TRIBHUVAN BIR BIKRAM SHAH DEV

By the mid-1930s, people’s discontentment with the Ranas had led to the establishment of several movements to overthrow them, notably the Nepal Praja Parishad, to which His Majesty King Tribhuvan himself gave his explicit support. In November 1950 with the help of allies, the 44 year old King along with his family drove out of the palace for a hunting trip. Instead, they drove to the Indian Embassy and took refuge. He was accompanied by his son, HRH Crown Prince Mahendra and the eldest grandson, HRH Prince Birendra, among others. Mahendra’s second son, HRH Prince Gyanendra was left behind at the palace with the aaya. The then Prime Minister, Mohan Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana became furious and responded to His Majesty’s move by calling an emergency meeting of the cabinet on 7 November 1950 at Singha Durbar. He announced HRH Prince Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah, the three-year-old grandson of His Majesty, as the new King of Nepal. On 10 November, His Majesty King Tribhuvan with his family flew to India where he was formally welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

The removal of the King led to huge demonstrations in the country that compelled the Rana Prime Minister, Mohan Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana to negotiate with His Majesty and the Nepali Congress. Peace talks were held in New Delhi between HM King Tribhuvan, representatives of the Nepali Congress and representatives of the Rana Government, which led to an agreement according to which HM King Tribhuvan was to form a new ministry, under his leadership, consisting of the Nepali Congress and the Ranas on an equal basis.

On 15 February 1951, His Majesty King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal as the King of the country. On February 18, 1951, he addressed the nation and declared democracy, ending the 104-year long Rana regime. The date continues to be celebrated as Democracy Day in Nepal.

As a key figure in bringing democracy to Nepal, he is also referred to as the “Father of the Nation”. He also issued a proclamation establishing a ten-member Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher. The Council of Ministers consisted of five representatives of the NC and five representatives of the Rana family. Mohan Shamsher held the position for a few more months and was succeeded by Matrika Prasad Koirala.

Not long after, on 13 March 1955, His Majesty King Tribhuvan passed away in Cantonal Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland after suffering a heart attack. He was just 48 years old.

During his second tenure as the King, he opened Nepal to the world and contributed towards a booming tourism industry that would become one of the main sources of income for the country.

His Majesty’s second tenure as the King kept him busy and took him to different corners of Nepal as well as the world. He was meeting his people for the first time, understanding the damage that had been done by the century-long Ranarchy and doing his best to fulfill his roles and responsibilities as the Sovereign towards his nation and his people.

The first of diplomatic relations with India, Nepal’s neighbor and ally, began during His Majesty’s reign. His trips to India often included meetings with its Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders.

It was also during His Majesty’s second tenure as the King that Nepal first opened its doors to the world. By the early 1950s, Nepal’s first hotel, Royal Hotel, was established by Boris Lissanevitch with the support of Crown Prince Mahendra and Prince Basundhara. In early March of 1955, Nepal saw its first batch of international tourists land at Gaucharan Airport. The all-female group of tourists were on a 2-day tour led by Thomas Cook and Sons.

This was also the time when Nepali literature flourished, long after Bhanu Bhakta had come and gone. During the 104-year Rana regime, all writings were in praise of the Ranas and their regime. Post democracy and under the rule of a democratic, nationalist Monarch, writers such as Lekhnath Poudel, Bala Krishna Sama, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Dharanidhar Koirala and Siddhicharan Shrestha gave some of their best literary works, thus paving the path for modern Nepali literature.

His Majesty suffered with a poor heart condition which worsened with the unprecedented responsibilities of a democratic country. In November of 1953, HM King Tribhuvan flew to University Medical Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland for treatment. Although he recovered well from the first visit and was soon back in Nepal, he was back in the hospital by November of 1954. During the same visit, while in Nice, he suffered a heart attack on 31 January 1955. Unfortunately, he never recovered completely from this and passed away on 13 March 1955 at the University Medical Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland. He was just 48 years old.

His Majesty was flown back to Nepal on 16 March in a coffin covered with flowers. He was escorted by Swiss officials, Nepali generals as well as nurses and doctors from the hospital. He was accorded full military honors by the Swiss Army. His body reached Nepal on 17 March at 12:25 pm. He was received with a 49 gun salute amidst a gathering of his people, all mourning his death.

The coffin was borne in procession from Gaucharan Airport (now Tribhuvan International Airport) to the ghats of Pashupatinath on a silver palanquin. The entire nation mourned along with His Majesty’s family members. The final rites took place by the ghats of Pashupatinath, next to the holy Bagmati, where His Majesty’s mortal body was cremated as per Hindu customs and royal rituals.

Following his death, his eldest son and heir to the throne, Crown Prince Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah became the King of Nepal.