Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज महेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव; 11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972) was the
King of Nepal
The King of Nepal (traditionally known as the Mahārājdhirāja i.e. Great King of Kings; it can also be translated as "Sovereign Emperor" ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजधिराज)) was Nepal's head of state and monarch from 1768 ...
from 13 March 1955 until his death in 1972. Following the 1960 coup d'état, he established the partyless
Panchayat system
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
which governed the country for 28 years until the introduction of multiparty democracy in 1990. During his reign, Nepal experienced a period of industrial, political and economic change that opened it to the rest of the world for the first time after the 104-year-long reign of the Rana rulers, who had kept the country under an isolationist policy, came to an end in 1951.
Early life
King Mahendra was born in the year 11 June 1920 (1977 B.S) at the Narayanhiti Palace to King
Tribhuvan of Nepal
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 ...
. King Mahendra was the eldest child of 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 ...
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 othe ...
, the power of the king was reduced to that of a
figurehead
In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...
. Although Tribhuvan was nominally king since 1911, the royal family had been held captive in Narayanhiti Palace since the rise of the prominent
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 othe ...
.
Even though he had not take any official education, he took private education inside the palace and learned politics, economics and Nepali literature, history and culture.
Inside the palace, King Mahendra had a love affair with a concubine, named Geeta Gurung through which a child was born at the age of 13.There was only one child named Rabindra Shah/Gurung. Since the concubine was not a Thakuri, his marriage could not take place and the royal family decided to marry their son with the Rana family.
In 1940, He married Indra Rajya Lakshmi, the granddaughter of
Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
Field Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, जुद्ध शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा) (19 April 1875 in Narayanhity Palace, Kathmandu – 20 November 1952 in Dehr ...
and daughter of General Hari Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. Mahendra had three sons, Birendra, Gyanendra, and Dhirendra and three daughters Shanti, Sharada, and Shobha. His first wife, Crown Princess Indra died in 1950.
In 1951 King Tribhuvan launched a successful political movement against the Ranas and established
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 ma ...
as a constitutional monarchy. Mahendra was not happy that 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 ...
had reduced the rights of the monarchy in the 1951 (2007 B.S) Interim Constitution while bidding farewell to 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 othe ...
after the 1951 revolution.
After the death of his first wife Indra Rajya in 1950, the then Prince Mahendra was in a love affair with sister in law,
Ratna
Ratna (रत्न) (also Rathna or Rathan) is a Sanskrit term for " jewel". It is also a popular female Hindu name.
Ratna may refer to:
People
* Ratna, Queen Mother of Nepal (born 1928), Queen Consort of Nepal from 1955 to 1972
* Ratna Fabri, ...
, but
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 ...
was planning to prevent his son from marrying Rana's daughter Ratna under any circumstances. Prince Mahendra did not like the pressure of his father to marry the girl of his choice. King Tribhuvan, on the other hand, was not in favor of expanding relations with the Rana family, even more so with Shamsher's Clan. King Tribhuvan was outraged by the insult inflicted on him by Juddha Shamsher, but the dispute had been going on for a long time. In 1952,two years after the death of his queen, Mahendra married Indra's younger sister, Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi. This created bad relations between him and his father. This marriage produced no children as King Mahendra had married on the condition his personal life should not hinder his national duties and the queen agreed to be childless.
Early reign
Mahendra became the king of Nepal as the successor of King Tribhuvan. When King Tribhuvan left for
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
for treatment, Mahendra got the authority from the then King Tribhuvan. He inherited the throne aged 34 as a
constitutional monarch
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
. He became king on 13 March 1955 but his coronation took place on 2 May 1956 due to the one year mourning period of death of his father.
Tanka Prasad Acharya's cabinet
On January 27, 1956 (Magha 13, 2012 B.S) King Mahendra appointed Acharya as the Prime Minister of Nepal. The first five-year plan was launched during his tenure as prime minister. During his time,
Nepal Rastra Bank
The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) ( ne, नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक) was established April 26, 1956 A.D. ( Nepali Date: Baisakh 14, 2013 B.S.) under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 1955, to discharge the central banking responsibili ...
and the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
were established. Acharya's tenure is also seen as a golden age for Nepal in foreign relations. In addition to establishing diplomatic relations with many countries, the government was able to establish close ties with the Chinese government. The Chinese government had provided Rs 60 million to Nepal on 7 October 1956 (Ashwin 22, 2013 B.S).
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 ...
resigned as Prime Minister in July 1957(Ashadha 2014 B.S).
Kunwar Indrajit Singh's cabinet
Kunwar Indrajit Singh
Kunwar Indrajit Singh ( ne, कुँवर इन्द्रजीत सिंह; 1906 – 4 October 1982), popularly known as Dr. K.I. Singh or just K.I. Singh was a Nepali politician and revolutionary who served as the 20th Prime Minis ...
was appointed Prime Minister by King Mahendra in 1957 (2014 B.S) His cabinet included Education Minister Mahakavi
Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Laxmi Prasad Devkota ( ne, लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटा) (1909-1959) was a Nepali poet, playwright, and novelist. Honored with the title of Mahakabi ( ne, माहाकवि) in Nepali literature, he was kno ...
. He tenure was mostly spent in attempts to curtail his own enemies He was later replaced by a government led by Suvarna Samsher Rana. According to General Nara Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, he was dismissed by King Mahendra because he tried to stage a coup against the king and relegate him to a 'puppet king', just like in the Rana days.
Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1959
King Mahendra had promulgated the constitution in 1959(2015 B.S) to take the country towards a parliamentary system. On the basis of the royal announcement on February 1, 1958, a Constitution Drafting Commission was formed on March 27, 1958, to take the country towards a parliamentary system. On the basis of the draft prepared by the Constitution Drafting Commission, the Constitution of the Dominion of Nepal(2015) was announced on February 12, 1959 (Falgun 1, 2015 B.S) from King Mahendra. Sections 73 and 75 came into force on February 12, 1959, and the rest of the sections came into force from June 17, 1959. In that law, which has a bicameral system, the lower house was the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
and the upper house was the
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...
. There was a system of 109 members elected from 109 constituencies in the House of Representatives, while in the General Assembly there were 36 members with 18 elected and 18 nominated. Candidates were required to be 25 years of age to become a candidate for the House of Representatives and 30 years of age to be a candidate for the General Assembly. After reaching the age of 21, one could become a voter. The constitution had made the first provision of Public Service Commission which required one-third member to have not had served government job for last 5 years. The arrangement of the Auditor General was also made for the first time while there was no arrangement for an Election Commission. The constitution recognized
Nepali
Nepali or Nepalese may refer to :
Concerning Nepal
* Anything of, from, or related to Nepal
* Nepali people, citizens of Nepal
* Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...
as the official language and
Devanagari
Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...
as the official script of the country. The 1959 election was held in accordance with this constitution
General election 1959
In order to elect 109 representatives to the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, the lower house of the Parliament of Nepal, the first democratic election of Nepal was held in 45 days from Falgun 7, 2015 until Chaitra 21, 2015. B.S. This election was held in accordance with the Constitution of the
Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal ( ne, नेपाल अधिराज्य), also known as the Gorkha Empire ( ne, गोरखा अधिराज्य) or Asal Hindustan ( ne, असल हिन्दुस्तान)(), was a Hindu king ...
1959, which was implemented on Falgun 1, 2015 B.S. The
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 of ...
, achieved two-third majority and merged as the largest party in the election.
BP Council of Ministers
The
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 of ...
, which emerged as the largest party in the election, elected party president B. P. Koirala as the leader of the parliamentary party and fielded him as Nepal's prime minister. On Jestha 13, 2016 B.S.
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 ...
of the
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 of ...
took the oath of office before the then King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah. The first assembly of the house took on 1 July 1959 (Ashadha 17, 2016 B.S.)
1960 coup d'état
On 15 December 1960, King Mahendra used his emergency powers and took charge of the State once again claiming that the Congress government had fostered corruption, promoted party above national interest and failed to maintain law and order. The King suspended the constitution, dissolved the elected parliament, dismissed the cabinet, imposed direct rule and imprisoned the then-prime minister B. P. Koirala and his closest government colleagues. Political parties were outlawed.
Panchayat Regime
On 13 April 1961, Mahendra made a televised appearance, in which he introduced
Panchayat
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical men ...
, a partyless political system of village, district and national councils. At first, the
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 of ...
leadership propounded a non-violent struggle against the new order and formed alliances with several political parties, including the Gorkha Parishad and the United Democratic Party. However, the king would abolish political activities, jail political dissenters calling them anti-national elements and introduce a new constitution in which the people could elect their representatives, while real power remained in the hands of the monarch.
Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1962
The Constitution Drafting Commission was formed on May 8, 1962, with the then Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs
Rishikesh Shah
Rishikesh Shah (May 16, 1925 – November 13, 2002) was a Nepalese writer, politician and human rights activist.Angur Baba Joshi as the only female member. The commission was assigned to submit the draft constitution to the king within 23 days until June 1, 1962. On December 16, 1962, King Mahendra promulgated a new constitution institutionalizing a four-tier
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
. The constitution had a unicameral legislature named as Rashtriya Panchayat. Sovereign power and residual rights were vested in the King based on Article 90. There was a provision that the constitution could be amended by a
royal proclamation
A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...
from the king. This constitution made the provision of
Election Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
and the Commission for Prevention of Abuse of Authority for the first time. The arrangement of 6 class organizations was made which could send its class representatives in the Rashtriya Panchayat while the basic duties of citizens were also designated. The Constitution officially recognized Hindu religion as the national religion and introduced country's first
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
by giving official recognition to Shriman Gambhir. It also introduced the new modernized
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
of the country and therewith introduced the method to draw out the flag for the first time . In addition to that, it introduced national emblem such as Lali gurans as the national flower, crimson colour as the national colour, the
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
as the national animal and Danphe as the national bird of Nepal.
The constitution, which has been amended 3 times, was first amended on January 27, 1967. Through the first amendment, the various English words used in the constitution were replaced with Nepali, Nepal was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts and the arrangement of zonal commissioner was made. The constitution would officially abolish political parties and substitute a ''" National Guidance" system'' based on local panchayat led directly by the king.
Panchayat election 1963
The first elections to the National Panchayat took place in March and April 1963.The panchayat election of 1963 was held on the basis of constitution of kingdom of Nepal 1962. Although political parties officially were banned and the major opposition parties publicly refused to participate, about one-third of the members of the legislative were associated with the
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 of ...
. There were 4,000 village assemblies at the local level, electing nine members of the village assemblies, who in turn elected a mayor . Each village assemblies sent a member to sit on one of seventy-five district ''panchayat'', representing from forty to seventy villages; one-third of the members of these assemblies were chosen by the town ''panchayat''. Members of the district ''panchayat'' elected representatives to fourteen zone assemblies functioning as electoral colleges for the National Panchayat in Kathmandu. In addition, there were class organizations at village, district, and zonal levels for peasants, youth, women, elders, laborers, and ex-soldiers, who elected their own representatives to assemblies.
Panchayat system (1962–1972)
Adopted on the second anniversary of the royal coup and founded on the idea of having a system "suitable to the soil", the new constitution, created a four-tier
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
. The National Panchayat of about ninety members could not criticize the royal government, debate the principles of partyless democracy, introduce budgetary bills without royal approval, or enact bills without approval of the king. Mahendra was supreme commander of the armed forces, appointed (and had the power to remove) members of the Supreme Court, appointed the Public Service Commission to oversee the civil service, and could change any judicial decision or amend the constitution at any time. To many of the unlettered citizens of the country, the king was a spiritual force as well, representing the god Vishnu upholding
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
on earth. Within a span of ten years, the king had, in effect, reclaimed the unlimited power exercised by
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Maharajadhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723–1775) ( ne, श्री ५ बडामहाराजाधिराज पृथ्वीनारायण शाह देव) was the last ruler of the Gorkha Kingdom and first monarch of the ...
in the eighteenth century.
Support of the king by the army and the government bureaucracy prevented opposition to his rule from developing within the
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
. Real power came from the king's secretariat, and in the countryside influence rested in the offices of zonal commissioners and their official staffs or the parallel system of development officers. The
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 of ...
leadership made increasingly conciliatory statements and began to announce its faith in democratic ideals under the leadership of the king. In 1968 the king began to release political prisoners, including B. P. Koirala, who was freed on 30 October. At this point, a three-way split developed in the
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 of ...
