King Ram Shah

Introduction to Ram Shah

Ram Shah was one of the Greatest Kings of Gorkha and ruled it for 1606 A.D. to 1633 A.D. He was the son of King Purna Shah and the Grandson of Founder Drabya Shah.

Ram Shah carried out political conquests and increased the physical boundary of Gorkha. He further brought Economic Reforms, Administrative Reforms, Judicial Reforms, and Religious Reforms to Gorkha.

He is famously known for “ 26 Thithis” which is a set of rules and regulations established by Ram Shah.

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Reign of Ram Shah

The Reign of Ram Shah lasted from 1606 A.D. to 1633 A.D. for a total of 27 years. His reign started because of the Death of Brother Chatra Shah prematurely. After he became the King of Gorkha, he started aggressive expansion campaigns from Gorkha.

He established diplomatic relations with the Kings of Kathmandu Valley. He also tried to wage a war against the Kingdom of Tibet.

Rise of Ram Shah

Ram Shah was born in 1586 A.D. in the Gorkha Royal Family as the Son of King Purna Shah. He was the Younger Son of Purna Shah and destined to not become the King of Gorkha. His Elder Brother, Chatra Shah got the Kingship of Gorkha after the death of their Father Purna Shah.

However, Chatra Shah died only two years later of an unknown cause. Chatra Shah is said to have been 20 years old when he died and hadn’t left a competent heir.

Therefore, Ram Shah has crowned the King of Gorkha at the age of 30 years after the death of his brother Chatra Shah.

Ram Shah had two major wives. The Name of the Wives of Ram Shah is Queen Ratnavati and Queen Nayanavati. Ratnavati belonged to the Royal Sen Family and increased the status of Ram Shah as the King of Gorkha.

The Character of Ram Shah

Ram Shah is remembered for his just and lawful reign. He was not only a brave and kind ruler but also a visionary who was always focused on the welfare of his people.

Ram Shah was a scholar and a diplomat who attracted a large number of scholars and men to his court. People admired him for his virtuous and religious nature. Sages, ascetics, and men of divinity visited his court frequently.

According to historians, Ram Shah was a just, brave, kind, and reformist king. He had a far-sighted vision and a reformist ideology. He was kind to both the brave and the poor. In addition to being a diplomat, he was also a lover of justice.

The common people respected his love of justice. The saying of going to Gorkha without getting a seat is a legend.

He fought to win and won the hearts of the people. He became a popular king because of his just and democratic nature. Due to his peaceful victory, Gorkha became famous.

He did a lot of religious work, and his religious purity was evident. People used to come from outside to live in the Gorkha state.

Ram Shah was a lover of discipline, and he appreciated scholars. People from outside came to help him in his Gorkha kingdom. He would get very angry with anyone who broke the discipline.

Expansion Campaigns of Ram Shah

During the initial years of Ram Shah as the King of Gorkha, he started many military campaigns against neighboring States and Districts. He managed to conquer and add small hills near Gorkha into his own State.

He also managed to conquer Kingdoms like Barpak, Salyankot, Khari, etc into Gorkha. The Border of Gorkha was extended to Salyan, Dhading, and Trishuli during the reign of Ram Shah.

War with Lamjung and Tanahu

However, the King of Gorkha faced several challenges during his reign. When Gorkha started a military campaign against nearby States, the Kingdom of Lamjung would always attack Gorkha and tried to conquer areas such as Ligligkot.

He also was attacked by Palpa and other neighboring States. Once, they even tried to assassinate Ram Shah through a Trap. Despite these attacks, Ram Shah always managed to defeat these neighboring Kingdoms.

Ram Shah is known for having particularly good relations with Other neighboring States including Patan and Bhaktapur, Tanahun, etc. They had clearly established borders but didn’t stay true to their promises.

The New King saw that Gorkha and Lamjung were at war with each other and tried to encroach on the border of Gorkha.

But as soon as Ram Shah learned of the incursion, he decided to attack Tanahu. Ram Shah also captured part of Tanahu’s domains when the King of Tanahu fled right away to his headquarters.

