PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE: Raja PRAKASH SHAH, Head of the Royal Family of Bhirkot, since 13th November 2002.

an Investment Banker, co-owner of First Growth Group of Companies, married Rani Rajul Rajya Laxmi Devi (Shah), daughter of Thakur Vijay Shanker Singh, and grand-daughter of Thakur Mahant Singh, and has issue.

• Shri Arunabha Keshary Shah

• Avantika Rajyalakshmi Devi Shah

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Bhirkot was a Chaubise Rajya, and was founded by Raja Bhupal Rana of Gorkha, who left Ujjain and went to Ridi in 1494, where he stayed for some time before moving to Bhirkot. Founders were Khancha Khand (Harihar Singh) and Mincha Khand. Khancha Khand, the elder brother stayed on and ruled Dhora, (Baglung) Bhirkot, Satahun, and Gahraun (Syangja), the lineage of the younger brother Mincha Khand, are the ancestors of the former ruling family of Nepal. Rulers were .........

• Raja BHUPAL RANA, 1st Raja of Bhirkot and Khilong 1495/-

• .......

• Raja CHAKRAPATI KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot -/1785, his state was annexed in 1785, though he recieved another annexed principality as a reward for his service to the King of Nepal.

• Raja INDRABHUPAL KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot 1785/1792, he died 1792.

• Raja HARIKRISHNA KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot 1792/-

• Raja ANANTA KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot, married and had issue.

  • Raja Rudra Bhupal Khand (qv)

• Raja RUDRA BHUPAL KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot

• Raja JAINA KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot

• Raja LALIT BAHADUR KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot, married and had issue.

  • Raja Tamra Dhowj Khand (qv)

• Raja TAMRA DHOWJ KHAND, Raja of Bhirkot, married and had issue.

  • Raja Tarak Bahadur Shah (qv)

• Raja TARAK BAHADUR SHAH, Raja of Bhirkot 1912/2001, born about 1903, last Raja of Bhirkot, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, married Rani Madaan Dibyeshwari Rajya Lakshmi, born in October 1901 at Dhankota, daughter of Commanding-General H.E. Sri Sri Sri Maharaja Bir Shunmsher Jung Bahadur Rana, and had issue, two sons and two daughters. He died 6th March 2001 at Kalimati, aged 98.

  • Raja Rishikesh Shah (qv)

  • Rajkumar Dr. Narayan Keshary Shah, married 1965, Rani Bhindashwari Malla, born 13th February 1935, daughter of Sri Padma Sundar Malla of Bhatgaon, and has issue.

    • Shri Anil Keshary Shah, General Manager of Nabil Bank, Nepal, former Chief Operating Officer Grindlay's Bank, Nepal, married, Rani Rati Rajya Lakshmi Devi, daughter of Shri Rukma Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, and his wife, Rani Ishori Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, and has issue.

      • Aarya Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah

    • Shri Ujjal Keshary Shah, born 27th March 1969, Senior Programmer/Analyst in Citicorp (Citibank), married Rani Samantha Rajya Laxmi Rana, daughter of late Shri Tribhuwan Pratap Jung Bahadur Rana, and his wife, Rani Sachu Rajya Laxmi Devi of Nepal, and had issue. He died 3rd July 2011.

      • Shri Aditya Keshary Shah, born February 2004.

  • Rani Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi, married Maj.-General Maharajkumar Meen (Min) Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana of Nepal, and had issue.

• Raja RISHIKESH SHAH, Raja of Bhirkot 2001/2002, born 1925, recieved post graduate degrees in English and political science from Patna and Allahabad universities, leading to a lectureship at Trichandra College, Kathmandu in 1945, joined the Nepal Democratic Congress, and later the Nepali National Congress, becoming its general secretary, before moving to the Nepali Congress and the United Front, opposition leader in Nepal's first (nominated) parliament in 1953, left for the USA where he spent approximately five years, including serving as Nepal's very first permanent representative to the United Nations, he was also Nepal's Ambassador to the US for a short time, in 1961, he was elected by the UN General Assembly as chairman of the international commission to probe into the death of the UN General Secretary, returning to Nepal, he served for a short period of time as finance minister and foreign minister. In 1962, he chaired the Constitution Drafting Committee. He contested and won a seat to the Rashtriya Panchayat, in the graduates' constituency twice in the years 1967/71, he served as president of the Nepal Council of World Affairs, he became founding chairman of the Nepal Wildlife Conservation, later he also founded the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), at various times, he was Visiting Professor, Jawarharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Regents' Professor, University of Berkeley, California; and Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars and the East-West Center, Honolulu, author of "Heroes and Builders of Nepal, Nepali Politics: Retrospect and Prospect and Politics in Nepal, 1980-1991", married and had issue. He died 13th November 2002 aged 77 at Chandol.

  • Raja Prakash Shah (qv)

• Raja PRAKASH SHAH (see above)

OTHER MEMBERS:

• Saheb Pramanabara Khan, he was appointed as jimmawal in April 1845, with the authority to collect revenue in Bhirkot on a contractual (thek) basis. The royal order issued to him in this connection authorized him to collect saunefagu taxes from birta lands as well.