Thapa dynasty

The Thapa dynasty comes from the family of Kaji Bir Bhadra Thapa, commander of Unification of Nepal. He had three sons: Jeevan Thapa (died at the Battle of Kirtipur), Bangsha Raj Thapa, and Amar Singh Thapa (Sardar).[2] The eldest son of Amar Singh Thapa (Sardar) was Bhimsen Thapa who later became an essential ruler in Nepalese history.[9]

PM Bhimsen Thapa, founder of Thapa

The family became prominent during the rule of King Prithvi Narayan Shah and were established as a dominant faction during the reign of King Rana Bahadur Shah.[10] After the assassination of King Rana Bahadur Shah, Bhimsen Thapa rose to the event killing all enemies and proving the strength and presence of the Thapa family in the Royal Court of Nepal.[11] He went on to become the second Prime Minister of Nepal[2] and thus founded the Thapa family in the political context of Nepal.[11] Afterwards, the Thapas took the stronghold of the military power with an absolute order, which leads to a rivalry among other nobles.[12]

Portrait of Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal

Tripurasundari was the daughter of Bhimsen's brother, Kazi Nain Singh Thapa.[13] After the chaos that followed King Rana Bahadur's murder, Bhimsen became the Mukhtiyar and his niece Tripurasundari was given the title Lalita Tripurasundari and declared regent and Queen Mother of Nepal.[14] The Thapa family remained in power continuously even after the death of King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah and even after the peace deal (Treaty of Sugauli) with the British East India Company done between the then ruling prime minister Bhimsen Thapa representative of Nepal and British.[15] The modernization of the Nepalese Army was done to keep things in control[16] while convincing the suspicious British of no intention to use. Bhimsen increased his family members in court and military and also transferred other aristocratic families away from the capital.[17] Bhimsen instated his youngest brother, General Ranabir Singh Thapa, in the royal palace as chief palace authority.[18] Any meetings between the royal family and commoners or Bhardars were done under his permission and observation.[18]

Thapas remained on political power from the military domination by Bhimsen Thapa. It was no secret that Bhimsen was able to maintain his supremacy due to the large standing army under his and his family's command.[19] Thus, King Rajendra of Nepal feared the Thapa faction as

"...a race of men who for the last fifty-five years have dragged the country and its princes at the wheels of military car."[20]

Portrait of King Rajendra Bikram Shah, a supporter of anti-Thapa faction

Rana Jang Pande, the leader of Pande family

Bhimsen had committed atrocities against the Pande family by being involved in the execution of Nepalese Chief Kazi Damodar Pande. Rana Jang Pande, the youngest son of Damodar Pande, was a supporter of Senior Queen Samrajya Laxmi and had planned for the downfall of the thirty-one year Thapa rule.[21] In the Nepalese court, the rivalry between the two queens rose where the Senior Queen supported the Pandes, while the Junior Queen supported the Thapas.[22] Bhimsen went to his ancestral home in Gorkha for some time making Ranabir Singh Thapa as Acting Mukhtiyar.[23] Rana Jang Pande, the leading member of Pande aristocratic family and his brother, Ranadal Pande, was elevated in the Nepal Darbar.[24]

On 24 July 1837, King Rajendra Bikram Shah's infant son, Devendra Bikram Shah, died.[24][25] Bhimsen and members of the Thapa faction were blamed and conspired against.[25][26][27] On this charge, Bhimsen and whole the Thapa family, the court physicians, Ekdev and Eksurya Upadhyay, and his deputy Bhajuman Baidya, with relatives of the Thapas were incarcerated, proclaimed outcasts, and their properties confiscated.[25][26][28][29]

Fatte Jang Shah, Rangnath Poudel, and the Junior Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi, the anti-Pande faction, obtained from the King the liberation of Bhimsen, Mathabar, and the rest of the party, about eight months after they were incarcerated for the poisoning case.[30][31][32] Confiscation of some properties was pardoned. The pro-Thapa soldiers rallied to Bhimsen, Mathabar Singh, and Sherjung Thapa's houses.[33] Mathabar Singh fled to India while pretending to go on a hunting trip; Ranbir Singh gave up all his property and became a sanyasi, titling himself Swami Abhayananda; but Bhimsen Thapa preferred to remain in his old home in Gorkha.[32][34]

Bagh Durbar (lit. Tiger's mansion), Palace of ruling Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa

The family resided at Thapathali Durbar and Bagh Durbar. Bagh Durbar was constructed by Bhimsen Thapa, who moved to reside near the Basantapur Palace. He initially moved from Gorkha district to Thapathali Durbar and eventually to Bagh Durbar.[41]

Thapathali Durbar from opposite side of Bagmati River

Bagh Durbar, which literally means The Tiger's Mansion, was built in 1805 A.D. by PM Bhimsen Thapa. It had a spacious Janarala Bagh (General's Garden), a pond and many temples glorifying the Mukhtiyar General. When Thapa rule was revived, PM Mathabarsingh Thapa recaptured the lost palace and resided there for two years.[42]

