- Source: Lakhan Thapa
Lakhan Thapa Magar (1835–1877) was a Nepali revolutionary who resisted the rule of the Rana dynasty. The Nepalese government has declared him "the First Martyr of Nepal". He was a king of Bungkot. He rebelled against the rule of Jung Bahadur Rana. His close friend Jay Singh Chumi Magar was his minister.
Kot Massacre of 1846
The murder of General Gagan Singh Bhandari precipitated the Kot Massacre of 14 September 1846, which brought the Ranas to power for 104 years. The reigning queen wanted to find the general's murderer. General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar, the first Commander-in-Chief of Nepal Army, knew the killer's identity. Upon learning of the general's knowledge, Jung Bahadur Rana shot him. The dying general revealed the killer's identity, and Junga Bahadur Rana was motivated to eliminate nobles inside and outside the royal house, including ethnic leaders like Lakhan Thapa Magar, to secure his position.
Resistance
After the Rana takeover, Lakhan Thapa Magar organized youths and ex-military members to protest the government. He gathered men, weapons, and supplies for a rebellion. The Rana government deployed troops to Gorkha. Jung Bahadur Rana ordered Thapa Magar and other rebels hanged. Thapa Magar was hanged in front of his residence in Bungkot on 14 February 1877. Seven others were hanged near Manakamana Temple. Some historians have written that the government captured and hanged 50 other participants. One of Jung Bahadur Rana's descendants has disputed Magar's claim to martyrdom. However, many Nepali historians maintain that Lakhan Thapa Magar was hanged.
Legacy
While Lakhan Thapa was historically viewed as a silly figure, his image was rehabilitated in the 1990s. Historian and former Director General of Nepal Government's Department of Archaeology, Janak Lal Sharma, wrote that Jung Bahadur Rana's rule made a revolution inevitable. Some historians have compared Lakhan Thapa to Bhagat Singh of India, describing both as prominent political martyrs.
Family tree
Lakhan Thapa Magar's Siblings:
Ram Thapa Magar (older brother)
Dhana Mala (sister).
Notes
References
Baidhya, Tulsiram, Vijay Kumar Manandhar and Premsingh Basnyat. 2009. Military History of Nepal (Part 2). Kathmandu: Army Headquarters.
Bhandari, Dhundi Raj: नेपालको आलोचनात्मक इतिहास Nepalko Aalochanatmak Itihas (A Critical History of Nepal)
Gurung, Hark – 1998: Nepal : Social Demography and Expression.
Lecomte-Tilouine, Marie – Oxford University Press – 2008: Hindu Kingship, Ethnic Revival and Maoist Rebellion in Nepal Archived 2010-11-27 at the Wayback Machine
Lecomte-Tilouine, Marie: Utopia and Ideology among the Magars: Lakhan Thapa versus Mao Dzedong?
Rana, B. K. 2003: संक्षिप्त मगर इतिहास Sanchhipta Magar Itihas (A Concise History of Magars)
Rana, B. K. 2012 : Martyr Lakhan Thapa of Nepal: From a Native Perspective
Rana, Pudma Jung Bahadur – 1909: Life of Maharaja Sir Jung Bahadur of Nepal. The Pioneer Press Allahbad
Rana, Promod Sumsher – 1978 : Rana Nepal – An Insider's View
Sharma, Bal Chandra : नेपालको ऐतिहासिक रुपरेखा Nepalko Aitihasik Ruprekha (Glimpses of Nepalese History)
Sharma, Janak Lal −1964 : जोसमनी सन्त-परम्परा र साहित्य – २०२० -Josmani Sanit-Parampara Ra Sahitya 1964 – Josmani Saint Tradition and Literature – 1964.
Singh, Bhim Bhaktaman – 2005: Nepal
External links
Magar MorchaMartyr Lakhan Thapa of Nepal: From a Native Perspective
Celebration of Martyrs' Day In Nepal
Martyrs, Martyrdom and Martyr Lakhan Thapa
Martyrs, Freedom Fighters and Brave Children of Nepal
Hindu Kingship, Ethnic Revival and Maoist Rebellion in Nepal:
Even today, Lakhan Thapa is remembered as the first Nepali martyr
Martyrs, Martyrdom and Martyr Lakhan Thapa
Bagchi-Levi in Nepal A Glimpse of the Rana Rule in Nepal, Manindra Bhushan Bhaduri The Calcutta Review July 1962