. B.P. Koirala went to India, where he headed a wing committed to democratic revolution and violent overthrow of the
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
. He was a symbol for youth but powerless politically. Subarna Shamsher's wing continued to advocate local cooperation with the king outside the
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
. A third wing tried to work within the
Panchayat System
Panchayat ( ne, पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat sys ...
in the expectation that it would evolve into a democratic system. The disunity of the political opposition left King Mahendra to do as he wished.
Attempts to overthrow the regime
There were multiple struggles and attempts to remove the king from power both before and during the Panchayat regime.
1957 coup d'état attempt
King Mahendra used his residual power of
Royal prerogative of mercy
In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, by which they can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal preroga ...
and pardoned KI Singh in 1955 when he was declared a traitor and rebellion against the state by former state powers. He was then allowed to enter the country and listening to his nationalist view,
Kunwar Inderjit Singh
Kunwar Indrajit Singh ( ne, कुँवर इन्द्रजीत सिंह; 1906 – 4 October 1982), popularly known as Dr. K.I. Singh or just K.I. Singh was a Nepali politician and revolutionary who served as the 20th Prime Minis ...
was appointed Prime Minister by King Mahendra in 1957. He tenure was mostly spent in attempts to curtail his enemies while he also tried to stage a coup against the king with the help of the army. However, the head of the army, General Nar Shamsher, being loyal to the king informed him about the coup and KI Singh was immediately dismissed.
Janakpur bomb incident
On January 22, 1962, King Mahendra visited the
Janaki Temple
Janaki Mandir ( ne, जानकी मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple in Janakpur, Nepal, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita. It is an example of mixed Hindu Nepali architecture
Fully built in bright white and constructed in an area of 1,4 ...
after completing his eastern tour. Arvind Kumar Thakur and other anti-panchayat youths under the leadership of
Durgananda Jha
Durganand Jha ( ne, दुर्गानन्द झा) was Nepalese democratic fighter who attempted to assassinate King Mahendra of Nepal in January 1962 (9 Magh 2018 Bikram Sambat, BS) in Janakpur in southeastern Nepal. Durga was captured af ...
threw a bomb at the car he was traveling in when he was returning to the arena after performing religious visit. Fifty nine people were arrested on the charge of their involvement in the incident and a special court was formed to investigate the incident. The court found three people,
Durgananda Jha
Durganand Jha ( ne, दुर्गानन्द झा) was Nepalese democratic fighter who attempted to assassinate King Mahendra of Nepal in January 1962 (9 Magh 2018 Bikram Sambat, BS) in Janakpur in southeastern Nepal. Durga was captured af ...
, Arvind Kumar Thakur and Dal Singh Thapa, guilty on July 3, 1962. They were slapped death penalty on grounds of treason and rebellion on September 4, 1963, after the introduction of new Nation's Legal Code (Muluki Ain ) on 17 August 1963 since the old law did not allow the punishment of a person of Brahmin descent. On January 29, 1964,
Durgananda Jha
Durganand Jha ( ne, दुर्गानन्द झा) was Nepalese democratic fighter who attempted to assassinate King Mahendra of Nepal in January 1962 (9 Magh 2018 Bikram Sambat, BS) in Janakpur in southeastern Nepal. Durga was captured af ...
was hanged until death while Arvind Kumar Thakur and Dal Singh Thapa had their sentenced changed to life time imprisonment.
Notable works and improvements
Promotion of nationalism
King Mahendra's role in the promotion of nationalism has been unforgettable. In nearly two centuries since Prithvi Narayan Shah, Nepal was administered as a single political entity from
and was treated as a single country by its neighbouring powers including like
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
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
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
but its citizens never had a unified sense of "Nepali-ness".Mocko, A. T. (2016). ''Demoting Vishnu: ritual, politics, and the unraveling of Nepal's Hindu monarchy''. Oxford University Press. page 36-37 Even the citizens of the country did not know where and what
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 ...
was. calling
Kathmandu valley
The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...
as Nepal, lower plains around
Birgunj
Birgunj ( ne, वीरगञ्ज) is a metropolitan city in Parsa District in Madhesh Province of southern Nepal. It lies south of the capital Kathmandu, attached in the north to Raxaul in the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entr ...
,
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 ...
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
, and western Nepal as Khas and even the king as Gorkhali King rather than a king of Nepal.Rana, Mani, and Dhurba Hari Adhikari. ''Interview with B P Koirala'' (in Nepali), BBC London, 9 Nov. 2020, Accessed 26 July 2022. It is said that Nepal was built before, but Nepal as a political boundary and country was institutionalized by King Mahendra. Before 1960, foreigners were free to purchase land in Nepal. After coup d'état of 1960, King Mahendra banned foreigners from purchasing land in Nepal. At that moment there was no single mother language used by the whole nation, and Nepalese were increasingly influenced from foreign languages. Indian cultures,
Indian cinema
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
s, teaching of
Hindi language
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
in the schools were all the signs leading towards the amalgamation of Nepal into India. Mahendra was uncomfortable with the widespread changes happening in the country: a diverse elected cabinet under
BP 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 ...
; political parties in the
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 ...
advocating for an autonomous province; and
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
, lingua franca of the people of Indian origin, being spoken in Parliament. The king was troubled by how democracy had allowed people to assert their identity and culture forcing communalism, regionalism, and other anti-national motives . When Hindi dominance was increasing in communities, he devised the policy of national language by selecting
Khas Kura
Khasa Prakrit (also known as Khas Prakrit, Sanskrit Khasa, Himalayan Prakrit, Northern Prakrit, Khas Kura) is a hypothesized Prakrit language of medieval India and Nepal. It is considered to be an ancestor of Pahari languages, which includes Nep ...
as the national language as it was the lingua franca and made it nationwide. The language was transformed from
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
, to
official language
An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
and then later to
national language
A national language is a language (or language variant, e.g. dialect) that has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a nation. There is little consistency in the use of this term. One or more languages spoken as first languages in the te ...
. By establishing the
Nepal Rastra Bank
The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) ( ne, नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक) was established April 26, 1956 A.D. ( Nepali Date: Baisakh 14, 2013 B.S.) under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 1955, to discharge the central banking responsibili ...
, King Mahendra made Nepali currency compulsory throughout the kingdom. At that time, 90 percent of
Indian currency
The Indian rupee ( symbol: ₹; code: INR) is the official currency in the republic of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paise'' (singular: ''paisa''), though as of 2022, coins of denomination of 1 rupee are the lowest value in use w ...
was in circulation in Nepal. By creating a distinct language, distinct currency, distinct dress, distinct political system and distinct religious identity from those of the neighbouring nations, Mahendra created a distinct identity of the people which in turn promoted national unity and nationality. King Mahendra personally funded 2 lakh 50 thousand rupees to build a martyr's gate at Bhadrakali, Kathmandu in order to honor the great
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
s who died for the rights and democracy of the people during the
rana regime
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 ...
.
He is also credited for introducing country's first
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
by giving official recognition to Shriman Gambhir. The constitution introduced by King Mahendra in 1962 introduced the modern
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours ...
of the country which is being used until today. In 1955 King Mahendra appointed a commission headed by famous writer
Balkrishna Sama
Balkrishna Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana or Bala Krishna Sama ( ne, :ne: बालकृष्ण सम, बालकृष्ण सम; 8 February 1903 - 20 June 1981) was a Nepalis, Nepalese dramatist. For his great contributions to Nepali litera ...
to make nominations of
National heroes of Nepal
National Heroes of Nepal ( ne, नेपालका राष्ट्रिय विभूतिहरू, translit=Nepalka Rashtriya Bibhutiharu) is a list of 18 Nepali people, that also includes those from ancient and medieval times, who were ...
since ancient times on the basis of their contributions to the nation.
Diplomatic campaign
The role played by Mahendra in establishing Nepal in the international arena is important. From the thought of achieving membership of the United Nations to establishing Nepal as a zone of peace major attributions goes to King Mahendra. Adopting the principle of Panchsheel and non-aligned foreign policy, he maintained diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and kept them in balance. King Mahendra established diplomatic relations with 45 countries to show the world that Nepal is an independent nation.
In 2012 B.S, Nepal also became a member of the United Nations.
Rishikesh Shah
Rishikesh Shah (May 16, 1925 – November 13, 2002) was a Nepalese writer, politician and human rights activist.United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. On Magha 13, 2012 B.S, King Mahendra appointed Acharya as the Prime Minister of Nepal. He established friendly relations by visiting
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Under his guidance and policy, Nepal was elected as a Member of
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
in 1969. Nepal was elected in the
Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and ...
the second time again in 1988. Nepal established its image as a committed member of the UN and Nepal was well recognized by the member countries. Nepal's active role and the role she played on the Security Council twice are the proof of a success policy guided by the King.
King's tenure is also seen as a golden age for Nepal in foreign relations. In addition to establishing diplomatic relations with many countries, the government was able to establish close ties with the Chinese government. He pursued a foreign policy of neutrality between
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
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 ...
. One of the historical diplomatic achievement of king Mahendra is his success in Nepal-China Boundary Treaty of 1961. The border adjustments was made on grounds of equality by performing land-swapping with Nepal gaining more land than it gave. After the treaty Nepal gained 302.75 square kilometer more land from China.
Development policy
King Mahendra introduced five years government plans to plan and oversee development in the country. Seeing the importance of planning in better development, the king established the National Planning Commission in 2013 BS. The highway built by the king has greatly contributed to the all round socio-economic development of the country. He launched the
Back to the Village National Campaign
Back to the Village National Campaign ( Nepali: गाउँ फर्क राष्ट्रिय अभियान) was a campaign of Nepal's Panchayat regime from 1967 to 1975. It aimed to direct development efforts to rural areas where a m ...
in 1967 which was one of his largest rural development efforts. He established Nepal Sports Council to oversee the development of the sports activities in the country. For the first time the industrial policy of 1957 formally recognized the responsibility of the government in "promoting, assisting and regulating" industrial development in the country and the First Plan intended to establish state monopolies in the fields of transportation, telecommunication, hydro-electric power generation and irrigation, and to run some big industries, such as cement, sugar, cigarettes, textiles, iron and steel He introduced Company Act for the first time in Nepal on 1964 to facilitate and manage the industrialization of the economy. Following the promulgation of Nepal Electricity Corporation Act 2019, Nepal Electricity Corporation (NEC) came into operation in 1962 which was the main authority for responsible for providing electricity to the citizens.Shrestha, H. M. (2017) Facts and figures about hydropower development in Nepal ''Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment'', ''20'', 1-5. The provision of planning for five years known as the five-year plan started during his reign from 1956.
Economic reforms
Before 1956, Nepal did not have its own foreign currency reserve but rather maintained it in central bank of India. For getting the foreign currency amounts required to bear the expenses of Nepalese Embassies and treatment expenses of King, an application had to be submitted to the
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India, chiefly known as RBI, is India's central bank and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is responsible for ...
. One of the problems that distressed Nepalese economy was the circulation of two types of currency, Nepalese and Indian simultaneously.
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 ...
had a dominant use of
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee ( symbol: ₹; code: INR) is the official currency in the republic of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paise'' (singular: ''paisa''), though as of 2022, coins of denomination of 1 rupee are the lowest value in use wh ...
. Exchange rates between the Indian and Nepali currency were fixed by local traders. Between 2007 and 2011 B.S, Nepal's economic dependence on India was 95 percent. Seeing this, King Mahendra, established a central bank on 26 April 1956 in order to reduce dependence on India, replace Indian currency being circulated in the market and strengthen the countries' sovereignty by making Nepal independent in foreign currency exchange. Mahendra had managed to bring this dependency below 60 percent.
