Bal Narsingh Kunwar or Balanarsingh Kanwar (Nepali: बालनरसिंह कुँवर; 2 February 1783 - 24 December 1841) posthumously referred as Bal Narsingh Kunwar Rana was a Kaji, military officer and governor in the Kingdom of Nepal.

Bal Narsingh Kunwar
काजी
बालनरसिंह कुँवर
Bal Narsingh Kunwar's painting (referred posthumously in the painting as Bal Narsingh Kunwar Rana)
Governor of Dhankuta
In office
1828-1832
Governor of Dadeldhura
In office
1833-1835
Governor of Jumla
In office
1835-1837
Personal details
Born2 February 1783 CE
Borlang, Gorkha
Died24 December 1841 CE (aged 58)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Spouse(s)Rakshya Kumari
Ganesh Kumari Thapa (Thapa dynasty) (d.1758)
RelationsRam Krishna Kunwar (grandfather)
Nain Singh Thapa (father-in-law)
Balbhadra Kunwar (cousin)
Mathabar Singh Thapa (brother-in-law)
Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal (sister-in-law)
ChildrenBhakta Bir Kunwar
Jung Bahadur Kunwar Rana
Bam Bahadur Kunwar
Badri Narsingh Kunwar
Krishna Bahadur Kunwar
Jaya Bahadur Kunwar
Ranodip Singh Kunwar
Jagat Shamsher Kunwar Rana
Dhir Shamsher Kunwar Rana
Parent

He was born to Kaji Ranajit Kunwar of the Chhetri Kunwar family of Gorkha. He was the father of Jung Bahadur Rana, founder of the Rana dynasty.[1] Bal Narsingh married Ganesh Kumari, daughter of Thapa Kaji Nain Singh Thapa and was related to Pandes through his mother-in-law Rana Kumari Pande, daughter of Mulkaji Ranajit Pande.[2] He became a Kaji (minister of state) after he killed Sher Bahadur Shah, the assassin of King Rana Bahadur Shah. He served as governor of Dhankuta, Dadeldhura and Jumla.

Early life

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He was born on 2 February 1783 to Governor of Jumla, Kaji Ranajit Kunwar, the only son of Sardar Ram Krishna Kunwar, a prominent general of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. He was second cousin to Captain Balbhadra Kunwar.[citation needed] He travelled to Banaras with his ally Bhimsen Thapa, Dalbhanjan Pande, Ranganath Poudyal, Chautariya Balbhadra Shah, when King Rana Bahadur Shah as Swami Maharaja set out to leave the country.[3]

Bhandarkhal Night

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On the night of 25 April 1806, King Rana Bahadur Shah held a courtier meeting at Kazi Tribhuvan Khawas's house during which he taunted and threatened to execute his half brother Chautariya Sher Bahadur.[4][5] Bal Narsingh cut down the murderer Sher Bahadur when the latter drew a sword in desperation at around 10 pm and killed the King.[6][7][8] For this, he was awarded the hereditary post of Kaji by Bhimsen Thapa.

Life as Governor

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He worked as Governor of Dhankuta (1828-1832), Governor of Dadeldhura (1833-1835) and Governor of Jumla (1835-1837).[citation needed]

Fall of Thapa clans

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References

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  1. ^ The Ancestors of Jung Bahadur Rana, History, Propaganda and Legend Vol.14, August 1987 - http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/contributions/pdf/CNAS_14_03_01.pdf
  2. ^ JBR, PurushottamShamsher (1990). Shree Teen Haruko Tathya Britanta (in Nepali). Bhotahity, Kathmandu: Vidarthi Pustak Bhandar. ISBN 99933-39-91-1.
  3. ^ Pradhan 2012, p. 13.
  4. ^ Acharya 2012, pp. 64–66.
  5. ^ Nepal 2007, p. 62.
  6. ^ Acharya 2012, p. 67.
  7. ^ Nepal 2007, pp. 62–63.
  8. ^ Pradhan 2012, pp. 27–28.

Books

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