# Bhimsen Thapa

_Mukhtiyar and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/bhimsen-thapa
Last updated: 2026-10-07

> Bhimsen Thapa was a Nepalese statesman who served as the Mukhtiyar and de facto ruler of Nepal from 1806 to 1837. He is widely known as the first and the longest-serving prime minister of Nepal. He was inducted into the "National heroes of Nepal" by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** August 1775 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Gorkha District ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P19))
- **Died:** 28 July 1839 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P106))
- **Positions held:** Prime Minister of Nepal (1 January 1806 – 1 July 1837) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839#P39))

## Public office

- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (1 January 1806 – 1 July 1837)
- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/bhimsen-thapa

## Key decisions and achievements

- Sansar Chand took refuge among the Sikhs of Punjab and by August 1809, the Nepalese army was forced to retreat back by the combined army of Sansar Chand and Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab. ([Nepali Times](https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-gorkhali-defeat-at-kangra/))
- Furthermore, according to the treaty, Nepal had to agree that accredited Ministers from each shall reside at the Court of the other to secure and improve the relations of amity and peace between the two States. ([nepaldevelopment.pbworks.com](http://nepaldevelopment.pbworks.com/w/page/34197552/Sughauli%20Treaty%20of%201815:%20Full%20Text#SubstanceofaLetterundertheSealoftheRajaofNipal))
- The smaller Dharahara had 11 storeys before 1934 Nepal earthquake reduced it to two storeys. ([thehimalayantimes.com](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/dharahara-reconstruction-recreate-past-glory/), [The Kathmandu Post](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-216450496.html), [www.lonelyplanet.com](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/02/09/dharahara-tower-nepal-rebuild/))
- The original Dharahara Tower built by Bhimsen was 225 feet tall and was completely destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake. ([thehimalayantimes.com](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nra-doa-at-loggerheads-over-dharahara-reconstruction-model/), [thehimalayantimes.com](https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nepal-reconstruction-authority-gearing-rebuild-dharahara/))
- It was recognized by UNESCO. ([dnaindia.com](http://www.dnaindia.com/world/photo-gallery-in-pictures-earthquake-in-nepal-demolishes-darahara-tower-2080626))
- Dharahara is considered as majestic and nationalistic legacy of Bhimsen. ([thehimalayantimes.com](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/history-monumentality-no-build-back/))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhimsen_Thapa&oldid=1372675422), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was Bhimsen Thapa born?**  
Bhimsen Thapa was born on August 1775 in Gorkha District.

**What positions has Bhimsen Thapa held?**  
Positions held by Bhimsen Thapa include: Prime Minister of Nepal (1806–1837).

## Related

- [K. P. Sharma Oli](https://diginpl.com/people/k-p-sharma-oli)
- [Sushila Karki](https://diginpl.com/people/sushila-karki)
- [Pushpa Kamal Dahal](https://diginpl.com/people/pushpa-kamal-dahal)
- [Girija Prasad Koirala](https://diginpl.com/people/girija-prasad-koirala)
- [Sher Bahadur Deuba](https://diginpl.com/people/sher-bahadur-deuba)
- [Balen Shah](https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah)
- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)
- [Gorkha District](https://diginpl.com/places/gorkha-district)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Bhimsen Thapa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimsen_Thapa) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): भीमसेन थापा](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q4206839](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4206839) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Bhimsen Thapa sitting.jpg by Anand Muni Shakya (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhimsen_Thapa_sitting.jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Bhimsen Thapa](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhimsen_Thapa&oldid=1372675422) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Nepali Times: The Gorkhali defeat at Kangra (October 2, 2021)](https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-gorkhali-defeat-at-kangra/)
- [nepaldevelopment.pbworks.com: Analytics2Action [licensed for non-commercial use only] / Sughauli Treaty of 1815: Full Text](http://nepaldevelopment.pbworks.com/w/page/34197552/Sughauli%20Treaty%20of%201815:%20Full%20Text#SubstanceofaLetterundertheSealoftheRajaofNipal)
- [thehimalayantimes.com: Dharahara reconstruction: Recreate the past glory – The Himalayan Times (10 February 2017)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/dharahara-reconstruction-recreate-past-glory/)
- [The Kathmandu Post: Too tall for comfort (11 January 2010)](http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-216450496.html)
- [www.lonelyplanet.com: Nepal to build new Dharahara Tower after it collapsed in quake](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/02/09/dharahara-tower-nepal-rebuild/)
- [thehimalayantimes.com: NRA, DoA at loggerheads over Dharahara reconstruction model (7 February 2018)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nra-doa-at-loggerheads-over-dharahara-reconstruction-model/)
- [thehimalayantimes.com: NRA gearing up to rebuild Dharahara on its own (2 December 2017)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nepal-reconstruction-authority-gearing-rebuild-dharahara/)
- [dnaindia.com: In pictures: Earthquake in Nepal demolishes Darahara Tower - Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com](http://www.dnaindia.com/world/photo-gallery-in-pictures-earthquake-in-nepal-demolishes-darahara-tower-2080626)
- [thehimalayantimes.com: History and monumentality: No build-back – The Himalayan Times (3 November 2016)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/history-monumentality-no-build-back/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Bhimsen Thapa, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Bhimsen Thapa sitting.jpg — Anand Muni Shakya, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Bhimsen Thapa". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/bhimsen-thapa. Retrieved 21 October 2026.