketched of several of these. The rest lies in the darkness of the past- a darkness, one might and that has until the presently stubbornly refused to yield in the interest and research of historians.

The situation of the Kathmandu Valley is somewhat better. A great deal is known of this area and of the political evolution of the kingdom that were there at the time of the political evolution of the kingdom that were there at the time of Prithwinarayan Shah. It would be unpardonably rah to assert that the history of the area is an open book. It is far from that. Many an obscure point remains to be clarified. But a great deal of hard work has been done in the field and the results are encouraging.

The plan of the first chapter will be to sketch out in more detail the three divisions mentioned above; the situation in the Chaubise and Baise areas and that inside Kathmandu Valley at the time of Prithwinarayan Shah

Prithwinarayan Shah was the son of Narbhupal Shah was the son of Narbhupal Shah, the King of Gorkha. His mother was Kaushalya Devi, the second queen of Narbhupal Shah and the daughter of King of Palpa, Gandarbhan Sen. Narbhupal Shaha’s eldest queen Chandraprabhavati , was childless, but she it was who actually raised Prthiwinarayan Shah and formed him. After Narbhupal Shah’s attempt to capture Nuwakot ended in failure, he lost all interest in the affairs the kingdom. His eldest queen Chandraprabhavati, saw the danger to which Gorkha as thus exposed which its King holding himself aloof from the affairs of state, and took the care of government into her own hands. Not only this, but she also began to associate Prithwinarayan Shah in the problem of government. It was thus that Chandraprabhavati not only raised Prithiwinarayan Shah as a boy, but first introduced him to the complex task of government.

It is evident, then, that Chandraprabhavati had a profound influence on Prithwinarayan Shah, an influence which certainly exceeded that which his own mother exercised over him. Though there are some disagreements among the authors about the actual date of Prithiwinarayan Shah’s birth, it seems fairly certain that he was born in January 1723. Regmi and Bhandari both agree on the Nepali date Pausa 27, 1779 B.S.

Whether a book of this sort on the father of Nepal is indeed a bold move for a foreigner in Nepal. The pages of the history of Nepal already bear the mark of too many foreign misunderstandings over simplifications. With a graduate student at the Tribhuwan University in Kathmandu, I was confronted at every turn with with the perplexities caused by well-intentioned but, at times, erring foreign writhers of our history.

It should be understand, then, from the very outset of this office that I am most willing to be corrected when I err and that my aim in this work is simply to search for the historical truth. I say that at the very beginning of this book, because I think it is inevitable that the reader will find things in these few pages that will depart from accepted ideas and traditions. This is not meant as an effort at achieving notoriety or a seeking of novelty. It is, I think, the natural result of the fact that I bring to this work a different background and different attitudes than those of many who are engaged in the work of research into the history of Nepal here in Kathmandu.

This difference in background and attitudes could lead to some useful insights, it seems to me, but at the same time this very difference on the part of those scholars with whom I have had the pleasure of working. Where at times I strike closer to the truth, I freely acknowledge and gladly so- my indebted to the History Department of Tribbuwan University, where the material contained in his book was first accepted as thesis.

I have elected to confine my study of Prithwinarayan Shah to the policies enunciated in his Dibya Upadesh. a document too little know and too little appreciated.

Excerpts of late Stiller’s book Prithiwinarayan Shah in the light of Dibya Upadesh.

More on National

Latest Magazine

VOL. 17, No. 16, March.29,2024 (Chaitra,16. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75

VOL. 17, No. 15, March.10,2024 (Falgun,27. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75

VOL. 17, No. 14, February.23,2024 (Falgun,11. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75

VOL. 17, No. 13, February.09,2024 (Magh,26. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75

• WishesinEnglish
• Birthday Wishes
• Hindi Wishes Shayari
• Nepali Wishes Shayari
• Write for us
• Happy Nepali New Year 2081

Unification Campaign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah On The History Of Nepal

[ Prithvi Narayan Shah on Nepal History ] Get here some information, and facts about Nepal’s history related to Prithvi Narayan Shah and His unification campaign in the history of Nepal. We have posted here short biography of King Prithivi Narayan Shah and the unification of Nepal.

Introduction about Prithvi Narayan Shah

The responsibility for establishing Greater Nepal comes to a single person titled Prithvi Narayan Shah whose bravery and perspective was the primary justification behind the unified Nepal that we are living in today. He was the first child of King Narabhupal Shah and Queen Kausalyawati.

He had a dream of conquering all the little empires and creating a bigger country that he never gave up and was determined to satisfy. He had all the qualities required to be a good leader and king from when he was just a small child.

Wrestling and swimming always captured his curiosity, and in his adolescence, his bravery was no less than it was in his youthful era or even in his ancient era. It is stated in scripture that his household priest Gorakhnath also got a gift (he will overcome the ground on which he walks). He reached Gorkha’s crown at the era of 20 after his father’s suicide in 1799 BS.

After reaching the crown, his first job was to coach his troops and begin the method of extending his kingdom’s land. He invaded most of the adjacent states and established partnerships with the Kings of Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan), and Bhaktapur, the three primary towns.

Advertisement

Nuwakot was the ideal location from a commercial point of perspective, and Kathmandu Valley also relied on Nuwakot for commercial reasons. He invaded Nuwakot but was unable to overcome it in the first moment and effectively captured the empire in his second effort. He enjoyed so much Kathmandu’s lovely valley so he wanted to overcome it. He attacked Kirtipur for the first time but was defeated twice and lost one of Kalu Pandey’s bravest chiefs of the army.

However, he didn’t offer up and in his fifth effort, he effectively conquered the realm. After that, in Indrajatra’s time, his goal switched over to Kathmandu and effectively assaulted it in 1825, then Patan and then Bhaktapur went on the roster.

Although he had established friendship (Mit) relationships with Bhaktapur’s ruler, the bond did not prevent him from fighting, instead letting him either withdraw or flee his Mitjiu from there.

He switched his focus to the Eastern and Western empires after conquering these empires. He effectively expanded his land to Darjeeling, now in India, and he dropped ill while preparing an assault on Sikkim.

His illness deteriorated and at the era of 56, he passed. Although he spent most of his time expanding his territory, in his Divya Upadesh (Divine Advice) he also set the guidelines for governance, nationalism, and foreign policy. He set out nine values that shaped the basis of the political and domestic lives of Nepal.

In his search to expand his land, he was determined, and he did not take any kind of relationships severely but used them exclusively to fulfill the objective. Regardless of how harsh or rigorous Prithvi Narayan Shah was, it was this brutality and his bravery that enabled him to satisfy his desire to merge the little empires and establish a larger Nepal.

Birth of Prithvi Narayan Shah

About a year ago he instantly climbed to Gorkha’s crown after which he wed Kausalyavati Devi, Gandharva Sen’s sister, Palpa’s King. No kids were conceived during either reign of Nara Bhupal Shah which led him to meet two palace princesses, Buddhimati and Subhadramati.

King Prithvi Narayan Shah was born as the eldest son of King Narabhupal Shah and his second wife Queen Kaushotyawati in the Shah dynasty of Gorkha on 11 January 1723 (27 Poush 1779 B.S.). He grew up under the love, care, and supervision of the eldest Queen Chandrapravawati.

Yet subsequently a baby was conceived on the deadline B.S. from Queen Kausalyavati Devi in 1779. The name of the kid is Prithivi Narayan Shah. The Queens ‘ oldest, Chandra Pravawati, took full charge of him.

She taught him the Ramayan, Mahabharat, diplomacy, and politics. He was clever and courageous from his early childhood. He got horse-riding, archery, and sword-fighting training when he was a young boy.

Knowledge and education of Prithvi Narayan Shah

From a very young era, Prince Prithivi Narayan Shah demonstrated his greatness. His schooling started with a suitable celebration at the era of five. At that moment, Mokchyeshwor Aryal and Bhanu Aryal were provided the duty to teach him. They were the Upadhyayas who served as astrologers in the palace, where they were also called Jyotish or Jaisi.

Although the Gurus supplied his primary education, Queen Chandra Pravawati took on the obligation to develop his personality. It is said that seeing the Prince of nearby countries indulged in excessive enjoyment by Tanahun, Lamjung, and Kaski, Chandra Pravawati held Prithivi Narayan Shah free from pleasurable and false activities.

That’s why in his later life there is no trace of pleasurable activities and distraction. As a consequence, virtuous characteristics like bravery, diligence, and a favorable personality evolved in him from a youthful era.

He became interested in the politics of the state of his father from a youthful era and quickly started to assume these duties. Prithivi Narayan Shah had a premature vision of conquering Nuwakot, partly because in a previous battle his dad left it to the Kathmandu Mallas.

