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| Shah dynasty शाह वंश House of Shah Royal House of Gorkha | |
|---|---|
| Royal House | |
 | |
| Country | |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Founder | Kulamandan Shah Khad |
| Current head | Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| Final ruler | Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| Titles |
|
| Style(s) | Shree PaanchBadā Mahārājadhirāja |
| Motto | Bidya Mai Chha Maha Shakti; Karma Mai Chha Supujan (Great power lies in knowledge; Better worship lies in action) |
| Estate | Kingdom of Nepal |
| Deposition | 28 May 2008 |
| Cadet branches | Chautariya family |
TheShah dynasty (Nepali:शाह वंश), also known as theShahs of Gorkha or theRoyal House of Gorkha, was the rulingChaubiseThakuri dynasty[1] and the founder of theGorkha Kingdom from 1559 to 1768 and later the unifiedKingdom of Nepal from 1768 to 28 May 2008.
The Shah dynasty traces its historical ancestor to King of Kaski,Kulamandan Shah Khand, whose grandsonDravya Shah captured the throne ofLigligkot fromMagars King (Dalsur Ghale Magar)[2] with the help of accomplices from six resident clans of Majhkot and Ligligkot. Dravya Shah named his new kingdomGorkha.
The origin of theShah dynasty is deeply rooted in the historical landscape ofMagarat and Tamuwan, an ancient confederation in western Nepal inhabited primarily by the Gurungs in (Lamjung, Gorkha, Kaski, Tamahu) andMagar people in (palpa, Tanahu, Gulmi, Isma, Musikot, Ghiring,Liglig and Gorkhakot (Gorkha) which were historically part of theMagarat region as it was Known as Magar homleand before the unification of Nepal). According to Garhwal Dynasty,The Nepal Shah Dynasty is descended from the Panwar Rajput clan, their ancestry is connected to the Parmar dynasty, with the first king, Balabhadra Shah of the Garhwal Kingdom, adopting the "Shah" title after being recognized by a Lodi dynasty ruler. The Panwar (or Parmar) dynasty originated in India, with branches ruling in places like Garhwal, and while some of their descendants migrated to the region. Before the Shah came to power 12 magrat was ruled by various Magars Kings and 18 magrat located west of the kali Gandaki River, primarily inhabited by theKham Magar was Ruled by Magars Kings, which included various rulers like Malla-Khas in some areas and Tamuwan was ruled by Native Gurung tribal chief. After the decline ofMagarat’s unity, the region fragmented into two groups of small kingdoms: theBaise Rajya (22 principalities) in the far west and theChaubisi Rajya (24 principalities) in central Nepal. These kingdoms were mostly ruled by localThakuri andMagar chieftains. Among theChaubisi Rajya states wasGorkha, where theShah dynasty rose to power by replacing local chief. In 1559 CE, Dravya Shah, the son of a Lamjung ruler, seized control ofGorkha by defeating the Magar kingMansingh Khadka Magar with the support of local elites. TheShah dynasty combined their Khas-Thakuri heritage with the martial traditions ofMagarat, gradually expanding their influence by conquering neighboring principalities. This process of unification culminated in 1768 CE underPrithvi Narayan Shah, who established the modern Kingdom of Nepal, marking theShah dynasty as both inheritors and transformants ofMagarat’s legacy.
Dravya Shah was the youngest son ofYasho Brahma Shah,Raja (king) of Lamjung and grandson ofKulamandan Shah Khad, Raja of Kaski.[3] He became the king ofGorkha with the help of his accomplices: Gangaram Rana Magar, Narayan Das Arjyal, Kaji Ganesh Pandey. He ascended the throne of Gorkha in 1559 A.D. The loose translation of the Nepali work known as the "Wright Chronicle"[4] describes the coronation of Dravya Shah thus:
On Wednesday the 8th ofBhadon Badi,Saka 1481 (A.D. 1559)Rohini Nakshatra (i.e. the moon in the Rohini mansion) being an auspicious day, Drabya Shah aided by Bhagirath Panth,Ganesa Pande, Gangaram Rana Magar, Narayan Das Arjyal, Khanal Bohra and Murli Khawas of Gorkha, concealed himself in a hut. Ganesa Pande had collected all the people of who wore the brahmanical thread such as theThapas, Busals, Ranas and Maski Ranas of theMagar tribe, they went by the Dahya Gauda route and the Durbar. Drabya Shah killed the KingMansingh Khadka Magar[note 1] his own hand, with a sword, during the battle ensued. At the same auspicious moment Drabya took his seat on thegaddi, amidst the clash music.
