Shah dynasty

The Shah dynasty (Nepali: शाह वंश), also known as the Shahs of Gorkha or the Royal House of Gorkha, was the ruling Chaubise Thakuri dynasty and the founder of the Gorkha Kingdom from 1559 to 1768 and later the unified Kingdom of Nepal from 1768 to 28 May 2008.

The Shah dynasty traces its historical ancestor to King of Kaski, Kulamandan Shah Khand, whose grandson Dravya Shah captured the throne of Ligligkot from Magars King (Dalsur Ghale Magar) with the help of accomplices from six resident clans of Majhkot and Ligligkot. Dravya Shah named his new kingdom Gorkha.

The origins of Shah dynasty is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of Magarat and Tamuwan, an ancient confederation in western Nepal inhabited primarily by the Gurung in (Lamjung, Gorkha, Kaski, Tanahu) and Magar people in (palpa, Tanahu, Gulmi, kushma, Musikot, Ghiring, Liglig and Gorkhakot (Gorkha) which were historically part of the Magarat region as it was Known as Magar homeland before the unification of Nepal). 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 the Kham Magar was Ruled by Magar Kings, which included various rulers like Malla-Khas in some areas and Tamuwan was ruled by Native Gurung tribal chief. After the decline of Magarat’s unity, the region fragmented into two groups of small kingdoms: the Baise Rajya (22 principalities) in the far west and the Chaubisi Rajya (24 principalities) in central Nepal. These kingdoms were mostly ruled by local Thakuri and Magar chieftains. Among the Chaubisi Rajya states was Gorkha, where the Shah dynasty rose to power by replacing local chief. In 1559 CE, Dravya Shah, the son of a Lamjung ruler, seized control of Gorkha by defeating the Magar king Mansingh Khadka Magar with the support of local elites. The Shah dynasty combined their Khas-Thakuri heritage with the martial traditions of Magarat, gradually expanding their influence by conquering neighboring principalities. This process of unification culminated in 1768 CE under Prithvi Narayan Shah, who established the modern Kingdom of Nepal, marking the Shah dynasty as both inheritors and transformants of Magarat’s legacy.