After his father’s suicide in 1743, at the era of 20, Prithivi Narayan Shah climbed to Gorkha’s crown. As a monarch, he appreciated his individuals and liked discussing their overall issues with his subjects.

This exercise assisted him to create a relationship with his individuals and assisted him comprehend Gorkha’s residents ‘ demands. King Shah closed his boundaries and preserved a serene climate except for the British who at the moment refused to trade with Nepal.

In a Hindu household, Prithvi Narayan Shah was raised. After becoming the correct leader of Kathmandu, he started to follow all rigors of his strategy of excluding and expelling the Europeans.

Nepal ejected the Capuchin missionaries who had previously resided in Nepal and had effectively converted individuals and also acquired the territory from the Malla Kings. He called Nepal the real’ Hindustan.’ He recommended the Nepalese people never abandon the elders ‘ traditional religion.

Economic policy

Prithvi Narayan Shah emphasized the importance of local manufacturing. He was of the concept in his Divya Upadesh that if overseas traders join Nepal they would clean up the nation. In the same sense, he proposed a rejection of carrying overseas dresses and also encourages local people’s instruction in weaving dresses.

He thought that this would not allow local riches to extend out of the nation. He urged Nepali herbs to be sold to overseas soil and brought home to the nation the riches thus achieved. He wished the cash to stay in the nation as well.

Foreign policy

Prithvi Narayan Shah regarded the state of Nepal to be a yam between two rocks relating to north China and south to the Emperor of the Seas.’ He proposed Nepal should have a strong relationship with China indefinitely. However, about the British strategy in the South, he suggested maintaining friendliness but advised of their shrewdness as well.

He said,’ The East India Company is currently forcefully occupying Hindustan. If the Hindustanis wake up then they will arrive here (East India Company) in pursuit of secure castles. Therefore, Prithvi Narayan Shah connoted his troops at suitable places to be ready and to construct obstacles and castles.

Defense Policy

The construction of castles was emphasized by Prithvi Narayan Shah. He regarded Nepal’s territory as a real fort built by God Himself. He suggested building one strong fort on each, Shivapuri, Phulchowki, Chandragiri, Mahadevpokhari, Palung, Daapcha, and Kaahule, and placing in each of them a ready state cannon.

Prithvi Narayan Shah also proposed the construction of iron doors at the Zhanjiang and the positioning of guns in each of those gates, each in a prepared state, which he thought would maintain the nation secure from spies, refugees, assassins, etc.

Unification Campaign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah on the History of Nepal

He became the king of Gorkha in 1799 at the age of 20. Prithvi Narayan Shah became the king of Gorkha at the age of 20 in 1799 BS. He was a brave, courageous, ambitious, and far-sighted King. He was given proper training and education by his elder mother, Chandraprabhawati.

He had known from his early childhood that a nation would be weak if its king and his subjects indulged in pleasure and luxury. His teachers Bhanu Aryal and Maheshwar Patna had made him trained in the art of horse riding, archery, and sword fighting. He was interested in politics and diplomacy and had an interest in conquering other countries since his days as a prince.

When Prithvi Narayan Shah became the King, the political environment in the region was not very favorable. The smaller principalities were fighting against one another and the British Empire was expanding. In such a situation, he wanted to expand Gorkha and at the same time foil the evil design of the British by uniting the small kingdoms into a viable nation.

With this in mind, as soon as he ascended the throne, he set foot on the task of expanding the Gorkha Rajya, which led to the unification of Nepal. Had he not done this, the divided principalities would have fallen to British rule.

Prithvi Narayan Shah is known as the founder of modern Nepal. He marked the beginning of the modern period in the history of Nepal . Before him, there were many small principalities in what we have today, modern Nepal.

He laid the foundation of the unification of modern Nepal by conquering the Malla rulers of the Kathmandu Valley: Kantipur, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. He defeated major principalities and unified them under his rule. He moved the capital of his Gorkha Kingdom to Kathmandu in 1769.

He was able to conquer most of the states in modern-day east Nepal and some of the principalities or kingdoms of Baise Rajya, and some of the 24 kingdoms (the Chaubasi Rajya), which were two sets of allies west of the King’s homeland of Gorkha, in what is now called western Nepal.

In the later years, his able son, Bahadur Shah, daughter-in-law, Rajendra Laxmi, and Gribanyuddha Bikram Shah completed his unification campaign. The unification campaign was completed in three phases.

Nepal History: Unification Campaign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah

Phase 1: Prithivi Narayan Shah conquered, Nuwakot, Makawanpur, the Kathmandu Valley, and most of the states of Eastern Nepal.

Phase2: Rajendra Laxmi Shah and Bahadur Shah conquered and annexed most of the smaller Chaubisi and Baisi states of Gandaki and Karnali regions.

Phase3: During the reign of Girbanyuddha Bikram Shah, Bhimsen Thapa annexed the state of Palpa into Nepal.

Expansion of empire

There was a maximum of 54 countries in Nepal before the unification movement of Prithivi Narayan Shah. There were three Sen countries in the South-East Terai: Makawanpur, Bijayapur, and Chaudandi. There were 24 countries in the West, ranging from Gorkha to Gandaki Province.

There were 22 countries with kingdoms of Kalyan, Samael, Shahi, and Chand in the region of Karnali. Bhaktapur, Kantipur, and Lalitpur, together with Gorkha and Mustang, formed the following five countries.

When in 1743 A.D. Prithivi Narayan Shah had climbed to Gorkha’s crown, it was still a tiny state. Then he began to contemplate the techniques for turning Gorkha into an enormous and powerful state. He came to Varanasi to obtain a first-hand understanding of neighboring countries and southern India.

During those days, Varanasi was one of India’s big trading centers where individuals from various locations came together. He encountered various kinds of individuals and acquired a useful understanding of the Indian Sub-Continent’s political and social situation. His father-in-law Abhiman Singh, a Rajput chief, got some firearms and a lot of ammunition for him in Varanasi.

Unification Campaign Started by Prithvi Narayan in the History of Nepal

Prithvi Narayan’s father Narabhupal Shah was also a brave and wise king. He wanted to expand the territory of Gorkha. He invaded Nuwakot but was badly defeated. Prithivi Narayan Shah was an ambitious person. He wanted to expand Gorkha and foil the evil designs of the British by uniting small kingdoms into viable nations.

Hence, as soon as he became the king, he attacked Nuwakot to continue the task started by his father. But he too was defeated as he had not made proper preparations. At that time, Nuwakot was under Kantipur. The Gorkhali troops weren’t much familiar with the geography of Nuwakot. They also lacked sufficient arms and ammunition.

History of Nepal: First Unsuccessful Invasion and  Conquest of Nuwakot

Nuwakot, which was the main trade route to Tibet, and a granary of food, was under Kantipur. Prithivinarayan Shah tried to capture Nuwakot first time in 1800 BS.

His first effort at Nuwakot’s annexation succeeded in 1743 CE and his rule started with an instant army victory. It was crucial for unity to conquer Nuwakot as it lies between Kathmandu and the Gorkha District, rendering it a vital trade route to Tibet.

Prithivi Narayan Shah first made measures on his back from Varanasi to Gorkha to overcome Nuwakot in the diplomatic arena. He made a good partnership with Lamjung, Tanahun, and Palpa’s leaders. That was accomplished, from three angles, Prithivi Narayan Shah sent a military against Nuwakot.

Knowing that Gorkha will invade them in the close future, Nuwakot’s chief had gone to get assistance from Kantipur’s ruler Jaya Prakash Malla. Thus, the Nuwakot military depicting his dad was ordered by his brother Jayant Rana. Significantly crushed the Nuwakot military in 1744 CE, his nation fell into the fingers of the Gorkhas of Prithivi Narayan Shah.

At that time, Jayanta Rana was the Umarao (Governor) there. He was the Commander of the Gorkhali Army when Prithvi Narayan’s father, Narabhupal Shah attacked Nuwakot. When the attack failed, he was made responsible for it. So he defected and joined Jayaprakash Malla, King of Kantipur. Then Jayaprakash Malla had made him the Chief or Umrao of Nuwakot.

In this first invasion, Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar was the commander of Gorkhali troops. After encamping near Khinchet, when he was waiting for an opportune moment to cross the overflowing Trisuli River, Prithivinarayan Shah sent yet another troop under the command of Maheswar Panta and Bali Pandey to attack Nuwakot.

The Gorkhali troops were defeated. This opened the eyes of Prthivinarayan Shah. He realized that they lacked proper preparation, planning, unity of command, geographical knowledge, intelligence, arms, and ammunition.

