Jung Bahadur Rana

Maharaja Jung Bahadur Rana (Nepali: जंग बहादुर राणा) (or Jung Bahadur Kunwar (Nepali: जंग बहादुर कुँवर), GCB, GCSI, June 18, 1817, Kathmandu, Nepal - February 25, 1877, Borlang, Gorkha ) was a ruler of Nepal and founder of the Rana Dynasty of Nepal. His real name was Bir Narsingh Kunwar but he became famous by the name Jung Bahadur, given to him by Mathebar Thapa, his maternal uncle.

During his lifetime, he eliminated the factional fighting at the court, removed his family rivals such as Pandes and Basnyats and paved way for finding of Rana Dynasty, introduced innovations into the bureaucracy and the judiciary, and made efforts to "modernize" Nepal. He remains one of the most important figures in Nepalese history, though modern historians have also blamed Jung Bahadur for setting up the dictatorship that repressed the nation for 104 years from 1903 BS to 2007 BS and left it in a primitive economic condition. Others exclusively blame his nephews, the Shumsher Ranas, for Nepal's dark period of history. Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution.

Rana

Rana (Sanskrit: राणा) is a historical title of Rajput origin, denoting the rank of an absolute Monarch.

Today, it is being used as a hereditary name in South Asia. Rani is the title for the wife of a Rana or a female monarch. Rani also applies to the wife of a Raja. Compound titles include Rana Sahib, Ranaji, Rana Bahadur, and Maharana.

Royal title in India

Rana was formerly used as a title of martial sovereignty by Rajput kings in India.

Rana title in Pakistan

Members of different Rajput clans use Rana as a hereditary title in Pakistan and their majority is Muslim. However Hindu Rajputs with this title also exist in Sindh.Umerkot was a state with a Hindu Rajput ruler using the title Rana in Sindh (presen-day Pakistan). In the 16th century Rana Prasad, the then Rana of Umerkot, gave refuge to Mughal prince Humayun and his wife Hamida Banu Begum, who fled from military defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri. Their son Akbar was born in the fort of the Rana of Umerkot.

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Nepal

Nepal (ⁱ/nəˈpɔːl/;Nepali: नेपाल [neˈpal]), officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 27 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by area and the 41st most populous country. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by China and to the south, east, and west by India. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Kathmandu is the nation's capital city and largest metropolis.

The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest (Nepali: सगरमाथा Sagarmāthā). More than 250 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level are located in Nepal. The southern Terai region is fertile and humid.

Hinduism is practiced by about 81.3% of Nepalis, the highest percentage of any country. Buddhism is linked historically with Nepal and is practiced by 9% of its people, followed by Islam at 4.4%, Kiratism 3.1%, Christianity 1.4%, and animism 0.4%. A large portion of the population, especially in the hill region, may identify themselves as both Hindu and Buddhist, which can be attributed to the syncretic nature of both faiths in Nepal.

Bahadur

Bahadur is the Hindustani form of Baghatur, a Mongol term for "warrior"; it literally means brave. It is intrinsic to the Urdu / Hindi language in South Asian Subcontinent. It is a popular and common name among various South-Asian communities especially in Nepal. It may refer to:

Rana Dynasty

The Rana dynasty (Nepali: राणा शासन Rāņā shāsana) was a Khas dynasty which ruled the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other government positions hereditary.

Tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution characterized Rana rule. This changed in 1951 with the promulgation of a new constitution, when power shifted back to the monarchy of King Tribhuvan. The dynasty is descended from Bal Narsingh Kunwar of Kaski who moved to Gorkha in the early 18th century and entered the service of Raja Nara Bhupal Shah around 1740, and of Bhimsen Thapa (1775–1839), who is counted among the National heroes of Nepal.

Rana Prime Ministers

Nine Rana rulers took the hereditary office of Prime Minister. All were styled (self proclaimed) Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski.