The revolution of 1951 () in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
, also referred to as Sat Salko Kranti, was a political movement against the direct rule by the
Rana dynasty
Rana dynasty ( ne, राणा वंश, IAST=Rāṇā vaṃśa , ) is a Chhetri dynasty that imposed totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other ...
of Nepal which had lasted for 104 years. It marks the beginning of the political awakening and democratic movements in Nepal, and resulted in immediate abolition of the institutionalized hereditary Prime Minister system in Nepal.
Background of Rana regime
The rise of the Ranas was heightened by plotting the
Kot Massacre
The Kot massacre ( ne, कोत पर्व) took place on 14 September 1846 when then Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar and his brothers killed about 30-40 civil, military officers and palace guards of the Nepalese palace court including the Prime Mi ...
by
Jang Bahadur Rana
Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar ( ne, वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (JBR, ne, जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) () belonging to the ...
and his brothers gained power, thus reduced the power of monarch to a figurehead, and the position of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Rana regime pursued a policy of isolating Nepal from external influences. The Ranas further established their power by turning pro-British, and assisted the British during the
Sepoy Rebellion
''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire.
In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...
in 1857.
Organization for revolution
Popular dissatisfaction against of the Ranas started emerging from among educated people and from within the Ranas, many of whom were marginalised within the Rana hierarchy. Many of these Nepalese were in exile and had actively taken part in the
Indian Independence struggle and wanted to liberate Nepal as well. The political parties like the
Praja Parishad and the
Nepali Rastriya Congress
Nepali National Congress () was a political party in Nepal. It was formed by B. P. Koirala, Matrika Prasad Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Mahendra Narayan Nidhi and others.
It merged with the Nepal Democratic Congress led b ...
were formed in exile by people who wanted to stage both military and popular political revolutions in Nepal.
Uprisings and incidents
Nepal Praja Parishad
The founding of the Nepal Praja Parishad was proposed by
Dashrath Chand
Dasharath Chand ( ne, दशरथ चन्द; 1903-28 January 1941) is martyr of Nepalese Democratic Movement and a politician of Nepal who was active in starting a political revolution in Nepal during Rana rule. He was born at Baskot of Baitadi ...
and
Tanka Prasad Acharya
Tanka Prasad Acharya (Nepali: टंक प्रसाद आचार्य; 11 February 1912 – 23 April 1992) was a Nepali politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Nepal from 1956 to 1957. He was one of the founders and the leader ...
in a hotel in Bhimphedi,
Makwanpur District
Makwanpur District( ne, मकवानपुर जिल्ला; , a part of Bagmati Province, earlier a part of Narayani Zone, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Hetauda as its district headquarter, as well ...
of Nepal. It was founded in 1936 when they received the support of additional people including
Dharma Bhakta Mathema
Dharma Bhakta Mathema (1909—1941) was a professional body builder as well as a founding member of Praja Parishad. He introduced modern body building techniques in Nepal, but had gained popularity for his contribution to the Nepalese struggle ...
among others. The organization's head office was kept in Dharma Bhakta Mathema's house in OmBahal. Initially, Nepal Praja Parishad distributed hand-written pamphlets among the people and wrote articles against the Rana Dynasty in Nepal in an Indian socialist paper ''Janata'' and another paper published in Calcutta named ''Advance''. Later
Tanka Prasad Acharya
Tanka Prasad Acharya (Nepali: टंक प्रसाद आचार्य; 11 February 1912 – 23 April 1992) was a Nepali politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Nepal from 1956 to 1957. He was one of the founders and the leader ...
brought a
printing machine
Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and Printmaking, images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabo ...
from India, and the organization started to distribute pamphlets against the Rana dynasty to enlighten the people against the rule of the Ranas in Nepal. On January 19, 1941, the court of the Ranas gave the death penalty to
Shukraraj Shastri
Shukra Raj Shastri ( Nepali: ) (born Shukra Raj Joshi) (1894–24 January 1941) was a Nepalese intellectual and fighter for democracy who was executed by the autocratic Rana dynasty. He is one of the four martyrs of the Nepalese revolution that ...
(who was not involved in Praja Parishad), Dharma Bhakta Mathema,
Ganga Lal Shrestha, and
Dashrath Chand
Dasharath Chand ( ne, दशरथ चन्द; 1903-28 January 1941) is martyr of Nepalese Democratic Movement and a politician of Nepal who was active in starting a political revolution in Nepal during Rana rule. He was born at Baskot of Baitadi ...
, who are now recognized as the martyrs of Nepal. Many others were sentenced to jail and many were exiled. Thus Nepal Praja Parishad was dissolved in January 1941.
National congress
On January 26, 1947, the Nepali National Congress was formed in India under the leadership of
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...
. Since establishment Congress organized underground activities but on March 4, 1947 (Falgun, 2003 B.S.) Workers of Biratnagar Jute mill demonstrated and started striking against the management.
under the leadership of
Girija Prasad Koirala
Nepal Ratna Girija Prasad Koirala ( ne, गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइराला ; 4 July 1924 – 20 March 2010), affectionately known as Girija Babu, was a Nepalese politician. He headed the Nepali Congress and served as the ...
and
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...
