{"id":"mahendra-of-nepal","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahendra-of-nepal","language":"en","name":"Mahendra of Nepal","name_en":"Mahendra of Nepal","name_ne":"महेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह","description":"King of Nepal (1920-1972)","headline":"King of Nepal (1920-1972)","also_known_as":[],"summary":"Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was King of Nepal from 13 March 1955 until his death in 1972. He led the 1960 royal coup, in which he dismissed the government, suspended the constitution, banned political parties, jailed their leaders, and established the Panchayat rule.","summary_more":[],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"11 June 1920","date":"1920-06-11"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Kathmandu","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3037","page":"https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P19"}},{"key":"died","label":"Died","values":[{"text":"31 January 1972","date":"1972-01-31"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P570"}},{"key":"deathplace","label":"Place of 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Nepal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20904033","page":"https://diginpl.com/people/indra-crown-princess-of-nepal"},{"text":"Queen Ratna of Nepal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4216610","page":"https://diginpl.com/people/queen-ratna-of-nepal"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P26"}},{"key":"positions","label":"Positions held","values":[{"text":"King of Nepal (13 March 1955 – 31 January 1972)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19700527","start":"1955-03-13","end":"1972-01-31"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P39"}},{"key":"awards","label":"Awards","values":[{"text":"Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16787486"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23773332"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10855226"},{"text":"Royal Victorian Chain","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2171187","date":"1961"},{"text":"Order of Tri Shakti Patta","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3885227"},{"text":"Order of the Star of Nepal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3885349"},{"text":"Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3885232"},{"text":"Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3147057"},{"text":"Nishan-e-Pakistan","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1820710"},{"text":"Order of the Elephant","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q976544"},{"text":"Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10904959","date":"1964"},{"text":"Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2297608"},{"text":"Order of Sikatuna","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q980578"},{"text":"Order of Pahlavi","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2399167"},{"text":"anniversary medal at the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Iranian Empire","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2001689"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313110#P166"}}],"office":{"profile":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/mahendra-i-of-nepal","holdings":[{"position":"King of Nepal","page":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/king","start":"1955-03-13","end":"1972-01-31","current":false,"acting":false,"source":null}]},"sections":[],"cited":[{"id":"early_life","title":"Early life and education","items":[{"text":"Mahendra was born on 11 June 1920 at the Narayanhiti Palace to King Tribhuvan of Nepal.","sources":[{"url":"https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/24180","title":"Mahendra Mala","publisher":"jwala printing house","date":null}]},{"text":"In 1940, he married Indra Rajya Lakshmi Devi, the granddaughter of Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana and daughter of General Hari Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.dcnepal.com/2020/08/181191/","title":"श्री ५ रत्नको आमा बन्ने अधिकार हनन् भएको थियो","publisher":"Dcnepal","date":"2020"}]},{"text":"Mahendra was not happy that King Tribhuvan had reduced the rights of the monarchy in the 1951 Interim Constitution while bidding farewell to the Rana dynasty after the 1951 revolution.","sources":[{"url":"https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2020/12/12/160774023766243358.html","title":"इतिहासको आँखामा 'एक अत्याचार'","publisher":"ekantipur.com","date":null}]},{"text":"In 1952, two years after the death of his crown princess, Mahendra married Indra's younger sister, Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi.","sources":[{"url":"https://oldphotosofnepal.com/post/98","title":"जेठ ३० गते राजा महेन्द्रको जन्मजयन्ती, हेराैं राजा महेन्द्रका १० दुर्लभ तस्विर","publisher":"oldphotosofnepal.com","date":null}]},{"text":"This marriage produced no children, as King Mahendra had married on the condition his personal life should not hinder his national duties, and the queen agreed to be childless.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.dcnepal.com/2020/08/181191/","title":"श्री ५ रत्नको आमा बन्ने अधिकार हनन् भएको थियो","publisher":"Dcnepal","date":"2020"}]},{"text":"He became king on 13 March 1955 but his coronation took place on 2 May 1956 due to the one year mourning period of death of his father.