Introduction
After the Kot
Massacre in 1903 BS Nepal was ruled by hereditary Rana prime ministers who came
to power according to rules of succession and exercised absolute power. Kings
were puppet in their hands. Ranas embezzled public property and lived in
tremendous luxury. With lifeblood support from the British East India Company,
they try to sustain their rule with suppression of public freedom and strong
control over education and outside influence. Mostly their reforms were for
gaining public support for their autocratic rule or for enlarging their luxury.
Various circumstances had led to the rise of the Rana regime, as those
discussed below.
Political instability
The era after
Prithvi Narayan Shah was characterised by power polities of conspiracy Pratap
Singh Shah ruled only for about three years and them came his 3-year old son
Rana Bahadur. Taking advantages, regent as well as countries indulged in
conspiracies for power. Besides the army commanders who came back from the
battlefield indulged similarly after the Anglo-Nepal War. Such political
instability paved way for the rise of the dictator, Jung Bahadur.
Contact of Jung Bahadur's family with the palace
From the early
time Jung Bahadur's family was in touch with the palace. His grandfather
Ranajit Kunwar was killed in the battle of Kangada and his father Balnarsingh
Kunwar was a bodyguard of King Rana Bahadur shah. Balnarsingh Kunwar had killed
Sher Bahadur Shah, the murder of King Bahadur Shah. He was appointed the chief
of Dhakuta, Dadeldhura and Jumla in different time period. Jung Bahadur Company
with his father got the post of lieutenant. later he got the post of captain
from king Rajendra. He had also worked as a private secretary to the crown
prince, Surendra Bikram. Following the murder of Mathabar Singh committed by
him popularity grew all the more in the palace.
Support of East India Company
Following the
Sugauli Treaty of 1873 BS, Nepalese politics was highly influence English ambassadors. Pandeys and Ranas were instigated
against Thapas, particularly Bhimsen Thapa by the two queens of King Rajendra
as well as the English. who came to power with the English support by knew that
they could sustain their autocracy as long as they could please the English To
win the two world wars. It is not merely a coincidence that Rana autocracy was
overthrown following the independence of India.
Nuptial relation with the royal family
In order to
strengthen the relation with the royal family, Jung Bahadur married Prime
Minister Fattejung Shah's sister Hiranyagarva Kumari. To further tie up the
relation, marriage of sons Jagatjung and were arranged with the two princes of
King Surendra. Later he gave away his two daughter marriage to prince Trailokya.
These relations helped Jung Bahadur to rise to stately status and he could get
more power in his hand.
Three Parvas
Kot Massacre: The murder
episode that took place on the night of Aswin 2, 1903 BS has been regarded as
the Kot Massacre. Some historians took this murder episode as a result of the
conspiracy hatched by Jung Bahadur, while others taking it in a different way
through that it was an inevitable event of mass killing which Jung Bahadur used
to fulfil his own purpose. However, this episode of homicide was not only
limited to the mass killing of high level countries, assembling in the court of
the place in order to find out the culprit who had murdered Gagan Singh, a
private person of Queen Rajyalakshmi, but it was also beginning of the family
rule. At this mass killing event, prime minister, Chautariya Fattejung Shah
General Abhiman Singh and many other countries holding high posts and solders
were cruelly killed. After the Kot
Massacre, Jung Bahadur was appointed in the post the Commander-in-Chief.
Bhandarkhal Event: The next event of mass killing the countries
which was carried out at the Bhandarkhal garden on Aswin 17, 1903 BS is known
as Bandarkhal Parva and was thought to be the outcome of the conspiracy of
Queen Rajyalakshmi to kill Jung Bahadur. The queen wanted to make her own son,
Ranendra Bikram Shah, a king instead of Surendra Bikram Shah, the legitimate crown
prince. But, Jung Bahadur was deadly against this. She, therefore had an evil
design of killing Bahadur with the help of this opponent including Gagan Singh Khawas'
family. Having informed about all this, Jung Bahadur with the help of his
brothers and 6 platoons of soldiers managed to get all of his opponents killed
in the Bhandrakhal garden. Among those murdered in the event were Birdhoj
basnet, Mansingh Basnet and many other Basnets and 23 other persons. The queen
was charged with many crimes of murder and she was sent to Benaras after making
Jung Bahadur the Prime Minister.
Alau Event: Rajendra Bikram Shah staying in Benaras was after a
plan to come to power again against Jung Bahadur. The Persons whom he deputed
for killing Jung Bahadur were arrested with evidences. Consequently Jung
Bahadur dethroned Rajendra Bikram and declared Surendra Bikram the King.
Outraged with the development of the event, Rajendra Bikram Shah left Benaras
to declare war against Jung Bahadur. On 13 Shrawn, 1904 BS the old Gorkha
battalion led by Sanaksingh Shah attacked the soldiers of Rajendra Bikram Shah
at Alau near Birgunj and defeated them badly. Rajendra Bikram under arrest was
brought to Kathmandu and put into the prison of Bhaktapur
palace.
Royal approval of 24 Shrawn 1913 BS
King Surendra
was a puppet in the hand of Jung Bahadur. Through the approval of 24 Shrawn,
1913 BS, he made Jung Bahadur the king of Lamjung and Kaski (Shree Teen
Maharaj). Now Jung Bahadur could exercise very important executive powers
including appointment and dismissal of officials. infliction of punishments and
formulation of laws.
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