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Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955) was
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 11 December 1911 until his death. Born in
Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, the capital city of Nepal, he ascended to the throne at the age of five, upon the death of his father,
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 mos ...
, and was crowned on 20 February 1913 at the Nasal Chowk, Hanuman Dhoka Palace in Kathmandu, with his mother acting as regent. At the time of his crowning, the position of monarch was largely ceremonial, with the real governing power residing with the
Rana Rana may refer to: Astronomy * Rana (crater), a crater on Mars * Delta Eridani or Rana, a star People, groups and titles * Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name) * Rana (title), a histori ...
family.


Family

Tribhuvan was born on 30 June 1906 to
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 mos ...
and Divyeshwari Lakshmi Devi Shah. After the death of his father, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah ascended the throne on 11 December 1911, at the age of five. Queen Mother Divyeshwari Lakshmi Devi was appointed the regent until Tribhuvan would come to his age. He married at age 12 in a double ceremony. He married first at the
Narayanhity Royal Palace The Narayanhiti Palace Museum (Nepali language, Nepali: नारायणहिटी दरवार) is a public museum in Kathmandu, Nepal located east of the Kaiser Mahal and next to Thamel. The museum was created in 2008 from the complex o ...
,
Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, March 1919 to Kanti. The same day he also marries
Ishwari Ishvari (Sanskrit: ईश्वरी, IAST: Īśvarī) is a Hindu epithet of Sanskrit origin, referring to the Goddess, the divine female counterpart of Ishvara. It is also a term that refers to the shakti, or the feminine energy of the Trimu ...
. He also had junior wives. His first child and successor to the throne,
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 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 ...
, was born when both Tribhuvan and his wife, Queen
Kanti Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah Kanti Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah ( ne, कान्ति राज्यलक्ष्मीदेवी शाह; 5 July 1906 – 12 April 1973) was the Queen consort and first wife of Tribhuvan of Nepal, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, King of Kingdom ...
, were just 13 years old, on 11 June 1920.


Later life

Tensions between the royal family and the Ranas began during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The Ranas wanted to join the war in support of Britain. The Shahs were reluctant and wished to remain neutral. The then prime minister,
Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Field-Marshal Maharaja Sri Teen Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (8 July 1863 – 26 November 1929) was the Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty. He served in this capacity from 27 June 1901 to his death in 1929, after he successfully ...
, pressured the young king and threatened his mother, eventually forcing Tribhuvan to order the troops to war. By the mid-1930s, popular discontent with the Ranas led to the establishment of several movements, notably the
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 193 ...
, to which Tribhuvan himself gave his explicit support, to overthrow the Ranas. In each instance, however, the Ranas responded harshly, banning the liberal movements and executing their leaders. Tribhuvan worked closely with the Praja Parishad to abolish the Rana regime. In November 1950, King Tribhuvan took refuge at the Indian Embassy. He was accompanied by his son
Mahendra Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound royal styles. History and politics Royalty * M ...
and the eldest grandson
Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev ( ne, श्री ५ महाराजाधिराज वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव ) (28 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was the tenth Shah Ruler and the King of N ...
, among others. The then prime minister,
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
became furious and responded to Tribhuvan's move by calling an emergency meeting of the cabinet on 7 November 1950 at Singha Durbar. In that meeting he announced Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, the four-year-old grandson of Tribhuvan, the new King of Nepal. On 10 November, two Indian planes landed at Gauchar Airport (now called
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 the royal family fled to New Delhi excluding the infant King, Gyanendra. Tribhuvan was formally welcomed by the Indian prime minister
Jawahar Lal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
and other high officials. The removal of the king led to huge demonstrations in the country that compelled the Rana prime minister,
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
to negotiate with Tribhuvan and 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 o ...
. On 22 November 1950, Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, officially announced that India was not going to recognize Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah as the legitimate King of Nepal. When Mohan Shumsher saw that the situation was out of his control, he sent the king's brother-in-law, Sir
Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Field Marshal Sir Kaiser Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, 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 Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO the fifth ...
and Bijaya Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana to New Delhi for peace talks. In New Delhi, King Tribhuvan, representatives of Nepali Congress and of the Rana Government all sat together to discuss the situation. At last an agreement was reached according in which King Tribhuvan was to form a new ministry, under his leadership, consisting of the Nepali Congress and the Ranas on an equal basis. Tribhuvan then flew back to Nepal, along with the members of the Royal family and the leaders of the Congress Party on 15 February 1951. On 18 February 1951, Tribhuvan returned from India as the monarch. Three days after the return, Tribhuvan formally declared an end to Rana's family rule and established a democratic system, but Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana continued as the prime minister for a few more months.


Congress Rana Government

According to the New Delhi Agreement, Tribhuvan announced on 13 February 1951, a cabinet headed by
Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Field-Marshal Shree Shree Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana ( ne, मोहन शम्शेर जङ्गबहादुर राणा), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister a ...
. The following were the members of the Cabinet. From the Rana clan: *Sir Mohan Shamsher – Prime minister and Foreign Affairs. *Sir
Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana Sir Baber Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, GCVO, GBE, KCSI, KCIE (27 January 1888 – 12 May 1960) was a member of the Rana dynasty who served as the Minister of Defence of Nepal in 1951. A prominent member of the Rana oligarchy, he fought valiantly ...
- (younger brother of Mohan Shamsher; was in line for the next premiership) – Defence. *Chudraj Shamsher – ("B" class Rana representative) – Forests. *Nripa Janga Rana – ("C" class Rana representative) – Education. *
Yagya Bahadur Basnyat Yagya Bahadur Basnyat ( ne, यज्ञ बहादुर बस्न्यात) was a Nepalese politician. He was appointed Minister of Health & Local Self Development in the government formed by Sir Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana after ...
– (Rana Bhardar) – Health and Local self-government. From the Nepali Congress side: *
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 ...
– Home. *
Subarna Shamsher Rana Subarna Shamsher Rana ( ne, सुवर्ण सम्शेर राणा) (1910 – 9 November 1977) was a leading figure in the movement to overthrow the ruling Rana oligarchy and to establish democracy in Nepal. He was one of the three ...
- (even though a Rana, he represented the Nepali Congress) – Finance. *
Ganesh Man Singh Ganesh Man Singh ( Nepali:गणेशमान सिंह) (November 9, 1915 – September 18, 1997) was the leader of the democratic movement of 1990 in Nepal. He is revered as the Father of Democracy and the Iron-man of Nepali politic ...
– Commerce and Industry *Bharatmani Sharma – Food and Agriculture *
Bhadrakali Mishra Bhadrakali Mishra ( ne, भद्रकाली मिश्र; 6 February 1920 – 1 June 2006) was a Nepali politician. In his political career lasting more than 50 years, several of which were in exile, he held numerous ministerial portfol ...
– Transport. This cabinet was reshuffled on 10 June 1951 to replace Baber Shamsher by Shangha Shamsher and Bharatmani Sharma by Surya Prasad Upadhyaya. This cabinet was dissolved in November 1951 and MP Koirala became the new Prime Minister.


Death

Tribhuvan died in 1955 in
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, Switzerland. He was succeeded by his eldest legitimate son,
Mahendra Mahendra is a Sanskrit compound word deriving from Maha (Highest position) and Indra Deva (the King of Gods) from Hindu mythology.{{Citation needed, date=April 2022 It has been used in compound royal styles. History and politics Royalty * M ...
.


