Lakhan Thapa

Lakhan Thapa Magar (1835–1877) was a Nepali revolutionary and local leader in Bungkot, Gorkha District who led a rebellion against Jung Bahadur Rana's authority and the overall rule of the Rana dynasty. The Nepalese government considers him as "the First Martyr of Nepal."

Kot Massacre of 1846

The Kot Massacre, an internal revolt which occurred on 14 September 1846, led to the death of the king and queen and the establishment of Rana rule in Nepal for over a century. The reigning queen initiated an investigation into the assassination of General Gagan Singh Bhandari. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Nepali Army, knew the assassin's identity. However, before he could reveal it, Junga Bahadur Rana fatally shot him in an effort to consolidate power. The general, as he died, revealed the assassin's name, and Jung Bahadur Rana subsequently eliminated numerous nobles and political figures, including Lakhan Thapa Magar, to secure his authority.

Resistance

Following the Rana takeover, Lakhan Thapa Magar mobilized local youths and former military personnel to oppose the government. He gathered resources, including weapons and supplies, to initiate an armed rebellion, prompting the Rana administration to deploy troops to Gorkha. Junga Bahadur Rana ordered the capture and execution of Thapa Magar and his supporters. On 14 February 1877, Lakhan Thapa Magar was hanged in front of his residence in Bungkot. Seven of his associates were also executed near the Manakamana Temple.

Thapa Magar's status as a martyrdom remains a subject of historical debate. A descendant of Jung Bahadur Rana has contested the claim, but many Nepali historians assert that Thapa Magar was executed for his resistance.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 toda
''Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Jan, 2009'' by Dilli Ram Dahal
/ref>

Legacy

Lakhan Thapa Magar's historical significance was reexamined in the 1990s, during which his image underwent rehabilitation. Historian Janak Lal Sharma, a former Director General of Nepal's Department of Archaeology, argued that the oppressive rule of Jung Bahadur Rana made rebellion inevitable.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 Some historians have compared Thapa Magar to Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh, as both are considered political martyrs in their respective countries.

Family tree

* Ram Thapa Magar (elder brother)
* Dhana Mala (sister)

Notes

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

* 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

* 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

Magar Morcha
http://thehimalayanvoice.blogspot.com/2012/04/martyr-lakhan-thapa-of-nepal-from.html Martyr Lakhan Thapa of Nepal: From a Native Perspective]

Celebration of Martyrs' Day In Nepal

Martyrs, Martyrdom and Martyr Lakhan Thapa



Hindu Kingship, Ethnic Revival and Maoist Rebellion in Nepal



* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110712213338/http://hkmagar.hkmagar.com/content/view/40/30/ Martyrs, Martyrdom and Martyr Lakhan Thapa* Bagchi-Levi in Nepal A Glimpse of the Rana Rule in Nepal, Manindra Bhushan Bhaduri The Calcutta Review July 1962

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapa, Lakhan
19th-century Nepalese people
Nepalese revolutionaries
People from Gorkha District
Executed Nepalese people
People executed by Nepal by hanging
1835 births
1877 deaths
Executed revolutionaries
Martyrs of Nepal