Birendra of Nepal
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| Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev | ||
|---|---|---|
| Late King of Nepal | ||
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| Reign | 31 January 1972 - 1 June 2001 | |
| Born | December 28, 1945 | |
| Died | 1 June 2001 | |
| Predecessor | Mahendra of Nepal | |
| Successor | Dipendra of Nepal | |
| Consort | Aiswarya | |
| Royal House | Shah dynasty | |
| Royal anthem | Shrimann Ghambir | |
| Father | Mahendra of Nepal | |
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (विरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव) (December 28, 1945 – June 1, 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until 2001, and the son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded. He was made a British Field Marshal in 1980. He is without doubt the most famous king in Nepalese history till date.
[edit] Early life
Educated at premier institutes in Europe, Asia, and America, including the elite Eton College and Harvard University, he traveled a great deal before ascending the throne.
King Birendra was married to Aiswarya from the Rana family on February 27, 1970, they had three children.
- Prince Dipendra (June 27, 1971 – June 4, 2001)
- Princess Shruti (October 15, 1976 - June 1, 2001)
- Prince Nirajan (November 6, 1977–June 1, 2001)
[edit] Reign
Birendra was more open to parliamentary democracy than his father, and granted a democratic government after a people's movement in 1990. However, the quarrels between various political parties and numerous social problems led to the Nepalese Civil War, a conflict between Maoist rebels and monarchist government forces, which lasted from 1996 until 2006.
[edit] Death
Nepal's stability was threatened even more when he and most of his family (including Queen Aiswarya) were massacred at a royal dinner on 1 June 2001. It is still unclear that who is behind the royal killings 2001. Nepalese people believe that Gyanendra is the main suspected mastermind behind the royal palace massacre on 1 June 2001 and blamed Dipendra. However, according to published reports his eldest son and heir, Dipendra, was apparently the gunman, but he himself died a few days later of gunshot wounds suffered during the massacre. Birendra's brother, Gyanendra, then became king.
| Preceded by Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah |
Crown Prince of Nepal 1955–1972 |
Succeeded by Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| King of Nepal 1972–2001 |
