[Below today are two Wikipedia notes on two different persons in Nepalese history. Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar of Gorkha, according to Gorkhavanshavali, had taken King Narabhupal Shah and his mother Malikavati in custody. King Narabhupal Shah's son King Prithvi Narayan Shah is credited as the unifier of modern Nepal. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, one of the prime ministerial candidates, was killed in the Kot Massacre of 1846 that catapulted Jung Bahadur Rana to power, totally changed the course of Nepalese history. - The Blogger]
Narabhupal Shah and his
mother were in Biraj Thapa's custody for three months. Since Narabhupal Shah
was the deceased Crown Prince Birbhadra Shah's son, Biraj Thapa argued for
lawful line of accession to the throne. Other Bhardars: Chandra Rup Shah,
Madhukar Shah, Janaggir Shah, Bhim Raj Panday, Bireshwor Panday, Gaureshwor
Pant, Laxmipati Pant and Bali Kadariya agreed and supported Biraj Thapa's
stand. So, those all Bhardars went to Biraj Thapa's residence to crown
Narabhupal Shah of Gorkha kingdom.[7] If Biraj Thapa Magar had not taken such a
bold step and risk, some other prince would have become King of Gorkha and
there would have been no Prithvi Narayan Shah to unify modern day Nepal.
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| Gorkha Durbar |
Kaji
Biraj Thapa Magar (Born ? - Death 1721)
played an important role in the Gorkha Kingdom. His leadership, prudence and
courage all exhibit he was one of the important Gorkha Bhardars (गोरखाली
भारदार)
that helped Narbaupal Shah become King of Gorkha. He may also be seen as a
'King Maker' in the modern day term. According to different genealogies,[1] he
had taken Narabhupal Shah and his mother Malikavati in custody for three
months.[2] The Queen Mother and her son were secretly protected at his
residence. After the death of his grandfather, Narabhupal Shah became the King
of Gorkha in 1716 and died in 1743. His son, King Prithvi Narayan Shah,
succeeding him began unification of small principalities to found modern Nepal.
Birth,
Childhood and Education
No record so far is
available as to when and where was Biraj Thapa Magar born but according to
Prithvidhoj Thapa Magar's report, he died 4 years after Narbhupal Shah's
accession to the throne of Gorkha Kingdom in 1716 which would mean he died in
1721 (Pant 2041: 245).[3] He seems to have been born to the famed Saint Lakhan
Thapa Magar - I [4] family of Gorkha. Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar - I, was a
spiritually famed associate and adviser to King Ram Shah (1606 - 1636) and
priest of Manakamana Temple also. There is a long description on Lakhan Thapa
Magar - I in the Gorkhavamshavali, the only authoritative Genealogy of Shah
Kings of Nepal. Historian Bikramjit Hasrat has also written that Saint Lakhan
Thapa Magar - I, ran Gorkha Kingdom's administraton while King Ram Shah was
deep in meditation, tapas [5] for 4 months.[6]
King
Prithvipati Shah's Long Rule
King Prithvipati Shah
became King of Gorkha in 1669. He ruled Gorkha for 47 years until his death in
1716 . But Birbhadra Shah (बीरभद्र शाह),
the crown prince died very young. The crown prince's wife Malikavati was
pregnant and had gone to her father's home in Tanahu. The king's another son
Uddhot Shah (उद्धोत शाह)
claimed his stake on the throne. Therefore, there was some unrest in the Gorkha
household as to who should succeed the king.
A
Panchyat Convenes
To choose a new king, a
Panchayat (Committee of Bhardars) convened and it decided to crown deceased
King Prithvipati Shah's another son Randurlav Shah (रणदुर्लभ
शाह). It was not a unanimous decision. In protest, Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar, along
with Bhim Raj Panday, Bireshwor Panday, Gaureshwor Pant, Laxmipati Pant and
Bali Kadariya did not attend the meeting. (Pant 2041:175) So, the plan by some
other Bhadars to crown Randurlav Shah failed flat.
Bhardars
Meet at Biraj Thapa's Residence
References
ऐतिहासिक सामग्री - दोश्रो खण्डको ७ सङ्ख्या (Historical Documents, Section II,
Number 7)
गोरखावंशावली बि. सं., २००९ : श्री म.क्षिप्रानाथ योगी को. देविनाथयोगी, शारदा प्रसाद शर्मा रेग्मीद्वारा संसोधिता । योगप्रचारिणी काशी गोरक्षटिल्लाद्वारा
प्रकाशिता ।
Gorkhavanshavali: University
of California
Hasrat, Bikram Jit, 1970: History of Nepal as Told by its own Contemporary Chroniclers - The V.V. Research
Institute Press, 5 Krishan Nagar, Hosiarpur India.