— History of Nepal[3]
In 1743,Prithvi Narayan Shah became the ruler of Gorkha. He declared war on other principalities, defeating them one by one. In September 1768, he established theunified kingdom of Gorkha. He became the first king of the unified kingdom named asAsal Hindustan. He, his sons and their successors continued fighting and defeating other kingdoms and enlarging the kingdom of Gorkha. In 1814, theAnglo–Nepalese War betweenGorkha and theEast India Company began. By 1815, the Shah king had been thoroughly defeated. By 1816, Gorkha had lost one-third of its territory. The Shah kings continued to rule as absolute monarchs until 1846, when the political order changed fromabsolute monarchy toconstitutional monarchy.
In 1846, theRana dynasty gained power in Nepal. The Ranas became prime ministers and reduced the King's status to a figurehead position. The Ranas ruled Nepal as hereditary prime ministers though in the name of the figurehead king. In 1950, the Shah kingKing Tribhuvan went into exile in India. He and his family, including the crown princeMahendra, later returned. After India became asecular state in 1950, and the remaining rajas retired, Nepal was the only remainingHindu kingdom. In 1951, with the help of India, a popular politician common manMatrika Prasad Koirala became the prime minister of Nepal. Tribhuvan returned to Kathmandu. The Shah dynasty regained control and the prime minister,Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, resigned.King Tribhuvan ruled until 1955 and KingMahendra ruled until 1972. Mahendra's son,Birendra, became king.
In 1990, under KingBirendra, Nepal became aconstitutional monarchy after a mass movement from people forced Birendra Shah to restore democracy.[5]
On 1 June 2001, some members of the Shah dynasty weremurdered in the royal palace. A High Commission report concluded that the royal family was slaughtered by Crown PrinceDipendra. This remains controversial.[6] Among the dead were the Crown Prince's father, King Birendra and his brother,Prince Nirajan. After the attack, Dipendra was in a coma and was declared king for a short time. He died a few days later.Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Dipendra's uncle, took the throne. In February 2005, he dismissed the parliament in order to govern in his own right.
On 24 December 2007,Nepal's Provisional Parliament met. It was decided that the monarchy would be abolished in 2008 after theConstituent Assembly elections.[7] The motion enjoyed overwhelming support in the chamber, passing by a 270-vote majority. Of the 329 sitting members of parliament, only three voted against abolishing the monarchy.[8] It was decided that for the time being, Gyanendra would retain his title and continue residing in the Royal Palace, albeit stripped of all political power and authority.[8]
On 28 May 2008, following scheduled elections, the1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly declared Nepal aFederal Democratic Republic and the monarchy was abolished, removing the Shah dynasty from power.Kul Bahadur Gurung said of the 601 member assembly, 560 voted in favour, 4 were against and 37 were absent or abstained.[citation needed] Following an Assembly agreement involving theNepali Congress and both Nepalese Communist parties, (theLeninists and the much largerMaoist faction), Gyanendra stepped down.[citation needed]
Gyanendra vacated the palace inKathmandu which later became a museum. Until they could find permanent accommodation, the royal couple were offered residence as commoners at the Nagarjuna Palace, a former royal summer residence. The Nagarjuna palace lies in forested hills about eight kilometres (five miles) northwest of Kathmandu.[citation needed]
The dynasty was conclusively deposed in 2008 due to theNepalese royal massacre and the subsequentNepalese Civil War. However, there are still loyalists to the dynasty, as evidenced by theRastriya Prajatantra Party, the2023 Nepalese pro-monarchy protests and2025 Nepalese pro-monarchy protests. During the2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests, a group of protesters also expressed loyalty to the abolished monarchy and rallied in support of its restoration, despite the fact that the majority of protesters do not want a monarchy.[9][10]