Prithivi Narayan Shah was not discouraged from his defeat of Nuwakot. He rather realized that there was a need to improve the overall capability of his military. He started preparing for the second invasion of Nuwakot. He traveled to Banaras and collected arms and ammunition with the help of his father-in-law, Abhiman Singh.

He also got some Muslim experts to make guns and to give military training to his soldiers. It was also important for him to make sure that Gorkha itself wasn’t attacked by other neighboring Chaubise states: Lamjung, Tanahu, Kaski and Parbat, etc. while it was invading Nuwakot. Lamjung was an age-old enemy of Gorkha.

So, he sent Kalu Pandey to Lamjung and other emissaries to other states to establish friendly relations. He brought King Ranjit Malta of Bhaktapur also in his favor. Almost a year later, on 2 October 1744, after completing all necessary military and diplomatic preparations, Gorkha under the leadership of Prithvi Narayan Shah himself invaded Nuwakot from three directions: Kalu Pandey through Gerkhu, Kirti Mahoddam Shah from Dharampani and Prithivi Narayan Shah from the front, Ashokbari in 1801 BS. Nuwakot finally fell into Prithvi Narayan’s hands.

Gorkha got a lot of advantages from this victory:

• The land around  Nuwakot was fertile, which would help to uplift the economy of Gorkha.
• Nuwakot being situated at the higher ground was suitable for defense.
• It was the western gateway to the Kathmandu valley.
• It was on the trade route between Kathmandu and Tibet.
• The conquest of Nuwakot opened the way to the Kathmandu Valley. Gorkha began to control areas around the Kathmandu Valley.

First Attack on Kantipur on Nepal History

After the conquest of Nuwakot Prithivi Narayan Shah occupied the eastern parts of Kantipur: Sankhu, Changu, Naldum, Mahadev Pokhari to Dolakho one by one. The Malta rulers of the Kathmandu Valley were then well aware of the design of Gorkha. To check Gorkha from its adventure, they formed a unified front against Gorkha under the leadership of Jaya Prakash Malta.

Prithvi Narayan Shah was over-excited and encouraged by his victory over Nuwakot He was too eager to conquer Kirtipur, another important place in Kantipur. Hence, on 19 th Jestha 1814 BS, Gorkhali troops launched an attack on Kirtipur.

But, they were badly defeated by the unified forces (about 3000) of Malta kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley. They suffered a heavy loss of life (about 400). Kalu Pandey, a trusted commander was killed. Prithivi Narayan Shah luckily saved himself and f! ed to Nuwakot the same night leaving his troops at Dahachowk.

Conquest of Makawanpur in Nepal’s History

Makawanpur, an important state with fertile  land and a trade route to the south of Kathmandu Valley was, in fact, Prithivi  Narayan Shah’s saturation . After the death of his father-in-law, King Hemakarna Sen, his brother-in-law, Digbondhon  Sen became the King of Makawanpur. Prithivi Narayan Shah hadn’t a good relationship with him from  the outset.

The Gorkhas captured Makwanpur in 1763, one of Bengal’s gateways to Nepal. However, the invasion of Makwanpur caused Prithivi Narayan Shah to collide with Mir Qasim, Bengal’s Nawab.

Then Prithivi Narayan Shah captured Bikram Sen, the ruler of Makwanpur. Another local chief protested to Nawab Mir Qasim about this Kanak Singh and asked for his interference. “As a result of this request, the Nabab himself passed over to send Gurgin Khan back to Patna, who came to close Makwanpur where his entire military was demolished.”

Durgin Khan’s eagerness to demonstrate the power and ability of the soldiers he had disciplined and the artillery he had educated also determined Qasim’s adventure.

The Nepalese gold lust of Gurgin Khan was another source of his earnestness to guide the journey, even though the Nawab counseled against it. Durgin Khan wasted a large number of his people, leaving many weapons holds.

When Prithvi Narayan Shah  imposed an economic blockade against Kathmandu Valley,  Makawanpur  was supplying essential goods to the valley. Makawanpur wanted to side with the kingdoms in the valley.

It was in all respects the most strategically important state. On one hand, it was to be taught a lesson and on the other, the economic blockade was to be tightened. Hence, it became important for Gorkha to conquest Makawanpur at the earliest.

Gorkholi forces attacked Makawanpur on 9 th  Bhadra 1819 BS and conquered it without much fighting. Digbandhan Sen fled to the south and asked for refuge from the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Kasim. Digbandhan Sen wanted to take back his kingdom. So he asked Mir Kasim for military assistance. Some 2500 to 3000 troops were sent to recapture Makawanpur under the command of Gurgin Khan. The Gorkhali forces surrounded them on the 27th Push 1819 BS.

The Muslim forces couldn’t stand against the Gorkhali forces and fled better and skelter. A lot of arms and ammunition were collected out of this battle. Bara, Parsa, Sarlahi,  and Mahottari of the Terai and places around Kathmandu Valley like Dhulikhel, Panauti, Nata, Banepa, etc were also captured. All these made the economic blockade on Kathmandu Valley further effective.

Second Unsuccessful  Over Kirtipur in the History of Nepal

Taking advantage of this situation, Prithivi Narayan Shah once again launched an offensive on Kirtipur in 1822 BS. The Gorkhali troops failed to capture Kirtipur this time also.

They had to suffer a heavy loss of life and property. Prithivi Narayan Shah’s younger brother, After the blunder made in the first Kirtipur offensive, Prithivi Narayan Shah realized that it wasn’t that easy to conquer the Kathmandu Valley. So he decided to use both direct and indirect (diplomatic and military) means to weaken the kingdoms in the valley. He then put an economic blockade on the valley.

The valley lacked essential commodities like salt clothes etc. The blockade caused economic chaos and a crisis in the valley.  Supratap Shah lost one of his eyes in this offensive.

The next approach of Prithivi Narayan Shah was to overcome all the areas around the Nepal Valley, that is, Kathmandu and the adjacent areas, thereby creating an economic crisis in an attempt to make it simpler to overcome the Nepal Valley.

He invaded Kirtipur for the first time, a Patan colony and a diplomatic base controlling the Nepal Valley, but was beaten markedly (1757). He created a tight retreat from the fighting but was murdered by his minister, Kalu Pande. The death of Pande meant a great loss to the Gorkhas and it wasn’t until 1763 that they were able to start the exploration strategy.

After two embarrassing losses, Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded Kirtipur again in 1765. In Kirtipur, on his fifth try, King Prithvi Narayan invaded the old town. The ferocity with which the conquerors dealt with the Kirtipur natives struck terror in the neighboring people’s hearts and facilitated the conquest.

Victory Over Kirtipur

Prithivi Narayan Shah was a man of courage and determination. Instead of being demoralized by the successive defeat of Kirtipur, he was made even more resolute to conquer it at the earliest.

So, to ensure his victory he needed to weaken Kirtipur through strategic maneuvers. He surrounded it from Panga, Chhobhar, and surrounding areas, and imposed a six-month-long blockade.

Even the supply of water was stopped. All these made the life of Kirtipurians very miserable and chaotic. There were fear and anxiety everywhere. They couldn’t even harvest their crops. Such a situation eventually forced Kirtipur to surrender to Gorkha in 1823 BS.

Conquest of the Kathmandu Valley in the Nepal History

The victory over Kirtipur directly led the way to conquer Kantipur and other kingdoms in the valley. On the day of I tndrajatra, 13 th Asoj 1825 L BS, Gorkha launched an offensive attack against  ‘Kantipur from three sides. This attack came an as a big surprise to Kantipur. It wasn’t mentally or otherwise prepared to face this assault. So,  Kirtipur fell to Gorkha without much fighting.

In this course of the event, Patan also surrendered to Pr ithivi Narayan Shah on 24 th Asoj 1825 B5. Both the Kings of Kantipur and Patan, Jaya Prakash Malta, and Tejnarasingh Malta fled to Bhaktapur to seek refuge.

Prithivi Narayan Shah asked the King of Bhaktapur, Ranjit Malla to hand them over to him. But as he refused to do so, GorkhaU forces invaded Bhaktapur on 28 th Kartik 1826 and captured it on 1 st Marga the same year. Thus, Prithivi Narayan Shah’s dream of conquering the kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley materialized.

He planned to hold ownership of the Kathmandu Valley after this. The invasion of all of Nepal by Prithivi Narayan Shah was made simpler by the inner dissensions among the leaders of Nepal. Bhadgaon’s king Ranjit Malla requested the Gorkha Chief’s help because of his quarrel with Patan and Kathmandu’s leaders.

It should also be observed that Prithivi Narayan Shah had earlier earned over Ranjit Malla’s Satbahalyas by agreeing to abandon them with the crown and income to be satisfied with nominal sovereignty over the nation.