The responsibility of notes issuance was transferred from "Sadar Muluki khana" (Central Treasury) to the NRB. On 19 February 1960, NRB released its first bank notes in the denomination of Mohru 1. The Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 1955 and Later, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1963 and Nepal's choice for a fixed exchange rate with
Indian Currency
The Indian rupee ( symbol: ₹; code: INR) is the official currency in the republic of India. The rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paise'' (singular: ''paisa''), though as of 2022, coins of denomination of 1 rupee are the lowest value in use w ...
along with supporting government policies contributed significantly in stabilizing confidence in both the domestic currency and in exchange rate among the local traders. Additionally, during this decade, the national policy of relations with foreign institution were implemented which created the foundation for membership with international organization such as the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
(IMF) and the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
(WB) in 1961. Because of these policies, Nepal succeeded in the circulation of the new
Nepalese rupee
The Nepalese rupee ( ne, रुपैयाँ; symbol: रु; code: NPR) is the official currency of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The Nepalese rupee is subdivided into 100 ''paisa''. The issuance of the currency is controlled by th ...
as the
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in pa ...
in Nepal's
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 ...
region which was predominated by Indian currencies and facilitated for the elimination of the dual currency period in 1964 in the country and making Nepal independent in foreign currency exchange. Many financial institutions, such as
Rastriya Banijya Bank
Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) (translation: National Commercial Bank; ne, राष्ट्रिय वाणिज्य बैंक) is fully government owned, and the largest commercial bank in Nepal. RBB was established on January 23, 1966 ...
, Rastriya Beema Sansthan, Nepal Co-operative Banks among others were gradually established to make the Nepalese economy more engaging and sustainable.
Industrialization of economy
In July 1959, Nepal Industrial Development Corporation started serving as an industrial finance organization to expand Nepalese industries and services, including hotels, and industrial estates. King Mahendra laid the foundation of economic development by building physical infrastructure with the help of foreign aid. The foundation for the Industrial Estates (IEs) was laid with the establishment of Balaju Industrial Area in 1963 (2018 BS) with technical and financial assistance from the United States of America (USA). Patan Industrial Area, Hetauda Industrial Area, Dharan Industrial Area, Birgunj Sugar Mill,
Nepal Oil Corporation
Nepal Oil Corporation Limited (NOC) ( ne, नेपाल आयल निगम लिमिटेड) is a monopoly state owned trading enterprise of Nepal that imports, stores and distributes various petroleum products in the country. In Nepa ...
, Janakpur Cigarette Factory, Himal Cement Industry, and Balaju Textile Industries were all established during his time.
Salt Trading Corporation
Salt Trading Corporation (STC) is a Nepalese company founded in 1963 for the purpose of regularising the distribution primarily of salt but also sugar, wheat, oil, rice, other grains, tea, Liquefied petroleum gas, LP gas, paper, coal and tyres f ...
was established in 1963 (2020 BS), with objective to make iodized table salt accessible to all citizens. Later, again to deal with the import and export for the purpose of rendering support to the economic development of the country Mahendra established
National Trading Limited National Trading Limited is the parent company that monitors all aspects of trading in Nepal. It is part of the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of Nepal (GoN). The National Trading Limited Board of Directors has five members, and is respons ...
. On 12 March 1969, (Falgun 29, 2025 B.S) with the help of Chinese aid, Mahendra inaugurated Nepal's First Brick and Tile Factory in Harisiddhi which started its production two months later in Baishakh 17 2026 BS. Similarly, Bansbari leather Shoe Factory was also established in 1965 with help of Chinese aid. Similarly, he started the era of stocks and bonds by issuing the first
Government Bond
A government bond or sovereign bond is a form of bond issued by a government to support public spending. It generally includes a commitment to pay periodic interest, called coupon payments'','' and to repay the face value on the maturity date ...
in 1964. To providing a guaranteed market for milk to the rural farmers with fair price and for the purpose of economic advancement of the farming communities Dairy development corporation (DDC) was established in 1969 .
During the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, Nepal tried to boost the economy by creating an environment of economic cooperation between the two neighboring sides.
Contribution to health
The death of the first wife of King Mahendra due to birth complications led to the building of the kingdom's first
maternity hospital
A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most o ...
Kanti Children's Hospital
Kanti Children's Hospital (Kanti Baal Aspatal) is a pediatric hospital in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal. The hospital is administered and regulated by the Kanti Children's Hospital Development Board, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health ...
was established as a general hospital in 1963 with the economic aid from
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
and was later specialized mainly for children in 1968. In 1964, Royal Drugs laboratory was established to perform scientific research and analysis of drugs as well as development of new drugs. Also, Nepal Ausadhi Limited was established in 1972 with technical collaboration with
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University (TU; ne, त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालय) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest university in Nepal. In terms of enrollment, it is t ...
with the purpose of producing and training all categories of medical manpower required for the nation which immediately initiated courses for Auxiliary Nurse Midwives and Community Medical Assistants. The first ayurvedic school, Rajakiya Ayurvedic Bidyalaya was also established in this year.
Malaria Eradication Project in the Terai region was launched for the first time in 1958 with the help of USAID. After its success, several other projects to control and prevent smallpox, tuberculosis and leprosy were initiated in successive years. Programs to prevent nutritional disorders, and family planning, maternal and child health issues were also launched in successive years.
Various health centers were established between 1955 and 1958 such as in Dailekh (1955), Ramnagar Bhutaha,sunsari (1956) and Chainpur, Sankhuwasabha (1957). Biratnagar Hospital, Dang Hospital and Baglung Hospital were also opened between 1955 and 1958. In 1958, government announced to build one health center in each 105 electoral constituency and announced to establish zonal hospitals in all 14 zones in 1961. Within this policy the numbers reached 32 for hospitals and 104 for health centers in the public sector In the year 1963.
Similarly in this period, hospitals funded by various NGO missions were established such as Scheer Memorial Hospital in banepa (1957), Pokhara Shining Hospital in Kaski (1957), Amp Pipal Hospital in
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
(1957), Okhaldhunga Hospital in
Okhaldhunga
Okhaldhunga is the headquarters of the Okhaldhunga District in the Sagarmatha Zone of Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 3761 living in 790 individual households.
Background
The name Okhaldhunga originates from " ...
(1963), Bulingtar Hospital in Nawalparasi (1962) and United Mission Hospital in Palpa(1954),Anandban Leprosy Hospital in patan (1963), Green Pasteur Hospital in kaski (1957) and Dadeldhura Leprosy Hospital in
Dadeldhura
Dadeldhura, a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Dadeldhura as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population of 126,162 in 2001 and 142,094 in 2011.
The region ...
.
Agricultural development
To support animal husbandry and agriculture and to modernize the traditional agriculture ''
Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science
Tribhuvan University's Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) is the oldest institute in Nepal which provides higher education in agriculture and animal science.
Overview
IAAS was founded in Kathmandu in 1957 as a school of agricul ...
'' (IAAS) was established in 1957 as an independent institute for the motive of training agriculture technicians which was later brought under Tribhuvan University's management. In 1964, to process sugar from sugar cane, Birgunj Sugar Mill was established with economic aid from the then
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in Parsa. Visioning better future prospects of the Tea industry in Nepal, in 1965 a Tea plantation Estate, Soktim Tea was set up in the plains of
Jhapa District
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
. Nepal Tea Development Corporation was established in 1966 by Government of Nepal to aid the development of Tea industry. Agriculture Supply Corporation, which was later split into Nepal Food Corporation, Krishi Samagri Company Ltd. and National Seed Company Ltd was established in 1965 to distribute high quality agricultural inputs such as seeds, and agro-chemicals at a price accessible to the farmers across the country. In order to provide credit to farmers and people of rural areas, financial institutions dedicated to agriculture development, Agricultural Development Bank was established in 1967 . This bank has also been executing Small Farmer Development Program (SFDP) for motive of
poverty alleviation
Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty.
Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics clas ...
in rural areas. Agricultural Tools Factory was initially established in Birgunj in 1967 and later also in Biratnagar to produce required agricultural tools for the farmers in cheap cost within the country with the technical and economic aid of
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Dhan Chamal Company was established to produce rice produced from the fields of newly extended agriculture region after the extinction of malaria in the Terai region. Eradication of
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
in the Terai region and the land settlement programs contributed to a massive movement of population from the hills into the
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 ...
, resulting in a large increase in the area devoted to agriculture.
In late 1950s, king Mahendra gave a direct order to make feasibility studies of agricultural development in various parts of the country. In the early 1960s, buckwheat and millet were the main agriculture products in Mustang, which were easy to produce but were extracting very little income since rice and wheat were the main products beyond its borders. The then government of Nepal invested in apple farming for the first time in several areas around the region like mustang and Baitadi, by setting up a regional agricultural outpost in 1966 which was later restructured as the Temperate Horticulture Development Center. Along with the horticulture expert Pasang Sherpa and help of the
Nepali army
The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see ''Gorkhas''), is the land service branch ...
, government tested different varieties of the fruit on various qualities parameters, while disseminating the most successful cultivated ones to local farmers. The technical and economic assistance provided to the farmers, as well as harvest and grooming tools and equipment promoted apples and agro products in Marpha,
Jomsom
Jomsom (), (Ward No. 4 of Gharpajhong Rural Municipality) also known as Dzongsam (New Fort) is the centre of Gharapjhong rural municipality in Mustang district and a former independent village development committee situated at an altitude of ...
and Thak Khola villages of
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
which eventually introduced this region as the apple farmland of the country. According to the Companies Act, "The Timber Corporation of Nepal Limited" (TCN), later restructured as Nepal Forest corporation, was established in 1960 to systematically collect and chop firewood produced by forest management and supply it to the general public.
Cigarette was one of the major import during panchayat regime so people were encouraged to cultivate tobacco and Janakpur Cigarette Factory was established to make use of such tobacco and reduce the import of cigarette in the country.
Tourism development
He also focused on the development of tourism in Nepal. Apparently, he built many houses, rest houses,
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...
s and water taps in this beautiful country. Under his reign, Nepal was first open to the foreign people laying the foundation of tourism in the nation. The first tourist group aside from the Foreign Diplomat and
Bureaucrat
A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy and can compose the administration of any organization of any size, although the term usually connotes someone within an institution of government.
The term ''bureaucrat'' derives from "bureaucracy", ...
s arrived for the first time during his reign. In 1959 Nepal became the member of International union of Official travel organization,Agarwal, M. K., & Upadhyay, R. P. (2006). ''Tourism and economic development in Nepal''. Northern Book Centre. page 292-293 now known as
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency entrusted with the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. Its headquarters are in Madrid, Spain. UNWTO is the leading internati ...
. In the same year, a separate directorate for tourism was setup by the government and a general plan for organization of tourism of Nepal was prepared with cooperation with the
Government of France
The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...
. In 1960 the first handicraft exhibition was performed with the royal approval. In 1964, the King travelled to
Rara Lake
Rara Lake also known as Mahendra Lake is the largest fresh water lake in the Nepalese Himalayas. It is the main feature of Rara National Park, located in Jumla District, Jumla and Mugu Districts of Karnali Province. Rara National Park stretches ov ...
and penned his famous poem ''Rara Ki Apsara'' since he got mesmerized by beauty of Rara''.'' His visit and the famous poem afterwards brought this lake to limelight and the reader of the poem started visiting the lake. The royal family established Soaltee hotel in 1965 and was inaugurated by King Mahendra in 1966. Similarly, Annapurna Hotel was also established in 1965 with cooperation with foreign diplomats and tourists by the royal family.Shakya, S. (2013). ''Unleashing Nepal''. Penguin UK. The hotel tax act was first time devised in 1960 defining hotel, restaurants, casinos and bringing them under the jurisdiction of law. Also, the first professional trekking took place in 1960 when Mahendra opened the Himalayas to tourists for trekking. The first tourism act was enacted in 1964 with the motive of increasing foreign tourist and the first travel agency "Mountain Travel Nepal" was established immediately afterwards. With his initiation, Nepal association of Travel agents was established in 1966. In the same year, eight members of the hotels together established Hotel association of Nepal (HAN) which became the one of the main contributor to governmental decisions making regarding tourism. The first casino for the purpose of promoting tourist was established during his reign in 1968. The five-year plan of 1965-1970 devised a plan to dedicate a commission for recognizing and promoting the tourism of the country. Under this plan, a high level Tourism development board was later established in 1969 After being member of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, King Mahendra invited the
UN Secretary General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of the Un ...
