Rana Dynasty: Part 1

Rana Dynasty

The Rise of the Ranas

Dall.E 3 image of Nepal

Long ago, Nepal was ruled by kings from the Shah dynasty. The country was divided into many small kingdoms before it was unified by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 18th century. The king’s family and the nobles around them had a lot of power. They all wanted to be in charge, and this sometimes led to fights and trouble.

 

One of these nobles was a man named Jung Bahadur Rana. He was very clever and ambitious. He wanted to gain more power, and he had a plan to do so. At that time, there was a lot of fighting between the different royal families and their supporters. Jung Bahadur used this fighting to his advantage. He supported the queen mother, who was having problems with her own family. In return for his support, he gained a lot of power and influence.


Jung Bahadur Rana and his sons

In 1846, there was an event called the Kot Massacre. It happened in the courtyard of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace. Many high-ranking nobles were killed, and Jung Bahadur was behind this incident. This event allowed him to become the most powerful man in Nepal. After this, Jung Bahadur made himself the Prime Minister and declared that the position would stay within his family forever. This was the beginning of the Rana rule in Nepal.

Painting of the Kot Massacre

Jung Bahadur Rana became the leader of Nepal, but he did not become the king. He kept the Shah king on the throne, but the king had no real power. The Ranas controlled everything, and the king was just a figurehead. This was a big change in Nepal’s history because it took away the power from the Shah kings and gave it to the Rana family.

 

The Ranas made sure that only they could be the Prime Ministers of Nepal. They passed laws that kept them in power and made it nearly impossible for anyone else to challenge them. The Ranas also made deals with other countries, like the British in India, to keep their power safe. They promised to help the British in wars, and in return, the British supported the Ranas' rule in Nepal.


Jung Bahadur went to Europe, including England and France, and learned about the modern world. When he came back, he made some changes in Nepal, like modernising the army and building roads. However, he also made sure that no one could challenge the Rana rule. The Ranas controlled the army, the government, and even the courts. They were very powerful and used their power to stay in control for more than a hundred years.


Jung Bahadur Rana vists Europe


This was how the Ranas rose to power in Nepal. They were clever, strategic, and ruthless when needed. They took advantage of the fights among the nobles and used them to their benefit. The Ranas kept their position by controlling everything in the country and by making deals with powerful countries. This rise of the Ranas marked the beginning of a long period of Rana rule in Nepal.

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