Prithivi Narayan Shah got Bhadgaon’s ownership and in 1767 he settled next in Patan. The fast development of the Gorkha dominions and the Gorkha energy development around the Nepal valley put Jaya Prakash Malla, Kathmandu’s chief in a siege state.

Having halted all egress and entry, Kathmandu confronted the risk of being hungry in the application. The valley was sliced off from the outside world entirely and was governed by Shah alone. Having understood that his army alone cannot defeat the Gorkhas, Jaya Prakash requested diplomatic assistance from the English in Bengal to send one of his agents to Patna to beg for help from the East India Company.

East India Company’s agents in Patna sent the signal to Bengal. The English took the chance to give an alert to Prithivi Narayan Shah and chose to dispatch a Jaya Prakash relief mission.

Legend has it that when Prithivi Narayan Shah reached Bhadgaon’s durbar, he discovered the rulers of three cities seated together, laughing together with his friends.

Prithivi Narayan Shah had spoken to Jaya Prakash Malla for a while and then placed his tribute to Ranjit Malla and requested him respectfully to proceed to govern as he had accomplished so far, even though Prithivi Narayan Shah had ruled Ranjit Malla. Ranjit Malla said that by God’s favor Prithivi Narayan Shah had acquired sovereignty and that all he requested, for now, was to be sent to Benaras.

Shah begged him to stay, but his remembrance was new in the presence of the slaves ‘ treachery and he would not assent. Shah gave him the vacation along with the traveling costs.

When Ranjit Malla entered the summit of the Chandragiri Paa, he drew a final look at Nepal and shouted with words in his heart, “The Satbahalyas murdered my child Bir Narsinha and gave me this sadness.” Then he bade goodbye to Taleju, Pashupatinath, and Guhyeshwari, and went to find asylum with Bisweswaranatha and Ganga.

The Gorkhalis battled with Dhulikhel’s individuals for six months. After that, Prithivi Narayan Shah constructed a fort on edge of Chaukot’s southern mountain and gathered a big amount of soldiers. The kajis informed him in consultation with his supporters that it was easy to take tiny towns as the individuals escaped when they heard the assailants ‘ screams, but Chaukot’s village needed unique army abilities.

After that, Chaukot was blocked by the soldiers ‘ review. Some of the individuals escaped through Basdol to Pyuthan, while others escaped to locations there. Narasinha Rai went to Mahindra Sinha Rai and said, “With the help of fifty houses, we cannot deal with the Gorkhalis. The remainder of the individuals escaped, and I came to inform you.

Mahindra Sinha reproached him, charging him with cowardice, saying, “Don’t remain for me but escape with your life. As for me, I will repel all the Gorkhalis ‘ strength, and having gained a wonderful reputation, I will appreciate my ownership in happiness.

If I fail, I will abandon my corpse on the battlefield and receive a residence in heaven through which my children and grandsons will gain happiness. “Then he called his loyal supporters together, who were eager to secure happiness in the next universe, and motivated them.

A serious fight was battled on Jestha’s 6th, which spanned from morning till dusk twelve chairs. Having wasted 131 people, the Gorkhalis withdrew. The fight was revived for fifteen days every day, with no sign being given by the Gorkhalis. A hardly disputed fight was battled on Jeth Sudi’s 6th, which persisted until night’s 14 chairs.

A soldier, standing behind Mahindra Sinha at this moment, murdered him with a khoda and a lance and injured Narasinha with a Kukri in the right knee so he dropped to the floor without any sense. The Chaukotiyas escaped when they saw this, and the village was put on flames.

The Gorkhalis wasted 201 people in this fight, giving a toll of 332 males, with 131 murdered on the previous day. Prithivi Narayan Shah inspected the battlefield the next morning, and seeing the lifeless body of Mahindra Sinha Rai pierced with wounds, he praised his bravery and sent for his family that they might be the relative of such a brave man.

In the palace pantry, they were carried and supplied. Prithvi Narayan Shah moved to Nuwakot after this, having easily captured five towns, namely Panauti, Banepa, Nala, Khadpu, and Sanga.

Nepal History:- Attempt to Conquer Chaubisi

Being highly encouraged by the victory over the valley, Prithivi Narayan Shah sent his forces to capture the Chaubise states. But visualizing the developing situation, the five Chaubisi states: Lamjung, Tanahu, Kaski, Palpa, and Parbat had allied.

They stood united against the Gorkha invasion. The Gorkha troops were badly beaten back. Then Prithvi Narayan Shah held his offensive temporarily beyond River Marshyangdi in the west and focused towards the east.

Conquest of the East

There were Chaudandi and Bijaypur two main Sen states in the east. The Khambuwan an d Limbuwan were autonomous administrative regions under these states. The Gor khali forces conquered Chaudandi in 1830 BS and Bijaypur in 1831 BS.

Both the rulers of Chaudandi and Bijaypur fled to Sikkim. Thus, the whole of Kirat Pradesh including Chaudandi and Bijaypur came under Gorkha rule. During Prithivi Narayan Shah’s western, the eastern boundary of Nepal expanded up to the Tista River.

Facts about Prithivi Narayan shah during the unification

• Prithvi Narayan Shah united Nepal’s main ruler.
• It is attributable to the start of the Unified Nepal movement, to the enlargement of the Gorkha Kingdom.
• He was the king of Gorkha, born as a prince in the Gorkha Kingdom, given to him by the first spouse of King Nara Bhopal shah (Chandra Pravawati). However, his biological mom was Kasaulyavati Devi.
• At the era of twenty, he went to Gorkha’s crown.
• King monarch secured his boundaries and kept a safe environment apart from remote ties with individuals, at the moment the organization of the United Nations refused to trade with the Kingdom of Nepal.
• It was crucial for unity to conquer Nuwakot as it lies between Kathmandu and the Gorkha District, rendering it a vital trade route to Tibet.
• He got ownership of the strategic places in the mountains around the Kathmandu Valley after seizing Nuwakot.
• Following his invasion of the Kathmandu Valley, Prithvi Narayan Shah acquired other narrower regions west of the valley to maintain the impact and power of British rule in other lesser fiefdoms close to his Gurkha state.
• He created Kantipur the headquarters of the extended nation recognized as the Kingdom of Gorkha by King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah after his empire spread from north to west.
• Ultimately, King Prithvi Narayan belonging to Shah was willing to seize and incorporate small principalities into Gorkha.

Untimely Death of Prithivi Narayan Shah

Prithivi Narayan Shah was not only a King and an able administrator but also a tireless warrior himself. He physically led his troops in many of the battles Gorkha fought. He had a dream of a unified, greater, and more powerful Nepal. He wanted to resume his efforts to expand his kingdom towards the best as soon as possible.

Ultimately, King Prithvi Narayan belonging to Shah was willing to seize and incorporate tiny principalities into Gorkha. This extension was essential because the British colonial powers had already started colonizing the tiny empires that makeup India today.

Shah was persuaded that his realm would eventually be approached by British powers. He thought that the British would readily conquer 50 tiny principalities as a portion of their policy of imperialism. The expansion of his reign created it harder for the British armies to travel.

His quest for development was very imaginative, particularly as he was the ruler of a comparatively tiny country encircled by strong neighbors.

At the era of 52, in January 1775, Prithvi Narayan Shah perished on his birthday at Devighat, Nuwakot . He suddenly fell ill and died an untimely death on 1 st Magh 1831 BS at Devighat, Nuwakot at 52 years. His brother, Pratap Singh Shah, followed him when he died, and his older brother, Bahadur Shah, preceded his unification campaign.

He always wanted to keep his subjects happy, united, and strong. He made the people aware of corruption and other unfair activities. His tireless effort helped to unite the  small states into a large country, Nepal.

