Lakhan Thapa

Lakhan Thapa Magar (1835–1877) was a Nepali revolutionary who resisted the rule of the Rana dynasty. The Nepalese government has declared him "the First Martyr of Nepal".^[1] He was a king of Bungkot.^[2] He rebelled against the rule of Jung Bahadur Rana. His close friend Jay Singh Chumi Magar was his minister.

Kot Massacre of 1846

The murder of General Gagan Singh Bhandari precipitated the Kot Massacre of 14 September 1846, which brought the Ranas to power for 104 years. The reigning queen wanted to find the general's murderer. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, the first Commander-in-Chief of Nepal Army,^[3] knew the killer's identity. Upon learning of the general's knowledge, Jung Bahadur Rana shot him. The dying general revealed the killer's identity, and Junga Bahadur Rana was motivated to eliminate nobles inside and outside the royal house, including ethnic leaders like Lakhan Thapa Magar, to secure his position.

Resistance

After the Rana takeover, Lakhan Thapa Magar organized youths and ex-military members to protest the government. He gathered men, weapons, and supplies for a rebellion. The Rana government deployed troops to Gorkha. Jung Bahadur Rana ordered Thapa Magar and other rebels hanged. Thapa Magar was hanged in front of his residence in Bungkot on 14 February 1877. Seven others were hanged near Manakamana Temple.^[4] Some historians have written that the government captured and hanged 50 other participants. One of Jung Bahadur Rana's descendants has disputed Magar's claim to martyrdom.^[5] However, many Nepali historians maintain that Lakhan Thapa Magar was hanged.^[6]

Legacy

While Lakhan Thapa was historically viewed as a non-serious figure, his image was rehabilitated in the 1990s.^[6] Historian and former Director General of Nepal Government's Department of Archaeology, Janak Lal Sharma, wrote that Jung Bahadur Rana's rule made a revolution inevitable.^[7] Some historians^[who?] have compared Lakhan Thapa to Bhagat Singh of India, describing both as prominent political martyrs.

Family tree

Lakhan Thapa Magar's Siblings:

Ram Thapa Magar (older brother)
Dhana Mala (sister).

Notes

^ In 1874 (1932 BS), Lakhan Thapa gathered people in Gorkha to protest against the Ranas, Jung Bahadur in particular. All the protesters were arrested and most, including Lakhan Thapa, were hanged to death. Nepali Times Archived 2012-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
^ "जंग बहादुरले नेपाल लाई म्लेछेलाई बेच्यो, दुनियालाई त्राही त्राही परिरहेको छ , जंगेलाई हटाई नेपालमातालाइ पापको बोझबाट हल्का गरेर नेपालमा सत्य युग फिराऊं भन्ने जगदम्बा कालिमाताले मलाइ वरदान दिएकिछन् | लौ भाइ हो तयार होउ " भनि उनले निक्कै मानिसहरुको दल खडा गरे |Bhim Bhaktaman Singh – Nepal – 2005 pp 68
^ tulsiram vaidhya, Vijay Kumar manandhar and premsingh basnyat. 2009. military history of Nepal part 2. Kathmandu: army headquarters. p.417.
^ "आठ पहरिया दलले ती सबै ब्यक्ति र सामान समेत जंग बहादुर लाइ ल्यायर बुझायो | जंगबहादुरलाई शस्त्रास्त्र समेतको संगठन देखेर निक्कै आश्चर्य लाग्यो | उनले यस संगठनलाई जरैदेखि निर्मूल पार्ने विचार गरे | निर्मूल पार्ने सबभन्दा सजिलो उपाय थियो संगठन्कर्तालाई निर्मूल पार्नु | त्यस कारण जंगबहादुरले लखन थापा र उनका ७ जान साथीलाई फासीको सजाय सुनाए र उनीहरुलाई फैसला सुनाएको निक्कै समय पछी लखन थापालाई आफ्नै मठमा र अरु ७ जनालाई मनकामनामा लगेर झुन्द्याइयो | लखन थापाको मठको विशाल भाग्नावासेश अद्यापि बुग्कोटबाट नाम्जुंग जाने बाटामा अवस्थित छ र त्यहाका स्थानीय जनताले बिर्सेका छैनन् |" Lakhan Thapa Dwitiyako Parva: Janak Lal Sharma 2020 – Page 91
^ " जंगको हत्या गर्न भनि लखन थापा को दलले गोरखामा षड्यन्त्र रच्यो |लखन थापा प्रथम पटक पक्राऊ परे | केरकार गर्दा हात जोडी "फगत् प्राण पाल्नका निमित्त औतारी बनि टोपलेको हुँ" भन्ने बयान गरेकाले केहिदिन कैदमा राखी छोडियो |" Puroshottam Sumshwer JB Rana " Shri Teenharku Tathya Britant" PP 51
^ ^a ^b Chapter 5: The Messianic and rebel King Lakhan Thapa, Utopia and Ideology among the Magars notes that Lakhan Thapa had become synonymous with "ridiculous person" in the Nepali language till history and actions were rediscovered in the 1990s by the concerned group of intellectuals. Eventually he is rehabilitated as the official martyr of Nepal. He is a hero, a king and a messianic for the Magars today.Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Jan, 2009 by Dilli Ram Dahal
^ Janak Lal Sharma – a renowned archaeologist, writer, and director general, a recipient of Sajha Prize for his book -हाम्रो समाज: एक अध्ययन – Hamro Samaj: Ek Adhyayan – 2036

