Causes of the Downfall of Rana Regime in the History of Nepal

Causes of the Downfall of Rana Regime

The Rana regime was established at the cost of many innocent lives and it was doomed to fail. Ordinary people from the every beginning had developed hatred and distaste upon the system through they could not bring it out easily. They were kept just in strong suppression and deprivation. Rana autocracy could eventually be overthrown by an armed revolution in 2007 BS. The following are the major factors behind the downfall of the autocratic system.

Family Scuffle/Clash

Conspiracies for power among the kith and kin of the Ranas became the major characteristics of the period. Opponents from Jung Bahadur's own family hatched plots to below him up but kill him. After his death sons of Dhir Shumsher (his own half brother) wiped his sons away and changed the roll of succession in their favour. Ranoddip, who succeeded Jung Bahadur was assassinated while in office. Jung Bahadur's son Jagat Jung had also made efforts in 1938 BS.

Exclusion of C-class Ranas from the roll of succession

As an efforts for limiting the roll of succession in favour of his family line, Chandra Shumsher categorised Ranas into class A (those born from ordinary marriage relations) and declared the class C out from the roll. Those excluded would naturally try to destroy those in power to recover their position. Subarn Shumsher, an excluded, later formed the Nepal Prajatantrik Congress which changed into the Nepali Congress when merged with MP Koirala's Nepali Congress. The Nepali Congress Party succeeded in overthrowing the regime through an armed revolution in 2007 BS.

Anti-Rana movements

The Ranas had themselves sowed seeds of their failure. Ranas' suppressive activities encouraged continuous efforts of protest. Lakhan Thapa got martyrdom as he tried to finish Jung Bahadur when the later was in his hunting excursion. Chandra Shumsher suppressed the anti-Rana activities of Gorkha league (raising awareness in India), Arya Samaj (encouraging religions reformations). Krishnalal Upadhyay who wrote Makaiko kheti an analogical satire on the Ranas, was imprisoned. Later anti-Rana movements got momentum in Tulasi Mehar's Charkha Movement (that followed Mahatma Ghandhi's policy of protest through weaving), Prachanda Gorkha (first political party established to overthrow the Rana regime), Mahabir School and Library establishment (working towards raising publish awareness), etc. Through these activities were suppressed immediately, they helped weaken the root of the Rana regime the long run.

Abdication of king Tribhuwan and armed revolution  

Even after the execution of the Praja Parishad leaders in 1997 BS the anti-Rana agitation did not stop. Later the Nepali Congress started armed revolution which was contributed to by King Tribhuwan. The reigning king abdicated the throne and took asylum in the Indian Embassy. finally the Ranas agreed upon the Delhi compromise which somehow marked their end.

World War II, Indian Independence and waves of other international changes

The Ranas could easily sustain their rule as they pleased the British East-India Company. When the British colonial rule in India came to its end, their strong foundation had collapsed World War II had brought a wave of changes in the world. Following the Indian Independence, the Nepalese democrats, who had fought in the India War of Independence, came back and used their expertise in the agitation in Nepal. The Nepali Congress collected funds and weapons and operated the revolution from India. The Delhi compromise was concluded under an active mediation of the Indian government, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in particular.