Chaubisi Rajya

Prithvi Narayan Shah, the last ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and the first King of Nepal

Chaubisi Rajya, Chaubise Rajya or Chaubisye Rajya (Nepali: चौबीसी राज्य, चौबीसे राज्य, lit. '24 principalities'), were sovereign and intermittently allied petty kingdoms ruled by the Magar and Thakuri kings located at the intersection of Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent.[1] One of these kingdoms, Gorkha, annexed the others, becoming the present-day country of Nepal. This conquest began soon after Prithvi Narayan Shah ascended to the Gorkha throne in 1743 AD.[2] The Chaubisi Rajya were annexed during the unification of Nepal from 1744 to 1816 AD.[1] A parallel group of 22 small kingdoms, Baisse Rajya (Nepali: बाइस्से राज्य), existed to the west of the Gandaki Basin.[3]

The Shah Kingdom was founded by Drabya Shah, the youngest son of Yasho Brahma Shah, king of Kaski and Lamjung, his eldest son became the king of Kaski and Lamjung which created a fight for supremacy.[4] Palpa was one of the biggest and most powerful kingdoms; the rulers were able to create independent kingdoms in Tanahu, Makwanpur and Vijaypur.[5] Many rulers from Nepal wanted to consolidate the principalities.[citation needed] The first battle took place in Nuwakot. Prithvi Narayan Shah commanded Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar of Gorkha to attack but he delayed his invasion.[citation needed] Shah sent another force led by Maheshwar Panta to attack but they were badly defeated.[citation needed] For preparation, the king obtained new weapons from Banaras, increased military strength, and made Kalu Pande his chief minister who helped him with planning.[6]

Chief of Nuwakot Jayanta Rana Magar (former Kaji of Gorkha) was defending a Nuwakot and knowing that Gorkha is going to attack them in near future had gone to take help from Jaya Prakash Malla. Meanwhile, on September 1744 Prithvi Narayan Shah led the surprise attack on Nuwakot. While Jayanta Rana Magar was away, his son Commander of Nuwakot Sankha Mani Rana Magar tried to defend, but lost. In 1744, Shah conquered Nuwakot, then went on to win a battle against Belkot (Jayanta Rana Magar second fort) .[6]

Not much is known about these principalities but these kingdoms played a pivotal role in the modern history of Nepal.[7] The unified Kingdom of Nepal continued to be ruled by the Shah dynasty, with the Rana dynasty de facto ruling the country from 1846[8] to February 1951 AD.[9][10] In 2006, a democracy movement broke out that overthrew the monarchy and transitioned to the Federal Democratic Republic.[11]

List of kingdoms

The 24 principalities[5][12]
Name Current location
Kingdom of Argha Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Bajhang
Kingdom of Bhirkot Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Butwal Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Dhor Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Dhurkot Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Galkot Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Ghiring
Kingdom of Garahun
Kingdom of Gorkha
Kingdom of Gulmi Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Isma
Kingdom of Kaski Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Khanchi Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Lamjung Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Musikot Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Nuwakot Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Paiyun Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Palpa Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Parbat Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Pyuthan Lumbini Province
Kingdom of Rishing Gandaki Province
Kingdom of Satahun
Kingdom of Tanahun Gandaki Province

References

  1. ^ a b "50-51" (PDF). European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. p. 78. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  2. ^ Whelpton, John (17 February 2005). A History of Nepal. Cambridge University Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0-521-80470-7. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. ^ Nepal and Bhutan: Country Studies (PDF). pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-0844407777. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020 – via Public Library UK.
  4. ^ Sinha, Awadhesh C. (26 October 2018). Dawn of Democracy in the Eastern Himalayan Kingdoms: The 20th Century. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-429-68568-2. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b Pradhan, K. L. (2012). Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806-1839. Concept Publishing Company. pp. 4–6. ISBN 978-81-8069-813-2. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Conquests of Prithvinarayana Shah" (PDF). Mirror Shodhganga. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  7. ^ Douglas, Ed (27 August 2020). Himalaya: A Human History. Random House. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-4735-4614-1. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Grandeur lifestyle of Rana families in pictures". My City. 27 January 2019. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. ^ Mulmi, Amish Raj (1 July 2017). "A remarkable history of the Ranas". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  10. ^ Lohani, S.C. "The Birth of Rana Feudalism in Nepal" (PDF). Digital Himalaya. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  11. ^ "South Asia : Nepal". The World Factbook. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  12. ^ Publications, Europa (2 September 2003). A Political Chronology of Central, South and East Asia. Routledge. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-135-35680-4. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.