References

Baidhya, Tulsiram, Vijay Kumar Manandhar and Premsingh Basnyat. 2009. Military History of Nepal (Part 2). Kathmandu: Army Headquarters.
Bhandari, Dhundi Raj: नेपालको आलोचनात्मक इतिहास Nepalko Aalochanatmak Itihas (A Critical History of Nepal)
Gurung, Hark – 1998: Nepal : Social Demography and Expression.
Lecomte-Tilouine, Marie – Oxford University Press – 2008: Hindu Kingship, Ethnic Revival and Maoist Rebellion in Nepal Archived 2010-11-27 at the Wayback Machine
Lecomte-Tilouine, Marie: Utopia and Ideology among the Magars: Lakhan Thapa versus Mao Dzedong?
Rana, B. K. 2003: संक्षिप्त मगर इतिहास Sanchhipta Magar Itihas (A Concise History of Magars)
Rana, B. K. 2012 : Martyr Lakhan Thapa of Nepal: From a Native Perspective
Rana, Pudma Jung Bahadur – 1909: Life of Maharaja Sir Jung Bahadur of Nepal. The Pioneer Press Allahbad
Rana, Promod Sumsher – 1978 : Rana Nepal – An Insider's View
Sharma, Bal Chandra : नेपालको ऐतिहासिक रुपरेखा Nepalko Aitihasik Ruprekha (Glimpses of Nepalese History)
Sharma, Janak Lal −1964 : जोसमनी सन्त-परम्परा र साहित्य – २०२० -Josmani Sanit-Parampara Ra Sahitya 1964 – Josmani Saint Tradition and Literature – 1964.
Singh, Bhim Bhaktaman – 2005: Nepal

External links

[1] In 1874 (1932 BS), Lakhan Thapa gathered people in Gorkha to protest against the Ranas, Jung Bahadur in particular. All the protesters were arrested and most, including Lakhan Thapa, were hanged to death. Nepali Times Archived 2012-06-09 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "जंग बहादुरले नेपाल लाई म्लेछेलाई बेच्यो, दुनियालाई त्राही त्राही परिरहेको छ , जंगेलाई हटाई नेपालमातालाइ पापको बोझबाट हल्का गरेर नेपालमा सत्य युग फिराऊं भन्ने जगदम्बा कालिमाताले मलाइ वरदान दिएकिछन् | लौ भाइ हो तयार होउ " भनि उनले निक्कै मानिसहरुको दल खडा गरे |Bhim Bhaktaman Singh – Nepal – 2005 pp 68

[3] tulsiram vaidhya, Vijay Kumar manandhar and premsingh basnyat. 2009. military history of Nepal part 2. Kathmandu: army headquarters. p.417.

[4] "आठ पहरिया दलले ती सबै ब्यक्ति र सामान समेत जंग बहादुर लाइ ल्यायर बुझायो | जंगबहादुरलाई शस्त्रास्त्र समेतको संगठन देखेर निक्कै आश्चर्य लाग्यो | उनले यस संगठनलाई जरैदेखि निर्मूल पार्ने विचार गरे | निर्मूल पार्ने सबभन्दा सजिलो उपाय थियो संगठन्कर्तालाई निर्मूल पार्नु | त्यस कारण जंगबहादुरले लखन थापा र उनका ७ जान साथीलाई फासीको सजाय सुनाए र उनीहरुलाई फैसला सुनाएको निक्कै समय पछी लखन थापालाई आफ्नै मठमा र अरु ७ जनालाई मनकामनामा लगेर झुन्द्याइयो | लखन थापाको मठको विशाल भाग्नावासेश अद्यापि बुग्कोटबाट नाम्जुंग जाने बाटामा अवस्थित छ र त्यहाका स्थानीय जनताले बिर्सेका छैनन् |" Lakhan Thapa Dwitiyako Parva: Janak Lal Sharma 2020 – Page 91

[5] " जंगको हत्या गर्न भनि लखन थापा को दलले गोरखामा षड्यन्त्र रच्यो |लखन थापा प्रथम पटक पक्राऊ परे | केरकार गर्दा हात जोडी "फगत् प्राण पाल्नका निमित्त औतारी बनि टोपलेको हुँ" भन्ने बयान गरेकाले केहिदिन कैदमा राखी छोडियो |" Puroshottam Sumshwer JB Rana " Shri Teenharku Tathya Britant" PP 51

[dilli-6] Chapter 5: The Messianic and rebel King Lakhan Thapa, Utopia and Ideology among the Magars notes that Lakhan Thapa had become synonymous with "ridiculous person" in the Nepali language till history and actions were rediscovered in the 1990s by the concerned group of intellectuals. Eventually he is rehabilitated as the official martyr of Nepal. He is a hero, a king and a messianic for the Magars today.Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Jan, 2009 by Dilli Ram Dahal

[7] Janak Lal Sharma – a renowned archaeologist, writer, and director general, a recipient of Sajha Prize for his book -हाम्रो समाज: एक अध्ययन – Hamro Samaj: Ek Adhyayan – 2036

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