पन्त, दिनेश राज, २०४१ : गोरखाको इतिहास - (पहिलो भाग) (History of Gorkha, Vol.I ) - Dinesh
Raj Pant, Wotu sabal Bahal, Kathmandu Nepal .
Rana, B. K., 2003: A Concise Magar History (संक्षिप्त मगर इतिहास) - Raj
Tribhandu, Kathmandu Nepal .
Notes:
[1] "गौरेश्वर पण्डित लाई वहाँ देषिन तेस्तै बषतमा यहाँ गोर्षा बाट काजी बिराज थापा प्रभृति मगर नाम मा सबै भीमराज पाण्डे, गौरेश्वर पन्थ, विरेश्वर पांडे, लक्ष्मीपति पन्थ, बलिपाध्या कडरिया एतिले चलाउन्या सल्लाह बांधी भित्री सन्च श्री ५ नायेक्यानी श्री साहेबज्यू नरभूपाल शाह लाई चलाई गोर्षा मा पाउलाग्नु भैं काजी बिराज थापाका घरमा राज गर्नु भया को रहेछ। पाउरषवालि आउन्या गौरेश्वर पण्डित अधिकारी धाई धारला जस्तो भइ आया को पाउलाग्नु भयाको महीना ३ भया पछि चन्द्ररुप शाह का मानिस मधुकर शाह का मानिस उपनि तनहुँ मा केही बुझ पायेनन र गोर्षा आया। " (गोर्खावंशावली, बि. सं २००९ पृष्ठ ९५ )
[1] "गौरेश्वर पण्डित लाई वहाँ देषिन तेस्तै बषतमा यहाँ गोर्षा बाट काजी बिराज थापा प्रभृति मगर नाम मा सबै भीमराज पाण्डे, गौरेश्वर पन्थ, विरेश्वर पांडे, लक्ष्मीपति पन्थ, बलिपाध्या कडरिया एतिले चलाउन्या सल्लाह बांधी भित्री सन्च श्री ५ नायेक्यानी श्री साहेबज्यू नरभूपाल शाह लाई चलाई गोर्षा मा पाउलाग्नु भैं काजी बिराज थापाका घरमा राज गर्नु भया को रहेछ। पाउरषवालि आउन्या गौरेश्वर पण्डित अधिकारी धाई धारला जस्तो भइ आया को पाउलाग्नु भयाको महीना ३ भया पछि चन्द्ररुप शाह का मानिस मधुकर शाह का मानिस उपनि तनहुँ मा केही बुझ पायेनन र गोर्षा आया। " (गोर्खावंशावली, बि. सं २००९ पृष्ठ ९५ )
[2] "यसैले गौरीश्वर पण्डितलाई हात लिए काम बन्छ भनी विराज थापा, भिमराज पांडे, गौरेश्वर पन्त, लक्ष्मीपति पन्त, बली कडेरियाले सल्लाह गरी गौरीश्वर पण्डितको मद्दतले अघिबाटै नरभूपाल शाह र उनकी आमालाई तनहुँबाट सुटुक्क ल्याएर बिराज थापाको घरमा तीन महीनासम्म लुकाई राखिसकेका थिए ।" गोरखाको इतिहास २०४१ - पृष्ठ १७६
[3] "पृथ्वीध्वज थापा (मगर)ले चढाएको जाहेरीमा नरभूपाल शाह राजा भएको ४ वर्षपछि बिराज थापा परलोक भए भनी लेखिएको छ । नरभूपाल शाह बि सं १७७३ मा राजा भएका हुन भनी माथि लेखिसकिएको छ । यस कारण बिराज थापा बि. सं. १७७७ मा परलोक भएका देखिन्छन ।" गोरखाको इतिहास (पहिलो भाग) पृष्ठ २४५
[4] There were two different Lakhan Thapa Magars in the history of Gorkha or Nepal
[5] राजा रामशाहको लखन थापा मगरप्रति ठूलो भर् विश्वास रहेको थियो भन्ने कुरा विक्रमजीत हशरतको भनाई यहाँ प्रश्तुत गर्नु मुनासिब देखिन्छ :- "जब गोरखाका राजा (रामशाह) तपस्या गर्न लागे, लखन थापाले सार्वजनिक प्रशासन (राजकाज सम्बन्धी) जस्ता कार्यहरु आफैले सम्पादन गरे । त्रेतायुगका लक्ष्मणको श्रीरामचन्द्रप्रति जस्तो निष्ठा र भक्ति थियो, त्यस्तै उनी पनि राम शाहप्रति अत्यन्त निष्ठावान बुद्धिमान सेवकको रुपमा रहेका थिए भनिएको छ ।" संक्षिप्त मगर इतिहास - २०५९ पृष्ठ ४७
[6] "While the raja of Gorkha was thus engaged in the tapas Lakhan Thapa made himself acquainted with the public affairs. He is said to have been as sincere and wise a servant of Ram Shah as Laxman was to Sri Ram Chandra in the Tretayug." (Hasrat 1970:109)
[7] "त्यसपछि चन्द्ररुप शाह, मधुकर शाह, जहाँगीर शाह, भिमराज पांडे, बीरेश्वर पांडे, गौरेश्वर पन्त, लक्ष्मीपति पन्त र बली कडेरिया बिराज थापाको घरमा जम्मा भई अरु मानिसलाई पनि जम्मा गरी राम्रो साईत हेराई बिराज थापाको घरबाट नरभूपाल शाहलाई गोरखा दरबारमा चलाई उनलाई सिंहासनमा राखे ।" गोरखाको इतिहास २०४१ - पृष्ठ १७७
*
General Abhiman Singh Rana Magra was Minister of Nepal until September 15, 1846 and the first victim of the infamous
'Kot Massacre' of 1846 that totally changed the course of Nepalese history.
According to a government letter to then British Resident, Major Lawrence in Kathmandu ,