U Thant
Thant (; ; January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974), known honorifically as U Thant (), was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first non-Scandinavian to hold the position. He held t ...
to Nepal and involved him in the development of
Lumbini
Lumbinī ( ne, लुम्बिनी, IPA=ˈlumbini , "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth ...
as a Birthplace of
Lord Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. With this initiation, a 13 nation International Lumbini development Committee was established in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
to develop the Ancient Lumbini area. It was in his time the famous
Hippie trail
Hippie trail (also the overland) is the name given to the overland journey taken by members of the hippie subculture and others from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s between Europe and South Asia, mainly from Turkey through Iran, Afghanistan ...
started in Nepal and Nepal's existence started being known to the outside world. The famous
Mahendra Cave
Mahendra Cave is a cave located in Pokhara-16,batulechaur, Kaski district, close to the Kali khola, is a large limestone cave. It is a rare example of a cave system in Nepal containing stalagmites and stalactites. This show cave attracts thous ...
in Pokhara got his name after he officially inaugurated it and since then it is one of the most visited places in
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and ol ...
and
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
Royal Nepal Airlines
Nepal Airlines Corporation ( ne, नेपाल वायुसेवा निगम, Nepāl Vāyusevā Nigam, Nepal Air Service Corporation), formerly known as Royal Nepal Airlines ( ne, शाही नेपाल वायुसेवा, ...
and opening of Himalayan trek for the first time brought more influx of tourist.
Transportation development
Earlier, Nepalis were compelled to travel via Indian territory while visiting from one district to another district. King Mahendra ended this situation by constructing a highway with foreign assistance. King Mahendra had initially requested India to build this highway. However, when India refused, he sought the help of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. India was also attracted after the road from Dhalkebar to Pathalaiya was built by
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the
Mechi
Mechi ( ne, मेची अञ्चल ) was one of the fourteen zones of Nepal until the restructuring of zones to provinces, comprising four districts; namely Ilam, Jhapa, Panchthar and Taplejung. Its headquarters are at Ilam. It comes und ...
section from Dhalkebar (
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
to
Janakpur
Janakpurdham or Janakpur ( ne, जनकपुर, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in Dhanusha District, Province No. 2, Madhesh Province, Nepal. The city is a hub for religious and cultural tourism. A headquarter of Dhanusha District, Dhanusha dist ...
) was constructed by India, while the Hetauda-Narayanghat section was constructed by the
Asian Development Bank
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field office ...
, the Narayanghat -Butwal section by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and the Butwal-Kohalpur section by India. In 1961, King Mahendra laid the foundation stone for the construction of the
Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway (), also called East-West Highway () runs across the Terai geographical region of Nepal, from Mechinagar in the east to Bhim Datta in the west, cutting across the entire width of the country. It is the longest highway in Nepal a ...
(also called East-West Highway) at
Gaindakot
Gaindakot (, ; sometimes spelled Gaidakot) is a municipality in Nawalpur District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. It became a municipality in May 2014 by merging the existing Mukundapur, Amarapuri, and Gaindakot VDCs. It was again exp ...
. The highway has greatly contributed to the all round socio-economic development of the country. In his efforts to diversify Nepal's connectivity beyond India, he created
Kodari
Kodari is a small village located at the border with Tibet-China. The village is located at the end–point of the Arniko Highway, which connects Kodari with the capital city of Kathmandu. Kathmandu is away from Kodari. Kodari is a major border c ...
road link with China's Tibet
Araniko Highway
The Araniko Highway () connects Kathmandu with Kodari, northeast of the Kathmandu Valley, on the Nepal-China border. It is among the most dangerous of highways in Nepal due to extremely steep slopes on each side of the road from Barabise onwa ...
. India was furious when China said it would build the Kodari Highway. The highway construction was started in June 1963 and completed with Chinese aid in April 1967 (2024 B.S.) Again, with the aid of
Indian government
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...
, Tribhuvan Rajpath from
Hetauda
Hetauda ( ne, हेटौडा, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province in central Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur District and the capital of Bagmati Province as declared by m ...
to
Thankot
Thankot is a village and former Village Development Committee that is now part of Chandragiri Municipality in Kathmandu District in Province No. 3 of central Nepal. It lies in the lap of Chandragiri Hill
Chandragiri ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗ ...
was built. This Rajpath was famously known as "By road" when lots of Indians using this road to travel to Kathmandu. Similarly, another major Highway, the
Prithvi Highway
The Prithvi Highway () is a highway connecting Naubise of Tribhuvan Highway, 26 km from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara, a tourist city in the western part of Nepal.
History
The construction of the highway star ...
was also built under King Mahendra's plan in 1967 (2024 BS). This highway connects
Naubise
Naubise is a village development committee in Dhading District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census it had a population of 25621 and had 3239 houses in it.
To Promote local culture Naubise has two FM radio st ...
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
.
Kanti Highway
Kanti Highway () is a feeder road under construction in Bagmati Province, Nepal, that connects Lalitpur Metropolitan City to Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City.
The construction on the road started in 1954 by King Mahendra, and the road was initial ...
Hetauda
Hetauda ( ne, हेटौडा, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province in central Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur District and the capital of Bagmati Province as declared by m ...
was started in 1954 by
King Mahendra
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज महेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव; 11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972) was the King of Nepal from 13 March 1955 until h ...
. In 1964, with the help of
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, Kathmandu-Hetauda ropeway was started to reduce the cost of goods transportation from India.
On 15 June 1955,
Tribhuvan International Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport ( Nepali: त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल) (, colloquially referred to as TIA) is an international airport located in Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal. I ...
was inaugurated by Mahendra and later named in memory of his father. In 1957, depart of aviation was established and it started its first scheduled service in 1958. However, there were no any airports inside the country other than
Tribhuvan International Airport
Tribhuvan International Airport ( Nepali: त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थल) (, colloquially referred to as TIA) is an international airport located in Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal. I ...
and to remain sustained it required various airports to be built. This led to the policy of building airports inside the country. Under this policy,
Bhairahawa Airport
Gautam Buddha International Airport , also known as Bhairahawa Airport, is an international airport located in Siddharthanagar (formerly and colloquially still called Bhairahawa) serving Lumbini in Lumbini Province, as well as the Butwal﹣Siddh ...
later renamed as
Gautam Buddha Airport
Gautam Buddha International Airport , also known as Bhairahawa Airport, is an international airport located in Siddharthanagar (formerly and colloquially still called Bhairahawa) serving Lumbini in Lumbini Province, as well as the Butwal﹣Siddh ...
,
Biratnagar Airport
Biratnagar Airport is a domestic airport located in Biratnagar serving Morang District, Province No. 1, Nepal. Biratnagar Airport is the third busiest airport in Nepal after Kathmandu and Pokhara. There are plans to upgrade the airport to se ...
,
Bharatpur Airport
Bharatpur Airport ( ne, भरतपुर विमानस्थल) s a domestic airport located in Bharatpur serving Chitwan District, a district in Bagmati Province in Nepal. The airport is one of two airports in the vicinity of Bharatp ...
and
Dhangadhi Airport
Dhangadhi Airport is a domestic airport located in Dhangadhi serving Kailali District, a district in Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal. Dhangadhi Airport is also a regional airport which serves the district of Sudurpashchim Province and Rara Airpo ...
,
Pokhara Airport
Pokhara Airport is a domestic airport serving Pokhara in Nepal. Following a new agreement on air travel between India and Nepal, Pokhara Airport will be replaced by Nepal's third international airport, Pokhara International Airport in 2023 ...
,
Simara Airport
Simara Airport ( ne, सिमरा विमानस्थल) is a domestic airport located in Jitpur Simara serving Bara District, a district in Madhesh Province in Nepal. It also serves Birgunj, Nepal's fifth biggest city.
History
T ...
was established in 1958. In 1959
Rajbiraj Airport
Rajbiraj Airport is a domestic airport located in Rajbiraj serving Saptari District, a district in Madhesh Province in Nepal.
After eleven years of complete shut down, the airport resumed its operations on 23 May 2018.
The airport is used by ...
was officially inaugurated. In the same year
His Majesty's Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
started Royal Nepal Airlines Cooperation (RNAC) as a public undertaking. However it was only in 1963(2019 B.S), when King Mahendra enacted Nepal Airlines Corporation Act,
Royal Nepal Airlines
Nepal Airlines Corporation ( ne, नेपाल वायुसेवा निगम, Nepāl Vāyusevā Nigam, Nepal Air Service Corporation), formerly known as Royal Nepal Airlines ( ne, शाही नेपाल वायुसेवा, ...
was effectively established. Funds were temporarily transferred from development of suspension bridge to establishment of the airline when the Soviets promised to help with the civil aviation after the King's state visit to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Under his leadership, Nepal became the member of
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
Nepalgunj Airport
Nepalgunj Airport is a domestic airport serving Nepalgunj in Nepal. There are plans by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to promote the airport to an international airport and establishing immigration, customs and quarantine facilities.
Hi ...
and
Meghauli Airport
Meghauli Airport is a domestic airport located in Meghauli, Bharatpur serving Chitwan National Park in Bagmati Province in Nepal. The airport is the older of two airports in Bharatpur, the other one being Bharatpur Airport.
History
The airf ...
in the
Chitwan District
Chitwan District (, , ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers . In 2011 it had a population of 579 ...
was established next year in 1961.
Bhadrapur Airport
Bhadrapur Airport , also known as Chandragadhi Airport, is a domestic airport located in Bhadrapur, primarily serving Jhapa and Ilam districts in Province No. 1, Nepal. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal considers it an important hub for p ...
was established in 1963,
Surkhet Airport
Surkhet Airport , also known as Birendranagar Airport is a domestic airport located in Birendranagar serving Surkhet District, a district in Karnali Province in Nepal. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal considers it an important hub for cargo ...
in 1966,
Syangboche Airport
Syangboche Airport is a domestic airport located in Namche Bazaar serving Solukhumbu District, a district in Province No. 1 in Nepal. The airstrip is the closest airstrip to Mount Everest and Everest Base Camp. However, it is not often used ...
at
Solukhumbu
Solukhumbu District ( ne, सोलुखुम्बु जिल्ला , Sherpa: , Wylie: shar khum bu dzong) is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the subregions Solu and Khumbu. ...
was established in 1971 and
Rumjatar Airport
Rumjatar Airport is a domestic airport located in Rumjatar serving Okhaldhunga District, a district in Province No. 1 in Nepal.
Facilities
The airport is at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway
According to the ...
and
Tumlingtar Airport
Tumlingtar Airport is a domestic airport located in Tumlingtar serving Sankhuwasabha District, a district in Province No. 1 in Nepal. It is the main tourist gateway to Makalu Barun National Park.
History
The airport started operations on 01 ...
established in 1972. After, the establishment of country own airlines, air service agreement was needed for which first air service agreement was made in 1963. Mahendra also established Sajha Bus Yatayat in order to provide cheap and accessible transport to the local people in 1961.
Buildings and structures
He built the modern Narayanhiti Palace after the demolition of the old palace from the old Rana architecture . King Mahendra also built Ratna Mandir, the Lakeside palace for Queen Ratna in 1956. Nepal's first golf course, the Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) at Tilganga, Kathmandu, was inaugurated on 2022 BS. by him. He is also given credit for the construction of Dasrath Stadium in Kathmandu. Diyalo Bangla, a palace for the former royal family was constructed in Bharatpur,
Chitwan
Chitwan District (, , ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers . In 2011 it had a population of 579 ...
to allow former royal family members to relax and hunt wild animals during their visit.
The Koshi River Barrage, a product of multiple ideas to control monsoon floods was constructed during his reign between 1959 and 1963 with the motive of irrigation of agricultural fields, flood control and generation of hydroelectricity. In 1959, king Mahendra and Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal 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 ...
jointly inaugurated and laid foundation of
Koshi Barrage
The Koshi Barrage is a sluice across the Koshi river that carries vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic between Saptari district and Sunsari district of Nepal. It is near the International border with India. It was built between 1958 and 196 ...
. Koshi Barrage was believed to be biggest water project of south Asia at the time of its construction.