Border of Gorkha

Ram Shah was one of the few kings who genuinely attempted to expand Gorkha’s borders, according to one of the Chronicles of Gorkha. He is recounted with Kings like Drabya Shah, Narbhupal Shah, and Prithvi Narayan Shah as the courageous Kings of Gorkha.

During his reign, he expanded the Kingdom of Gorkha and defeated Majhuwa, Barpak, Atharasaya Khola, Maighi, Khari, Nibharchowk, Dhading, RudraBhot, Syartan, etc. Although these were small lands, they increased the Size of Gorkha and increased their status.

During this period, he also conducted a treaty with King Siddhi Narsingh Malla of Patan. They decided that if any of the Kings of Gorkha or Patan died without an heir, they would actually be its Kings.

If the Future Generations don’t obey these promises then they would be punished by the Gods.

However, Not everything about the reign of Ram Shah was positive. Ram Shah was in continuous conflict with the Kingdom of Tibet and tried to defeat it multiple times. He was also in conflict with the Kingdom of Kathmandu, Lamjung, etc.

During his military campaigns, Brave warriors like Ganesh Pande, Bhawani Pande, etc died as well. Even Ram Shah nearly died during these campaigns.

During the last years of his reign, Ram Shah managed to expand the Kingdom of Gorkha to Kerung and Rasuwa in the North, Mahabharat Range in the South, Tanahu in the West, and Trishuli River in the East.

Death of Ram Shah

Ram Shah died in 1633 A.D. There are interesting tales of his death recorded in the documents of Gorkha. Ram Shah saw the Famous Lord Gorakhnath in his dream, who told him that he had come to the point of death and should not delay in bestowing riches on the poor.

Ram Shah then rose from his bed and informed his Queen about it. He told her to acquaint his son Dambar Shah with all the regulations to govern the country. He also requested his ministers and courtiers to visit him for the Last Time.

Then, he was taken to the Marsyangdi River and his soul was delivered to God. Although this story rarely adds up to be factual, it shows the religious beliefs and assertions of the Kings during the time.

Reforms of Ram Shah

Ram Shah is widely renowned in Nepal for his multiple contributions and reforms in the Economy, Diplomacy, Judiciary, Society, Religion, and Environment. During his long reign of 27 years, he wrote the famous 26 Thithis.

His name got famous throughout Nepal and the Slogan “Shastra Haraye Kashi Janu, Nyaya Haraye Gorkha Janu” became famous.

Administrative Reforms

Royal Administrations

Ram Shah was the first King of Nepal to appoint the post of Chautariya. The brothers, or Sons of the King, were given this post. It was the Chief Minister of the King who arranged the administration of Gorkha.

He also established the practice of appointing one of his own brothers as The General to work for the army.

He started the Post of Kapardar which looked after the Royal Palace of The King including the Fooding and Clothing Department.

He also appointed Khajanchi who was the major treasurer of the Royal Family and looked after the Overall revenues of the State. Dharmadhikari was appointed as the chief Judicial Officer of the State.

Char Thar Ghar

King Ram Shah imposed restrictions on the appointment of family members of six types to high-level positions in the administration and the military.

Among these six clans are the Bohra, Aryal, Khanal, Rana, Pande, and Panth. These Six Houses were known as Cha Thar Ghar and played an integral role in the Politics of Nepal till the 1900s.

He appointed The  Mishra  Familyas Rajguru, and the posts of Kapardar and Sardar were entrusted to Thapa, Ale, Rana, Aryal, Dharmadhikar, and the palace kitchen.

In addition, family members were prohibited from being appointed to senior posts in the military and government.

Judicial Administration

He appointed Bichari and Ditthas to the position of Judicial Administrator. While Bichari was the State’s investigator and evidence collector, Dittha oversaw the Judicial Administration. Civil cases were looked after by them, and criminal cases were managed by the religious officials of the palace.

Economic Reforms

King Ram Shah, carried out a number of economic reforms to enhance Gorkha’s economy.

Lack of a consistent measurement method for various commodities was one of the major issues the Gorkha state was facing.

