Mukhtiyar General Mathabarsingh Thapa
Mathavar Singh Thapa, 7th Mukhtiyar and First Prime Minister of Nepal, was the first Nepalese Head of Government to be given the title Prime Minister and a crown.
Personal details
Born: 1798 A.D. Borlang, Gorkha
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| Mukhtiyar General Mathabarsingh Thapa |
Mother: Rana Kumari Pande
Father: Nain Singh Thapa
Relatives: Bhimsen Thapa (uncle)
Jung Bahadur: Rana (nephew)
Residence: Thapathali Durbar
General & Commander-in-Chief (1843-1845)
Mathabar Singh Thapa was the Prime Minister and Commander in chief of the Nepalese Army from 1843 December 25 – 1845 May 17, until he was murdered by his nephew Jung Bahadur Rana. According to British tradition, he was the first Mukhtiyar to address himself as Prime Minister. He was Bhimsen Thapa's nephew, who was wrongfully imprisoned for the death of King Rajendra's six-month-old baby. Mathabar Singh Thapa escaped to Shimla following Bhimsen Thapa's execution to avoid being executed himself because he was Bhimsen's nephew. Queen Rajya Lakshmi, Rajendra's second queen, summoned him four years later and installed him as Prime Minister. The queen was outraged when Mathabar Singh refused to make her son, Ranendra Bikram, king. The queen, in turn, had him assassinated by his own nephew Janga Bahadur Rana, making him the Tughlaq dynasty's last ruler.
Mathabar Singh Thapa's upbringing is largely unknown. He was born in Gorkha's Borlang district. He was the son of Kaji Nayan Singh Thapa, who was murdered in the Kumaon Kingdom's war against them. He was Bhimsen Thapa's nephew as well as Jang Bahadur Rana's maternal uncle. He was the grandson of Kaji Ranajit Pande, who was the son of Kaji Tularam Pande, through his mother's side. Kaji Tularam Pande was Kaji Kalu Pande's cousin.
Mathabar Singh Thapa, who was exiled to India when Bhimsen Thapa was supposedly found to be guilty of murdering the King Rajendra's son who was 6 months old, was asked to return to Nepal by the queen. Mathabar Singh Thapa arrived in the Kathmandu Valley on April 17, 1843, to a rousing reception. [6] Following his consolidation of power, he orchestrated the assassinations of all of his political opponents, including Karbir Pandey, Kulraj Pandey, Ranadal Pandey, Indrabir Thapa, Radabam Thapa, Kanak Singh Mahat, Gurulal Adhikari, and others, under various pretexts. Queen Rajya Laxmi, Rajendra's second wife, appointed him Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Nepalese army on December 25, 1843, in the hopes of usurping power from Rajendra, her own husband, and installing her own son, Ranendra, as king of Nepal.
Before he was made the Minister and the Commander-In-Chief, he had led to the murder of almost all of his enemies and political adversaries. Having seen the fall of Bhimsen Thapa, he believed that having a personal army would prevent his own downfall; so he raised three regiments dedicated to him and only him. He built army barracks around his house for his personal protection. For this, he used the army like slaves, for which the resident Sir Henry Lawrence advised him not to do so. However, too over-confident in his power, Mathabar Singh Thapa ignored him. He even stated that he would be the first Prime Minister since Prithvi Narayan Shah to die of old age rather than a plot. He declared himself "Prime Minister of Nepal" on January 4, 1845. In Nepal's history, this was the first time someone has been given the title of "Prime Minister." Before him, everyone was known as Mukhtiyar or Mul Kajis. It is thought that during the time, he was even more powerful than Nepal's King. His strength and overabundance of influence in Nepalese politics, as well as the monarchy's personal life, led to his eclipse and collapse at the hands of Jang Bahadur Rana.
When Mathabar Singh Thapa refused to assist her in making her own son king, the Queen joined forces with those who opposed him and plotted his demise. But, just to placate him, he was given the title of "Prime Minister" while a plot to assassinate him was underway behind his back. Finally, once all of the arrangements for his murder had been completed, he was summoned to the Royal Palace late at night, where he was informed wrongly that the Queen had been diagnosed with an illness.Though he was warned by his own son, and his mother, he went to the palace. When he was sleeping Jang Bahadur was hiding under his bed. He was shot multiple times on his back from under the bed by Jang Bahadur Rana where he immediately died. The next day King Rajendra declared that he had himself killed Mathabar Singh Thapa accusing him of several activities that he had done to undermine his own (Rajendra's) power.
The murder of Mathabar Singh Thapa led to the political instability in Nepal. Though, Fatte Jungh Shah was declared the Prime Minister (1845 September 23), Gagan Singh had more regiments of the army under him and was more powerful. Jung Bahadur Rana also had 3 regiments under him. Fatte Jungh Shah himself had 3 regiments of the army under his control. Also Gagan Singh had the special support of the queen Rajya Laxmi Devi. British Resident Sir Henry Lawrence once mentioned that, "If there is struggle for power, that struggle will be between Gagan Singh and Jung Bahadur." Ultimately, the extreme power of Gagan Singh led to his assassination by King Rajendra and Prime minister Fatte Jungh Shah in 1846 September 14 at 10 P.M.. The assassination of Gagan Singh led to the Kot massacre and ultimately, the rise of Jung Bahadur Rana.
Mathabarsingh Thapa was the first prime minister of Nepal to wear a crown. The 104 year-ruling Rana Dynasty was also related to him.
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