Kot massacre

The Kot massacre was a bloodbath in 1846 september 14, when the nobles clashed with the seven unsuspecting Rana brothers with weapons. Approximately 55 noblemen died with the seven Rana brothers wounded but victorious.Fact|date=November 2007 This led to the loss of power by King Rajendra Bikram Shah and the Shah family, resulting in a puppet monarchy under an inefficient and weak ruler in Surendra Bikram Shah and the establishment of the Rana autocracy. This event has haunted Shah dynasty for the next 200 years until it's ultimate abolition in 2008.

History goes, at the peak of unstability in Nepali politics, a coalition ministry was formed in September 1845, again headed by Fateh Jang Chautaria.But the real power behind the throne was the secret lover and favorite of Queen Lakshmidevi, Gagan Singh, who controlled seven regiments in the army compared to the three under the prime minister. Abhiman Singh and Jung Bahadur also served as commanders, each with three regiments. Plots and counterplots continued until Gagan Singh was found dead on the balcony of his palace during the night of September 14, 1846. The queen was beside herself at the death of her lover, whom she had hoped to use to elevate her own son to the throne. She commanded Jang Bahadur, who happened to be ready with his 3 regiments, to assemble the entire administrative establishment of the country immediately at the courtyard of the palace armory (kot). Following Queen's orders, Jang ordered his men to let people inside the Kot but not to let them out without Queen's or his own orders.

Emotions ran high among the assembled bands of nobles and their followers, who listened to the Queen give an emotional harangue blaming the Pandes and demanding Abhiman Singh to execute the Pandes whom she suspected for the death of Gagan Singh. Abhiman Singh hesitated and looked to the king. The king, a coward as all the kings of Shah dynasty were, said to punish the guilty only after proper investigation of the matter. He then left the Hanumandhoka palace and went to British residency and when denied talks with the resident at such late hour, went to Narayanhiti palace. Meanwhile at Kot, surrounded by Jang Bahadur's 3 regiments, tension grew high as most noblemen along with prime minister Fateh Jang shah gathered there. Seeing high possibility of bloodshed, top 3 men Jang Bahadur, Fateh Jang and Abhiman Singh decided that Jang Bahadur and Fateh Jang will try to calm the queen, and Abhiman Singh, who had disobeyed queen's orders will stay behind. As they went after the queen, Abhiman Singh decided to get his own regiments at the kot, but as he tried to get out, one of Jang's men didn't let him out, as per orders, and as Abhiman Singh tried to force his way out, the soldier killed him with the knife atop his rifle. Abhiman Singh, seeing his unexpected death in front of him, shouted with his last breath -"Jang Bahadur killed Gagan Singh". This triggered panic among the gathered noblemen and then the bloodshed began. Many Thapas, Pandes and Basnets died including the prime minister Fateh Jang. Some escaped leaping walls and roofs and even through drainage systems.

During the free-for-all that followed, swords, pistols, muskets and knives were used on all sides to dispatch opponents. Jung Bahadur and his six brothers battled all the nobles to come out victorious.Fact|date=November 2007 When the struggle subsided, the courtyard was strewn with the bodies of dozens of leading nobles, the cream of the Nepalese aristocracy.

The Kot Massacre took place because of the queen's miscalculations and underestimation of the Rana brothers. She is at fault for becoming a victim of her emotions and calling an assembly together without forewarning her nobles of what she had planned to do, instead whipping it into a frenzy of a disorganised brawl. King was a coward and a weak ruler and was notably absent when the fighting began and Jung Bahadur was the only leader who was ready for trouble since he had gotten word that the Queen knew he was responsible for her lover's death. The extent of the carnage was apparently unexpected. Jung Bahadur and his six brothers were the only true beneficiaries of the massacre and became the sole military leaders in a position of strength in Nepal. The next day, Jung Bahadur became prime minister and immediately launched a purge that killed many of his aristocratic competitors and drove 6,000 people into exile in India.Fact|date=November 2007

The Shah dynasty never recovered from this blunder of epic proportion. The Rana rulers were the real power base in Nepal for the next 104 years until 1956. The successive kings of Shah dynasty were virtual prisoners of Rana rulers throughout this period. This single event would have to be the first misstep Shah dynasty took towards it's own abolition that became a reality in 2008.

References

* [http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/nptoc.html Library of Congress - Nepal country report]
* Shree Teen haru ko Tathya Brittanta - Purushottam Shamsher JBR