The Shah family has ruled Nepal since the 16th century. Till 2006 Nepal was a declared Hindu state. Now the monarchy is being dissolved.
By the end of May 2008 the monarchy in Nepal will be dissolved. The present monarchy is the only surviving Hindu monarchy. Nepal was a Hindu state till 2006, when it was declared secular.
The monarchy begins with Dravya Shah who founded the Gorkha Kingdom in the 16th century. In the 18th century Prithvi Narayan Shah unified Nepal. In the reign of Rajendra Shah the conflict between the royal family and the prime minister escalated and the king was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, who became a puppet of the prime minister. Thereafter for a hundred years the power rested with the Rana family who provided the prime ministers on a hereditary basis. The position of the monarch became titular.
In the mid 20th century, the people of Nepal began to rally against the despotic rule of the Rana family. The then monarch, Tribhuvan Shah supported this movement, but was forced to flee to India with most of his family. The Ranas placed the king’s infant grandson, Gyanendra, on the throne but the population reacted strongly. Tribhuvan was called back and the rule of the Ranas ended. Tribhuvan then initiated the democratization process in Nepal. However his son Mahendra was against democracy and undid the good work his father had begun.
Mahendra’ son, Birendra was pro-democracy and is considered the best king Nepal had. The king and most of the members of his family were massacred allegedly by his son Dipendra, who also shot himself. However conspiracy theories abound. Dipendra was crowned while in coma but died without recovering consciousness. He was succeeded by Birendra’s brother Gyanendra, the same person who had earlier ruled for a few months. Soon King Gyanendra will be known as the last Hindu monarch of Nepal.
