Ranajit Kunwar (, c. 17531815) was a Nepalese governor and military personnel in the
Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...
. He was a son of
Ramakrishna Kunwar of
Kunwar family
The Kunwar family () was a noble Khas-Chhetri family in the Gorkha Kingdom and the Kingdom of Nepal. The Kunwars were linked to the Thapa dynasty and family of Amar Singh Thapa by marital lineages and, thus, to Pande dynasty through the Thapa ...
. He served as governor of Jumla, Pyuthan and sub-ordinate administrator under
Amar Singh Thapa
Amar Singh Thapa distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa(), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkha Kingdom, Gorkhali mil ...
at Srinagar of
Garhwal province. He suppressed the rebellion of Jumla as a governor. He fought at the battle of Khadbuda where he killed King Pradyumna Shah of
Garhwal
Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
*Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
* Ga ...
. He was the grandfather of
Jang Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji who later became the
Maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
of Kaski & Lamjung and
Prime Minister of Nepal
The prime minister of Nepal (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of Nepal. The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers of Nepal, Council of Ministers and holds the chief executive authority in the country. They must maintain ...
.
Early life
He was born to Gorkhali
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...
Ramakrishna Kunwar on 1753 A.D. He was the
first cousin
A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle.
More generally, in the lineal kinship, kinship system used in the English-s ...
of
Chandrabir Kunwar, father of
Balbhadra Kunwar
Balbhadra Kunwar (30 January 1789 – 13 March 1823) was a Gorkhali military General, Commander and administrator in the Sikh Empire and the Kingdom of Nepal. He was highly praised for his military skill for the defence of Nalapani fort in th ...
.
Career

After the consolidation of Pyuthan in November 1786, Ramakrishna Kunwar opened an ammunition factory at Pyuthan. He died there and was succeeded by his son Ranajit Kunwar for the operation of the factory. Ranajit participated as reinforcement to Gorkhali forces under Chautariya Shree Krishna Shah in the Kuti Axis (1st division) in the first campaign of the
Sino-Nepalese War
The Sino-Nepalese War (), also known as the Sino-Gorkha War and in Chinese as the campaign of Gorkha (), was a war fought between the Qing dynasty of China and the Kingdom of Nepal in the late 18th century following an invasion of Tibet by th ...
on 1788 A.D. He then acted as subordinate commander under Kaji
Abhiman Singh Basnyat
Abhiman Singh Basnet/Basnyat () was the first Commander-in-Chief of unified Nepal."Regmi Research Series" Author:Mahesh Chandra Regmi Abhiman Singh became the first Commander in Chief after General Kalu Pande died during his second attempt to ca ...
at Kerung Axis on 1792 A.D. Sino-Nepalese War.
The inhabitants of Jumla did not accept the conquest by Gorkhali rulers and frequently invoked rebellions on the Gorkhali administration. A royal order then warned the residents of Jumla against rebellion with punishment according to their
caste
A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...
. A royal order issued on Tuesday Jestha Badi 11, 1850
V.S. (May 1793) mentions that on 1849
V.S. (1792 A.D.), the locals led by the former ruler Sobhan Shahi had rebelled in opposition to Subba (governor) Ranajit Kanwar at Jumla. The inhabitants were then consequently enslaved upon that incident. The royal order frees all the slaves of that
Jumla rebellion incident on Tuesday Jestha Badi 11, 1850
V.S. Similarly, in another incident, Subba Ranajit Kunwar imposed heavy fines on the inhabitants of Jumla as a result of their rebellion in 1793. A royal order of King
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah dated Shrawan Sudi 2, 1859
V.S. (July 1802) shows that Ranajit Kunwar was in his tenure at Jumla on 1851
Vikram Samvat
Vikram Samvat (ISO: ''Vikrama Saṁvata''; abbreviated VS), also known as the Vikrami calendar is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still also used in several Indian states and Nepal. It is a lunisolar calendar ...
(1794 A.D.). Finally, Ranjit Kanwar was replaced by Jog Narayan Malla as Subba (governor) of Jumla on Baisakh Badi 1, 1851 (April 1794).
The royal orders dated Bhadra Badi 11, 1853 (August 1796) mentions Subba Ranajit as in-charge of fort construction at Pyuthan. The local Amalidar of Isma was also instructed for necessary preparations for construction of Pyuthan fort under Subba Ranajit. He was further ordered to repair bridges over the Madi river and build checkposts at Sheoraj and Dhunwakot.
An administrative document from Jumla dated Chaitra Sudi 7, 1857 (April 1801) shows ‘’Subba’’ Ranajit's administrative order to Alidatta Jaisi of
Sija to restore the revenue assignment for Kanakasundari temple which was discontinued by the Amali (i.e. local administrator). Similarly, document dated Chaitra Sudi 7, 1857 (April 1801) and Jestha Badi 1, 1858 (May 1801) shows his tax exemption and land allotment decisions as a Subba (governor). On Baisakh Sudi 10, 1861 V.S. (May 1804), the royal orders from King Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah instructed Sardar Ranajit Kunwar along with Sardar Angad Khawas and Subedar Nirbhaya Simha Thapa to investigate the conflict between King Samundra Sen of Bajhang and King Mandhir Shah of Bajura and take over the areas by military means and deport the obstructer to the capital.

King Pradyumna Shah of
Garhwal Kingdom
Kingdom of Garhwal ( ''गढ़वाल राज्य'' ) was an Himalayan kingdom in the current north-western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India, founded in 823 CE by Kanak Pal the progenitor of the Panwar dynasty that ruled ove ...
prepared for warfare by assembling 12,000 men of various groups such as Ramghads, Pundirs,
Gujars, and
Rajput
Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
s under a Gujjar
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...
Ramdayal Singh of Landhaur. On the other hand, Gorkhali forces were led by overall commander
Amar Singh Thapa
Amar Singh Thapa distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa(), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkha Kingdom, Gorkhali mil ...
, and his subordinate commanders Bhaktibir Thapa and Ranajit Kunwar. The battle took place at Khadbuda on 22nd Marga 1860
V.S. (January 1804). Pradyumna Shah on his horseback was having a conversation with Miya Dulal Singh of Prithvipur and momentarily, Ranajit shot Pradyumna Shah to death. His shot proved successful as Garhwali soldiers ran away and the war finally ended. Bada Amar Simha appointed Ranajit as chief of one of the three revenue divisions of
Garhwal
Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
*Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
* Ga ...
namely
Srinagar
Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...
. The letter sent on Sunday, Bhadra Sudi 11, 1867 V.S. by Ranajit Kunwar to
Bhimsen Thapa
Bhimsen Thapa ( (August 1775 – 29 July 1839)) was a Nepalese statesman who served as the ''Mukhtiyar'' (equivalent to prime minister) and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the List of Prime Ministers of Nepal, l ...
states his involvements in the western provinces of
Kingdom of Nepal
The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...
. Ranajit reports to the Bhimsen regarding the enemy forces of Barha Thakurai kings at Panthajada and war preparations by Gorkhali companies at Panthajada. He further reports the submission of Terai region by Sikh Maharaja
Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839.
Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...
and subsequent hostility by hill
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
s towards Gorkhalis. Ranajit also mentions that his son Rewanta Kunwar wrote about the then existing economic problems in military management at
Kumaun region.
On Ashadh Sudi 1, 1870, General Bhimsen Thapa was granted 30 ropanis and 5 annas of land at Lagantol under inheritable Birta-Bitalab tenure for the construction of a house. Among the Bharadars (courtiers) who were present for the demarcation of the boundary, Kaji Ranajit Kunwar was also present there. As a
Kaji, Ranajit issued administrative order to Chautariyas Atmarama Padhya and Tilakarama Padhya of Udayapur in
Pyuthan to restore Hulak (mail) posts and repair suspension bridges at Arthala as per the letter dated Bhadra Badi 14, 1871 V.S.
Allowances, Grants and Levies
Kaji Ranajit Kanwar received NRs 1000 allowance while working as military commander in Kumaun region in 1866 Vikram Samvat. He received 200 muris of land grants on Manachamal tenure by a royal order was issued in Aswin Badi 13, 1862. Ranajit was among the highest ranked Bharadar (state-bearing officer) of the
government of Nepal
The Government of Nepal () is the central executive authority of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The government is led by the Prime Minister of Nepal, prime minister (K. P. Sharma Oli, K.P. Oli since 15 July 2024) who selects all the o ...
in the year 1861
Vikram Samvat
Vikram Samvat (ISO: ''Vikrama Saṁvata''; abbreviated VS), also known as the Vikrami calendar is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still also used in several Indian states and Nepal. It is a lunisolar calendar ...
(1804/05 CE). Thus, he was charged
NRs. 272.25 as special Salami levy to repay the loans incurred by former King
Rana Bahadur Shah during the four year (1800-1804 CE) stay at
Banaras
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
.
Death
As per Rana genealogy mentioned by Christopher Buyers, he died from the wounds received in the assault of the Jhabesar in
Kangra on 1815 A.D. Chronicler Daniel Wright contends that Ranajit died in the conquest of Kangra while storming at Jhapabesar in
Kumaon. He was hit by a bullet in the right chest aged 58 years when he was climbing a bamboo ladder at the wall.
Descendants
The table produced by
Kumar Pradhan shows the three sons of Ranajit -
Bal Narsingh Kunwar
Bal Narsingh Kunwar or Balanarsingh Kanwar (; 2 February 1783 - 24 December 1841) posthumously referred as Bal Narsingh Kunwar Rana was a Kaji, military officer and governor in the Kingdom of Nepal.
He was born to Kaji Ranajit Kunwar of the ...
, Balaram and Rewant. Bal Narsingh Kunwar was a political aide of Bhimsen Thapa. His son
Jung Bahadur Kunwar
Jung Bahadur Rana, , was born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (1817-1877). His mother, Ganesh Kumari, was the daughter of Kaji (Nepal), Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, the brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa from the prominent Thapa dynasty. During his lifetime, Jung B ...
became
Prime Minister of Nepal
The prime minister of Nepal (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of Nepal. The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers of Nepal, Council of Ministers and holds the chief executive authority in the country. They must maintain ...
. The appointment letter of Jung Bahadur Kunwar as Prime Minister of Nepal, confirms that he was son of Bal Narsingh Kunwar and a grandson of Ranajit Kunwar. The appointment of
Bam Bahadur Kunwar as Kaji also mentions Bal Narsingh Kunwar as his father and Ranajit Kunwar as his grandfather. After proclaiming descent from
Ranas of Mewar, Jung Bahadur Kunwar adopted the title of
Kunwar Ranaji on 15 May 1848 and became
Maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
(Great King) of Kaski and Lamjung on 6 August 1856.
Footnotes
Notes
In-text citations
References
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunwar, Ranajit
1750s births
1815 deaths
Nepalese military personnel
History of Himachal Pradesh
Gurkhas
Deaths by firearm in India
Assassinated Nepalese military personnel
Assassinated Nepalese politicians
Khas people
Assassinated governors and heads of sub-national entities
19th-century governors
Politicians assassinated in the 1810s
Kumaon division
Garhwal division
Nepalese expatriates in India
History of Uttarakhand