Condolence message by Indian Parliament

So, on the passing of His Majesty King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, the late King, I am sure this House would like to express its sorrow and would like it to be conveyed to his family. Also, at the same time, I am sure this House would like to send its greetings to the new King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah and wish him all success in the difficult responsibilities and burdens that have come to him. Above all, we would send our good wishes to the people of Nepal in the great adventures in building up their country on a democratic and prosperous basis that they are indulging in. Thereafter. M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar. the Speaker observed: On behalf of the House, I associate myself with what the Honorable Leader of the House has said. We certainly send our greetings and all best wishes for the new King and for the people of Nepal. As a mark of respect and our sense of sorrow at the demise of the late King, the House will stand in silence for a minute.
The international airport in
Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
,
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 ...
, the oldest highway in Nepal
Tribhuvan Highway The Tribhuvan Highway () connects the outskirts of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, with Birganj/Raxaul on the Nepal-India border. NH 28 and NH 28A links Raxaul with Lucknow/Barauni and other locations in India. History Known informally as By ...
, the 2nd oldest association football tournament in Nepal,
Tribhuvan Challenge Shield The Tribhuvan Challenge Shield is Nepal's second oldest association football tournament, founded in 1948 by King Tribhuvan. History In 1947 ( 2004 BS), Tribhuvan Challenge Shield was introduced by late H. M. King Tribhuvan for the development of ...
, a city,
Tribhuvannagar ''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 ...
in Dang valley, and the country's largest university (
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 ...
) are named after him.


Issue


Children born to primary wives

King Tribhuvan had two official wives who were crowned queen consorts: * Queen Kanti Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah (1906–1973), crowned senior queen consort on the same day as her marriage to the king, in 1919. They had four children: **
King Mahendra of Nepal 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 ...
(1920–1972), married firstly Princess Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah and secondly Princess Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah. He had children by his first wife; **
Prince Himalaya of Nepal Prince Himalaya Pratap Bir Bikram Shah, GBE, GCMG (October 12, 1921 – May 9, 1980) was a son of Tribhuvan of Nepal and his first wife Kanti. He was a younger brother of Mahendra, and an uncle of Birendra and Gyanendra. Life Himalaya, the sec ...
(1921–1980), married Princess Princep Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah. He had no children; ** Princess Trilokya of Nepal (born 1922), married Raj Kumar Sri Hardyal Singh. She had children; ** Princess Vijaya of Nepal (born 1925), unmarried; ** Princess Bharati of Nepal (1927–2020), married Maharaja Sri Pradeep Chandra Bhanj Deo, the ''Maharaja'' of Mayurbhanj. She had children. * Queen Ishwari Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah (1907–1983), crowned junior queen consort on the same day as her marriage to the king, in 1919. They had two children: ** Prince Basundhara of Nepal (1921–1977), married Princess Helen Rajya Lakshmi Devi Shah. He had children; ** Princess Nalini of Nepal (1924–2020), married Raja-i-Rajgan Raja Shri Shiv Rattan Dev Singh Sahib Kalan Bahadur, the ''Raja'' of Poonch. She had children.


Honours

; National * Sovereign of the
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 ...
* Sovereign of the Order of Nepal Taradisha * 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 ...
* Sovereign of the
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 ...
;Foreign * Grand Cordon of the Order of the Supreme Sun, ''1 March 1950'' * Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Italian Republic, ''16 October 1954'' *
Grand Cross of the 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 B ...
, ''1954''


Ancestry

He is a descendant of popular personalities such as Maharaja
Jang Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji 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 ...
, Kaji
Tularam Pande Tularam Pande ( ne, तुलाराम पाँडे) was Nepalese military personnel, diplomat and politician in the Gorkha Kingdom. He was a diplomat who served King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. Two of his diplomatic missions were with ...
, Sardar
Ramakrishna Kunwar Ram Krishna Kunwar or Ramakrishna Kunwar ( ne, रामकृष्ण कुँवर; IAST: ''Rāmakr̥ṣṇa kum̐vara'') was military commander (Sardar) of Gorkha Kingdom during the Unification of Nepal at the reign of King Prithvi Narayan ...
and Kaji General
Amar Singh Thapa Amar Singh Thapa Chhetri distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa( ne, बडाकाजी अमर सिंह थापा क्षेत्री), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific nam ...
.


References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Tribhuvan Of Nepal Nepalese monarchs Field marshals Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur World War II political leaders Child rulers from Asia 1906 births 1955 deaths National heroes of Nepal Nepalese Hindus Kingdom of Nepal Shah dynasty Hindu monarchs