Kehar Singh Basnyat (Nepali: केहरसिंह बस्न्यात) or Kehar Singh Basnet was a Nepalese military commander and war hero who laid down his life in the Unification battles of Nepal. He was born in the illustrious clan of Shreepali Basnyats as a member of Kshettriya (warrior) class.

Kehar Singh Basnyat
काजी
केहरसिंह बस्न्यात
Kehar Singh Basnyat
Kaji (Nepal)
In office
TBD–TBD
Preceded byTBD
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
ChildrenKirtiman Singh Basnyat
Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat
Jahar Singh Basnyat[1]
Parents
RelativesKalu Pande (father-in-law)
Bamsa Raj Pande (brother-in-law)
Damodar Pande (brother-in-law)
Military service
AllegianceNepal
RankKazi[2]
Battles/warsUnification of Nepal

Family

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He was born as second son of General Senapati Badabir Shivaram Singh Basnyat.[3] He had three brothers: Naahar Singh Basnyat, Abhiman Singh Basnyat, and Dhokal Singh Basnyat. He had three sons: Kirtiman Singh Basnyat, Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat, and Jahar Singh Basnyat.[4] King Prithvi Narayan Shah formed an alliance with Basnyat family and Pande family of Gorkha in his quest for the unification of Nepal.[5] As per his Divya Upadesh, King Prithvi Narayan is known to have arranged the marriage between Kaji Kehar Singh and Chitra Devi, the daughter of Kaji of Gorkha Kalu Pande.[5][3] His father Shivaram Singh was addressed as Senapati Badabir (Brave Chief of the Army) in all the documents of that era. He died in the defensive battle of Sanga Chowk during Unification of Nepal on 1803 B.S.[6][7]

Career

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He actively took part in Unification battles of Nepal. He, along with Kaji Vamsharaj Pande, Mahoddam Kirti Shah, Surpratap Shah, Dal Mardan Shah, Rana Rudra Shah, Nandu Shah, Kaji Naahar Singh Basnyat and Kaji Abhiman Singh Basnyat, was dispatched with approximately 1,100 fighting troops to encircle the Makawanpur fortress by the dawn of 20 August 1762.[8] After consolidation of Kathmandu valley states, King Prithvi Narayan Shah waged war against western Chaubise (24) Confederacy on 1770 A.D., under military leadership of Kaji Bamsharaj Pande, Kaji Kehar Singh Basnyat, and Sardar Prabhu Malla, to initial success.[9][10] In 1771 A.D., the Gorkhali forces lost the war against 24 Chaubise principalities and Kaji Bamsharaj was captured by soldiers of Parbat Kingdom as a war prisoner. Kaji Kehar Singh died in the battlefield at Satahun.[11][12] His brother Dhaukal Singh Basnyat and another military officer Sriharsh Pantha narrowly escaped after the tough confrontation at Dhor.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Śarmā, Nagendra (1 January 2002). Nepal's Relations with Sikkim and Bhutan, 1770-1900: Primarily Based on Indigenous Sources, Published Or Unpublished. Himshikhar Publications. ISBN 9789993331759. Retrieved 27 October 2017 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Singh, Mahendra Man (30 June 2013). Forever Incomplete: The Story of Nepal. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 9788132116585. Retrieved 27 October 2017 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b Regmi 1995, p. 44.
  4. ^ Pradhan 2012, p. 192.
  5. ^ a b Acharya & Naraharinath 2014.
  6. ^ Shaha 1990, p. 27.
  7. ^ Hamal 1995, p. 104.
  8. ^ "Nepalese Army - नेपाली सेना". Nepalarmy.mil.np. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  9. ^ Shaha 2001, p. 59.
  10. ^ Regmi 1975, p. 229.
  11. ^ Vaidya 1993, p. 165.
  12. ^ Mainali 2006, p. 74.
  13. ^ Regmi 1975, p. 305.

Books

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