The following is list of all ten kings ofGorkha hill principality.[citation needed]
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dravya Shah
| died 1570 | 1559 | 1570 | Son ofYasho Brahma Shah | Shah | |
Purna Shah/Purendra Shah
| died 1605 | 1570 | 1605 | Son of Dravya Shah | Shah | |
Chatra Shah
| died 1609 (heirless) | 1605 | 1609 | First son of Purendra/Purna Shah | Shah | |
Ram Shah
| died 1636 | 1609 | 1633 (abdicated) | Second son of Purna/Purendra Shah adopted title of Svasti Sri Giriraj | Shah |  |
Dambar Shah
| died 1645 | 1633 | 1645 | Son of Ram Shah | Shah | |
Krishna Shah
| died 1661 | 1645 | 1661 | Son of Dambar Shah | Shah | |
Rudra Shah
| died 1673 | 1661 | 1673 | Son of Krishna Shah | Shah | |
Prithvipati Shah
| died 1716 | 1673 | 1716 | Son of Rudra Shah | Shah | |
Nara Bhupal Shah
| 1697 – 3 April 1743 | 1716 | 1743 | Grandson of Prithvipati Shah and Son of PrinceBirbhadra Shah | Shah | |
Prithvi Narayan Shah
| (1723-01-07)7 January 1723[citation needed] – 11 January 1775(1775-01-11) (aged 52) | 1743 | 25 September 1768 | Son of Nara Bhupal Shah | Shah | |
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dal Mardan Shah
| ?—? | 1761 | 1765 | Son ofNara Bhupal Shah | Shah |
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Prithvi Narayan Shah
| (1723-01-07)7 January 1723[11]– 11 January 1775(1775-01-11) (aged 52) | 25 September 1768 | 11 January 1775 | Son of Nara Bhupal Shah | Shah | |
Pratap Singh Shah
| (1751-04-16)16 April 1751 – 17 November 1777(1777-11-17) (aged 26) | 11 January 1775 | 17 November 1777 | Son of Prithvi Narayan Shah | Shah |  |
Rana Bahadur Shah
| (1775-05-25)25 May 1775 – 25 April 1806(1806-04-25) (aged 30) | 17 November 1777 | 8 March 1799 (abdicated) | Son of Pratap Singh Shah | Shah |  |
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah
| (1797-10-19)19 October 1797 – 20 November 1816(1816-11-20) (aged 19) | 8 March 1799 | 20 November 1816 | Son of Rana Bahadur Shah | Shah | _(restoration).jpg) |
Rajendra Bikram Shah
| (1813-12-03)3 December 1813 – 10 July 1881(1881-07-10) (aged 67) | 20 November 1816 | 12 May 1847 (abdicated) | Son of Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Surendra Bikram Shah
| (1829-10-20)20 October 1829 – 17 May 1881(1881-05-17) (aged 51) | 12 May 1847 | 17 May 1881 | Son of Rajendra Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
| (1875-08-18)18 August 1875 – 11 December 1911(1911-12-11) (aged 36) | 17 May 1881 | 11 December 1911 | Grandson of Surendra Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
| Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign)
| (1900-06-30)30 June 1900 – 13 March 1955(1955-03-13) (aged 54) | 11 December 1911 | 7 November 1950 (went into exile) | Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah | Shah | .png) |
| Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (1st reign)
| (1947-07-07)7 July 1947 (age 78) | 7 November 1950 | 7 January 1951 (stepped down) | Grandson of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Shah | |
| Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign)
| (1900-06-30)30 June 1900 – 13 March 1955(1955-03-13) (aged 54) | 7 January 1951 | 13 March 1955 | Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
| (1920-06-11)11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972(1972-01-31) (aged 51) | 14 March 1955 | 31 January 1972 | Son of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
| (1945-12-28)28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001(2001-06-01) (aged 55) | 31 January 1972 | 1 June 2001 (assassinated) | Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah | |
Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah
| (1971-06-27)27 June 1971 – 4 June 2001(2001-06-04) (aged 29) | 1 June 2001 | 4 June 2001 (declared braindead) | Son of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
| Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (2nd reign)
| (1947-07-07)7 July 1947 (age 78) | 4 June 2001 | 28 May 2008 (Monarchy abolished) | Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Shah |  |
Family tree of the all Shah kings of Nepal (not of previousGorkha Kingdom) exceptGyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, brother of KingBirendra Bir Bikram Shah:
