Lakhan Thapa Explained

Lakhan Thapa Magar (1835–1877) was a Nepali revolutionary who was declared the "First Martyr of Nepal" by the Nepalese government.[1] He was the first recorded Nepali political dissident and resisted the rule of the Rana dynasty. As a king of Bungkot, he rebelled against the rule of Jang Bahadur Rana and propagandized his political ideology to destroy the Jung Bahadur Rana regime to form a free state and army.[2] He was supported by his close friend Jay Singh Chumi Magar and his minister Jaya Singh Chumi.

Kot Massacre of 1846

The murder of General Gagan Singh Bhandari followed the Kot Massacre of 14 September 1846 that catapulted the Ranas into power for 104 years. The reigning queen wanted to know the murderer of General Gagan Singh Bhandari. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, who was the first General or Commander-in-Chief of Nepal Army,[3] had known who the killer was. Upon learning of the general's knowledge, Jung Bahadur Rana subsequently fatally shot the general. However, the dying general shouted about the killer's identity, and afterward, Junga Bahadur Rana was motivated to eliminate all nobles in and out of the royal house. This included ethnic leaders like Lakhan Thapa Magar to secure his position.

Resistance

After the Rana takeover, Lakhan Thapa Magar could not tolerate the iron-fisted rule of the dynasty. He organized some youths (some ex-military) to protest against the government. Along with men he brought weapons and supplies to rebel against the government. The Rana government responded by deploying troops to Gorkha. Jung Bahadur thought to eliminate Thapa Magar and other rebels and ordered to hang them. After sometime, Thapa Magar was hanged in front of his residence in Bungkot on 14 February 1877 and seven others were hanged near Manakamana Temple.[4] Some historians have written that the government had captured and hanged 50 other participants. Notably, one of the descendants of Jung Bahadur Rana has disputed Magar's claim to martyrdom.[5] But all renowned historians of Nepal have attested that Lakhan Thapa Magar was hanged to death.[6]

Legacy

While historically Lakhan Thapa has been seen as a foolish figure, in the 1990s his image was rehabilitated in the eyes of the public.[6] Historian and then Director General of Nepal Government's Department of Archaeology has written[7] that Jung Bahadur Rana's harsh rule prompted an inevitable revolution.

Some historians have drawn a parallel between Lakhan Thapa and Bhagat Singh of India, and saying that, like Singh, Thapa too was a prominent political martyrs in his country.

Family tree

Lakhan Thapa Magar's Siblings:

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. In 1874 (1932 BS), Lakhan Thapa gathered people in Gorkha to protest against the Ranas, Jung Bahadur in particular. All the protesters were arrested and most, including Lakhan Thapa, were hanged to death. Lakhan Thapa was killed for political reasons and so is considered Nepal's first martyr. Nepali Times
  2. "जंग बहादुरले नेपाल लाई म्लेछेलाई बेच्यो, दुनियालाई त्राही त्राही परिरहेको छ, जंगेलाई हटाई नेपालमातालाइ पापको बोझबाट हल्का गरेर नेपालमा सत्य युग फिराऊं भन्ने जगदम्बा कालिमाताले मलाइ वरदान दिएकिछन् | लौ भाइ हो तयार होउ " भनि उनले निक्कै मानिसहरुको दल खडा गरे |Bhim Bhaktaman Singh – Nepal – 2005 pp 68
  3. tulsiram vaidhya, Vijay Kumar manandhar and premsingh basnyat. 2009. military history of Nepal part 2. Kathmandu: army headquarters. p.417.
  4. "आठ पहरिया दलले ती सबै ब्यक्ति र सामान समेत जंग बहादुर लाइ ल्यायर बुझायो | जंगबहादुरलाई शस्त्रास्त्र समेतको संगठन देखेर निक्कै आश्चर्य लाग्यो | उनले यस संगठनलाई जरैदेखि निर्मूल पार्ने विचार गरे | निर्मूल पार्ने सबभन्दा सजिलो उपाय थियो संगठन्कर्तालाई निर्मूल पार्नु | त्यस कारण जंगबहादुरले लखन थापा र उनका ७ जान साथीलाई फासीको सजाय सुनाए र उनीहरुलाई फैसला सुनाएको निक्कै समय पछी लखन थापालाई आफ्नै मठमा र अरु ७ जनालाई मनकामनामा लगेर झुन्द्याइयो | लखन थापाको मठको विशाल भाग्नावासेश अद्यापि बुग्कोटबाट नाम्जुंग जाने बाटामा अवस्थित छ र त्यहाका स्थानीय जनताले बिर्सेका छैनन् |"

    Lakhan Thapa Dwitiyako Parva: Janak Lal Sharma 2020 – Page 91

  5. " जंगको हत्या गर्न भनि लखन थापा को दलले गोरखामा षड्यन्त्र रच्यो |लखन थापा प्रथम पटक पक्राऊ परे | केरकार गर्दा हात जोडी "फगत् प्राण पाल्नका निमित्त औतारी बनि टोपलेको हुँ" भन्ने बयान गरेकाले केहिदिन कैदमा राखी छोडियो |" Puroshottam Sumshwer JB Rana " Shri Teenharku Tathya Britant" PP 51
  6. Chapter 5: The Messianic and rebel King Lakhan Thapa, Utopia and Ideology among the Magars notes that Lakhan Thapa had become synonymous with "ridiculous person" in the Nepali language till history and actions were rediscovered in the 1990s by the concerned group of intellectuals. Eventually he is rehabilitated as the official martyr of Nepal. He is a hero, a king and a messianic for the Magars today.Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Jan, 2009 by Dilli Ram Dahal
  7. Janak Lal Sharma – a renowned archaeologist, writer, and director general, a recipient of Sajha Prize for his book -हाम्रो समाज: एक अध्ययन – Hamro Samaj: Ek Adhyayan – 2036

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