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.britishpathe.com/video/selected-originals-nepal-coronation-of-king-mahe-1","title":"Selected Originals Nepal - Coronation Of...","publisher":null,"date":null},{"url":"http://www.britishpathe.com/video/nepal-coronation-of-king-mahendra/query/SCARBOROUGH","title":"Nepal - Coronation Of King Mahendra","publisher":null,"date":null}]}]},{"id":"career","title":"Career","items":[{"text":"In order to elect 109 representatives to the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Nepal, the first democratic election of Nepal was held in 45 days from February 18 until April 4 1959.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.setopati.com/politics/103408/","title":"४५ दिन लगाएर गरिएको २०१५ सालको चुनाव","publisher":"Setopati","date":null}]},{"text":"This election was held in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1959, which was implemented on February 12 1959.","sources":[{"url":"http://nepalihimal.com/","title":"हिमाल खबरपत्रिका {{!}} राजा झुक्किंदा भयो चुनाव","publisher":"nepalihimal.com","date":null}]},{"text":"The Nepali Congress, achieved two-third majority and emerged as the largest party in the election.","sources":[{"url":"https://deshsanchar.com/2017/12/01/358/","title":"केवल एक पार्टी प्रमुखले जितेका थिए पहिलो आमनिर्वाचन","publisher":"देशसञ्चार","date":"2017-12-01"}]}]},{"id":"decisions","title":"Key decisions and achievements","items":[{"text":"Seeing the importance of planning in better development, the king established the National Planning Commission in 1956.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.zum.de/whkmla/sp/0708/eunmo/eunmo1.html#ed","title":"Modernization of Nepal under the Shah Dynasty, 1951-1991","publisher":"www.zum.de","date":"2007"}]},{"text":"Following the promulgation of Nepal Electricity Corporation Act, Nepal Electricity Corporation (NEC) came into operation in 1962 which was the main authority for responsible for providing electricity to the citizens.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313024060_Facts_and_Figures_about_Hydropower_Development_in_Nepal","title":"Facts and figures about hydropower development in Nepal","publisher":null,"date":null}]},{"text":"The provision of planning for five years known as the five-year plan started during his reign from 1956.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.zum.de/whkmla/sp/0708/eunmo/eunmo1.html#ed","title":"Modernization of Nepal under the Shah Dynasty, 1951-1991","publisher":"www.zum.de","date":"2007"}]},{"text":"He introduced Company Act for the first time in Nepal on 1964 to facilitate and manage the industrialization of the economy.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.nepalstock.com/about-us/introduction","title":"Introduction {{!}} About Us","publisher":"www.nepalstock.com","date":null},{"url":"https://english.bankingkhabar.com/?p=92","title":"History of Stock Market in Nepal","publisher":"Bankingkhabar","date":"2018-08-02"}]},{"text":"For getting the foreign currency amounts required to bear the expenses of Nepalese Embassies and treatment expenses of King, an application had to be submitted to the Reserve Bank of India.","sources":[{"url":"https://english.onlinekhabar.com/interesting-facts-about-nepal-rastra-bank.html","title":"5 interesting facts about Nepal Rastra Bank - OnlineKhabar English News","publisher":null,"date":"2020-09-25"}]},{"text":"Nepal had a dominant use of Indian rupee.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.enepalese.com/2020/06/274875.html","title":"A Tribute to Late King Mahendra of Nepal","publisher":"Enepalese","date":null},{"url":"https://nepaleconomicforum.org/pegged-currency-system-and-implication-in-nepal/","title":"Pegged currency system and implication in Nepal","publisher":"nepaleconomicforum.org","date":null}]}]},{"id":"controversies","title":"Controversies and criticism","items":[{"text":"Mahendra seized power after dissolving the government of Nepali Congress, jailed any objectors and moved steadily towards an authoritarian rule.","sources":[{"url":"https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/enter-mahendra-1724","title":"Enter Mahendra","publisher":"The Annapurna Express","date":null}]},{"text":"He considered political parties anti-national elements and put a complete ban on them in favor of a partyless system.","sources":[{"url":"https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/undemocratic-inclinations-1745","title":"Undemocratic inclinations","publisher":"The Annapurna Express","date":null}]},{"text":"It is not supposed to be made by the people.\" (translated from Nepali).","sources":[{"url":"https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2020/12/12/160774023766243358.html","title":"इतिहासको आँखामा 'एक अत्याचार'","publisher":"ekantipur.com","date":null}]},{"text":"Some people also claim that his introduction of the reformed Muluki Ain was not to bring equality in the society but rather to give death sentences to the Brahmin leaders of rebellions who had tried to assassinate him.","sources":[{"url":"https://ratopati.com/story/76097","title":"सहिद दुर्गानन्द झा जसलाई मृत्युदण्ड दिन कानुन नै संशोधन गर्नुपर्‍यो","publisher":"RatoPati","date":null}]},{"text":"Some critics claim that Mahendra stole the development plans of B.P Koirala and credited himself as the architect of the developmental process of the era.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/748/2018-12-21","title":"बिपीका योजना खोसेर महेन्द्र 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