Surendra Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज सुरेन्द्र बिक्रम शाह देव ) (1829–1881) was
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
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 ...
between 1847 and 1881. He became king after Prime Minister
Jung 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 ...
forced the abdication of Surendra's father,
Rajendra Bikram Shah
Rajendra Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज राजेन्द्र विक्रम शाह देव) (1813–1881) was King of Nepal from 1816 to 1847. His reign saw the rise of the Ranas; in 184 ...
. Surendra wielded little real power, with Jang Bahadur Rana effectively ruling the country during Surendra's reign.
Early life
Surendra was the son of
King Rajendra and his first wife,
Queen Samrajya. He was born the crown prince of Nepal and was relatively unpopular.
Name
Surendra
Surendra is an Indian masculine given name. Notable people with this name include:
* Surendra (actor/singer)
* Surendra Bhave
* Surendra Chaturvedi
* Surendra Dubey
* Surendra Gambhir
* Surendra Hiranandani
* Surendra Jain
* Surendra Jha 'Sum ...
means "Chief of Deities".
Prince regent
Surendra's stepmother,
Queen Rajya Lakshmi, was ambitious to have her son, Prince Ranendra, sit on the throne. However, Jung Bahadur, who was ambitious and wanted power, might have cooperated with Rajya Lakshmi for his own motive. After 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 Jung Bahadur managed to eliminate a large number of nobles, Jung Bahadur turned against the queen, who in turn plotted to kill him (though the plot failed). Thinking Queen Rajya Lakshmi might be a threat to him, Jung Bahadur, who had become the prime minister, exiled Rajya Lakshmi to
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 ...
. King Rajendra also accompanied her to Varanasi. Before leaving, he made Surendra the prince regent. However, later Jung Bahadur Rana forced the abdication of King Rajendra, and then Surendra was made the king.
Life as the king
![King Surendra Bikram Shah 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/King_Surendra_Bikram_Shah_1.jpg)
King Surendra was like a prisoner in his own palace: with the exception of his immediate family, nobody could visit him without the permission of Jung Bahadur Rana. The king was only allowed to read literature. Frustrated at all these, the king wanted to abdicate in favor of his eldest son Trailokya, but the Rana prime minister did not allow it.
Surendra was allowed to meet his father, the ex-king Rajendra, once every month. Rajendra continued to live under house arrest until his death.
In 1856, King Surendra issued a sanad- which formalized the dominance and political leadership of the Kunwar family- the family of Jung Bahadur Rana. The king and his descendants could use the honorific title of 'Shri' five times with their names, while the members of the Kunwar family used the title thrice- placing the Kunwar family in a rank that was second only to the royal family. While Surendra remained the king (Maharajadhiraja), he had little power; Jung Bahadur Rana ruled the country.
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Surendra's son, General and Crown Prince Trailokya Bir Bikram Shah Deva married three of Jung Bahadur Rana's daughters, Tara Rajya Lakhsmi Devi, Lalit Rajeshwori Rajya Lakshmi Devi and Hiranyagarbha Kumari Devi. Trilokya died in 1878, and Trilokya's son Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज पृथ्वी वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (18 August 1875 – 11 December 1911) was King of Nepal from 1881 until 1911. Among the mo ...
became heir to the throne.
Death
Surendra died in 1881. His grandson Prithvi succeeded him as the king of Nepal.
References
External links
History of the Shah Dynasty -- official site
, -
{{Heads of State of Nepal
1829 births
1881 deaths
Nepalese monarchs
Nepalese Hindus
Shah dynasty
Hindu monarchs