Jung Bahadur Rana
Jung Bahadur Kunwar | |
|---|---|
Contemporary portrait, 1887 | |
| 8th Prime Minister of Nepal | |
| 1st Maharaja of Lamjang and Kaski | |
| In office 15 September 1846 – 1 August 1856 | |
| Monarchs | King Rajendra King Surendra |
| Preceded by | Fateh Jung Shah |
| Succeeded by | Bam Bahadur Kunwar |
| In office 28 June 1857 – 25 February 1877 | |
| Monarch | King Surendra |
| Preceded by | Bam Bahadur Kunwar |
| Succeeded by | Ranodip Singh Kunwar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bir Narsingh Kunwar 18 June 1817 |
| Died | 25 February 1877 (aged 59) Patharghatta, Rautahat, Kingdom of Nepal |
| Spouse(s) | Prasad Laxmi Basnet (first wife) Nanda Kumari (second wife); Hiranya Garbha Devi (ninth wife) |
| Children | Bhim Jung Kunwar, Jagat Jung Rana, Jit Jung Rana, Lalit Rajeshwori Rajya Lakshmi Devi, Somgarva Divyeshwari Rajya Lakshmi Devi, Padma Jung Bahadur Rana, Badan Kumari Devi, Tara Rajya Lakshmi Devi |
| Parent(s) | Bal Narsingh Kunwar, Ganesh Kumari |
| Relatives | See Kunwar family; see Thapa dynasty; see Rana dynasty |
Jung Bahadur Rana, GCB, GCSI, was the Prime Minister of Nepal and the 1st maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski. He was born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (1817-1877). His mother, Ganesh Kumari, was the daughter of Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, the brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa from the prominent Thapa dynasty of Chhetri clan. During his lifetime, Jung Bahadur eliminated factional fighting at court, removed his family's rivals such as the Pandes and Basnyats, introduced innovations in the bureaucracy and judiciary, and made efforts to modernize Nepal. He is considered a significant figure in Nepalese history. Some modern historians blame Jung Bahadur for initiating a dark period in Nepalese history marked by an oppressive dictatorship that lasted 104 years, while others attribute this period to his nephews, the Shumsher Ranas. Rana's rule is often associated with tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation, and religious persecution.
His original name was Bir Narsingh Kunwar, but he was commonly known as Jung Bahadur, a name given to him by his maternal uncle, Mathabar Singh Thapa.