. Nepali National Congress participated in this
Biratnagar jute mill strike, supporting the strikers
and demanded a Political labour union. To suppress the strike the Rana regime sent the state troops over the long and difficult mountain trail to
Biratnagar
Biratnagar () is a metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Province No. 1. With a population of 242,548 as per the 2011 census, it is the largest city in the province and also the headquarters of Morang district. As per the p ...
. The strike continued until the troops reached Biratnagar and arrested the leaders. Nepali National congress held a delegates' conference at
Jogbani
Jogbani is a town, a notified area in Araria District of Bihar state, India. It lies on the Indo-Nepal border with Morang District, Koshi Zone and is a gateway to Biratnagar city. There is a customs checkpoint for goods at the border. Indian ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and resolved to initiate a nationwide 'satyagraha' (civil disobedience movement on the Indian model) and thus countrywide anti-Rana demonstration started.
Jayatu Sanskritam
In June 1947, students enrolled in the Tin Dhara school launched the
Jayatu Sanskritam movement
The Jayatu Sanskritam movement begin in 1947 AD(BS 2004), started by students of the Tin Dhara Pakshala Sanskrit School in Nepal. They demanded democracy, basic welfare, and the inclusion of modern subjects in their curriculum. It was the fi ...
, demanding democracy and inclusion of modern subjects in the curriculum. It was the first student uprising in Nepal's history, and was led by Parashuram Pokhrel, Purna Prasad Brahman, Sribhadra Sharma Khanal,
Ram Prasad Neupane
The Jayatu Sanskritam movement begin in 1947 AD(BS 2004), started by students of the Tin Dhara Pakshala Sanskrit School in Nepal. They demanded democracy, basic welfare, and the inclusion of modern subjects in their curriculum. It was the f ...
, Kamal Raj Regmi,
Rajeshwor Devkota
Rajeshwor Devkota ( ne, राजेश्वर देवकोटा; 8 October 1929 – 10 August 2015) was a Nepalese politician and writer. He was elected into the National Panchayat for several terms and has also served as the speaker, an ...
and Gokarna Shastri. Forty-two of the participants were exiled by the Rana rulers, and others were imprisoned. Exiles in India later joined the agitation launched for the establishment of democracy under by
B.P. Koirala
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...
and other leaders.
King Tribhuvan's exile
King Tribhuvan
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955) was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his ...
's anti Rana attitude had been an open secret for a long time in Nepal. King Tribhuvan himself gave explicit support to
Nepal Praja Parishad
The Nepal Praja Parishad ( Nepali: नेपाल प्रजा परिषद) was the first attempt to form an organization to lead the revolution against the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Led by Tanka Prasad Acharya, the group was founded in 19 ...
, to try to overthrow the Ranas. In each instance, however, the Ranas responded harshly, banning the liberal movements and executing their leadership. Even then King Tribhuvan worked closely with Praja Parishad in trying to end the Rana regime. Finally, in November 1950, King Tribhuvan took refuge at the Indian Embassy against the Ranas. He was accompanied by his son
Mahendra
Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound royal styles.
History and politics
Royalty
* M ...
and the eldest grandson
Birendra
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was the tenth Shah Ruler and the King of N ...
, among others. Prime Minister
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
became furious and responded to Tribhuvan's move by calling an emergency meeting of the cabinet on 7 November 1950 at Singha Durbar. In that meeting he announced
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, the three-year-old grandson of King Tribhuvan, would be the new King of Nepal. In the afternoon, on the same day, Prince Gyandendra Bir Bikram Shah was brought to Hanuman Dhoka Palace and crowned as the king of Nepal. On 10 November, two Indian planes landed at Gauchar Airport and flew back to
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
with the Royal family excluding the infant King, Gyanendra. King Tribhuvan was formally welcomed by the Indian prime minister
Jawahar Lal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
and other high officials. Appointment of the new king led to huge demonstrations throughout the country. On November 22, 1950, Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, officially announced that India was not going to recognize
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah as the legitimate King of Nepal.
Nepali Congress's Liberation Army
After King Tribhuvan fled to the Indian embassy, the
Nepali Congress Party
The Nepali Congress ( ne, नेपाली कांग्रेस ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, ''Nepali Congress'' stands as the single largest party o ...
launched a military wing called Congress Mukti Sena, also known as
Nepali Congress's Liberation Army
Nepali Congress's Liberation Army(Congress Mukti Sena) was the militant wing of the Nepali Congress Party. Established in 1944 the Sena took part in an armed uprising against the Rana rule in Nepal. Later, the Liberation Army was integrated into ...
, and started an armed uprising against the Rana rule .
The Congress Mukti Sena controlled significant places in the plains of
Terai
The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...
, but held little power in the political capital,
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
.
