Shah Dynasty - Beginning of Shah Dynasty

Beginning of Shah Dynasty

In the 1500s, Prince Yashobramha Shah of Kaski (son of King Kulamandan Shah) was enthroned in the principality of Lamjung. The rulers of the neighbouring principality of Ligligkot, now in Gorkha, were Ghale people. They had a tradition of choosing a ruler every autumn by way of a running race open to everyone. Whoever won the race was to become ruler for a year. Dravya Shah was not a physically robust man and he tricked his way to the win with the backing of the Bhattarai, Aryal, Adhikari, Pant and the Acharya clans of Bahun. He then ruled in a brutal way, did away with the tradition of choosing a ruler every autumn and executed anyone who suggested the reinstatement of the running race. By the time of Dravya Shah's death in 1570, the running race tradition was but a memory among the people. Dravya Shah had used the Magar army to invade neighbouring states and his successors continued this aggression to increase the kingdom's territory.

Dravya Shah was a Sisodia Rajput from Chittor in modern Rajasthan but his ancestors had settled in Gorkha region from which their clan's name became Gurkha.