PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE: see Nepal

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Among the small hill states struggling for power during the later Malla period was Gorkha, founded in 1559 by Dravya Shah. The boundary of the Gorkha kingdom at that time was Marshandi River to the west and Trishuli river to the east. The Gurkhas claim descent from the Sisodia Rajputs of Chitor, in Rajputana. They were driven out of their own country by the victorious Muslims, and took refuge in the hilly districts about Kumaon, whence they gradually pushed their way eastwards to Lamjung, Gurkha, Nuwakot and ultimately to the valley of Nepal, which under Raja Prithvi Narayan, they finally captured. Rulers were...

• Raja DRAVYA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1559/1571, second son of Raja Yashobrahma Shah [Yasovarma] of Lamjung; he displaced Mansingh Khadka Magar, the last Ghale king of Gorkha, by the consent of the people, and was crowned on Friday, Bhadra 25, 1616 Vikram (27th September 1559); he married Rani Sumudavati, and had issue. He died about 1571 (dates vary from 1570 to 1596).

  • Raja Purna Shah [Purander Shah] (qv)

• Raja PURNA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1571/1606, during his reign, the Raja of Lamjung tried to seize Liglig and succeeded, but in the subsequent battles, Gorkha is victorious and the Lamjung forces are driven off; married 1stly, Rani Satyavati, married 2ndly, Rani Ambavati, [?daughter of the Raja of Salyan], and had issue. He died 1606.

  • Raja Chhatra Shah (by the Rani from Salyan)(qv)

  • Raja Rama Shah (qv)

• Raja CHHATRA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha for seven months in 1606, he made preparations for the conquest of Nepal but his early death prevented any progress; married Rani Susirakavati. He died 1606.

• Raja RAMA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1606/1633, he overhauls the system of weights and measures and enacts many laws and regulations for the good of the people, encourages trade by bringing traders from Patan to settle at Gorkha; he extended his territories slightly in all directions by acquiring Lokang, Mirkote, Ghiural, Dhuankote and Changli villages after they had become independent of Lamjung and defeating the forces of the Raja of Lamjung in his attempt to retake them; later Barpak, Khayri and Maydhi retaken, as well as Charangiah, Nibharchowk, Dhading, Phirkoyap and Tanhoun; he was initially engaged to the daughter of Raja Ranja Malla of Parbat, but he married Rani Muhimavati, a Princess of Musikot, and niece of Raja Narayana Malla or daughter of Raja Partapnarayana Malla of Galkot, and had issue. He died 1642 (or 1659) aged 51.

  • Raja Dambar Shah [Uddhawa Shah] (qv)

• Raja DAMBAR SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1633/1642 or 1642/1651, married 1stly, Rani Barnavati, married 2ndly, Rani Roomavati, married 3rdly, Rani Gangavati, daughter of Bhoga Malla, married 4thly, Rani Mammutavati, and had issue. ^(#1)

  • Raja Krishna Shah (qv)

• Raja KRISHNA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1642/1653 or 1651/1658, married 1stly, Rani Sakuntalavati, married 2ndly, Rani Romilavati, and had issue.

  • Raja Rudra Shah (qv)

• Raja RUDRA SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1653/1669 orn 1658/1669, married 1stly, Rani Purnavati, married 2ndly, Rani Dumantivati, and had issue, five sons.

  • Raja Prithvipati Shah [Prithvipati Saha] (by Rani Purnavati)(qv)

  • Chautarya Rajkunwar Madhukara Shah (by Rani Purnavati)

  • Rajkunwar Atibala Shah (by Rani Purnavati)

  • Rajkunwar Jayanta Shah (by Rani Purnavati)

  • Rajkunwar Chaturbhuj Shah (by Rani Dumantivati)

• Raja PRITHVIPATI SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1669/1716, during his reign Barpak revolts but he manages to have it subdued and later in 1706, the Raja of Lamjung and his allies capture Liglig, resulting in a war that lasts for 12 years only ending with the conquest of Liglig and rout of the Lamjungs; married 1stly, Rani Jaganavati, married 2ndly, Rani Bichhumavati, married 3rdly, Rani Kulangavati, married 4thly, Rani Satrupavati, married 5thly, Rani Herkavati, married 6thly, Rani Havati, and had issue, twelve sons. He died 1716 (1742).