Delhi Accord
After a mutual agreement between Ranas, Nepali Congress and King Tribhuvan, a tripartite agreement was signed in Delhi. Finally, On February 18, 1951 (7th Falgun 2007 B.S.), King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal as head of state. The major provisions of the Delhi Accord (Agreement) are as follows:
* An elected
constituent assembly
A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
will create a democratic constitution within 2 years.
* There will remain an interim cabinet (government) of 10 ministers under the Prime Ministership of
Mohan Shumsher
Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
, of which 5 ministerial positions will be taken by the Nepali Congress.
* There will be no restriction to
political organization
A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in poli ...
s. All the political prisoners will be set free and agitators have to hand over all their weapons to the government.
* King Tribhuvan will remain the King of Nepal and ultimate power lies in the monarch.
Formation of the Coalition Government
On 15 February 1951, King Tribhuvan and the leading members of the Nepali Congress returned to
Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
. A huge flock of supporters gathered and welcome the monarch at the airport. On 18 February 1951, King Tribhuvan announced Nepal's first steps to democracy with a historical proclamation and a cabinet headed by Sir
Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
, and split among the Ranas and the Nepali Congress Party. The followings were the members of the Cabinet.
From the Ranas:
* 1. Sir Mohan Shamsher - Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs
* 2. Sir
Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Sir Baber Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, GCVO, GBE, KCSI, KCIE (27 January 1888 – 12 May 1960) was a member of the Rana dynasty who served as the Minister of Defence of Nepal in 1951. A prominent member of the Rana oligarchy, he fought valiantly ...
- (younger brother of Mohan Shamsher; was in line for the next premiership) - Defence
* 3. Chudraj Shamsher - ("B" class Rana representative) - Forests
* 4. Nripa Janga Rana - ("C" class Rana representative) - Education
* 5.
Yagya Bahadur Basnyat
Yagya Bahadur Basnyat ( ne, यज्ञ बहादुर बस्न्यात) was a Nepalese politician. He was appointed Minister of Health & Local Self Development in the government formed by Sir Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana after ...
- (Rana Bhardar) - Health and Local self-government
From the Nepali Congress side:
* 1.
B.P. Koirala
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...
- Home
* 2.
Subarna Shamsher Rana
Subarna Shamsher Rana ( ne, सुवर्ण सम्शेर राणा) (1910 – 9 November 1977) was a leading figure in the movement to overthrow the ruling Rana oligarchy and to establish democracy in Nepal. He was one of the three ...
- (even though a Rana, he was a key member of the Nepali Congress) - Finance
* 3.
Ganesh Man Singh
Ganesh Man Singh ( Nepali:गणेशमान सिंह) (November 9, 1915 – September 18, 1997) was the leader of the democratic movement of 1990 in Nepal. He is revered as the Father of Democracy and the Iron-man of Nepali politic ...
- Commerce and Industry
* 4. Bharatmani Sharma - Food and Agriculture
* 5.
Bhadrakali Mishra
Bhadrakali Mishra ( ne, भद्रकाली मिश्र; 6 February 1920 – 1 June 2006) was a Nepali politician. In his political career lasting more than 50 years, several of which were in exile, he held numerous ministerial portfol ...
- Transport
This cabinet was reshuffled on 10 June 1951 to replace Baber Shamsher by Shangha Shamsher and Bharatmani Sharma by
Surya Prasad Upadhyaya
Aftermath
The coalition was a mixture of conservative Ranas, who were trying to hold on to as much political power as possible, and radical reformers, who had almost no administrative experience. It was able to enact a new constitution entitled the
Interim Government of Nepal Act 1951
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
, drafted with the help of Indian experts and was in many ways inspired by the
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...
. This interim government was able to set up a separate judicial branch and importantly transfer all executive powers back to the king, including supreme command of the armed forces and power to appoint government officials and manage finances. Later, the entire bloc of Nepali Congress Party ministers resigned in November, which allowed the king to appoint a new government for the first time since the nineteenth century. The king used the opportunity to exclude for good the conservative Rana power bloc. A royal proclamation on November 16, 1951, established a new government led by Matrika Prasad (M.P.) Koirala, the half-brother of B.P. Koirala, who had run the Nepali Congress Party during the revolutionary struggle.
See also
*
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress ( ne, नेपाली कांग्रेस ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, ''Nepali Congress'' stands as the single largest party o ...
*
Biratnagar jute mill strike
*
Ram Prasad Rai
Ram Prasad Rai (Nepali: रामप्रसाद राई) (born March 1, 1909 – unknown) was a Nepali revolutionary, guerrilla leader, military theorist and organizer of the Liberation Army in East part of Nepal. Rai was a major figure of ...
*
List of Nepali democratic movement (1951) activists
This article contains a list of Wikipedia articles about Nepali politicians and activists who took part in 1951 democratic movement in Nepal.
* B.P. Koirala
* Bhadrakali Mishra
* Bidhyanath Pokhrel
* Ganesh Man Singh
* Gehendrahari Sharma ...
References
{{Nepalese revolutions and protests
History of Nepal (1951–2008)
Rana regime
1951 in Nepal
Conflicts in 1951