Dev Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana - Accession

Accession

He became the Prime Minister of Nepal at the age of 37 years and 7 months on March 5, 1901 (1957 Falgun 15). He claimed his heredity from his late brother Sri Teen Maharaja, Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, and got the "Laal Mohur", official stamp of the King of Nepal from then King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah.

According to the traditions of the Rana family, relatives were appointed to high office.

• Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Chief of the Army
• Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Western Commanding General
• Fathe Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Eastern Commanding General
• Jeet Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Southern Commanding General
• Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana became Northern Commanding General

Dev Shamsher kept his brother Fathe Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana as Hujuriya General (Chief of the Prime Minister’s body guard) and his nephew General Gehendra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana in his post of spy-chief and head of police. Gahendra Shamsher was one of the most powerful people at this time. He had placed his allies in all the high positions of the police force since the time of his father, Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. Dev Shamsher appointed his brother Sher Shamsher as the Chief of Staff to then King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah and even built a palace for him. And in the same year 1901 A.D. Sher Shamsher was appointed as the first director of Nepal’s first national newspaper Gorkhapatra which is still the government national daily.

His brothers' envy led them to overthrow him in 1901 when he had become Teen Maharajah.

Dev Shamsher was very satisfied with the plan "Universal Education" (Aksharanka Shiksha) prepared by Jay Prithivi Bahadur Singh, King of Bajhang. Later it was published in Gorkhapatra 1st and 2nd Edition 1958 B.S. (1901 A.D.). Dev Shamsher remarked, "If anyone wishes to satisfy the prime minister, it should be with the works like this, not flattery". The publication of Weekly Gorkhapatra started on May 1901 (B.S. 1958. Vaisakha 24). Within a short period of time the paper progressed well and started bi-weekly publication. Owing to its popularity, later it started daily issue, which has become the oldest and largest daily of Nepal today.

Iron ore mine was started in Thosay during Dev Shumshere's time. The Thosay bazaar is 15 km away north from Manthali, the headquarter of Ramechhap district. At one time this was Nepal's largest iron ore processing center. Iron from this area was used for manufacturing weapons that were used during war with Tibet. Trekkers pass through this Thosay bazaar on their way to Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest) (Gorkhapatra Daily, Jan. 16, 2002)

During his short tenure, Dev Shamsher was known as "The Reformist" for his progressive policies, he proclaimed universal education, began to build schools, took steps to abolish slavery, and introduced several other social welfare schemes. He also made improvements to the arsenal at Nakkhu (south of Kathmandu). A democratic person, he took the advice of his nephew General Gahendra Shamsher and decided to establish a parliament and built a big hall in his Thapathali durbar like his uncle, Prime Minister and Chief of the Army (Marshal) Jang Bahadur.

He proposed a system of universal public primary education, using Nepali as the language of instruction, and opening Durbar High School to children who were not members of the Rana clan. His call for reforms did not entirely disappear, however. A few Nepali-language primary schools in the Kathmandu Valley, the Hill Region, and the Tarai remained open, and the practice of admitting a few middle- and low-caste children to Durbar High School continued.

Deva Shamsher was also responsible for introducing a campaign in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan to fight corruption, as well as introducing a cannon shot at midday to let the people know the time. He organized a ladies court like his late uncle Jang Bahadur. He was the first person to introduce the newspaper to Nepal, Gorkhapatra, which is still the national daily. He made his 'Sindure Yatra' royal proclamation 8 times in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, Kakani etc. Sources claim that his lifestyle was lavish. In his short 4-month regime, he introduced gambling for 2 months, along with bhajan from 3-5 p.m. and silent movies from 8-10 p.m.

Now unlike his predecessors Dev Shamsher being a reformist was evidently well-read in the history of Japan and saw a parallelism with the Shogunate of Japan and likewise he emulated the reforms of the Meiji Restoration of Japan. It was Dev Shamsher who planned to send Nepali youths to Japan for higher studies.

Wisteria, Chrysanthemum, Persimmon and the big size Chestnut (Nillahar, Godaboriphool, Haluwabed and thulo Kattus), which are now familiar plants in Nepal, especially the Kathmandu valley, were imported as seeds from Japan by one of the students who studied agriculture there.

He learned a lot through books and people about the modernization programs of Japan since 1868, the famous Meiji Ishin, the government policy, Meiji Constitution and realized Japan was becoming a powerful nation in economy and national security. Dev Shumsher was every inch a democrat, convinced by the idea of constitutional monarchy and Parliamentary system. He saw Japan as his model. He chose an advanced Asian nation for learning probably because of some similarities between Nepal and Japan rejoining their cultural and then political situation. Unfortunately Dev Shumsher could not implement his plan during his very short period of 144 days rule. However, the next Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher sent the students to Japan in April 1902.