NEPAL
Lambjang and Kaski
BRIEF HISTORY
- The
fortunes of the family were established by Jang Bahadur
Kunwar Rana and his brothers. They secured the Prime
Ministership for Jang Bahadur in 1846, following yet
another one of Nepal's bloody coups. After a ten year
period in office, he retired in 1856, receiving the
hereditary title of Maharaja of Lambjang and Kaski for
his services. However, his retirement did not last long
and he returned to power in 1857. Thereafter, he was able
to consolidate his position, laying the foundations of a
military oligarchy, which lasted for a century. The
offices of Prime Minister, Supreme Commander-in-Chief,
and all the senior military appointments made hereditary
within his family. These offices, as well as the title of
Maharaja of Lambjang and Kaski, ceased to be hereditary
within the Rana family after the 1951. However, the
family, which is now very numerous, remains very powerful
within Nepal and continues to play an important role in
many areas of national life. Intermarriage with the Royal
House is quite common, the present Queen and the consorts
of several princes provide prominent examples. The family
is also closely connected by marriage to many of the
Hindu princely houses of India.
-
- STYLES
AND TITLES:
- The
head of the family: Svasti Sri Madati Prachandra
Bhujadandyetyadi (any orders of chivalry) Sri Sri
Sri1 Maharaja (given name) Shamsher
Jang2 Bahadur Rana3, Maharaja of
Lambjang and Kaski, Prime Minister and Supreme
Commander-in- Chief of Nepal, with the military rank of
Field Marshal and the style of His Highness.
- The
chief wife of the Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Bada Maharani (given
name) Rajya Lakshmi Kumari Devi, with the style of Her
Highness.
- The
second wife of the Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Kancha Maharani
(given name) Rajya Lakshmi Kumari Devi, with the
style of Her Highness.
- The
third wife of the Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Sahila Maharani (given
name) Kumari Rajya Lakshmi Devi, with the style of Her
Highness.
- "a"
class sons of the Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Maharaj Kumar (given
name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.
- "a"
class daughters of the Maharaja: Sri Sri Sri Maharaj
Kumari (given name) Rajya Lakshmi Kumari Devi.
- Other
male descendants of the Maharaja, in the male line:
Kunwar (given name) Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.
- Other
female descendants of the Maharaja, in the male line: (given
name) Rajya Lakshmi Kumari Devi.
- Other,
more distant male relatives of the Rana family: (given
name) Bahadur Rana.
-
- Note1:
sometimes abbreviated to Sri Teen (i.e. three Sri). Note2:
sometimes spelled Shumshere Jung by certain members of
the family. Note3: some members of the family,
especially those who settled in India, preferred to use
the title of Rana, before their given names, rather than
after.
-
- RULES
OF SUCCESSION:
- Hereditary,
in order of birth, from one brother to the next, or one
cousin to another, until all the survivors of a
generation have succeeded in turn. On the death of the
last brother, the succession passes to the eldest born
son of the deceased males of the previous generation (not
the eldest son of the eldest brother).
-
- Only
so called "a" class Ranas were eligible to
succeed, i.e. legitimate sons, born to wives of equal
caste with their husbands, and who could eat together.
Other issue, born of morganatic wives, could not succeed
unless all "a" class Ranas died out (these
individuals are marked as (b) in the text). The issue of
lesser wives, so called "c" class Ranas, could
not succeed (these individuals are marked as (c) in the
text).
-
- The
military hierarchy reflected the line of succession. The
higher reaches of the roll of succession were as follows:
- 1.
Prime Minister and Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
- 2.
Commander-in-Chief.
- 3.
Senior Commanding-General, Western Command.
- 4.
Commanding-General, Eastern Command.
- 5.
Commanding-General, Southern Command.
- 6.
Commanding-General, Northern Command.
-
- The
"a" class Ranas, who were sons of the Maharaja,
received their first military commissions at the age of
18 years, in the rank of Major-General.
-
- ORDERS
AND DECORATIONS:
- See
Nepal, main page.
-
- GLOSSARY:
- See
Nepal, main page.
-
- SOURCES:
- See
Nepal, main page.
-
-
- I
would be grateful to hear from anyone who may have
changes, corrections or additions to contribute. If you
do, please be kind enough to send me an e-mail using the
contact details at: Copyright© Christopher Buyers
-
Copyright©Christopher Buyers, December
2000 - April 2006