Prithvi Narayan shah famous quotes or dibya upadesh

अदालतमा पनि ढकुरी जाचि डिस्ढा राख्नु मगर जाचि बिचारि थाप्नु । कचहरि पिछे यक यक पिन्डित राषि शास्त्र बमाेजिम अदालत चलाउनु । Adalat ma pani dhakuri janchi disdha rakhnu, magar chachi bichari thapnu. kachahari piche yak yak pindit rashi shastra bamojim adalat chalaunu. Prithivi Narayan Shah

जाइ कटक नगर्नू र भिकी कटन गर्नु । Jai Katak Na garanu ra jhiki katak garanu. Prithivi Narayan Shah

दुनिया जसदेखि रजि रहन्छ, उसैलाइ नै काजि दिनु । Duniya jas dekhi raji rahanchha, usailai nai kaji dinu. Prithivi Narayan Shah

प्रजा माेटाे भए दरबार बलिया रहन्छ र राजाका भन्डार भनेकाे रैथानहरू हुन । Praja Moto bhaye darbar baliya rahanchha ra raja ko bhandar bhaneko raithane haru hun. Prithivi Narayan Shah

घुस लिन्या र दिन्या दुबै दाेषी हुन । Ghus linya ra dinya dubai doshi hun. Prithivi Narayan Shah

म भन्दा माथी मेराे देश, म भन्दा प्याराे मेराे देश Ma bhanda Mathi Mero desh, Ma Bhanda Pyaro Mero desh Prithivi Narayan Shah

“मेरा साना दुखले आर्ज्याको मुलुक होइन यो चार बर्ण छात्तिश जात सबैको साझा फूलबारी हो सबैलाइ चेतना भया । “ – “This is not the nation gained by my trifle efforts, this is the garden of all kinds of flowers, and may all be aware of this.” Prithivi Narayan Shah

Emailed and Written by Rijendra Maharjan & Anil Sharma, Kathmandu

Related Posts

Anton valeryevich sibil – the way to success.

Is Amitabh Bachchan the Greatest Bollywood Actor of all Time?

King Birendra Shah Who Faced Unexpected Royal Massacre Death – A Complete Biography

Biography Of Yug Kabi Siddhicharan Shrestha, Poet of The Era Of Nepal

Lekhnath Paudyal (लेखनाथ पौड्याल) – Biography of Kabi Shiromani, The Master Figure in Nepali Literature

Gopal Prasad Rimal – What Things You Need To Understand About Nepali Poet’s Factful Biography

• Privacy Policy

© 2023 Wishes, Messages, Travel, Lifestyle, Tips in English, Hindi and Nepali Mount Everest. Legal Support by Quotes .

• Travel, Information And Lifestyle Blog For Nepal & Nepalese People

Press ESC to close

Or check our popular categories..., unification of nepal & biography of prithvi narayan shah, introduction:, prithvi narayan shah biography: .

Prithvi Narayan Shah was the son of King Narbhupal Shah and Queen Kausalyavati of Gorkha, a small mountainous state in Nepal. He was born on Thursday 27, Poush 1779 BS. 

From his childhood, he was very brave, bright, intelligent, and hardworking. From the beginning, he was given the knowledge of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and later Sukraniti. He also excelled in archery, swordplay, and horse racing. 

His first marriage was to Princess Indra Kumari of Makwanpur. When he had to travel between Gorkha and Makwanpur. He took a good look at the topography of the valley and its economic condition. At that time, people from 1,200 households in Gorkha did not have enough food or money for six months. That is why he thought of conquering the prosperous and prosperous Kathmandu Valley. 

Prithvi Narayan Shah, who arrived in Kathmandu in 1798 BS, delivered the Pagari brought on behalf of the Gorkha Palace to King Ranajit Malla of Bhaktapur. After learning that he went to Changunarayan, Pashupati, and Guheshwari while returning to Gorkha. King Jayaprakash Malla of Kathmandu took him to the palace and befriended him. 

His first marriage was to Indra Kumari, daughter of King Hemkarna Sen of Makwanpur in 1794. As Makwanpur was a powerful state at that time, marriage was solemnized for political purposes. However, Hemkarna Sen later expressed his inability. His second marriage was to Narendra Laxmi, daughter of Abhiman Singh Rajput of Kashi. Pratap Singh Shah and Bahadur Shah were born to Narendra Laxmi.

Coronation of Prithvi Narayan Shah

After Narbhupal Shah’s death in 1799 BS, he became King of Gorkha at the age of 20. Before becoming king, he had studied the political life of the Kathmandu Valley well. As  Prithvi Narayan  Shah wanted to conquer the Kathmandu Valley and the eastern region, he joined forces with his powerful opponent, King Ripumardan Shah of Lamjung. In 1799 BS, a treaty was signed saying that if the two states succeeded in capturing Argha from Kaski, they would give the wood to Kaski.

Unification Campaign led by Prithvi Narayan Shah:

First attack on nuwakot.

To realize Father Narbhupal’s dream of unification. In 1800 B.S., under the leadership of Biraj Thapa Magar and Maheshwar Pant, invaded Nuwakot. But, the Gorkhalis were defeated at Nuwakot. Faced with defeat at the Battle of Nuwakot,  Prithvi Narayan  Shah went to Vanaras to collect the necessary weapons. 

He travelled to Kashi for his father Narabhupal to achieve virtue. And he changed the tribe from his Bhardwaj tribe to the Kashyap tribe. At the same time, he made a treaty with King Hari Shah of Jajarkot, who had gone on a pilgrimage, to expand the kingdom.

Second Attack on Nuwakot

Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Nuwakot for the second time in 1801 BS under the command of Kalu Pandey. This time, all the Gurkha youths between the ages of 12 and 20 were armed. And the number of soldiers exceeded 1,000. Some of these soldiers were brought to Nuwakot as farmers. 

After that, Kalu Pande sent a letter to Jayant Rana. Who was stationed in Nuwakot Raksha, saying that there was no other good for him except meeting him in Gorkha? However, Jayant Rana arrived in Kathmandu and demanded more troops and weapons, informing them of a possible Gorkhalis attack. But Jayaprakash Malla ignored Jayant Rana’s demand as Indrajatra was in full swing in the valley. 

While Jayant Rana’s son, Shankhamani Rana, was stationed for the safety of Nuwakot, Prithvi Narayan Shah, Daldarman Shah, Chautara Bishnu Shah, Kazi Shur Pratap Shah, and others from Nuwakot besieged Nuwakot. Shakhamani Rana was killed by Daldarman Shah and Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Nuwakot. Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Velkot, ignoring Kalu Pade’s advice not to attack immediately as the Nuwakot soldiers had fled to Velkot due to the Gorkhalis’ occupation of Nuwakot. Jayant Rana was arrested here.

Attack on Tanahun

After the conquest of Nuwakot and Velkot, the Gorkhalis captured Lamidanda. But Tanahun’s desire to capture Lamidanda increased the possibility of a confrontation between Tanahun and the Gorkhalis. But after  Prithvi Narayan  Shah sent a message to Guru Gaureshwar Pant that he would make a treaty with the King of Tanahun, after some time of negotiations, the King of Tanahun, Trivikram Sen, hid in the side according to the scheduled time. 

The Gurkha army captured Trivikram Sen and briefly captured Tanahu. This kind of work is likely to enrage Lamjung, Kaski, Parbat. In 1810 BS, Trivikram Sen was launched. And, in 1812 BS, the Gurkha army had to fight against the combined forces of Lamjung and Tanahun. In this war, the Gorkha suffered a great loss of life and property. However, Naldum, Dahchok, Mahadev Pokhari, Siranchowk, as well as Kulekhani, Ipa, Malta, etc. were captured and the Gorkha border reached Makwanpur.

The first attack on Kirtipur

In 1814 BS, Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked Kirtipur. There were 1,200 soldiers on the Gorkha side. But when Kirtipur called for help from Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, there were about 300 troops on the Kirtipur side. After a six-hour battle between the two sides on the Balkhu River, many Gorkhalis lost their lives. 

Prithvi Narayan Shah, who was captured in Kirtipur, survived only due to the moral rule of not killing the king. Kazi Kalu Pandey, who had died in the first battle of Kirtipur, was replaced by his son Vanshraj Pandey and Kehar Singh Basnyat, son of Shivram Singh Basnyat. In 1816 BS, he conquered Shivpuri and Kavre.

Makwanpur victory

In Bhadra 1819 BS, a large number of troops were sent by Banshrajpade and Kehar Singh, as well as Mahoddam Kirti Shah, Dalmardan Shah, Shur Pratap Shah, Nandu Shah, and Daljit Shah, attacked Makwanpur. The battle lasted 10 hours and finally, Digvandhan Sen surrendered.

Attack on Gorkha

In 1820 BS, a joint force of King Trivikram Sen of Tanahun, King Mukunda Sen III of Palpa and King Siddhinarayan Shah of Kaski, in support of Digvandhan Sen, attacked and sacked Harmi, Bhirkot, Dhapkot, Chawangli, Dhaurali, and Lakankot under Gorkha’s rule.

The second attack on Kirtipur

In Bhadra 1821 BS, a second attack occurred in Kirtipur under the leadership of Shur Pratap Shah, Daljit Shah, and Shri Harsh Pant. Even in this war, Kirtipur did not receive military support from the valley as before, but the people of Kirtipur did not allow the Gurkha soldiers to break through the Gopura fort and enter Kirtipur. In this battle, Shur Pratap lost his sight and some other troops were forced to return.

Third attack on Kirtipur

The third battle over Kirtipur was led by Kazi Vanshraj Pade. He surrounded Gopur fort on all sides and sent some soldiers to Kirtipur as farmers. At that time, when it was time to bring the rice paddy to Kirtipur, the dynasty asked the people of Kirtipur to surrender. In this war, Kirtipur did not receive any military aid from neighbouring states. Therefore, Dhanwant Kazi surrendered at Gopur Fort at Chaitra 3, 1822 BS.

Relation with Salyan

In 1823, he married Ranbhim Shah, son of King Krishna Shah of Salyan, with their daughter Vilas Kumari. Chhilli, Dang, and Deukhari received as a dowry.

Attack on Kathmandu Valley

When Kirtipur fell to the Gurkhas and there was a possibility of an attack in the valley soon, Jayaprakash Malla had a meeting with the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur and expressed the opinion that a strong military campaign should be launched against the Gurkha soldiers. But the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur did not respond favourably. 

Thinking that the first Gorkhali attack would take place in Kantipur, Jayaprakash Malla sought the help of the British with troops and weapons. In 1823 BS, 2,400 soldiers led by Kinlock marched to Kathmandu via Sindhuligadi in eastern Nepal to support King Jayaprakash Malla. 

As Prithvi Narayan Shah was already aware of this, Birbhadra Pade, Birbhadra Upadhyaya, and Vanshu Gurung’s group came to Dhungevas to defend Sindhuligadhi. The army of Vanshraj and Bir Bhadra Upadhyaya attacked the advancing army in Pauwagadhi. As a result, the entire British Army put down their guns and guns and fled into the woods for their lives.

Attack on Kantipur

When Prithvi Narayan Shah besieged the valley from all sides, an extreme economic crisis occurred in the valley. King Jayaprakash Malla of Kathmandu was a tough, arrogant, and conciliatory person. Then the queen and the nobles pulled him out angrily. And she made her son Rajyaprakash Shah king. But then he regained his power but did not get the sympathy of his son, queen, and nobles. The Kantipur soldiers were frustrated that foreign soldiers were being paid more.

Fall of Lalitpur

Understanding such a situation. During Indra Jatra on 13 Ashwin 1825 BS, Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered Kantipur by invading Naradevi, Tudikhel, and Bhimsensthan from three sides. King Jayaprakash Malla fled and took refuge in Raja Tejanar Singh Malla of Lalitpur. On Ashwin 25, 1825, Prithvi Narayan Shah sent Dhanwant and Kehar Singh to Lalitpur to surrender. The king of Patan fled without a fight.

Bhaktapur victory

King Jayaprakash Malla of Kathmandu and King Tejanar Singh Malla of Lalitpur fled and took refuge with King Ranjit Malla of Bhaktapur. Realizing that there should be no unnecessary delays as they sought help from neighbouring states and the British instead of surrendering, King Ranjit Malla sent 1,500 armed forces together with Vanshraj Pandey, Kahar Singh Basnyat, Ram Krishna Kunwar, Amar Singh Thapa, Kalidas Khadka, etc. .to attack Bhaktapur. There was a war in Bhaktapur in which great loss of life and property was caused.

More than 2,000 people died and more than 500 houses were destroyed. Ranjit Malla surrendered in Mangsir 1, 1826 BS. In the same battle, Jay Prakash Malla was shot in the leg. Following his wish, Prithvi Narayan Shah arranged for him to go to Pashupati. Mitbabu Ranjit Malla, 67, arranged for him to stay in Kashibas at his wish. He died 18 months after arriving there. As King Tejnar Singh Malla of Lalitpur expressed no wish, he was imprisoned for life at Bhaktapur Durbar.

Attack on 24 states (Chaubise Rajya)

After retaining power in the three cities in the valley, Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to conquer twenty-four kingdoms in the west. In 1828, an army led by Vanshraj Pandey and Kehar Singh Basnyat was dispatched among the combined forces of the twenty-four states. In 1828, a fierce battle took place. During the 16-hour battle, more than 500 Gorkhalis, including Kehar Singh Basnyat, were killed and generals like Vanshraj Pandey and Prabhu Malla fell into enemy hands.

Hence, Ranbir Pandey and Prabhuu Malla surrendered their weapons to the enemy and led the rest of the soldiers to Kathmandu in despair.

Prithvi Narayan Shah finished the works of those who surrendered their weapons to the enemy and took Rs. 60 for the price of a gun. This defeat hurt the ambitions, dignity, and prestige of the Gurkhas and aroused in the enemies a defensive feeling that victory could be achieved if they fought hard against the Gurkhas.

Death of Prithvi Narayan Shah

Prithvi Narayan Shah, who had gone to Nuwakot in mid-Mangsir, 1831 BS to avoid winter, fell ill at Nuwakot Durbar. As his health deteriorated, he was taken to Devighat. He remained on the dock for nine days and died at 7 a.m. on January 20. It is also mentioned that he died after being seriously injured in a tiger attack while out hunting. While on the ferry, he gave lectures on the geopolitical situation, social life, defence, and development of Nepal, also known as the “Divine Sermon”. “Nepal is like a yam between two stones. The king of the south is very intelligent. Nepal is a common flower garden of four characters, thirty-six castes.” Etc. Prithvi Narayan Shah delivered relevant sermons. He died at the age of 52 on the day of Maghe Sankranti at Mohan Tirtha on Devighat, the confluence of the Trishuli and Tadi rivers in the Nuwakot district. However, his death is mysterious and controversial!

One Comment

give reference of the page for practical

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Your search keywords:

Cover Story

Nepal’s geopolitical challenges and Prithvi Narayan Shah’s teachings

Kamal Dev Bhattarai

Jan. 12, 2024, 11:46 a.m.

Today (27 Poush of Nepali calendar) is the 302nd birth anniversary of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, widely regarded as the creator of modern Nepal. For a long time, the country celebrated this date as a national unity day until it was discontinued following the abolition of monarchy in 2006.

There are divergent views among political parties regarding their view of Shah. During the insurgency period, it was one of the key contentious issues within the Maoists that was waging an armed rebellion against the state ruled by monarchy. Even though the Maoist fighters demolished the statues of kings, including that of the unifier, the party supremo, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, acknowledged the contributions made by Shah. His second-in-command at the time, Baburam Bhattarai, however, was against all things monarchy. 

But of late, there is a growing consensus among all political parties—not just the Maoists—that Shah deserves the credit and acknowledgement for bringing together dozens of tiny warring states under a single banner. On 25 September 1768, Shah officially announced the creation of the Kingdom of Nepal with Kathmandu as the national capital.

Irrespective of the government’s position, royalist parties to this day celebrate Poush 27 as the National Unity Day. Last year following pressures from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to mark the day as the National Unity Day. Prime Minister Dahal and the leader of CPN (Maoist Center) naturally drew flak from the supporters of the republic and his own party members for the decision.

This year the government has not announced any special day to commemorate “the Great King”. But it has not deterred the royalist forces from doing so. In fact, they have become more louder in their demand for the restoration of monarchy.   

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is set to host a tea reception to mark the birth anniversary of Shah today. The party has invited political leaders and individuals from all walks of life to the event.

While there may be divergent views among political parties and citizens about King Prithvi Narayan Shah, his outlook on Nepal’s external relations cannot be disregarded. How prescient was he when he said: “Nepal is a yam between two boulders.” This adage is still relevant today when talking about Nepal’s foreign policy, particularly concerning India and China.  

In his journal article published by the Nepal Army in 2022, Manish Jung Pulami says: “The origin of ‘yam’ as a discourse emerged amidst the turmoil in the Indian sub-continent and Nepal under the Himalayan belt. The problematic situation in which Nepal developed as a nation-state in the Indian sub-continent under the Himalayas has also led Nepal to be portrayed as a ‘yam’.”

Pulami goes on: “‘Yam’ as a theory comprises the elements of cautiousness, gradualism, peaceful co-existence, and friendliness in foreign policy. The theory incorporates the strategies for the major power politics in the region and outside the region.” 

“It also provides Nepal with the diplomatic and foreign policy strategy for the survival and sustenance in the geopolitical sphere with competition, antagonism, and cooperation. This theory also provides in light of the Dibya Upadesh about the military, strategic, economic and internal policies of Nepal.”

What’s in Dibya Upadesh?

In his deathbed, King Prithvi Narayan Shah is said to have imparted his counsel on various topics ranging from nation to nationality and governance, which is better known today as Dibya Upadesh (Divine Teachings). 

The provenance of ‘yam between two boulders’ can be traced back to Dibya Upadesh.     

