Mulkaji

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Mulkaji of Kingdom of Nepal
नेपाल अधिराज्यको मूलकाजी
Damodar Pande.jpg
one of the influential Mulkaji Damodar Pande
Style Sri Mulkaji
Mulkaji Saheb
Residence various
Seat Hanuman Dhoka Palace
Appointer King of Nepal
Precursor Bamsa Raj Pande (as Dewan Kaji of Nepal)
Formationcirca 1785
First holder Abhiman Singh Basnyat
Final holder Ranajit Pande
Abolished1804
Succession Rana Bahadur Shah (as Mukhtiyar of Nepal)

Mulkaji (Nepali : मूलकाजी) was the position of head of executive of Kingdom of Nepal in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was equivalent to Prime Minister of Nepal. There were 5 Mulkajis appointed between 1785 and 1804.

Contents

Meaning

Mulkaji is formed from two words: Mul and Kaji. Mul means Chief, Key or Fundamental [1] and Kaji is derived from Sanskrit word Karyi which meant functionary. [2] [ broken footnote ] Altogether it means Chief Functionary or Executive Head of the State.

History of the five Mulkajis

Abhiman Singh Basnyat

Dewan Kaji Bamsa Raj Pande was beheaded in March 1785 on the conspiracy of Queen Rajendra Laxmi with the help of supporters including senior Kaji Swaroop Singh Karki. [3] [4] On 2 July 1785, Prince Regent Bahadur Shah of Nepal was arrested and on the eleventh day of imprisonment on 13 July, Queen Rajendra Laxmi died. [3] [4] Then onwards, Bahadur Shah of Nepal took over the regency of his nephew King Rana Bahadur Shah [5] and the position of Chautariya while Abhiman Singh Basnyat was elected Mulkaji (Chief Kaji).

Kirtiman Singh Basnyat

In 1794, King Rana Bahadur Shah came of age and appointed Kirtiman Singh Basnyat as Chief (Mul) Kaji among the newly appointed four Kajis though Damodar Pande was the most influential Kaji. [6] Kirtiman had succeeded Abhiman Singh Basnyat as Chief Kaji. [7]

Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat

Kirtiman was secretly assassinated on 28 September 1801, by the supporters of Raj Rajeshwari Devi [8] and his brother Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat, was then given the post of Chief (Mul) Kaji. [9]

Damodar Pande

Later Damodar Pande was appointed by Queen Rajrajeshwari as Chief Kaji. [10]

Ranajit Pande

After the execution of Mulkaji Damodar Pande in March 1804, Ranajit Pande was appointed as Mulkaji (Chief Kaji) along with Bhimsen Thapa as second Kaji, Sher Bahadur Shah as Mul Chautariya and Ranganath Paudel as Raj Guru (Royal Preceptor). [11] [ broken footnote ] [12] [ broken footnote ]

Later King Rana Bahadur Shah created the title of Mukhtiyar and assume full executive power of the state. [13] [ broken footnote ]

List of Mulkajis of Kingdom of Nepal

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical party
Took officeLeft office
1 Abhiman Singh Basnyat.jpg Abhiman Singh Basnyat
(1744–1800)
17851794 Independent
2 Kirtiman Singh Basnyat (cropped).jpg Kirtiman Singh Basnyat
(??–1801)
179428 September 1801 Independent
3 Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat 1801February 1803 Independent
4 Damodar Pande.jpg Damodar Pande
(1752–1804)
February 1803March 1804 Independent
5 Ranajit Pande 18041804 Independent

Controversial Mulkaji

Historian Dilli Raman Regmi asserts that Sarbajit Rana Magar was chosen as Chief Functionary. [14] [ broken footnote ] Historian Rishikesh Shah asserts that Sarbajit was appointed only a Kaji [15] [ broken footnote ] and was the head of the Nepalese government for a short period in 1778. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damodar Pande</span> Mul (Chief) Kazi of Nepal

Damodar Pande was the Mulkaji of Nepal from 1803 until March 1804 and the most influential Kaji from 1794 to his execution on March 13, 1804. He is also arguably referred to as the first Prime Minister of Nepal. He was the youngest son of famous Kaji of Prithivi Narayan Shah Kalu Pande. He was born in 1752 in Gorkha. Damodar Pande was one of the commanders during the Sino-Nepalese War and in Nepal-Tibet War. He was among the successful Gorkhali warriors sent towards the east by Prithivinarayan Shah.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirtiman Singh Basnyat</span> Top administrator in Nepal

Kirtiman Singh Basnyat was Mul Kaji of the Royal Court of Nepal from 1794 to his death on 28 September 1801. He was a military commander of the Nepalese Army.

Ranajit Pande was a Nepalese politician, military personnel and courtier in the Kingdom of Nepal. He was a member of the Gora Pande clan of Gorkha. He became Mulkaji of Nepal for a brief period in 1804 A.D.

Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat was Mulkazi of Nepal.

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References

  1. "English Translation of "मूल" - Collins Hindi-English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. Regmi 1979, p. 43.
  3. 1 2 Karmacharya 2005, p. 46.
  4. 1 2 Shaha 2001, p. 62.
  5. Pradhan 2012, p. 10.
  6. Pradhan 2012, p. 12.
  7. Karmacharya 2005, p. 56.
  8. Acharya 2012, p. 34.
  9. Acharya 2012, p. 35.
  10. Pradhan 2012, p. 14.
  11. Nepal 2007, p. 58.
  12. Acharya 2012, p. 55.
  13. Nepal 2007, pp. 60–61.
  14. D.R. Regmi 1975, p. 285.
  15. Shaha 1990, p. 46.
  16. Shaha 2001, p. 21.

Bibliography