The End of Era Part III

By Rana Bahadur Shah’s time, and thereafter, the palace also abandoned the strict austerity measures that Prithvi Narayan Shah had so religiously observed. It became too profligate and engaged itself—rather extravagantly—in merry-making. For instance, according to historian Regmi, Prithvi Narayan Shah received his pocket money in quarter-rupees and half-rupees, with only one recorded payment of a full rupee. He also frowned upon foreign dancers and musicians because, among other things, they were a drain on wealth. However, in 1798, Rana Bahadur recruited an Indian musician, Jiyan Shah Kalwar, at a monthly salary of Rs. 700! Compare this with the monthly salary of a commander of an army company at the time—a meager Rs 30—and its gives a measure of the growing profligacy in the palace.

The rivalry between courtiers of the Shah and Thapa, Pandey and Bashnyat clans only grew in the subsequent years. Rana Bahadur Shah himself was forced to flee the country but came back later on and wrested power from his second wife and killed dozens of her loyal courtiers, before he was himself killed, possibly in a family feud.

It was his teenager fourth wife Lalitatripurasundari, who provided some stability to this fledging kingdom. She ruled for the next 26 years as queen regent to the two subsequent kings. But even this stability came at a Price: Her minister Bhimsen Thapa, killed 90 people, including her late husband’s other wives and concubines, to consolidate her power.

There are serious questions as to the sanity of the nest two kings Girwanyuddha’s son, Rajendra Bir Bikram Shah and his grandson, Surendra Bikram Shah. Rajendra Bikram Saha was a very week and ineffectual ruler and he declared his younger wife Rajyalaxmi, his own regent in 1843. By this time, multiple wives, sex scandals, betrayals, rivalry and killings had become the norm at the palace.

The killing of Rajyalaxmi’s confidante Gagan Thapa – some historians say he was her lover, precipitated perhaps the bloodiest massacre in Nepal’s History – the KOT PARWA, or massacre at the armory, in 1846. This gave rise to another Chherti clan at the palace: The Kunwars. About 55 court officials were killed in the Kot Parwa, mostly men from Kunwars’ rival clans – Thapas, Pandeys and Bashnyats. Historians say the next day over 6,000 members of these clans fled Kathmandu in fear for their lives. Jung Bahadur Kunwar, who proclaimed himself Ranaji later on, rose to the power after the Kot Parwa and his descendants were to rule Nepal for the next 104 years, keeping the Shahs confined to the palace as nominal kings.