A similar dam, the Gandaki river dam was built between the period of 1959 to 1964 on the border between India and Nepal at Gandak for the purpose of flood control, irrigation and hydropower generation. Also, Trisuli dam was built in 1971. In 1956 (2013 BS), the first 1728 KW diesel plant of the country was established for the coronation of king Mahendra which opened the door for supply of electricity to the public and made it more accessible. Hydro Power generated at Trishuli Hydropower Station, Sunkoshi Hydro Power Project, Panauti Hydro Power, Kulekhani Hydro Power are some of the few power projects built during King Mahendra's rule. He is also credited for the vision of Kathmandu water project also known as Melamchi Water Supply Project though his early demise could not bring the plan into implementation. The first bridge connecting Nepal with China was also built during his reign in 1964.
Educational reforms
At the beginning of king's reign the literacy rate of the country was estimated to be 5 percent and it reached 10 percent in 1960 while it reached 18 percent in 1971. After the 1960 coup, efforts were made to establish an education system. The All Round National Education Committee was established in 1961, and the National Education Advisory Board in 1968 in order to implement and refine the education system. Nepal 's 1965's education plan and 1971's education plan hastened the educational development in the country. In the year 1971 (2028 BS), it was King Mahendra who formulated the education policy of the nation and implemented it by making the Education Act. In this year, Nepal's own education came into operation as an integral part of the Fourth Five-Year Plan (1970–75) designed to address individual as well as societal needs towards the goals of national development. This new education system boycotted foreign books and education system. Furthermore, he wrote books named Mahendra Malla for schools to give priority to Nepal and Nepali language and boycotted Indian Books. The introduction of the first University of the country,
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University (TU; ne, त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालय) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest university in Nepal. In terms of enrollment, it is t ...
was the landmark contributions made by King Mahendra in reforming education sector. At that time King Mahendra's family raised 16 lakh rupees by selling gold jewelries in order to fund the project. He later modernized Tribhuvan University, creating conditions for higher education in Nepal, and displaced Indian books from the curriculum. He also started production of books in Nepal with the introduction of Jana Shiksha Samagri Kendra Limited. King Mahendra's diplomacy also made arrangements to send Nepali students to study in Russia on scholarships.
As a memorial to his wife, one of the famous public college, Ratna Rajya Campus was established in Putalisadak, Kathmandu and its school was established in
Taulihawa
Kapilvastu (also known by name of Taulihawa) is a municipality and administrative center of Kapilvastu District in Lumbini Province of southern Nepal. The municipality is located roughly to the south-west of Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Si ...
,
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
Mukundapur
Mukundapur is a town in Gaidakot Municipality in eastern part of Nawalparasi District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. It became a municipality in May 2014 by merging the existing Mukundapur, Amarapuri, Gaidakot, Nawalparasi, Village devel ...
in 1961 during his reign. With the need to provide higher education institution for a growing settlement n Chitwan, Birendra Intermediate Arts College was established on April 13, 1965 (Baishakh 1, 2022 BS.) later renamed as Birendra Multiple Campus. In order to produce skilled workers inside the country, Pulchowk Engineering Campus was established in 1966 with assistance from
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Later in 1972, these two institutes were brought under the umbrella of
Tribhuvan university
Tribhuvan University (TU; ne, त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालय) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest university in Nepal. In terms of enrollment, it is t ...
to constitute the
Institute of Engineering
The Institute of Engineering (IOE) ( Nepali: ईन्जिनियरिङ अध्ययन संस्थान), established in 1930, is the first technical school of Nepal. It was reformed in the present shape in 1972 as an organ of T ...
. These two engineering institution are still regarded as one of the best engineering institution in the county. The king was in forefront to bring women forward for participation in the society. With the heated discussion to bring women in the schools a girl school was established in Dillibazaar, Kathmandu which was with effort of the king later converted in to a higher institution,
Padma kanya campus
Padma Kanya Multiple Campus is a women's college located in Bagbazar, Kathmandu. Founded on 17 September 1951, it is the oldest institution of its kind in Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal De ...
, and moved to Baghbazar within a greater college premises and facilities
Information and communication development
The telephone service in the country was initially, exclusively aimed for use in the Palaces of feudal Rana rulers. However, since the day of coronation of King Mahendra, the first distribution of telephone line was made available to the general public. Beginning in 1959, with support from
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, Nepal developed 1,000 telephone lines in the capital. It also established its first public exchange in 1962 and converted its manual exchange into the country's first automatic telephone exchange within 1964. In 1961 (2018 BS) Rastriya Samachar Samiti commonly abbreviated as RSS, was established under the Rastriya Samachar Samiti Act, 2019 B.S, with a view to facilitate news for newspapers and broadcasting media. It is still one of the major source of news and photos in the nation. Understanding the value of newspaper in spreading knowledge and information, he modernized
Gorkhapatra
''Gorkhapatra'' () is the oldest Nepali language state-owned national daily newspaper of Nepal. It was started as a weekly newspaper in May 1901 and became a daily newspaper in 1961. It is managed by the Gorkhapatra Sansthan. ''The Rising Nepal' ...
and converted it from weekly newspaper it to a daily newspaper in 1961. Similarly, to address the English language influence and increment of foreign tourists,
The Rising Nepal
''The Rising Nepal'' is a Nepalese government-owned daily newspaper published by the Gorkhapatra Sansthan. It is a major English-language daily in Nepal. It is a sister publication of Gorkhapatra, oldest national daily newspaper of Nepal.
Histor ...
was established on 16 December 1965 (1 Poush 2022 BS) by the then Panchayat Government. In 1971, Nepal received its first
telex
The telex network is a station-to-station switched network of teleprinters similar to a Public switched telephone network, telephone network, using telegraph-grade connecting circuits for two-way text-based messages. Telex was a major method of ...
service. He increased tower infrastructures so that
Radio Nepal
Radio Nepal ( ne, रेडियो नेपाल) is the state-owned Radio broadcasting organisation of Nepal. It was established 2 April 1951. Radio Nepal airs programs on short wave, medium wave (AM broadcasting, AM) and FM broadcasting, FM ...
could reach all corners of the country.
Political reforms
After the 1962 war between China and India, Chinese troops occupied mountain areas east and west of Nepal in an attempt to resolve border disputes with India by simply occupying disputed territories. The reversal, Indian armed force were deployed in the country's norther border. and Indian diplomats were involved in the ministry as well as every decisions made by the Nepalese Government. King Mahendra played an important role to oust the Indian armed force from Nepali territory. Moreover, there were multiple representatives from India claiming that Nepal cannot handle its foreign policy and defense policy on its own. King Mahendra removed all the Indian representatives and politicians from the ministry and only kept Nepalese representatives. He was the first king to introduce constitution as the fundamental law in the country. King Mahendra incorporated the phrase ' Hindu Kingdom' in the newly introduced constitution. He scientifically divided Nepal into 14 administrative zones with 75 districts in it. In order to perform proper administration and to secure decentralization of power to every zone, each zones were appointed a zonal commissioners. This was the first decentralization of power in history of Nepal. There were more than 4000 villages and 35 municipalities. Every village was divided into nine wards and every municipalities were divided between 9-35 wards as per the size of the town. During his rule an extensive legal and judicial reforms were carried out. In order to provide good governance and social justice to people he nullified
Royal court
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
s and introduced local courts in 1961 through introduction of two new acts Petty States and Rulers Act and royal court nullification act (Nepali: राज्य रजौटा ऐन, २०१७ र राज्य अदालत उन्मूलन ऐन, २०१७) and introduced Supreme court in Nepal on 21 May 1956. Even though royalty act removed many smaller kings, it still recognized 17 small kings including that of Salyan,
Bajhang
Bajhang District ( , a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Chainpur, that is part of Jaya Prithvi Municipality, as its district headquarters, covers an area of and has a populatio ...
,
Jajarkot
Jajarkot District ( ne, जाजरकोट जिल्ला) a part of Karnali Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Khalanga as its district headquarters, covers an area of and has a population of ...
,
Mustang
The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticated animals, they ...
, Bhirkot, Malneta and Darna. King Mahendra publicly declared his will for rule of law in the nation. The ''Legal Practitioners Act, in 1968'' was introduced to institutionalize this willingness of a systematic rule. He introduced the separation of power within the state by dividing legislative power to the ''
Rastriya Panchayat
Rastriya Panchayat was the official legislature (parliament) during the Panchayat regime of Nepal that effectively functioned from 1960 to 1990. Its head office was at the ''"Gallery Baithak"'' in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu. In the 1980s, it co ...
'' , executive power to the
Council of ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
and judicial power to the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
. The Commissions of Inquiry Act introduced in 1969 opened the legal means through which government could appoint various investigative committees for the purpose of making inquiries into matters of national importance He also established the Office of the Auditor General in Nepal by appointing the first auditor general in 1963 according to the Nepalese constitution of 1958. Section 77 and Section 78 of Part 13 of 1962 constitution provided a provision for establishment of Public Service Commission to employ and train government officials in the country. Section 78 (a b c) of Part 13 (a) of the same constitution made the arrangement of the
Election Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
which later became the sole authority to regulate and conduct elections in the country.
Social reforms
In 1955 (2012 B.S), with the enactment of the Police Act, there were attempts to boost the morale of the army. National Police Academy was established under this act. The electricity produced in the country at the beginning was exclusively aimed for use in the Palaces of feudal rulers. However, since the day of coronation of King Mahendra in 1955, electricity became more open and accessible to the public. On 17 August 1963 a new legal code was promulgated replacing the Muluki Ain of 1854 with the new Muluki ain. The Muluki Ain (people's code) and made attempt to break untouchables, caste discrimination and policy of gender-discrimination. He then introduced the Nepal Civil Service Act to develop employee skills, ending the long era of the Panjani practice. Nepal Public Commission was established under this act for reforming and developing the civil service. This move ended the long-standing tradition of directly electing, dismissing and transferring government officials by the king and started the tradition of electing only eligible candidates. In 1963,a Central Police Training Centre was established to train and reform the police. ''Rajya'' reform abolished special privileges of some aristocratic elites in western Nepal. The new ''panchayat'' system managed to bring 50,000 to 60,000 people into a single system of representative government in a way that had been rendered impossible for the elite-based political parties. Nepal was able to carry out its second plan (1962–65) and third plan (1965-70), and to begin the Fourth Five-Year Plan (1970–75). He was also the first ruler to bring high class Brahmin rulers under the equal rule of punishment. His wife, queen Ratna had huge love for children for which he desired to establish an orphanage. So he provided 25 ropanies of land to establish the first orphanage of the country to Daya Bir Kansakar under the name of Paropkar Sansthan. Moreover, he became the first king to donate blood in Nepal in order to create awareness between people about blood donation. He was also concerned about illegal Indians entering the nation and taking benefit in the name of local, so he introduced the system of citizenship in 1964.
Promotion of art, history and culture
In order to preserve the local traditions, religion and culture, way of life, festivals and languages, he had established the
Royal Nepal Academy
The Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), formerly known as Royal Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), is an autonomo ...
(Nepali:- नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठान)व्यवस्थापिका संसदले बनाएको २०६४ सालको ऐन न. २१, नेपाल प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठान ऐन २०६४ and National Dance Academy (Nepali: राष्ट्रिय नाचघर) and other institutions.
