Raj Rajeshwari Devi ( ne, राज राजेश्वरी) (died 5 May 1806) was a queen consort and twice regent of

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 ...

. She was the Queen consort of

Rana Bahadur Shah Rana Bahadur Shah, King of Nepal ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज रण बहादुर शाह देव) (1775–1806) was the King of Nepal from 1777 to 1799. In 1777, he succeeded to the throne after the deat ...

. She ruled as regent during the minority of her son

Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज गीर्वाणयुद्ध विक्रम शाह देव) (19 October 1797 – 20 November 1816), also called Girvanyuddha Bikrama Shah, was f ...

in 1799, and in 1801–1804. She was forced to commit

sati Sati or SATI may refer to: Entertainment * ''Sati'' (film), a 1989 Bengali film by Aparna Sen and starring Shabana Azmi * ''Sati'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Christopher Pike *Sati (singer) (born 1976), Lithuanian singer *Sati, a character in ''Th ...

on the orders of

Bhimsen Thapa Bhimsen Thapa ( ne, भीमसेन थापा (August 1775 – 29 July 1839)) was a Nepalese statesman who served as the ''Mukhtiyar'' (equivalent to prime minister) and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the ...

, on the bank of the Salinadi rivulet, at

Sankhu Sankhu (साखु) (alternative name: Sakwa (Nepal Bhasa: सक्व)) is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divi ...

, 5 May 1806.

Life

She was the granddaughter of Shiva Shah,

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

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 ...

. In 1799, her consort abdicated to become a

sanyasi ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...

, and she became regent in the name of her underage son. She ruled alongside the other two wives of her consort, Maharani Subarna Prabha Devi and Maharani Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi. After her husband abdicated in favor of his son

Girvan Girvan ( gd, Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ayr, ...

, Queen Rajeshwari became the regent. She, however, decided to accompany her husband to exile in

Benaras Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic tra ...

. Queen Subarna Prabha then became the regent. On 26 July 1801, however, Queen Rajeshwari returned to Nepal. As a result, Subarnaprabha's favorite courtier ''Mul Kaji'' (Chief minister)

Kirtiman Singh Basnyat Kirtiman Singh Basnyat ( ne, कीर्तिमान् सिंह बस्न्यात) was Mul Kaji (Chief Minister) of the Royal Court of Nepal between 1794 and his death on 28 September 1801. He was a military commander of the Nepales ...

was secretly assassinated on 28 September 1801, by the supporters of Rajrajeswori. She resumed her role as the regent, while Queen Subarna Prabha was put under house arrest. In 1804, her husband returned and resumed power. Two years later, her spouse was assassinated by his brother, and ten days later, on 5 May 1806, Maharani Raj Rajeshwari Devi, as a

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 ...

widow, was forced to commit

on the orders of

. The sati took place on the bank of the Salinadi rivulet at

. Her co-regents, Subarna Prabha Devi and Lalit Tripura Sundari Devi, were not, however, forced to commit sati despite the fact that they were widows after the same man, and continued their rule as regents.Guide 2
/ref>

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Maharani Raj Rajeshwari 1806 deaths Hindu monarchs People murdered in Nepal Nepalese women in politics Nepalese queens consort Year of birth missing People who committed sati 18th-century women rulers 19th-century women rulers 1800s suicides People of the Nepalese unification People from Gulmi District 18th-century Nepalese nobility 19th-century Nepalese nobility Nepalese Hindus