Dharahara tower, Ram Chandra Temple and Bag Darbar

National Museum of Nepal at Chhauni, Former Residence of Thapa Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa

The National Museum of Nepal at Chhauni was once a residence to Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa. The building has collection of bronze sculptures, paubha paintings, and weapons including the sword gifted by French Emperor Napoleon I.[43]

No.	Members	Image	Position	Years ruled	Notes
1	Bhimsen Thapa		Mukhtiyar (Prime Minister) and Commander-in-Chief	1806 to 1837 A.D.
2	Ranabir Singh Thapa		Acting Mukhtiyar (Acting Prime Minister)[23]	1837 A.D. (briefly)
3	Mathabarsingh Thapa		Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief	1843 to 1845 A.D.
4	Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal		Queen Consort and Mother Regent of Nepal	1805 to 1832 A.D.
5	Bir Bhadra Thapa		Jetha Buda and Bhardar		He is the male patriarch of this dynasty and the senior Bharadar (politician) of the Gorkha Kingdom
6	Sanukaji Amar Singh Thapa		Governor and Sardar		Distinguished from Commander of Western forces Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa by terms Bada (Senior) and Sanu (Junior)
7	Nain Singh Thapa		General and Minister (Kaji)
8	Ujir Singh Thapa		Governor and Colonel		son of Nain Singh Thapa[44]
9	Bakhtawar Singh Thapa		Colonel		Brother of Bhimsen
10	Sher Jung Thapa		Colonel		Nephew and adopted son of Bhimsen
11	Amrit Singh Thapa		Kaji		Brother of Bhimsen, involved in bringing back Balbhadra Kunwar at Dehradun[45]
12	Ranzawar Thapa				Step-brother of Bhimsen
13	Ranabam (Bhotu) Thapa				Step-brother of Bhimsen
14	Tilak (Tri) Bikram Singh Thapa		Kaji		Known popularly as Kaji Mama by Shamsher Ranas; son of Bakhtawar Singh
15	Ranojjwal Singh Thapa				Son of Mathabarsingh Singh
16	Bikram Singh Thapa		Colonel		Son of Mathabarsingh Singh

[9] [46] [47]

The unrelated family of Amar Singh Thapa was also included in broader Thapa caucus.[7]

No.	Other Members	Image	Position	Years active	Notes
1	Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa		Kaji and General of Nepal	1759–1816 AD	Distinguished from father of Bhimsen Thapa and Palpa Administrator Sanukaji Amar Singh Thapa by terms Bada (Senior) and Sanu (Junior)
2	Bhakti Thapa		Sardar of Nepal Army	died 1815 AD	No blood relations to both Bhimsen Thapa and Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa
3	Ranadhoj Thapa		Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal	retired on 1831	eldest son of Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa[48]
4	Ranajor Singh Thapa		Kaji and Colonel of Nepal		youngest son of Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa[48]
5	Surath Singh Thapa		Kaji (later Captain only) and Joint-Chief signatory of Darbar[49]	appointed on 1832	grandson of Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa
6	Bhaktabir Thapa		Captain and later Kaji	retired on 1839	second son of Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa[48]
7	Narsingh Thapa		Captain and Kaji alternatively	appointed on 1818	third son of Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa[48]

List of Allies during Transition Phase (1837–1846)

List of Opponents during Transition Phase (1837–1846)

The first Dharahara before the 1934 earthquake

Dharahara tower was built by Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa.[52] Dharahara is said to be built for Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal, who was the niece of Bhimsen Thapa.[53]

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  Clothes worn by Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa
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  Clothes worn by Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa
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  Picture of Bhimsen Thapa standing beside a horse
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  PM Mathabar Singh Thapa in crown
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  Portrait of Mukhtiyar General Bhimsen Thapa
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  Portrait of first titled Prime Minister Mathabar Singh Thapa
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  Statue of Queen Tripurasundari
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  Portrait of Mukhtiyar General Bhimsen Thapa
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  Portrait of Colonel Mathabar Singh Thapa from 1831
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  Portrait of Mathabar Singh Thapa
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  Bhimsen Thapa and two wives
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  Mathabar Simha Thapa in Panjabi court
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  Portrait of Ranabir Singh Thapa
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  Portrait of Ujir Singh Thapa
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  Portrait of Ranabir Singh Thapa as Swami Abhayananda
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  Bhimsen Thapa,
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  General Ranabir Singh Thapa's letter signed by his private black seal sent to Mukhtiyar (PM) Bhimsen Thapa and 2nd Kazi (Deputy PM) Ranadhoj Thapa
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  Letter sent to PM Bhimsen Thapa and Kazi Ranadhoj Thapa by (Pvt. seal L to R) Bakhat Singh Sardar, Dalbhanjan Pande (Pande Kazi), Ranabir Singh Thapa, Kaji Narsingh Thapa (Elder Amar Singh Thapa's another son) and sundry captains
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  Letter sent to PM Bhimsen Thapa and Kazi Ranadhoj Thapa by then Colonel Mathabar Singh Thapa

• Basnyat family
• Rana dynasty
• Rathore dynasty
• Shah dynasty