Under the title of, ‘External Relations,’ it states: “Whereas, this state (Nepal) is like a yam (gourd) between two stones. Keep a strong friendship with the Emperor of China; one has to maintain a friendship with the Emperor of the sea (English Emperor) in the south. But he is very clever. He is occupying Hindustan.

He is eyeing the plane area (of Nepal also). When Hindustani (Indian) people will wake-up (not tolerate them) he may find it difficult to stay there. He might have been searching for a safe fort and there is every possibility that he may come here at any day. Therefore, we have to find out our Sandhisarpan (weak points) and we also have to change them into strong forts. We have to create obstacles on the way they try to enter. Mind it they may arrive here anytime.

Do not go there (down) to fight with them. Let them come here (hilly region) and fight with them. If we could do so, they could easily be beheaded at the crossings of the Chure Hills. If we could do so we will be able to collect arms and ammunition which would suffice for our Four to Five Generations. And we will be able to extend our border up to the Ganga River.

If they could not fight with us they will try to come here utilizing Lolo Poto (tricks) or any other types of conspiracies. This is a Thakhat (suitable place/natural fort) of Nepal. If they (Englishers) get this fort they will win over all the Four Emperors of the world. This state itself is a fort created by the God himself. It does not need any human touch on it. Prepare seven strong forts in these places namely Shivapuri-1, Phulchowki-1, Chandragiri-1, Mahadevpokhari -1, Palung-1, Dapcha -1 and Kahule-1.”Still relevant today

In the words of Prof. Surya P. Subedi, Prithvi Narayan Shah’s description of Nepal as “a yam between two boulders” refers to the Celestial Empire of China to the North and the Emperor to Seas to the South, i.e., British Raj on the Indian subcontinent. It sums up Nepal’s position at the time. 

“It is the first major statement on Nepal’s foreign policy which has not only entered the psyche of the people of Nepal but has also guided foreign policy makers,” contends Subedi.

Foreign policy experts agree. With the resurgence of India and China as  global powers, they say King Prithi Narayan Shah’s vision still provides a broader guideline in the conduct of Nepal’s foreign policy.  

“Today, the essence of King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s yam theory can be very reliable for Nepal to deal with the geopolitical vulnerabilities encircling the country,” says Pulami. 

“Similar to the times of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, contemporarily, Nepal has been a ‘yam’ between the two boulders—India and China. The rise of China and India in the neighborhood and the geopolitical and geoeconomic ambitions of both countries makes the ‘yam theory” more relevant than ever.  

trending news

Birgunj medical college md ansari among two arrested, nc decides not to allow home minister lamichhane to address from rostrum, will nc and uml form a new alliance, paul staniland: the us wants a growing, democratic nepal, kathmandu listed world's third polluted city.

• #Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• #Nepali Congress
• #Rabi Lamichhane
• #National Assembly

related news

West Indies A to tour Nepal

April 9, 2024, 9:58 p.m.

The poetic resistance of Bimala Tumkhewa

April 9, 2024, 12:34 p.m.

An assessment of Foreign Minister’s China visit

April 9, 2024, 11:15 a.m.

April 9, 2024, 4:55 a.m.

April 8, 2024, 2:03 p.m.

What do the people want?

April 8, 2024, 11:03 a.m.

INC pledges to re-establish special ties with Nepal

April 8, 2024, 8:18 a.m.

Nepal Unification Campaign: The Death of King Prithvi Narayan Shah

Ambassador Dr. Niranjan Man Singh Basnyat

Kathmandu, Nepal

King Prithvi Narayan Shah had given the responsibility of Kantipur to his son Pratap Singh and was living in Nuwakot. The king was exhausted physically as well as mentally after a lifetime of hardship, especially the mental and physical toll taken up by the unification campaign. When Abhiman Singh was administering the newly conquered territory of Nepal in the east, he received the news that King Prithvi Narayan Shah has become seriously ill in Nuwakot. He handed over all administrative work to his juniors in Bijayapur and headed towards Nuwakot to have one last opportunity to meet with the first king of Nepal. It was believed that his brothers, Kazi Nahar Singh and Kazi Dhaukal Singh, also joined him to see the ailing king. Other major courtiers had also assembled in Nuwakot to see the dying King.

King Prithvi Narayan Shah passed away in the morning of Wednesday 11 January 1775 at the confluence of rivers Suryamati (Tadi) and Trishuli at Devighat of Nuwakot at the age of fifty-two and four days. The place is also called Mohan Tirtha. Queen Narendra Laxmi Shah immediately sent the Crown of the King to Kathmandu for Prince Pratap Singh Shah before she became sati with eight other mistresses of her husband.

After Prithvi Narayan Shah’s death, Prince Pratap Singh, eldest among Prithvi’s three sons, ascended the throne of Nepal in Kathmandu. He was born on Tuesday 10 June 1749. Prince Bahadur Shah was the second son of Prithvi Narayan who was born on Thursday 16 June 1757 in Nuwakot. A third prince was also born. There is a mention of Narayan Shah as the youngest prince, but it is believed that he died in infancy. These Princes were all born from Queen Narendra Laxmi.

According to historian Mahesh Chandra Regmi, significant territories were already annexed to Gorkha and later to Nepal by January 1775. “In 1775, when Prithvi Narayan Shah died at Nuwakot at the age of 53, the Gorkhali Kingdom comprised the whole of the eastern Tarai (Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, Saptari, Siraha, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat), the eastern and central inner Tarai (Sindhuli, Udayapur, Chisapani and Makwanpur), the whole of Kathmandu Valley, the eastern hill region up to the Tista river bordering Sikkim, and the western hill areas of Nuwakot and Dhading between Gorkha and Kathmandu. The principality of Jajarkot on the borders of the Baisi region had signed a treaty accepting Gorkha’s suzerainty in January 1769, a few months after the conquest of Kathmandu”.

While in his deathbed, King Prithvi Narayan Shah gave his last Counsel to his brothers and courtiers in which he had enumerated his future policy to save and promote the interests of unified Nepal. In fact, it was the king’s final address to the nation. Most of the policy matters mentioned in the Counsel are still relevant to the government and people of Nepal. The original copy of this Counsel was later recovered from Maan Mandir, residence of Abhiman Singh Basnyat in Asan, by his descendant historian Bakhat Man Singh Basnyat. The contents of the Counsel had remained unknown to the people of Nepal and beyond until historian Surya Bikram Gyawali published his book entitled “Prithvi Narayan Shah” in 1935 from Darjeeling. For many years, the full text available in this book was not published or available publicly. Publication was possible only after the autocratic Rana regime was overthrown. The full text was published for the first time by Yogi Naraharinath from Banaras in 1952. Yogi had transcribed it from the original text made available by Bakhat Man Singh Basnyat.

Historian Dilli Raman Regmi has mentioned that the handwriting of original Counsel is that of Abhiman Singh Basnyat. It is believed that while Prithvi Narayan Shah was speaking, Abhiman Singh was writing his words into paper. The type of handwriting of the original text indicates that it is the handwriting of one person throughout the document. Some historians have said that it is the handwriting of Bhanu Joshi Arjyal. In the meantime, the handwriting of Bhanu Joshi Arjyal was discovered in legal papers made for the division of properties among the sons of Shivram Singh Basnyat in 1786. When compared, his handwriting does not match with the handwriting of original text of the Counsel. Similarly, a writer of linguistics has written that it was Shakti Ballabh Arjyal who wrote the text of the Counsel. But this author compared the handwriting of the original text of the Counsel with that of handwriting of Shakti Ballabh Arjyal found in his “Jayaratnakar Naatak” and concluded that it does not match. Therefore, that leaves Abhiman Singh Basnyat as one of the remaining candidates, although more research and confirmation is required.

Immediately after the death of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, Prince Bahadur Shah was arrested from Nuwakot when he was mourning the death of his father. Sworup Singh Karki had gone with troops to arrest Bahadur Shah. This was ordered by his brother King Pratap Singh Shah on the suspicion of a possible coup by uncle Daljit Shah and Bahadur Shah. It was also because Daljit Shah had suggested that Bahadur Shah should take over as the king. Daljit Shah fled to an unknown destination. His properties were confiscated. Dalmardan Shah was also imprisoned.

The Political Leaders who assisted King Prithvi Narayan Shah:

There was no doubt about the fact that King Prithvi Narayan Shah was a leader with a strong personality. He was a unique symbol of unity of Gorkha and later of Nepal. However, the unification campaign would not have succeeded without the support of his ardent followers, in particular the political and military leaders, and the honest courtiers who were at the frontline to advance the cause of the campaign. They were also taking major political decisions on behalf of the state and the king. Till now, history books have been written mostly praising kings and their leadership. But the important contributions and sacrifices made by other military or political leaders who came from among the general public of that time of history seem to have been forgotten and ignored. The unification of Nepal would not have been successful without their unflinching support to the king.