Royal Nepal Academy
The Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), formerly known as Royal Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), is an autonomo ...
later renamed as
Nepal Academy
The Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), formerly known as Royal Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), is an autonomo ...
started translating foreign literature to Nepali language giving access to the people for foreign literature. In 1961 Nepal Association of fine arts later known as
Nepal Academy of Fine Arts
Nepal Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) is the umbrella organization of Nepali artists, researchers and art critics, and an arts institution for research and for exhibitions. A museum in Kathmandu, in a neoclassical building from the 1930s,
(Nepali:नेपाल ललित कला प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठान ) was established .This along with Srijana Fine Arts School were some prominent established made to promote contemporary art in the nation. Furthermore, under the instruction of Mahendra, the government established Ratna Recording Sansthan to facilitate Nepali artists who otherwise were travelling to
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
for recording songs. This corporation paired with
Radio Nepal
Radio Nepal ( ne, रेडियो नेपाल) is the state-owned Radio broadcasting organisation of Nepal. It was established 2 April 1951. Radio Nepal airs programs on short wave, medium wave (AM broadcasting, AM) and FM broadcasting, FM ...
to increase the reach of produced records of Nepali national music. King Mahendra was a great lover of Art. In his leadership National Numismatic Museum was established in 1962 to preserve the national history, art and culture. To promote the art and the artist in the nation, he conceived a Public-Private partnership organization and established Nepal Art Council in 1962. In 1962,Nepal Sahitya Sansthan was established to stimulate public's interest in art and culture through literature.Brisbane, K., Chaturvedi, R., Majumdar, R., Pong, C. S., & Tanokura, M. (2005). ''The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Volume 5: Asia/Pacific''. Routledge. page 410-415 In 1965, Panchayat Government initiated a program where actors and directors were sent to India for special training. Later, Mahendra Pragya puraskar was introduced which awarded to contributors of Nepali language, arts and culture every two years. King Mahendra as a chancellor of Nepal academy started the tradition of All Nepal poetry competition on his birthday where winners are awarded with cash prizes. In 1966, on the personal request of Mahendra, the first private bannered Film,
Maitighar
''Maitighar'' ( Maternal home) is a 1966 Nepali film directed by B.S. Thapa. It was the third Nepali film produced and the first featured film under a private banner. This film features bollywood actress Mala Sinha in the lead role with Nepali ...
was produced in the country. Mahendra wrote songs for the film and also provided some funding. In 1967, National archive was established to document and preserve the history and historical documents.
Kaiser Library
The Kaiser Library is a government-run public library in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is located in the Keshar Mahal palace complex. The library was established in 1907 by the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana for his son, ...
was established in 1969 when the ownership of
Kaiser Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
Field Marshal Sir Kaiser Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Order of the British Empire, GBE (8 January 1892 – 7 June 1964) was a field marshal in the Royal Nepalese Army. He was the third son of Maharaja Sir Chandra Shumsher JBR, Chandra Shamsher Jang ...
's history and books collection came under the ownership of the government. King Mahendra made this property accessible to the public with the donated personal collection by his widow Krishna Chandra Kumari Devi. In 1970, the king discussed with Dev Anand, an Indian actor, director and producer, to produce film in Nepal to promote the local cultural heritage and depict the hippie culture. The movie showcased the cultural heritage of the country to the world for the first time such as ancient Kasthamandap, Basantapur Durbar Square as well as Bhaktapur durbar square and showcased the hippie culture.
Promotion of religion
Royal Nepal Academy
The Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), formerly known as Royal Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), is an autonomo ...
started translating religious text to Nepali and Sanskrit language giving access to the people for religious text.
The constitution introduced by King Mahendra in 1962 officially recognized Hindu religion as the state religion. In addition to that, it introduced national emblem such as crimson colour as the national colour, the
cow
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
as the national animal which had its root in Hinduism. The constitution guaranteed promotion of Hindu religious festivals and religious discourses including the use of Sanskrit and a ban on
proselytizing
Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries.
Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...
. A Being a state religion Hinduism was promoted and protected under the expense of the state and prohibited the slaughter of the animal. Under his reign, the king and the queen was started being worshipped in every Nepalese homes as the incarnation of Vishnu.
After being member of the UN, King Mahendra invited the
UN Secretary General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of the Un ...
U Thant
Thant (; ; January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974), known honorifically as U Thant (), was a Burmese diplomat and the third secretary-general of the United Nations from 1961 to 1971, the first non-Scandinavian to hold the position. He held t ...
to
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 ...
and involved him in the development of
Lumbini
Lumbinī ( ne, लुम्बिनी, IPA=ˈlumbini , "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth ...
as a Birthplace of
Lord Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
.
In 1962 (2021 BS), King Mahendra, set up a Guthi Sansthan with the objectives to continue preservation and promotion of festivals, heritage and culture of the people. During the kings reign, Sikhism flourished in Nepal as a number of Sikhs entered Nepal as a businessman with the permission of the king. King Mahendra was the one to provide first citizenship to Sikhs for their help during the drought in 1960s. During his entire rule, he enhanced the religious responsibilities of the royal family and enhanced the ritual status of the king in the society by routinely referencing himself in his speeches and writings "as the last remaining Hindu king of the world" He also promoted Dashain as a religious practice to integrate the entire state through integration of the local leaders into national government. All local and regional leaders were expected to receive Tika from the hands of the king and similarly from their bureaucratic superior and thus dispensing the political hierarchy from the center to all the corners of the country. Dashain embraced the vision of the panchayat regime to create a religiously and ethnically homogeneous society which accepted an hierarchical system with the king at its center to bring the country into a single integrated unit.
Land reforms
In 1959, the Birta Abolition Act was enacted which gave poor people and farmers ownership to the land they were historically working on. Birta land was then converted into Raikar through this act. Similarly, the Land Survey and Measurement Act was introduced in 1962. It classified land as Abal, Doyam, Sim, and Chahar. This act effectively established a Land Administration Office (Nepali:भूमि प्रशासन कार्यालय).The Agricultural Reorganization Act, passed in 1963 emphasized security for tenant farmers and put a ceiling on landholdings. Likewise, land reform act 1964 ended the feudal land ownership practice and secured the right of farmers. This land reform policy led to the confiscation of large Rana estates and provided land to many landless people. In the meantime, the Land Administration Act, 1966 was promulgated which further reformed the land administration office changing it into Land Revenue office(Nepali: मालपोत कार्यालय). Moreover, He had provided accommodation to ex- soldiers who knew how to wield weapons and to Nepalese who were expelled from Burma and set up settlements of Nepalis in the Terai from
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
to Kanchanpur so that the Indians would not oppress them. He also provided passport to the people of Manang region and waived custom duty for them so that the people of the region could use their lands to grow herbs and trade in the nearby regions. Eradication of
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
and the land settlement programs contributed to a massive movement of population from the hills into the
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 ...
, resulting in a large increase in the area devoted to agriculture.
Criticisms
Dismantling of democracy
Mahendra seized power after dissolving the government of
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 of ...
, jailed any objectors and moved steadily towards an authoritarian rule. He considered political parties anti-national elements and put a complete ban on them in favor of a partyless system. While he believed himself to be a supporter of democracy and considered the Panchayat system to be a democratic regime, the claim was rejected by many. He also criticized and objected to King Tribhuvan's decision to accept a multiparty democracy and an arrangement for a
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 ...
. Mahendra once said, "The
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
is given by the King. It is not supposed to be made by the people. "(''translated from Nepali'').
Authoritarianism
Mahendra gave himself absolute power following the coup and tried to establish his image as a patriotic and benevolent ruler. He suppressed all his critics and launched a propaganda campaign through radio, newspapers and pamphlets that boosted his popularity among the people and established himself as a god-like figure. Critics also see his one-country one-language one-monarch policy as the height of his abuse of authority. Some people also claim that his introduction of the reformed Muluki Ain was not to bring equality in the society but rather to give death sentences to the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
leaders of rebellions who had tried to assassinate him.
Some critics claim that Mahendra stole the development plans of B.P Koirala and credited himself as the architect of the developmental process of the era. Mahendra made a conscious effort to consolidate his hold over the Nepalese Army.
Mahendra's efforts to unite the multicultural country under a singular culture have faced heavy criticism. The system equated the identity of the country with the
Nepali
Nepali or Nepalese may refer to :
Concerning Nepal
* Anything of, from, or related to Nepal
* Nepali people, citizens of Nepal
* Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...
as the language, the
Daura-Suruwal
Daura-Suruwal (दौरा सुरुवाल) is one of the national outfit of Nepalese men. The Daura is a variant of the Kurta and is the upper garment, the Suruwal is the trouser. The coat was added to the costume by Jang Bahadur Rana, a ...
as the national dress and
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
ism as the national religion. Everyone was required to wear a
Dhaka topi
The Dhaka topi ( ne, ढाका टोपी ), or Nepali topi, is a hat which is popular in Nepal, and which forms part of Nepalese national dress, worn by men on celebrations.
History
''Dhaka ko Topi'' literately means a "headgear made ...
for official purposes: to acquire their citizenship, passport, and driving license. This was criticized to be one sided as it dominated a country with pluralism and completely ignored the existence of the many minority groups within the country. This policy was disseminated in the Nepali language textbooks titled as 'Mahendramala' during the Panchayat era.
Accusations of creating an institution favoring the rich
Many critics consider the Panchayat system to be an institution that innately favored the rich and Mahendra to be the patron saint of the feudal lords and landlords of the country.
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 ...
criticized the establishment of the
Nepal Rastra Bank
The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) ( ne, नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंक) was established April 26, 1956 A.D. ( Nepali Date: Baisakh 14, 2013 B.S.) under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 1955, to discharge the central banking responsibili ...
saying, "The Central Bank, opened for the benefit of landlords and right-wing traders, does not benefit the poor." (''translated from Nepali'') Some also argue that the 1960 coup happened because the then
BP 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 ...
government could not keep the feudal lords happy.
Memorial constructions
Mahendra was criticized for constructing various memorials and statues for himself and his wife and for naming various landmarks, schools and parks after him and his family members. Ratna Park, named after King Mahendra's wife Rani Ratna, a prime example of it. The statue of Queen Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi at Ratnapark was vandalized by republican protestors in 2062 BS. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City changed the name of the park to Shankdhar Udyan in 2077 BS and erected a statue of Sankhadar Shakwa instead of the one of Queen Ratna. Similarly, naming various development projects like
Prithvi highway
The Prithvi Highway () is a highway connecting Naubise of Tribhuvan Highway, 26 km from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara, a tourist city in the western part of Nepal.
History
The construction of the highway star ...
,
Mahendra highway
Mahendra Highway (), also called East-West Highway () runs across the Terai geographical region of Nepal, from Mechinagar in the east to Bhim Datta in the west, cutting across the entire width of the country. It is the longest highway in Nepal a ...
,
Kanti highway
Kanti Highway () is a feeder road under construction in Bagmati Province, Nepal, that connects Lalitpur Metropolitan City to Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City.
The construction on the road started in 1954 by King Mahendra, and the road was initial ...
, Tribhuvan airport etc. after their family members was seen as his attempt to improve the image of the royal family among the common people.
Failed land-reform policy
The land-reform policy introduced by Mahendra is considered to be a major failure by many people. Land reform efforts began with the enactment of the Land and Cultivation Record Compilation Act (1956), through which the government began compiling tenant records and continued with the Lands Act (1957). These acts were not much successful in increasing small farmers so further efforts had to made. The Agricultural Reorganization Act, passed in 1963 emphasized security for tenant farmers and put a ceiling on landholdings. Likewise, land reform act 1964 ended the feudal land ownership practice and secured the right of farmers. However, there were loopholes in the acts which allowed landlords to control most of the lands. Though, these policies were successful in securing the rights of farmers, it was not so in the case of land redistribution. Until 1972, average landholdings remained small. Moreover, the double ownership law of land introduced by the Panchayat through 'Mohiyai hak' became a major hindrance in development in the decades to come.
Child-less second marriage
After the death of his first wife Indra Rajya in 1950, Prince Mahendra was in a love affair with his sister in law, Ratna, but despite sharp opposition from his father King Tribhuvan, Prince Mahendra married Ratna Rajyalakshmi two years later. This created bad relations between him and his father. Mahendra held many criticism from this marriage. Some people criticize him for not obeying his father and disregarding the obedience of a prince towards the king of Nepal. Moreover, some people also criticize him for pre-marriage sterilization of his new wife and snatching the right of his wife to be a mother
Personality
Historians define Mahendra as an ambitious ruler. He was courageous and visionary who would not be reluctant to take any steps. Swiss scholar,
Toni Hagen
Toni Hagen (17 August 1917 in Luzern – 18 April 2003 in Lenzerheide) was a Swiss geologist and a pioneer of Swiss development assistance.
Education
After taking a diploma in engineering and geology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technol ...
described him as very clever ruler who could handle delicate issues. He was a deep admirer of Nepalese literature, art and culture which led to himself composing several poems which was later on sung by many famous singers. He was proficient in Nepali, English, Hindi and Sanskrit Language.
