Kiran Shamsher Rana

The Right Honorable General Kiran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, KBE, KCVO (1916-1983), was a Nepalese army officer. He served as the Royal Nepalese Army's Commander-in-Chief from 1951-1956 and as the Nepalese ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1973-1977. Over the course of thirty years, he served as as Aide-de-camp General to Their Majesties King Tribhuvan, King Mahendra and King Birendra.

Biography

Kiran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana was born October 1916, son of the late H. H. Maharajah Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, then Prime Minister of Nepal. [cite web |url=http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/states/nepal/nepal_rana7.html |title=KASKI and LAMBJUNG (State) |accessdate=2007-11-18 |first=Henry |last=Soszynski |work=Genealogical Gleanings ]

Career

He joined the Nepali Army in 1933 [cite web |url=http://www.nepalarmy.mil.np/ |title=Nepal Army |accessdate=2007-11-18 ] and during World War II, he commanded the Mahendra Dal Battalion of the Nepalese Army in 1940, sent in aid of the Allied Forces in the North-West Frontier and the Eastern Active Service Area in India. For his praiseworthy service he was mentioned in the despatches. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1943 and decorated with the Order of Nepal Tara (2nd Class), then sent as a liaison officer to the Eastern Command and the 14th Army in India.

Following the end of World War II, he was a member of the Nepalese contingent at the London Victory Parade of 1946 and of the first Nepalese Goodwill Mission to the United States. On return of the troops in 1948, he was awarded the Nepal Pratap Vardhak by the government of Nepal and KBE by the British government. Outside of the military, he served the Nepalese government in other roles between 1946 and 1950, including Director General of Health, Transport and Communications, the Royal Mint, and as Chief Justice for a brief period.

During the 1950 insurgency in Nepal, General Kiran lead a peace mission to the eastern parts. In recognition of his services was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army and awarded the most refulgent order of Nepal Supradipta Manyabara Nepal Tara (1st Class). He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army the next year. General Kiran then reorganized the Royal Nepalese Army and was awarded with the order of Trishakti-Patta (1st Class).

During the reign of His Majesty King Tribhuvan, he was appointed as Aide-de-camp General to the king and decorated with the order of Suprasiddha Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (1st Class). [cite web |url=http://www.nepalhomepage.com/news/century_poll/english/tribhuvan.html |title=Biography of King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev |accessdate=2007-11-18 |work=Nepal Home Page ] (He subsequently served as ADC General to the following two kings of Nepal.) In 1954 and 1955, he served on the Coronation Committee of His Majesty King Mahendra [cite web |url=http://www.nepalhomepage.com/news/century_poll/english/mahendra.html |title=Biography of King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev |accessdate=2007-11-18 |work= Nepal Home Page] .

General Kiran made an official visit to Malaya in 1955 at the invitation of Commander-in-Chief, Far Eastern Command (Land Forces) of the British Army and inspected the Gurkha regiments stationed there. The following year, he retired from the Army and was appointed Minister of State for Planning and Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tanka Prashad Acharya. In 1957, General Kiran was appointed Vice President of the 1st Planning Commission.

He took on duties outside of Nepal later in life, appointed to a six-year term as a member of Rajya Sabha in 1963 and later serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the Court of St. James's from 1973 to 1977.

Marriage and children

General Kiran married Sri Rani Yuba Rajya Lakshmi in 1936. The couple had five children:
*Rani Teeka Rajya Laxmi Simha (d. 1993)
*Shri Prashiddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
*Shri Prabal Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
*Shri Pramodh Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
*Shri Subodh Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana

Death and afterward

General Kiran expired in November 1983 in Kathmandu and was cremated with full military honors at Arya Ghat, Pashupatinath.

Awards

Nepalese Decorations

*Order of Pratapa Vardhaka
*Order of Nepal Tara (1st Class)
*Order of Om Ram Patta (1st Class)
*Order of Trishakti Patta (1st Class)
*Order of Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (1st Class)

Foreign Decorations

*Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE)
*Commander of Legion of Merit (American Order, 2nd class)
*Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
*Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished service in 1943 (U.K.)

References