Kazi Kalu Pandey was instrumental in making peace with Lamjung at the time of King Narabhupal Shah in 1740 and thereafter. He was the main military leader during the conquest of Nuwakot, Lamidada and other key regions. He also played a crucial diplomatic role for the advancement of Gorkha. He was a very reliable adviser to the king. Shivaram Singh Basnyat was the first Commander-in-Chief of Gorkha who came to attack the areas under the Kantipur kingdom. He was the first prominent courtier of Gorkha who laid down his life for the noble cause of advancing the unification campaign.

Among these leaders, the post of Chautaria was given to those who were served the function of chief of staff to the king but also served in war. Generally, this post was reserved for immediate members of the king’s family. During the period of the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, Mohaddamkirti Shah, the brother of the King Prithvi Narayan Shah was appointed Chautaria. Later, when the workload for one Chautaria became heavy, another brother Dalmardan Shah was appointed Junior (Kanchha) Chautaria when he came back to Gorkha after becoming the king of Patan. He was moved from military duty to civil administration. All the four brothers assisted King Prithvi Narayan Shah wholeheartedly during the initial phase of the unification campaign. Two other brothers Dalajit Shah and Shoorpratap Shah were appointed Kazis. Chautarias were generally higher in rank than the Kazis but Kazis had more executive powers than Chautarias.

Chautarias led many of the battles for Gorkha and annexed a considerable amount of territories. Mohaddamkirti Shah provided leadership during the battle against Makwanpur, Hariharpur Gadhi and Khundaghat. Similarly, he was also the military leader for the battle against Mir Kassim’s forces. After the victory, he was made the chief of all areas under Makwanpur. Later Mohaddamkirti Shah wanted to become the king of Makwanpur or lower plains (talhatti) of Makwanpur with the tacit understanding of the British East India Company .

Dalmardan Shah was the only brother of King Prithvi Narayan Shah who was born from the same mother (Queen Kaushalyavati). He had participated in many battles for Gorkha. Dalmardan Shah wanted to become king of Patan forever again after its annexation. He was once made king of Patan earlier for a short term.

Queen Indra Kumari was honoured with the post of Chautaria by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in Gorkha. She was called Chautara Maharani. It is believed that she was brought to Gorkha from Makwanpur after many years of marriage to Prithvi Narayan Shah due to acrimonious relations with King Hemkarna Sen and Prince Digbandhan Sen. She gave birth to the only daughter of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Princess Bilas Kumari was born in 1751. Bilas Kumari was married to Crown Prince Ranabhim Shah of Salyan in 1766. In fact, it was believed that this marriage was arranged for political reasons to obtain the support of the far west region in the unification campaign.

It is surprising that King Prithvi Narayan Shah married his only daughter to a prince from a distant kingdom. According to a well-known historian Baburam Acharya, she was accompanied by her father Hemkarna Sen to Maidi of Dhading and he finally handed over his daughter to King Prithvi Narayan Shah after the ceremony of Gauna in 1748. (Gauna is a custom and the ceremony associated with the consummation of marriage). At that time, King Hemkarna Sen presented many gifts and an elephant to King Prithvi Narayan Shah. Princess Bilas Kumari was born from her in 1751.

Kazi Daljit Shah provided leadership during the battles in Kirtipur and in Chaukot. Kazi Shoorpratap Shah hoped for a large reward for providing leadership in the victory of Bhaktapur. He had also contributed immensely in the victory of Kirtipur and Kathmandu as well as battles against Chaubisi States. But King Prithvi Narayan Shah refused to concede to the undesirable demands of his brothers. Because he did not wish to part away with the hard-earned territories to his brothers.

Kazi Ranarudra Shah was a half brother of the king who was born from the mistress of King Narabhupal Shah. His mother’s name was Premavati. Ranarudra Shah was a very dependable brother. He and Kazi Kalu Pandey were entrusted with the job of securing Gorkha during the absence of King Prithvi Narayan Shah when he was on a visit to Banaras. Along with Kazi Kalu Pandey, Mohaddamkirti Shah and others, Ranarudra Shah defended and repulsed Chaubisi states attack on Siranchowk on 16 July 1755. Again, on 18 March 1764 Chaubisi states attacked Chihan dada. Ranarudra Shah and Shoorpratap Shah chased Chaubisi troops far away. Kazi Ranarudra’s wife, widow of Shivaram Singh Birangana Shoorprabha, and other women provided food and water to the fighters reaching in the battlefield during the first battle in Siranchowk .

Kazi Tularam Pandey, Kazi Bansaraj Pandey, Kazi Kehar Singh Basnyat, and Kazi Abhiman Singh Basnyat were other very able prominent leaders of that time.

There were many other prominent political leaders at that time who took major military responsibility, as well as civil leadership during the various battles and later headed the civil administration of the conquered territories. During the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1743-1775), the first generation of prominent Gorkhali warriors besides those already mentioned above included Maheswor Pant, Biraj Bakheti, Chandra Prakash Shah, Laxmi Narayan Pandey, Vishnu Shah, Nahar Singh Basnyat, Dhaukal Singh Basnyat, Ramkrishna Kunwar, ‘Bagh’ Bhimsen Thapa, Amar Singh Thapa (Bada), Birbhadra Thapa, Shakti Ballav Arjyal, Devrishi Upadhyaya Adhikari, Ashajit Bhandari, Haribnasa Upadhyaya, Birbhadra Upadhyaya, Bansu Gurung, Shreeharsh Panth, Nandu Sardar, Jahangir Shah, Biraj Thapa Magar, Chamu Basnyat, Jaya Baniya, Ranya (Bangya) Basnyat Birbhadra Basnyat, Jibram Basnyat, and Amar Singh Kunwar.

Those who sacrificed their lives for the unification of Nepal during the reign of King Prithvi Narayan Shah were the following brave warriors: Shivaram Singh Basnyat (Sangachowk), Ambar Pandey (Siranchowk), Kalai Dwarya (Siranchowk), Kalu Pandey (Kirtipur 1st), Bagh Bhimsen Thapa (Palanchowk), Jahangir Shah (Sanga), Jibram Basnyat (Sanga), Devrishi Upadhyaya Adhikari (Mahadevpokhari), Ashajit Bhandari (Makwanpur-Mir Qasim’s attack), Nandu Sardar (Makwanpur-Mir Qasim’s attack), Tularam Pandey (Kathmandu), Kehar Singh Basnyat (Satahun), Bir Bhadra Pathak (place not known), Jeevan Thapa (Kirtipur 1st), Laata Khatri (Kirtipur 1st), Chamu Sayela (Kirtipur 1st), Parshuram Rana (Kirtipur 1st), Sothya Danuwar (Kirtipur 1st), Birbhadra Basnyat (Kirtipur 2nd), Jaskarna Khatri Chaukot), Amar Singh Kunwar (Timal), Gangananda Acharya (Sikkim), Gajendra Singh Thapa (Sindhuli), Kuldev Singh Thapa (Sindhuli), Bajubarna Thapa (Sindhuli), Surya Man Thapa (Sindhuli), Saindhwaj Thapa (Sindhuli) Asthani Thapa Magar (Sindhuli), and Ramkrishna Khatri (place not known). These names are found in historical documents because they were definitely noteworthy leaders. But there were thousands of other unknown soldiers who were killed in fighting for the unification campaign whose names are not found in historical documents.

# To be continued. # Next issue to begin with International Situation: Ed. Upadhyaya.

©  2024 Telegraph Nepal | All Rights Reserved.  Powered by: Webbank Nepal

• BOOKS All Books New Releases Bestsellers Current Bestsellers Award Winners New Arrivals On Amazon PDFs Nepali Language English Language Other Languages Upcoming Books Book Genres Book Lists Authors Publishers Fiction Biography & Memoirs Poetry Short Stories Literature/Essays Health & Fitness Travel Self-help Business & Economics History Religion & Spirituality Political/Social Children Sciences Learning & Reference
• E-BOOKS All E-books New E-books Singles Bestsellers Current Bestsellers Award Winners Free E-books PDFs Nepali Unicode E-books
• PICKS New Releases Bestsellers Award Winners Recent E-books Bestselling E-books Free E-books
• +977-9801866333

Prithvinarayan Shah

The founder of modern nepal, about the book.

Prithvinarayan Shah was a great strategist, a good warrior and daring commander. The whole life of Prithvi Narayan Shah passed in struggle. In that struggle he had to suffer many ups and downs. He is to be credited for having laid the foundation of a big kingdom i.e. Nepal. He will ever remain as a great ruler in the history of the country