Shukra Raj Shastri (
Nepali: ) (born Shukra Raj Joshi) (1894–24 January 1941) was a
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 ...
ese intellectual and fighter for democracy who was executed by the autocratic
Rana dynasty
Rana dynasty ( ne, राणा वंश, IAST=Rāṇā vaṃśa , ) is a Chhetri dynasty that imposed totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other ...
. He is one of the four
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 of the Nepalese revolution that toppled the Rana regime. The other three are
Dashrath Chand
Dasharath Chand ( ne, दशरथ चन्द; 1903-28 January 1941) is martyr of Nepalese Democratic Movement and a politician of Nepal who was active in starting a political revolution in Nepal during Rana rule. He was born at Baskot of Baitadi ...
,
Dharma Bhakta Mathema
Dharma Bhakta Mathema (1909—1941) was a professional body builder as well as a founding member of Praja Parishad. He introduced modern body building techniques in Nepal, but had gained popularity for his contribution to the Nepalese struggle ...
and
Ganga Lal Shrestha.
Shastri was also a social reformer and author who wrote a number of books in
Nepali and
Nepal Bhasa
Newar (), or Newari and known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, is a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people, the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala, which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surro ...
.
Early life
Shastri was born in
Varanasi
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 t ...
, India where his father Madhav Raj and mother Ratna Maya Joshi were living in forced exile due to political reasons. Madhav Raj was a leader of the
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...
in Nepal. The Joshis were originally from
Lalitpur.
Shukra Raj was schooled in India, and he acquired the title Shastri after earning a Shastri degree from
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...
. He became better known by this name than his actual surname Joshi.
Democracy fighter
Returning to Nepal, Shastri joined the democracy struggle. During a demonstration organized at
Indra Chok,
Kathmandu
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by the Citizens' Rights Committee, he spoke out strongly against the Rana regime and demanded the people's rights. For this act, he was arrested and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He was subsequently sentenced to death, and on 24 January 1941, he was hanged from a tree on the side of the road at Pachali, Teku,
Kathmandu
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.
The Ranas were eventually overthrown in February 1951, and democracy was established in Nepal. The Rana oligarchy ruled Nepal from 1846 until 1951. During this time, the
Shah king was reduced to a figurehead and the prime minister and other government positions were hereditary.
Jang Bahadur Rana
Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar ( ne, वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (JBR, ne, जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) () belonging to the ...
established the Rana dynasty in 1846 by masterminding the
Kot massacre
The Kot massacre ( ne, कोत पर्व) took place on 14 September 1846 when then Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar and his brothers killed about 30-40 civil, military officers and palace guards of the Nepalese palace court including the Prime Mi ...
in which about 40 members of the nobility including the prime minister and a relative of the king were murdered. Tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution characterized Rana rule. This 104-years of Rana regime has been called as one of the darkest periods of Nepalese history.
Writer
Shastri was one of the leaders of the
Nepal Bhasa renaissance
Nepal Bhasa renaissance (Nepal Bhasa: नेपालभाषा पुनर्जागरण) was the movement to revive and modernize the Nepal Bhasa language during the period 1909 to 1941. The movement was spontaneous and not orchestrated. ...
. He wrote a grammar of the language entitled ''Nepal Bhasa Vyakaran'' which was published from
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
in 1928. He was the first to produce children's literature. His other works include ''Nepal Bhasa Reader'', Books 1 and 2 (1933) and ''Nepali Varnamala'' (1933).
It is believed that Shastri was executed more for his work in social reform and efforts to develop his mother tongue Nepal Bhasa than his involvement in politics. Shastri did not belong to any political party unlike the other three martyrs who were members of
Nepal Praja Parishad
The Nepal Praja Parishad ( Nepali: नेपाल प्रजा परिषद) was the first attempt to form an organization to lead the revolution against the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Led by Tanka Prasad Acharya, the group was founded in 19 ...
.
Legacy
Shastri and the other martyrs are honoured on Martyrs Day which is observed annually on Magh 16 (29 or 30 January) across the country. Shukra Path, a street in downtown Kathmandu, is named after him. Shastri's statues have been erected at a number of places, and the Postal Service Department has issued commemorative postage stamps depicting his image. A monument known as Shahid Gate containing the busts of the four martyrs and King Tribhuvan was built in central Kathmandu in 1961.
See also
*
Martyrs of Nepal
Martyr ( ne, नेपालका सहिद; Shahid) in Nepal is a term for some one who is executed while making contributions for the welfare of the country or society. The term was originally used for individuals who died while opposing the ...
*
Dashrath Chand
Dasharath Chand ( ne, दशरथ चन्द; 1903-28 January 1941) is martyr of Nepalese Democratic Movement and a politician of Nepal who was active in starting a political revolution in Nepal during Rana rule. He was born at Baskot of Baitadi ...
*
Gangalal Shrestha
*
Dharma Bhakta Mathema
Dharma Bhakta Mathema (1909—1941) was a professional body builder as well as a founding member of Praja Parishad. He introduced modern body building techniques in Nepal, but had gained popularity for his contribution to the Nepalese struggle ...
*
Nepal Praja Parishad
The Nepal Praja Parishad ( Nepali: नेपाल प्रजा परिषद) was the first attempt to form an organization to lead the revolution against the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Led by Tanka Prasad Acharya, the group was founded in 19 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shastri, Shukra Raj
1894 births
1941 deaths
Newar people
Nepalese politicians
Linguists from Nepal
Nepal Praja Parishad politicians
Newar-language writers
20th-century linguists
Nepalese martyrs
Executed Nepalese people
People executed by Nepal by hanging
Nepal Bhasa movement
Nepalese rebels
German social reformers