  • Kunwar Rana Shardul Shah, committed suicide in 1693.

  • Kunwar Birabhadra Shah, married 1stly, Rajkumari Siddhasuravati, elder sister of Raja Digvijaya Sen of Tanahu, married 2ndly, Rajkumari Malikavati, younger sister of Raja Digvijaya Sen of Tanahu, married 3rdly, Rajkumarani Jaya Kumari, married 4thly, Rajkumarani Jita Kumari, and had issue. He died about 1697.

    • Raja Nar Bhupal Shah [Narabhupati Saha] (qv)

    • Rani (name unknown) Devi, married Raja Hindupati Vishwantar Sen, Raja of Vijaypur.

  • Kunwar Dalu Shah

  • Kunwar Ran Dal Shah, Governor of Liglig in 1724.

  • Kunwar Udyot Shah

  • Kunwar Chandrarupa Shah, after the forces of the Raja of Lamjung captured Liglig in 1724, he managed to expel them soon after; married and had issue.

    • Kunwar Vishnurupa Shah, married and had issue.

      • Kunwar Jiva Shah, married and had issue.

        • Kunwar Prana Shah, appointed a Chautarya, married and had issue. He died after 1829.

          • Kunwar Fateh Jung Shah, succeeded his father as Chautarya in 1829, married and had issue. He was shot to death in the Kot Massacre on 14th September 1846.

            • Kunwar Kharak Bikram Shah, shot to death in the Kot Massacre on 14th September 1846.

          • Colonel Kunwar Guruprasad Jung Shah, married and had issue.

            • Kunwar Himmat Bahadur Shah

          • Sirdar Bir Bahadur Shah

          • Colonel Ram Sher Shah

          • Captain Kunwar Rana Sher Shah [aka Runsher Shah], married and had issue.

            • Maharani (name unknown) [the Ramri Maharani], married 1855, Maharaja Sri Tin Sir Jung Bahadur Rana. She committed sati on 26th February 1877.

          • Maharani Hiranyagarva Kumari Devi [the Bada Maharani], born 1831, married in May 1854, Maharaja Sri Tin Sir Jung Bahadur Rana, and had issue, four daughters.

        • Chautarya Pushkar Shah, he was ordered to hand over charge to Jan Shah (see below) and come to Kathmandu, by an order of Kartik Sudi 8, 1889 Vikrama.

    • Kunwar Birabahu Shah, married and had issue.

      • Chautarya Hastadal Shahi, born 1761/1762, married and had issue. He died after 1808.

        • Kunwar Purna Chandan Shahi of Kantipur, he was appointed Sardar with the Barakh Paltan Company under his command, on Kartik Sudi 8, 1889 Vikrama. He replaced Sardar Marahari Bikram Shah.

      • Kunwar Bam Shah, appointed Chautarya in May 1794, married and had issue. He died after 1814.

        • Kunwar Mohan Bir Shah of Kantipur, he was appointed as Sardar with the Bhawani Bux Company under his command, on Kartik Sudi 8, 1889 Vikrama.

      • Kunwar Rudravir Shah, married and had issue. He died after 1809.

        • Kunwar Badriban Shahi of Kantipur, he was appointed as Sardar with the Nay Srinath Company under his command, on Kartik Sudi 8, 1889 Vikrama.

      • Kunwar Dilip Shah, married and had issue.

        • Kunwar Jan Shah of Kantipur, he was appointed as Chautariya with the Barakh Paltan Company under his command, on Kartik Sudi 8, 1889 Vikrama, replacing Chautariya Pushkar Shah. He was required to equip 46 men with muskets, maintain one piece of cannon, and impress the labour of his tenants for transporting military supplies when necessary.

• Raja NAR BHUPAL SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1716/1742, born posthumously about 1697, he extended his lands toward the Kairang Pass in the north and Nuwakot in the east. He attempted to take Nuwakot and failed, but he did arrange the marriage of his son to the daughter of the Raja of Makwanpur; he married 1stly, Rani Kausalyadevi, daughter of the Raja Gandharva Sen of Palpa, married 2ndly, Rani Chanderprabhavati, died sp, daughter of the Raja of Kanchi; married 3rdly, Rani Konkavati, married the grand-niece of the Raja of Malaibam, married 4thly, Rani Subhadravati, committed sati in 1742, daughter of the Raja of Tanahu, and had issue, seven sons and two daughters, as well as further issue, five sons and two daughters. He died 1742.