32 Bhardars (Nobles) were killed in the massacre catapulting Jung Bahadur, who
later became Rana, to power.
Historians have written about
Abhiman Singh Rana Magar from different angles: some saying that he was not
very interested in becoming Prime Minister of the country. However, few others
contesting otherwise have written the queen had favoured him also.
Birth, childhood and education
No records so far are available
as to who his parents were, birthplace, childhood and education also. But it
can be fairly said that he was a 'literate person' because his signatures can
be found in the government papers jointly signed together with then Prime
Ministers Bhim Sen Thapa and Mathabar Singh Thapa also.
Prime Ministerial contender
The British Resident to Nepal
Major Lawrence's letter, paragraph four, of August 26, 1845 to British Government clearly states
that General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar was also a prime ministerial contender as
the seat had fallen vacant since sometime already. But he seemed to be
'declining the dangerous office'. (Stiller 1981:285).
In another letter to his
government on September 23, 1845 ,
Resident Lawrence wrote, a council of minister was formed consisting of
"Chautaria Fatteh Jung and Kazis Gagan Singh, Abhiman Rana and Dalbhanjan
Pandey" . Minister Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, retaining his job in the army
as general, had two regiments under him. He was Mulki Dewan, which would mean a
minister responsible for home affairs: managing internal affairs east of Palpa.
The Kot Massacre, September 15, 1846
General Gagan Singh Khawas was
mysteriously killed while he was worshipping some deity at his residence on September 14, 1846 . The Queen Laxmi
Devi ordered all Bhardars to report themselves to the Kot, at present day
Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu . The furious Queen, as a
wounded lioness, ordered out loud to bring in front of her and punish whoever
might have killed General Gagan Singh. ("The queen was addressing her
agitation to the assemblage including Prime Minister Fatteh Jung Shah,
Chautariya Dalmardhan Shah and General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar" )Jung
Bahadur's gesture toward Bir Kishore prompted the dangerously enraged Queen to
order Abhiman Singh Rana to sever the former's head. The reason probably
because, he was then interior minister - 'Mulki Dewan' of the country. But Abhiman
Singh Rana Magar begged King's approval to execute the job. A heated debate
followed and the situation turned so tense and dangerous, Abhiman Singh Rana
Magar wanted to dash out. A sepoy at the gate blocked and bayoneted at his
chest. The dying Abhiman Singh Rana Magar wrote a letter 'J' on the Kot wall
with the blood gushing out of his chest suggestive of Jung Bahadur Rana being
the culprit.[1] In the government letter to the British resident in Kathmandu
32 Bhardars are listed as killed [2] but the number should have been far more
than what was stated.
References
Rana, B. K. 2003 : A Concise
Magar History (संक्षिप्त
मगर इतिहास - २०५९) : Raj Tribandhu, Pingansthan
Kathmandu , Nepal
Stiller, Ludwig F. 1981 : The Kot Massacre (Letter from Kathmandu) : Nepal
and Asian Studies, Tribhuvan University
1) Rana 2003:66
2) Stiller 1981: 304 - 306