It led to confusion and chaos in society, particularly in transactions involving food. To address this issue, King Ram Shah introduced a government seal on mana, pathi, muri, and other commodities.

Measurement System

Ram Shah standardized the measuring scale, where 1 muri of pathi, 1 masa of 10 lal, 1 tola of 10 masa, 1 pala of 18 tolas, 1 bodi of 27 tolas, 1 bisauli of 4 bodi, and 2 dharni were arranged for weight. Similarly, for land measurement, he fixed 1 paisa of 4 dams, 1 anna of 4 paisa, 1 ropani of 16 annas, 1 suki of 4 annas, and 1 rupee of 4 sukis.

Lending

The control of interest rates was one of King Ram Shah’s other major reforms. He prohibited moneylenders from charging more than 10 percent interest in cash and 25 percent interest in kind.

The moneylender was not permitted to impose more than two times interest in cash or three times interest in kind in the event that the debtor did not repay the loan within 10 years.

Land Ownership

King Ram Shah also took steps to resolve conflicts between landowners and land earners. He put an end to the disputes arising from the customs of Land Ownership such as Talsing and Mohi.

Talsing was the Owner of the Land whereas the Worker was known as Mohi. For three years, the Worker was allowed to cultivate and eat his produce on his own; after that, he had to share it with the Owner.

Trade and Commerce

Additionally, he introduced traders from Lalitpur to Gorkha, which aided in the development of the local economy.

He made contact with Siddhi Narsingh Malla, the King of Lalitpur at the time, and helped to arrange commerce in brass, copper, and other utensils between the two realms.

He also supported the mining, leather, and clothing industries in Gorkha, all of which aided in the region’s economic expansion.

The Gorkha state’s economy was significantly impacted by King Ram Shah’s economic reforms.

He introduced several measures to bring more structure and organization to economic activities, reduce conflicts between different groups, and increase trade and commerce.

Tensions were eased and economic activity was enhanced by the standardisation of the measuring scale, interest rate regulation, and land dispute settlement.

Judicial Reforms

Both civil and criminal proceedings were handled fairly and efficiently during King Ram Shah’s administration. The king himself presided over civil cases, aided by two humble assistants. Criminal cases were overseen by the Dharmadhikari. It was dedicated to ensuring that justice was swift and affordable.

The creation of a public hearing, where he would hear the complaints and testimony of his subjects every day. He became more approachable as a result, which increased public confidence in the legal system.

Ram Shah put in place stringent laws and guidelines to guarantee that justice was administered impartially and without corruption. For example, a person had to swear an oath while holding a Shaligram stone when they appeared in court.

Additionally, those found guilty of certain crimes, such as killing a member of the royal family, were subjected to severe punishment. Brahmins weren’t given Capital Punishment of Death, else Other Caste were given Death Penalty for Heinous Crimes.

Ram Shah’s reforms also included measures to prevent false accusations and malicious prosecution. If an accusation was not proven, the accuser would be punished, while judges and court staff found to have colluded with one party would be deported.

Religious and Social Reforms

During the reign of King Ram Shah in the Gorkha kingdom, several religious and social reforms were implemented for the welfare of the people. These reforms included the protection of cows and Brahmins, the construction of infrastructure for the poor, and the establishment of temples.

King Ram Shah also made several rules for the welfare of the poor and marginalized communities. He ordered the construction of pati, pauwa, and Dharamshala on the roads for the convenience of porters and travelers.

Punishment was provided for those who cut down trees on the road without the king’s permission.

King Ram Shah was a religious king who established the temple of Muralidharnarayan in Pokharithok in 1671. The temple housed idols of Ganesha and Panchayan deities and is considered the oldest temple of the Shah dynasty kings.

The installation of the Mahadev statue was also recorded during the reign of Ram Shah

Conclusion

A number of social and religious changes intended to raise the standard of living for the populace defined the reign of King Ram Shah. Ram Shah is recognized as one of the greatest Kings of Gorkha.

Miscellaneous

References

Cite

Pokhrel, A. (2023). King Ram Shah – Itihasaa. Encyclopedia of Nepali History. https://itihasaa.com/gorkha/ram-shah/

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