  • Raja Prithvi Narayan Shah [Prithvinarayana Saha] (by Rani Kausalyadevi) (qv)

  • Chautarya Kunwar Mahoddamakirti Shah (by Rani Subhadravati), married and had issue.

    • Kaji Kunwar Balabhadra Shah, appointed Chautarya in May 1794. He died sp about 1802.

    • Kunwar Srikrishna Shah. married and had issue. He died at Hariharkshetra.

      • Kunwar Bir Bahadur Shah

      • Kunwar Kul Chandra Shah

    • Kunwar Pahalman Shah, married and had isssue.

      • Kunwar Bhim Rudra Shah

      • Kunwar Bhim Pratap Shah

    • Kunwar Bhimarudra Shah

  • Chautarya Kunwar Dalamardan Shah (by Rani Kausalyadevi), former Raja of Lalitpur (Patan); married and had issue.

    • Kunwar Kulachandra Shah, was granted an ijara for the reclamation and settlement of five waste and forest moujas in Rautaha on Marga Sudi 9, 1856 Vikrama (November 1799). He died after February 1854.

  • Chautarya Kunwar Dalajit Shah (by Rani Subhadravati), appointed Chautarya on 13th October 1794. He died spl.

  • Kunwar Sura Pratap Shah (Rani Konkavati), he died sp.

  • Kunwar Virendra Kesar Shah (by Rani Konkavati)

  • Kunwar Prithvipati Shah (by Rani Kausalyadevi)

  • Rajkumari Padma Kumari (by Rani Kausalyadevi)

  • Rajkumari (name unknown) (by Rani Subhadravati)

  • Kunwar Ranarudra Shah (illegitimate)

  • Kumari Padmavati [Kanchi Maiyan] (illegitimate), died unmarried.

• Raja PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH, Raja of Gorkha 1742/1768, born 27th December 1722, When a second siege of Kirtipur also was unsuccessful, Prithvi Narayan Shah turned his attention toward Lamji, one of the Chaubisi principalities, and overran it after several bloody battles. The Gorkha army reappeared at Kirtipur. After a siege of six months, the town was treacherously delivered to the Gorkhas, and its inhabitants were deliberately mutilated. The Gorkhas moved on to Patan in 1767, but their attention was diverted by the appearance of a 2,400-man expeditionary force sent by the British East India Company to aid the traditional kings of the valley. The British column, ravaged by malaria contracted in the Tarai, had to withdraw quickly without accomplishing anything other than delaying the Gorkhas. This token opposition by the British, however, was not forgotten by Prithvi Narayan Shah and his successors. With the field again clear, on September 29, 1768, Gorkha troops infiltrated Kathmandu while the population was celebrating a religious festival and took the town without a fight. Jayaprakasa fled to Bhadgaon with Tej Narasimha and Prithvi Narayan Shah was crowned king of Kathmandu. He soon entered Patan unopposed and then moved against villages east of Bhadgaon, arriving before the town the next year. His troops were admitted into Bhadgaon by nobles who had been bought off. Ranajit retired to Banaras, Jayaprakasa retired to die at the shrine of Pashupatinath, and Tej Narasimha died in prison. For the first time, the hill ruler, the raja of Gorkha, had become sole ruler in the Kathmandu Valley. One of his first acts in 1769 was to expel permanently from his territories all foreigners, including traders, Roman Catholic missionaries, and even musicians or artists influenced by northern India's style. The conquest of the three kingdoms was only the beginning of a remarkable explosion of Gorkha military power throughout the Himalayan region. Prithvi Narayan Shah quickly made a movement toward the Chaubisi states in the west, but after encountering resistance in Tanahu, the Gorkha armies drove east into the Kirata country, overrunning all of eastern Nepal by 1773. He died 1775.

Continued, see The Kingdom of Nepal.

1. One of the Ranis was a daughter of Raja Hambira of Makwanpur

1. He ascended the throne some time between Shrawan 18, 1693 and Kartik 27, 1699 Vikrama and likely before Falgun, 1695.