# Ranajit Malla

_Raja of Bhaktapur_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ranajit-malla
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Ranajita Malla (Newar: 𑐬𑐞𑐖𑐶𑐟 𑐩𑐮𑑂𑐮) was the last king of the Malla dynasty who ruled Bhaktapur from 1722 to 1769. He is widely known for his contribution to Newari and Maithili literature, in particular his plays are generally praised by modern scholars. He has been generally described as a peace loving, simple and pious monarch who allowed his citizens to advise and criticize him. However, his reign was characterized by constant disputes with Kantipur and Gorkha. He is also known for the crisis of succession during his reign when he favored his concubine's issue over his queen consort's, who was more generally liked, which caused a lot of mutiny in the kingdom especially in cities like Thimi and Banepa.

## Quick facts

- **Place of birth:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7290704#P19))
- **Died:** 1770 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7290704#P570))
- **Positions held:** Raja (1722–1769); King of Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7290704#P39))

## Public office

- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/ranajit-malla

## About

Ranajit Malla was described very positively by Capuchin missionaries, particularly due to his friendly attitude towards them and he allowed them to preach Christianity without persecution. During the later parts of his reign, he ruled Lalitpur briefly, after being invited by the city's nobles. He was also, during his later years, generally respected by people in the valley due to him being of old age and the only direct descendant of Yaksha Malla.

After his defeat by the Gorkhali forces of Prithivi Narayan Shah in 1769, he was per his choice sent into exile in Varanasi, and on its way composed a Newar language Dapha song from the hills of Chandragiri, which is regarded as an important literary work of the Newar Language.

## Questions

**What positions has Ranajit Malla held?**  
Positions held by Ranajit Malla include: Raja (1722–1769); King of Nepal.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ranajit Malla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranajit_Malla) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): रणजीत मल्ल](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q7290704](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7290704) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Nepal30001.JPG by Clemensmarabu (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nepal30001.JPG)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ranajit Malla, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Nepal30001.JPG — Clemensmarabu, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Ranajit Malla". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ranajit-malla. Retrieved 3 November 2026.