Rana dynasty
| Rana dynasty राणा वंश Ranas of Nepal | |
|---|---|
| Parent family | Kunwar family |
| Country | Kingdom of Nepal |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Founder | Bir Narsingh Kunwar (Jung Bahadur Rana) |
| Final ruler | Mohan Shumsher Rana |
| Titles | Shree Teen Maharaja of Nepal, Maharaja of Lamjung and Kaski |
| Motto | |
| Properties | Rana palaces of Nepal |
| Dissolution | 1951 |
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| Rana Dynasty 1846–1951 CE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Rana dynasty (Nepali: राणा वंश, romanized: Rāṇā vaṃśa, Sanskrit: [raːɳaː ʋɐ̃ɕɐ], Nepali: [raɳa bʌŋsʌ]) was a Chhetri dynasty that imposed authoritarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making the Prime Minister and other government positions held by the Ranas hereditary. The Rana dynasty is historically known for their iron-fisted rule in Nepal. This changed after the Revolution of 1951 with the promulgation of a new constitution, when power shifted back to the monarchy of King Tribhuvan.
The Rana dynasty were descended from the Kunwar family, a nobility of the Gorkha Kingdom. Due to their marital lineages with the politically reigning Thapa dynasty (of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa) from the early 19th century, the Ranas gained entry to central Darbar politics. The Ranas were also linked to a minor faction of the Pande dynasty of Gorkha through the Thapa dynasty.