Hobbies
Mahendra went in for various activities like noblemen of his era and subsequent eras. MBB Shah (Nepali: म. वी. वि. शाह) is the literary name of King Mahendra. MBB Shah is a more passionate poet of the Romantic section of Nepali poetry. King Mahendra wrote various songs and poems. He is also called the first lyricist of Nepal by some sources. He penned ''Lolayeka Tee', Gajalu Tee Thula Thula Aakha,'' ''Garchin Pukar Aaama,'' ''Aakashma Tirmire,'' ''Kina Kina Timro Tasbir,'' ma mare pani mero desh bachi rahos, Rara ki Apsara etc. which were later sung by Gulam Ali and
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...
. He was also fond of hunting and would regularly go to hunting with her queen to different places.
Offspring
Other than his 6 children, King Mahendra also had a son from one of his
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
Gita Gurung, who was born before any other child from his legal marriage. Gita worked in the royal palace as a servant when Mahendra was a prince.
Memorial
Many structures, institutions, locations and honors have been built and introduced in the memory of King Mahendra. Monuments erected in his name were renamed after the restoration of the parliament in 2063 BS and the end of the monarchy in 2065 BS. After the political changes of 2063 BS, an attempt was made to rename the highway built in the name of the king as Lok Marg. Even though the Ratna Park named after his queen was renamed as Shankhadhar Sakhwa Park,
Ratna Park
Ratna Park is a park and surrounding district in central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is named after Queen Ratna, the wife of King Mahendra
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज महेन्द् ...
Makwanpur
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 as ...
Makwanpur
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 as ...
Makwanpur
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 as ...
Hetauda
Hetauda ( ne, हेटौडा, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province in central Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur District and the capital of Bagmati Province as declared by m ...
)
# Mahendra Kiran Higher Secondary School, (
Hetauda
Hetauda ( ne, हेटौडा, ) is a sub-metropolitan city in the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province in central Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur District and the capital of Bagmati Province as declared by m ...
)
# Mahendra Mriga Kunja (Mahendra Deer Park),
Chitwan
Chitwan District (, , ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers . In 2011 it had a population of 579 ...
# Shree 5 Mahendra Memorial Eye Hospital, Bharatpur,
Chitwan
Chitwan District (, , ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers . In 2011 it had a population of 579 ...
# Mahendra Bus Park, Chitwan
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Chaturale
Chaturale(Nepali:चतुराले) is a village in the Nuwakot District of Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान ...
Charghare
Charghare is a village situated in the Nuwakot, Nepal. It is also a village development committee (VDC), and is surrounded by Bidur Nagarpaalika KalyanPur VDC, Gorysang VDC Khadkabhanjyang VDC. Charghare's main tourist places are Jalpadevi Temple ...
Banepa
Banepa ( ne, बनेपा) is a municipality and historical town in a valley situated at about above sea level in central Nepal which is at about east from Kathmandu. At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, it has a population of 55,528. The ...
Sindhupalchok
Sindhupalchowk District ( ne, सिन्धुपाल्चोक जिल्ला ) is a part of Bagmati Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, with an area of . The district's headquarters is in Chautara. In 2006, 336, ...
# Shree Mahendra Secondary School,
Ichok
Ichok is a village in Sindhupalchok District in the Bagmati Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics.
Working with Ne ...
,
Sindhupalchok
Sindhupalchowk District ( ne, सिन्धुपाल्चोक जिल्ला ) is a part of Bagmati Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, with an area of . The district's headquarters is in Chautara. In 2006, 336, ...
Sindhupalchok
Sindhupalchowk District ( ne, सिन्धुपाल्चोक जिल्ला ) is a part of Bagmati Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, with an area of . The district's headquarters is in Chautara. In 2006, 336, ...
Dhading
Dhading Besi ( ne, धादिङ्ग बेसी) is a town (neighborhood) and the district headquarter of the Dhading District of Nepal. The town is located within Nilkantha Municipality. It is also administrative centre of Nilkantha Munic ...
# Shree Mahendrodaya Hss school,
Dhading
Dhading Besi ( ne, धादिङ्ग बेसी) is a town (neighborhood) and the district headquarter of the Dhading District of Nepal. The town is located within Nilkantha Municipality. It is also administrative centre of Nilkantha Munic ...
Baglung
Baglung is a municipality in western Nepal, west of Kathmandu. It is the administrative headquarters of Baglung District and Dhaulagiri Zone. Baglung serves as the major center for business, finance, education, service and healthcare for the peo ...
)
# Mahendra statue, Humde (
Manang
Manang ( ne, मनाङ) is a town in the Manang District of Nepal. It is located at 28°40'0N 84°1'0E with an elevation of . According to the preliminary result of the 2011 Nepal census it has a population of 6,527 people living in 1,495 indiv ...
)
# Mahendra Chowk, Putalibazar, (
Syangja
Syangja District ( ne, स्याङ्जा जिल्ला; ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Syangja bazaar (a small town) as its district headquarters, covers an area of ...
Syangja
Syangja District ( ne, स्याङ्जा जिल्ला; ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Syangja bazaar (a small town) as its district headquarters, covers an area of ...
)
#
Mahendra Cave
Mahendra Cave is a cave located in Pokhara-16,batulechaur, Kaski district, close to the Kali khola, is a large limestone cave. It is a rare example of a cave system in Nepal containing stalagmites and stalactites. This show cave attracts thous ...
,
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
)
# Mahendra Secondary School, bhalam, (
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
)
#
Mahendrapul
Mahendrapul (Nepali:महेन्द्र पुल) is the financial hub and busiest high street of Pokhara. It is one of the oldest and busiest marketplaces in the city. It is one of the centre locations in the city. Mahendrapul is one of the ...
,
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
# Mahendra Multiple Campus,
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...
Manang
Manang ( ne, मनाङ) is a town in the Manang District of Nepal. It is located at 28°40'0N 84°1'0E with an elevation of . According to the preliminary result of the 2011 Nepal census it has a population of 6,527 people living in 1,495 indiv ...
Parbat
Parbat District ( ne, पर्वत जिल्ला , is a hilly area of Nepal. It is a part of Gandaki Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Kusma as its district headquarters, covers an area of and ...
Parbat
Parbat District ( ne, पर्वत जिल्ला , is a hilly area of Nepal. It is a part of Gandaki Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Kusma as its district headquarters, covers an area of and ...
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
)
# Shree Mahendra Leela Secondary School Siranchok, (
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
)
# Mahendra Jyoti school, (
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
Baglung
Baglung is a municipality in western Nepal, west of Kathmandu. It is the administrative headquarters of Baglung District and Dhaulagiri Zone. Baglung serves as the major center for business, finance, education, service and healthcare for the peo ...
Tanahu
Tanahun District ( ne, :ne:तनहुँ जिल्ला, तनहुँ जिल्ला , or ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Damauli as its district headquarters, covers ...
Sundarbazar
Sundarbazar is a Municipality in Lamjung District in the Gandaki Province of northern-central Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त् ...
, (
Lamjung
Lamjung District ( ne, लमजुङ जिल्ला ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, with Besisahar as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population of 167,724. Lamjun ...
# Mahendra Daha
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Chhiwang
Chhiwang is a Village development committee (Nepal), village development committee in Western Rukum District in Karnali Province of western Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4252 people living in 805 individual h ...
, (
Rukum
Rukum District ( ne, रुकुम जिल्ला) was a "hill" and "mountain" district some west of Kathmandu partially belonging to Lumbini Province and partially to Karnali Province before split into two districts Western Rukum and E ...
)
# Shree Mahendra higher secondary school,
Dullu
Dullu ( ne, दुल्लु) is an urban Municipality in Dailekh District of Karnali Province in Nepal.
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census former Dullu had a population of 30,457 people living in 5,861 individual households. After the reconst ...
, (
Dailekh
Dailekh ( ne, दैलेख), locally known as Dailekh Bazar. Narayan is a town and the headquarters of Dailekh District located in Karnali Province of Nepal. It was Incorporated to Narayan Municipality
Narayan ( ne, नारायण) is a m ...
Hanuman Dhoka
Hanuman Dhoka ( ne, हनुमान ढोका) is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty in the Durbar Square of central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is spread over five acres. The Hanuman ...
Mahendra Museum The Mahendra Museum is a museum located in Nepal. The museum is situated inside Hanuman Dhoka palace Museum in Kathmandu Durbar square. The museum is named in honor of His Majesty Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.
References
See also
* List of m ...
,
Hanuman Dhoka
Hanuman Dhoka ( ne, हनुमान ढोका) is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and also of the Shah dynasty in the Durbar Square of central Kathmandu, Nepal. It is spread over five acres. The Hanuman ...
Nepal Academy
The Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), formerly known as Royal Nepal Academy ( ne, नेपाल राजकीय प्रज्ञा–प्रतिष्ठान), is an autonomo ...
Mahalaxmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
Changunarayan
Changunarayan ( ne, चाँगुनारायण) is a municipality in Bhaktapur District in the Province No. 3 of Nepal and is part of the urban agglomeration of the Kathmandu Valley. The municipality was created through the merger of the ...
, Bhaktapur
# Mahendra Secondary School,
Shankharapur
Shankharapur is a municipality in Kathmandu District in Bagmati Province of Nepal that was established on 2 December 2014 by merging the former Village development committees Bajrayogini, Karkigaun, Bhulbu, Indrayani, Lapsiphedi, Naglebhar ...
Krishnanagar Krishna Nagar or Krishnanagar may refer to:
Places India
* Krishna Nagar, Delhi
** Krishna Nagar metro station (Delhi)
** Krishna Nagar (Delhi Assembly constituency)
* Krishna Nagar, Hyderabad
* Krishna Nagar, Lucknow
** Krishna Nagar metro s ...
Butwal
Butwal ( ne, बुटवल), officially Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City ( ne, बुटवल उपमहानगरपालिका), is a sub-metropolitan city and economic hub in Lumbini Province in West Nepal. Butwal has a city population ...
Nepalgunj
Nepalgunj (), also spelled Nepalganj, is a Sub-Metropolitan City in Banke District, Nepal. It lies on the Terai plains near the southern border with Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Nepalgunj is 153 kilometers south-west of Ghorahi a ...
# Mahendra Park,
Nepalgunj
Nepalgunj (), also spelled Nepalganj, is a Sub-Metropolitan City in Banke District, Nepal. It lies on the Terai plains near the southern border with Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Nepalgunj is 153 kilometers south-west of Ghorahi a ...
#
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepalgunj
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepalgunj ( ne, महेन्द्र बहुमुखी क्याम्पस, नेपालगन्ज) is a public co-educational institution located in Nepalgunj city in western Nepal. It is one of the ca ...
Pyuthan
Pyuthan (also known as Pyuthan Khalanga) is a municipality in the Pyuthan District in the Lumbini Province of Nepal. It is also the District Headquarter and the administrative center of district. The municipality was established on 18 May 2014 by m ...
)
# Mahendra Higher Secondary School, (
Pyuthan
Pyuthan (also known as Pyuthan Khalanga) is a municipality in the Pyuthan District in the Lumbini Province of Nepal. It is also the District Headquarter and the administrative center of district. The municipality was established on 18 May 2014 by m ...
Mahendra Sanskrit University
Nepal Sanskrit University (formerly Mahendra Sanskrit University) was established in December 1986 and has its central office at Beljhundi in Dang district of Lumbini Province, Nepal. It is 13 km away from the city of Ghorahi.
Academics
The un ...
Nawalparasi
Nawalparasi District ( ne, नवलपरासी जिल्ला, ), part of which belongs to Gandaki Province and part to Lumbini Province, was one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal before being divided into Nawalparasi (West of Ba ...
Nawalparasi
Nawalparasi District ( ne, नवलपरासी जिल्ला, ), part of which belongs to Gandaki Province and part to Lumbini Province, was one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal before being divided into Nawalparasi (West of Ba ...
)
# Mahendra Hospital,
Ghorahi
''Ghorahi'' (Nepali: घोराही उपमहानगरपालिका) is the seventh largest city and largest sub-metropolitan city of Nepal. The city (formerly ''Tribhuvannagar'') lies in Lumbini Province in the Mid-Western part ...
Tulsipur
Tulsipur is a town and tehsil in the Balrampur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Geography
Tulsipur is located near the India-Nepal border on the banks of the River Nakti (also known as River Siria) and is 23 km from Koilabas and ...
, Dang
# Mahendra Model Secondary School. Tamghas,(
Gulmi
Gulmi District ( ne, :ne:गुल्मी जिल्ला, गुल्मी जिल्ला), a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Tamghas as its headquarters, covers an area of ...
Gulmi
Gulmi District ( ne, :ne:गुल्मी जिल्ला, गुल्मी जिल्ला), a part of Lumbini Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Tamghas as its headquarters, covers an area of ...
)
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Kerunga
Kerunga is a small town in Arghakhanchi District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics.
Working wit ...
,
Arghakhanchi
Arghakhanchi ( ne, अर्घाखाँची जिल्ला ) is one of the districts of Lumbini Province in Nepal. The district headquarter is Sandhikharka. The district covers an area of and has a population (2011) of 197,632. Its ne ...
# Mahendra Bodi Higher Secondary School,
Tansen
Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pra ...
Singyahi
Singyahi is a village development committee in Mahottari District in the Janakpur Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau o ...
Sarlahi
Sarlahi ( ne, सर्लाही ; Maithili: सर्लाही), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. According to new laws, a combination of more than two or four villages makes a municipality, whic ...
Saptari
Saptari ( ne, सप्तरी जिल्ला}), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. Its district headquarter is Rajbiraj. Saptari is an Outer Terai district. This district covers an area of and has ...
Saptari
Saptari ( ne, सप्तरी जिल्ला}), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. Its district headquarter is Rajbiraj. Saptari is an Outer Terai district. This district covers an area of and has ...
# Mahendra Bindeshwari Multiple Campus, (
Saptari
Saptari ( ne, सप्तरी जिल्ला}), a part of Madhesh Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. Its district headquarter is Rajbiraj. Saptari is an Outer Terai district. This district covers an area of and has ...
Chandragadhi
Bhadrapur ( ne, भद्रपुर) is a town and municipality in Jhapa District in the Province No. 1 of southeastern Nepal. It lies on the banks of the Mechi River, and shares borders with Bihar state, India on the south and West Benga ...
)
# Mahendra Park,
Chandragadhi
Bhadrapur ( ne, भद्रपुर) is a town and municipality in Jhapa District in the Province No. 1 of southeastern Nepal. It lies on the banks of the Mechi River, and shares borders with Bihar state, India on the south and West Benga ...
, (
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
)
#
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan
Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan (more colloquially : M. M. Campus, ne, महेन्द्र बहुमुखी क्याम्पस) is a public co-educational institution located in the Central part of the Dharan city and is one of ...
# Mahendra path,
Dharan
Dharan ( ne, धरान) a sub-metropolitan city in Sunsari District of Province No. 1, Nepal, which was established as a fourth municipality in the Kingdom in 1958. It is the third most populous city in Eastern Nepal after Biratnagar and It ...
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Itahari
Itahari ( ne, ईटहरी) is a Municipalities in Province No. 1, sub-metropolitan city in the Sunsari District of Province No. 1 of Nepal. Itahari city is business hub of eastern Nepal. It is the List of cities of Nepal, second most populous ...
Chaurikharka
Chaurikharka is a village development committee in Solukhumbu District in the Sagarmatha Zone of northeastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central B ...
, (
Solukhumbu
Solukhumbu District ( ne, सोलुखुम्बु जिल्ला , Sherpa: , Wylie: shar khum bu dzong) is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the subregions Solu and Khumbu. ...
Morang
Morang District ( ne, मोरङ जिल्ला ) is located in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. It is an Outer Terai district. It borders with Bihar, India to the South, Jhapa to the East, Dhankuta and Panchthar to the North, and Sunsar ...
)
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
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 ...
Mahendra Morang Adarsh Multiple Campus
Mahendra Morang Adarsh Multiple Campus ( ne, महेन्द्र मोरङ आदर्श बहुमुखी क्याम्पस) is a constituent campus of Tribhuvan University in Biratnagar, Morang. Established in 1955 a ...
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
)
# Shree Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Khandbari
Khandbari is the district headquarters of Sankhuwasabha District in Province No. 1 of north-eastern Nepal. The 2011 Nepal census counted 26,301 population.
The area
A road connects Khandbari directly south to Biratnagar and the Terai. Khandba ...
,
Sankhuwasabha
Sankhuwasabha District ( ne, सङ्खुवासभा जिल्ला ) is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. The district's area is 3,480 km2 with a population of 159,203 in 2001 and 158,742 in 2011. ...
Okhaldhunga
Okhaldhunga is the headquarters of the Okhaldhunga District in the Sagarmatha Zone of Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 3761 living in 790 individual households.
Background
The name Okhaldhunga originates from " ...
# Shree Mahendra Secondary School,
Bharaul
Begusarai District is one of the thirty-eight districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The city of Begusarai is its administrative headquarters and is part of the Munger division.
History
Begulsarai was established in 1870 as part of Munger Dis ...
Morang
Morang District ( ne, मोरङ जिल्ला ) is located in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. It is an Outer Terai district. It borders with Bihar, India to the South, Jhapa to the East, Dhankuta and Panchthar to the North, and Sunsar ...
)
# Shree Mahendra secondary school,
Dangihat
Dangihat was a Village development committee (Nepal), village development committee in Morang District in the Koshi Zone of south-eastern Nepal. It lies west of Bahuni. It consisted of 9 wards. People of different castes lived here, mainly Brahmin ...
, (
Morang
Morang District ( ne, मोरङ जिल्ला ) is located in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. It is an Outer Terai district. It borders with Bihar, India to the South, Jhapa to the East, Dhankuta and Panchthar to the North, and Sunsar ...
)
# Shree Mahendra Secondary School,
Woplukha
Waplukha is a Village Development Committee in Khotang District in the Sagarmatha Zone of eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census
The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Stati ...
Birtamode
Birtamod ( Nepali: बिर्तामोड नगरपालिका) is a municipality in Jhapa District of Nepal. It is the commercial, educational and transport hub of Jhapa District. Sarnamati Bazar, Dhulabari Bazar, Dhaijan Bazar, Char ...
, (
Jhapa
Jhapa ( ne, झापा जिल्ला; ) is a district of Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal named after a Rajbanshi word "Jhapa" meaning "to cover" (verb). The latest official data, the 2021 Nepal Census, puts the total population of the d ...
)
Sudurpashchim Province
# Mahendranagar Bazaar,
Bhimdatta
Mahendranagar (Nepali: महेन्द्रनगर) officially known as Bhimdattanagar (Nepali:भिमदत्त), is a municipality in Kanchanpur District of Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal. The city and the municipality were named Mahe ...
Darchula
Khalanga (also called Darchula) is a town and the district headquarters of the Darchula District in the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal. It is part of the Mahakali Municipality in the Mahakali Zone. The town is located on the bank of Mahakali ...
# Mahendra Griha, Tikapur Park
# Mahendra Statue Park,
Bhimdatta
Mahendranagar (Nepali: महेन्द्रनगर) officially known as Bhimdattanagar (Nepali:भिमदत्त), is a municipality in Kanchanpur District of Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal. The city and the municipality were named Mahe ...
# Mahendra Higher Secondary School,
Bhimdatta
Mahendranagar (Nepali: महेन्द्रनगर) officially known as Bhimdattanagar (Nepali:भिमदत्त), is a municipality in Kanchanpur District of Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal. The city and the municipality were named Mahe ...
Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway (), also called East-West Highway () runs across the Terai geographical region of Nepal, from Mechinagar in the east to Bhim Datta in the west, cutting across the entire width of the country. It is the longest highway in Nepal a ...
# Mahendra Mala Book
#
Mahendra Police Club
Nepal Police Club (formerly known as Mahendra Police Club) is a sports club owned and managed by Nepal Police. The club competes in the Martyr's Memorial A-Division League, the top flight of Nepali club football.
History
Established in 1952 and ...
Mahendra Gold Cup
Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra, Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound Royal Style and Titles Act, royal styles.
Hi ...
# Mahendra Bhawan Scout Troop
# His Majesty King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shaha Deva (An Analytical Biography)
# ''King Mahendra Poetic Values and Technique Based on the Kashmiri Pandit Tradition'' (book)
Death and succession
Mahendra suffered a massive second heart attack whilst on a winter hunting trip in
Chitwan
Chitwan District (, , ) is one of 77 districts of Nepal, and takes up the southwestern corner of Bagmati Province. Bharatpur, largest city of Nepal after Kathmandu, is its administrative centre. It covers . In 2011 it had a population of 579 ...
where he was attended to by his trusted Physicians Dr Mrigendra Raj Pandey and Dr Sachey Kumar Pahari. King Mahendra was in a stable but critical condition and eventually breathed his last at
Diyalo Bangala
Diyalo Bangala ( ne, दियालो बंगला) is a former palace used by the Nepalese royal family.
It is located in Bharatpur, Nepal, near the Madan Ashrit Highway. Diyalo Bangala was built in the 1960s by King Mahendra
Mahendra ...
, the royal palace in Bharatpur on 31 January 1972. The King's body was subsequently flown to Kathmandu by helicopter in preparation for the State Funeral.
His son
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 ...
ascended the Nepalese throne on 31 January 1972 immediately after his father's death at the age of 27. However, his coronation took place only on 24 February 1975 at the age of 29 due to Hindu ritual for an auspicious date and the astrologers had claimed only that time to be auspicious.
King Mahendra and Queen Ratna visited the US in 1960 and 1967. In 1960 they were greeted by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
and in 1967 they were greeted by President
Lyndon B Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
and Mrs. Johnson in Washington DC in 1967. The royal couple of Nepal was greeted with the 'guard of honor'.
Other honors were as follows
Order of Ojaswi Rajanya
The Most Glorious Order of Ojaswi Rajanya ( ne, Ojaswi Rajanyako Manapadvi) was an order of knighthood of Nepal. It was given to foreign heads of state, foreign or Nepalese monarchs.
History
The order was instituted on 14 May 1934 by King Tribh ...
Order of Tri Shakti Patta
The Most Illustrious Order of Tri Shakti Patta ( ne, त्रिशक्ति पट्ट; Order of the Three Divine Powers) is an order of knighthood of the former Kingdom of Nepal. It is conferred on members of the Royal Family or Nepali citi ...
* Sovereign of the
Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
The Most Puissant Order of the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu ( ne, गोरखा दक्षिण बाहु; Order of the Gurkha Right Arm ''or Hand'') was an order of knighthood of Nepal. It was one of the highest honors given traditionally by the ...
* Mahendra Mala Manapadvi (26 February 1961)
* Commemorative Silver Jubilee Medal of King Tribhuvan (11 December 1936)
Foreign
*
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
Apart f ...
, ''19 April 1960''
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Saint James of the Sword
The Military Order of Saint James of the Sword ( pt, Ordem Militar de Sant'Iago da Espada) is a Portuguese order of chivalry. Its full name is the Ancient, Most Noble and Enlightened Military Order of Saint James of the Sword, of the Scientifi ...
, ''13 July 1960''
* : Grand Cross of the Order of
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
, ''24 February 1956''
* : Grand Cross of the
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgi ...
, ''1964''
* : Grand Cross Special Class of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
, ''1964''
* : Collar of the
Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
The Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, also called the Order of the Million Elephants and the White Umbrella ( lo, ອິສະຣິຍາພອນລ້ານຊ້າງຮົ່ມຂາວ ''Itsariyaphon Lan Sang Hom Khao ...
, ''1970''
* Grand Cross of the
Order of the Netherlands Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands ( nl, De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, french: L'Ordre du Lion Néerlandais) is a Dutch order of chivalry founded by King William I of the Netherlands on ...
, ''25 April 1967''.
* :
Royal Victorian Chain
The Royal Victorian Chain is a decoration instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e. not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). It ranks above the Royal Victorian Order, with which it ...
University of Detroit Mercy
The University of Detroit Mercy is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 ...
, 1960
* : Collar of the
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna ( fil, Orden ng Sikatuna) is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philipp ...
, Rank of Raja, April 22, 1971.
Ancestry
Notes
* Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince:
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
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 ...