Mathabar Singh Thapa was a leader in Nepal.
He was the first prime minister. He led the army, too. A queen was not happy with him. This led to a sad end for him. Do you like to learn about leaders?
Mathabar Singh Thapa was a leader in Nepal.
He led the army. He was also the first prime minister.
Long ago, his family faced hard times. He had to leave his home for a while. This was because of a sad event in the palace.
Later, a queen asked him to come back. He became very powerful in the land.
He even had his own soldiers.
But the queen became angry with him. She wanted her own son to be king. This caused a big problem for the leader.
His own nephew hurt him at the palace. This was a very sad end for him.
Do you like to learn about leaders?
Mathabar Singh Thapa was a powerful leader in Nepal.
He was the first person to use the title Prime Minister. He also led the Nepalese army.
His family faced many hard times. His uncle, Bhimsen Thapa, was sent to prison. Mathabar had to flee to India to stay safe. Later, Queen Rajya Lakshmi asked him to return to Nepal. He became the Mukhtiyar, which is a top leader.
Mathabar worked to make himself very strong. He built his own army groups. He even had soldiers live near his house. In 1845, he called himself the Prime Minister. This made him more powerful than the King.
But the Queen wanted her own son to be king. Mathabar said no. This made the Queen very angry. She helped his nephew, Jung Bahadur Rana, plan a trap.
Mathabar went to the palace at night. His nephew was hiding under a bed. Jung Bahadur shot him, and Mathabar died. His death caused much trouble in Nepal for a long time.
Mathabar Singh Thapa was a very important leader in Nepal.
He was the first person to use the title of Prime Minister. Before him, leaders used different names like Mukhtiyar. He also served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nepalese army. His life was full of big changes and many risks. He lived during a time when leaders fought for power. This era shaped how Nepal was ruled for many years.
His path to power was not easy or smooth. In 1835, he went on a mission to London. He traveled through Calcutta with 2,000 men to meet British leaders.
However, the mission did not work as planned. He spent a huge amount of money, about 150,000 rupees, in Calcutta. This caused trouble with Queen Samrajya Lakshmi Devi. Because of family troubles, he even had to flee to India for a while. He lived in Shimla to stay safe from his enemies.
Mathabar Singh Thapa eventually returned to Nepal to lead.
In 1843, Queen Rajya Lakshmi asked him to come back. He was named the Mukhtiyar and a top minister. He also became the head of the army. He worked hard to make his position very strong. He even created three special army groups just for himself. He built barracks near his home to stay protected. This helped him feel very powerful in the country.
By January 4, 1845, he officially called himself the Prime Minister.
This was a new title in Nepalese history. He held a lot of influence over the royal family. However, he had many people who did not like him. He had fought with the Pande family for a long time.
His power made some people, including the Queen, very upset. He believed he would live a long life, but things changed quickly.
The Queen wanted her son, Prince Ranendra, to become the king. Mathabar Singh Thapa refused to help her with this plan. This choice led to a sad and violent end.
In May 1845, he was called to the palace at night. His nephew, Jung Bahadur Rana, was waiting for him. Jung Bahadur hid under a bed and shot him. This event caused much instability in the government of Nepal. It also led to the rise of the Rana dynasty.
Mathabar Singh Thapa was a central figure in 19th-century Nepalese politics.
He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nepalese Army and was the first leader to officially use the title of Prime Minister. Before his time, leaders were usually called Mukhtiyar or Mul Kaji. His life was defined by intense power struggles between noble families. These conflicts eventually shaped the long-term governance of Nepal. He was a member of the influential Thapa dynasty, which held significant authority during this era.
His early career involved a major diplomatic mission to Britain.
In 1835, his uncle Bhimsen Thapa sent him to represent King Rajendra. Mathabar traveled from Kathmandu to London via Calcutta with a large group. This group included 2,000 men, consisting of 200 officers and 600 soldiers. While in Calcutta, he spent 150,000 rupees on luxuries and displays of wealth. However, the mission failed to achieve its diplomatic goals. British officials like Brian Houghton Hodgson worked to sabotage the mission to weaken Bhimsen Thapa's influence.
Political instability followed this failed mission and a serious poisoning accusation.
In July 1837, the King's six-month-old son, Devendra Bikram Shah, died suddenly. Rumors suggested the infant had been poisoned to harm the Senior Queen. As a result, Mathabar Singh and several other Thapa relatives were imprisoned. Their properties, including the Bagh Durbar, were confiscated by the state. After eight months, the group was released when the Junior Queen, Rajya Lakshmi Devi, helped secure their liberation. The council later declared that the poisoning charges were framed by the Pande family.
Mathabar Singh eventually rose to supreme power after a period of exile.
He had fled to Shimla, India, to avoid political catastrophe. In 1843, Queen Rajya Lakshmi Devi requested his return to Nepal. He arrived in Kathmandu in April 1843 and was welcomed by many supporters. By November 1843, he was officially installed as the Mukhtiyar and Commander-in-Chief. He used this position to consolidate his control over the nation. He even founded three military regiments that were dedicated solely to his personal service.
To protect his status, Mathabar Singh took extreme measures to secure his authority. He built army barracks around his residence for personal protection. He treated the army almost like personal servants, a practice criticized by the British Resident, Sir Henry Lawrence. On January 4, 1845, he made a historic move by declaring himself the "Prime Minister of Nepal."
This title marked a shift in how Nepalese leadership was identified. At this time, his influence was so great that many believed he held more power than the King himself.
His downfall was caused by a disagreement with the Queen regarding the monarchy. Queen Rajya Lakshmi Devi wanted her son, Prince Ranendra, to become the King. Mathabar Singh refused to support this plan. This refusal turned the Queen against him, leading to a deadly conspiracy. On May 17, 1845, he was lured to the Royal Palace under the false pretense that the Queen was ill. While he was sleeping, his nephew, Jung Bahadur Rana, emerged from under a bed. Jung Bahadur shot him multiple times, and Mathabar Singh died immediately.
The death of Mathabar Singh Thapa caused massive political chaos in Nepal. The King claimed he had killed Mathabar Singh to justify the act. This period of instability led to further violence, including the Kot massacre. These events ultimately cleared the way for the rise of the Rana dynasty. This new ruling family would control Nepal for the next 104 years. The transition from the Thapa dynasty to the Rana dynasty changed the course of Nepalese history forever.
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