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25-587: The Kot meeting was called upon by Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi after the same night murder of her confidante Kaji Gagan Singh Bhandari while performing worship at his prayer room. The Kot meeting turned ugly and eventually, the Jang brothers and their supporters led an open court full-fledged assault on all rival participants in the meeting. This massacre led to the loss of power of political clans such as Chautariyas, Pandes , Thapas , and Basnyats and that of King Rajendra Bikram Shah and Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi and ultimately

50-469: A sword, as they had responded immediately to the royal summons. The troops allocated by Jung Bahadur Rana also had taken most of the arms of courtiers who had managed to bring them. Queen Laxmi Devi and King Rajendra Bikram Shah were also present in Kot. At almost midnight, most of the courtiers were present at Kot. Everyone there was full of fears and skeptical thoughts. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar spoke to

75-463: A wounded lioness, ordered out loud to bring in front of her and punish whoever might have killed General Gagan Singh. Jung Bahadur's gesture toward Kaji Bir Keshar Pande (a rival of Kazi Gagan Singh Bhandari ) prompted the dangerously enraged Queen to order Abhiman Singh Rana to sever the former's head. The reason probably because, he was then interior minister - 'Mulki Dewan' of the country. But Abhiman Singh Rana Magar begged King's approval to execute

100-503: Is occasionally alleged that general Gagan Singh Khawas also had an illicit relationship with Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi . Since the king was mentally unfit to rule, it was the queen who handled affairs of state on his behalf, and in this capacity, it was necessary for her to converse occasionally with the general. Gagan Singh Khawas was found dead on the balcony of his palace during the night of 16 September 1846. The queen commanded Bahadur, who happened to be ready with his regiments, to assemble

125-639: The British residency . When he was denied an audience with the Resident at such a late hour, he went to Narayanhiti Palace . In Narayanhiti, King Rajendra had some time alone with the Prime Minister. Either King Rajendra had not wanted to give information about the conditions at Kot or Fateh Jung had not understood the point. In either case, Fateh Jung went to Kot with minimal security. Meanwhile, at Kot, surrounded by Jang Bahadur's regiments, tension grew high as most of

150-515: The Terai and brought back as a prisoner to Bhadgaon , where he spent the rest of his life under house arrest. Jang Bahadur then established the Rana dynasty, which ruled Nepal for more than a century. Rajya Laxmi Devi Rajya Lakshmi Devi ( Nepali राज्यलक्ष्मी देवी) (ca. 1814 – before 1900) was a queen consort of Nepal as the junior wife of King Rajendra of Nepal . In 1843, Queen Rajya Lakshmi

175-463: The King about the possibility of a massacre. His presence had relieved some of the members present. Abhiman Singh also fetched three troops under his control to Kot. Prime Minister Chautariya Fateh Jung Shah had still not arrived. Jung Bahadur Rana called his younger brother Bam Bahadur Kunwar Rana to fetch Fateh Jung. Emotions ran high among the assembled bands of nobles and their followers, who listened to

200-584: The Queen give an emotional harangue blaming the Pandes and demanding that Abhiman Singh Rana Magar execute Kaji Bir Keshar Pande , whom she suspected for the death of Gagan Singh. Abhiman Singh Rana Magar hesitated and looked to the King. The King hesitated and said to punish the guilty only after a proper investigation of the matter. He pointed out that he must have a discussion with Prime Minister regarding this matter and left. He then left Hanuman Dhoka palace and went to

225-406: The Queen guilty of complicity in the plot, stripped her of her powers, and sent her into exile at Varanasi , along with King Rajendra. The King began plotting his return from India. In 1847, Jang Bahadur informed the troops of the exiled King's activities, announced his dethronement, and elevated Rajendra's son to the throne as Surendra Bikram Shah. King Rajendra Bikram was captured later that year in

250-501: The army as general, had two regiments under him. He was Mulki Dewan, which would mean a minister responsible for home affairs: managing internal affairs east of Palpa . General Gagan Singh Bhandari was mysteriously killed while he was worshipping some deity at his residence on September 14, 1846. The Queen Laxmi Devi ordered all Bhardars to report themselves to the Kot, at present day Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu. The furious Queen, as

275-400: The entire administrative establishment of the country immediately at the courtyard of the palace armoury. Following the queen's orders, Jang Bahadur ordered his men to let people inside the Kot but not to let them out without Queen's or his own orders. Following the Queen's order, courtiers hurried to the Kot as soon as they heard the royal summons. Many of the courtiers were unarmed except for

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300-652: The establishment of the Rana autocracy in Nepal . At the peak of instability in Nepalese politics, a coalition ministry was formed in September 1845, headed by Fateh Jang Chautaria, but the real power behind the throne was General Gagan Singh Khawas , who controlled seven regiments in the army compared to the three under the prime minister. Abhiman Singh Rana Magar and Jung Bahadur Kunwar also served as commanders, each with three regiments. It

325-555: The job. A heated debate followed and the situation turned so tense and dangerous, Abhiman Singh Rana Magar wanted to dash out. A sepoy at the gate blocked and bayoneted at his chest. The dying Abhiman Singh Rana Magar wrote a letter in Nepali 'Ja' on the Kot wall with the blood gushing out of his chest suggestive of Jung Bahadur Rana being the culprit. In the government letter to the British resident in Kathmandu 32 Bhardars are listed as killed but

350-604: The king was defeated, kept under house arrest, and Prince Surendra was made the new king in 1847. The former king Rajendra continued to live in house arrest until his death in 1881. Rajya Lakshmi continued to live in Varanasi . Jung Bahadur Rana visited Europe in 1850, and on his way back he visited Varanasi, where Rajya Lakshmi, along with her two sons, met him with submission. Rajya Lakshmi must have died sometime before 1900. Abhiman Singh Rana Magar Commander in chief Abhiman Singh Rana Magar (Nepali: अभिमान सिंह राना मगर)

375-408: The next king. Jung Bahadur Kunwar might have promised to help her, but in doing this, he had his own motives. Gagan Singh Bhandari , a favorite of Queen Rajya Lakshmi and whom the queen had hoped to use to elevate her son as the king, was found dead. The queen gave orders for the entire administrative establishment of the country to be brought immediately at the courtyard of the palace armoury. Then

400-426: The nobles and Prime Minister Fateh Jang Shah gathered there. Seeing a high possibility of bloodshed, Jang Bahadur, Fateh Jang and Abhiman Singh Rana Magar decided that Jang Bahadur and Fateh Jang should try to calm the Queen, and Abhiman Singh Rana Magar , who had disobeyed the Queen's orders, would stay behind. As the two went to find the Queen, Abhiman Singh Rana Magar decided to move his own regiments to Kot, but he

425-432: The queen ordered the man she suspected to be the murderer of Gagan Singh to be executed. After a chaotic situation broke out, Jung Bahadur used the situation for his own advantage and eliminated many nobles. Following the Kot massacre, Jung Bahadur Kunwar declared himself the prime minister. Queen Rajya Lakshmi- who had always trusted Jung- was begun to be shown disrespect and even the king was insulted. Enraged and insecure,

450-511: The queen plotted to have Jung killed, but the plot was soon revealed. Jung Bahadur thought that the queen might be a threat to him. He accused the queen of actually plotting to kill the then Crown Prince Surendra and his younger brother, Prince Upendra so that her own son, Prince Ranendra, could become the next king. Jung had royal pandits read out the accusation. Ultimately, the queen and her two sons were exiled to India. King Rajendra accompanied them, and later tried to overthrow Jung Bahadur, but

475-440: Was also a prime ministerial contender as the seat had fallen vacant since sometime already. But he seemed to be 'declining the dangerous office'. (Stiller 1981:285). In another letter to his government on September 23, 1845, Resident Lawrence wrote, a council of minister was formed consisting of "Chautaria Fatteh Jung and Kazis Gagan Singh, Abhiman Rana and Dalbhanjan Pandey" . Minister Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, retaining his job in

500-523: Was an army General and Minister of Nepal until September 15, 1846, and the first victim of the Kot massacre of 1846. According to a government letter to then-British Resident, Major Lawrence in Kathmandu , 32 Bhardars ( Nobles ) were killed in the massacre catapulting Jung Bahadur , who later became Ranas , to power. Historians have written about Abhiman Singh Rana Magar from different angles: some saying that he

525-527: Was made Prime Minister by the queen immediately after the massacre. Feeling he presented a threat to her power, the Queen conspired to eliminate Jang Bahadur and elevate her son to the throne. The Basnyat Conspiracy—so called because many of its participants belonged to one of the last leading noble families, the Basnyat—was betrayed and its ringleaders were rounded up and executed at Bhandarkhal Parva. A meeting of leading notables, packed with Rana supporters, found

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550-401: Was made the queen regent and co-regent of her husband. Queen Rajya Lakshmi wanted to have her son, Prince Ranendra, to be crowned the next king instead of her stepson Surendra Bikram Shah . She was somewhat responsible for the Kot massacre in 1846, which initiated the 104-year rule of the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Rajya Lakshmi Devi was born around 1814. She was from Gorakpur , India . She

575-480: Was married to King Rajendra on February 5, 1824. They had two sons, Ranendra and Birendra. Queen Rajya Lakshmi was described as ambitious for power. Her husband was usually described as an incapable ruler, and his senior wife, Queen Samrajya , was the de facto regent from 1839 to 1841. After her death in 1841, Queen Rajya Lakshmi was the de facto regent, and in 1843, she was officially made the Queen regent. Rajya Lakshmi wanted her own son, Prince Ranendra, to become

600-643: Was not very interested in becoming Prime Minister of the country. However, few others contesting otherwise have written the queen had favoured him also. No records so far are available as to who his parents were, birthplace, childhood and education also. But it can be fairly said that he was a 'literate person' because his signatures can be found in the government papers jointly signed together with then Prime Ministers Bhimsen Thapa and Mathabarsingh Thapa also. The British Resident to Nepal Major Lawrence's letter, paragraph four, of August 26, 1845, to British Government clearly states that General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar

625-435: Was prevented from leaving. Abhiman Singh Rana Magar tried to force his way out, and was killed in the process. After panic ensued, the bloodshed began. Many Thapas , Pandes and Basnyats died, including Fateh Jang, Khadga Bikram Shah and Dalbhanjan Pande . Some escaped by climbing over walls and roofs and even through the drainage systems. Jang Bahadur Rana easily used the situation to eliminate his rivals. Jang Bahadur

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