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List of heads of state of Nepal

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The following is a list of the heads of state of Nepal, from the unification of the country and the founding of the Kingdom of Nepal in 1768, to the establishment of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in 2008.

The King of Nepal was the country's head of state from the unification and the establishment of the kingdom in 1768 to 2008. Since 2008, the head of state has been the President of Nepal after the abolition of monarchy and the establishment of a republic.

Kingdom of Nepal (1768–2008)

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Nepal was ruled by monarchs of the Shah dynasty from 1768 till the abolition of monarchy in 2008. However, from 1846 until the 1951 revolution, the country was de facto ruled by the hereditary prime ministers of the Rana dynasty, reducing the role of the Shah monarch to that of a figurehead.[1] The monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008 by the 1st Constituent Assembly.[2][3]

No. Portrait King
(Birth–Death)
Reign House Claim
Reign start Reign end Duration
1 Prithvi Narayan Shah
पृथ्वी नारायण शाह
(1723–1775)
25 September 1768 11 January 1775 6 years, 108 days Shah King of the Gorkha Kingdom since 1743
2 Pratap Singh Shah
प्रताप सिंह शाह
(1751–1777)
11 January 1775 17 November 1777 2 years, 310 days Shah Son of Prithvi Narayan Shah
3 Rana Bahadur Shah
रण बहादुर शाह
(1775–1806)
17 November 1777 8 March 1799
(abdicated)
21 years, 111 days Shah Son of Pratap Singh Shah
4 Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah
गीर्वाणयुद्ध विक्रम शाह
(1797–1816)
8 March 1799 20 November 1816 17 years, 257 days Shah Son of Rana Bahadur Shah
5 Rajendra Bikram Shah
राजेन्द्र विक्रम शाह
(1813–1881)
20 November 1816 12 May 1847
(abdicated)
30 years, 173 days Shah Son of Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah
6 Surendra Bikram Shah
सुरेन्द्र विक्रम शाह
(1829–1881)
12 May 1847 17 May 1881 34 years, 5 days Shah Son of Rajendra Bikram Shah
7 Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
पृथ्वी वीर विक्रम शाह
(1875–1911)
17 May 1881 11 December 1911 30 years, 208 days Shah Grandson of Surendra Bikram Shah
8 Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह
(1906–1955)
11 December 1911 7 November 1950
(went into exile)
38 years, 331 days Shah Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
9 Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह
(born 1947)
7 November 1950 7 January 1951
(stepped down)
61 days Shah Grandson of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
(8) Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
त्रिभुवन वीर विक्रम शाह
(1906–1955)
7 January 1951 13 March 1955 4 years, 65 days Shah Son of Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah
10 Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
महेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह
(1920–1972)
14 March 1955 31 January 1972 16 years, 323 days Shah Son of Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
11 Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
वीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह
(1945–2001)
31 January 1972 1 June 2001
(assassinated)
29 years, 121 days Shah Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
12 Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah
दीपेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह
(1971–2001)
1 June 2001 4 June 2001
(declared braindead)
3 days[a] Shah Son of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
(9) Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह
(born 1947)
4 June 2001[b] 28 May 2008
(deposed)
6 years, 359 days Shah Son of Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah

Transitional period (State of Nepal, 2007–2008)

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Under the interim constitution adopted in January 2007, all powers of governance were removed from the king, and the Constituent Assembly elected in 2008 was to decide in its first meeting whether to continue the monarchy or to declare a republic. During the suspension of the monarchy, Girija Prasad Koirala, then Prime Minister of Nepal, acted as the Head of State. On 28 May 2008, the Assembly voted to abolish the monarchy. Ram Baran Yadav was elected by the Constituent Assembly, and was sworn in as the nation's first president on 23 July 2008.

Status:   Denotes Acting Head of State

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office Party
Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala
(गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइराला)
(1925–2010)
Acting
15 January 200723 July 20081 year, 190 days[c]Congress

Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (2008–present)

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No. Portrait President Took office Left office Time in office Party Election
1
Ram Baran Yadav
Yadav, Ram BaranRam Baran Yadav
(रामवरण यादव)
(born 1948)
23 July 200829 October 20157 years, 98 daysCongress2008
2
Bidya Devi Bhandari
Bhandari, Bidya DeviBidya Devi Bhandari
(विद्यादेवी भण्डारी)
(born 1961)
29 October 201513 March 20237 years, 135 daysCPN (UML)2015
2018
3
Ram Chandra Poudel
Poudel, Ram ChandraRam Chandra Poudel
(राम चन्द्र पौडेल)
(born 1944)
13 March 2023Incumbent1 year, 239 daysCongress2023

Timeline

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Ram Chandra PoudelBidhya Devi BhandariRam Baran YadavGirija Prasad KoiralaDipendra Bir Bikram ShahBirendra Bir Bikram ShahMahendra Bir Bikram ShahGyanendra Bir Bikram ShahTribhuvan Bir Bikram ShahPrithvi Bir Bikram ShahSurendra Bikram ShahRajendra Bikram ShahGirvan Yuddha Bikram ShahRana Bahadur ShahPratap Singh ShahPrithvi Narayan Shah

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Reigned whilst in a coma, following the royal massacre.
  2. ^ Served as regent for Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah, from 1–4 June 2001.
  3. ^ Simultaneously served as Prime Minister, from 25 April 2006 – 18 August 2008.

References

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  1. ^ J. Demy, Timothy; M. Shaw, Jeffrey (19 September 2019). Religion and Contemporary Politics: A Global Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 328. ISBN 978-1-4408-3933-7. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Deposed Nepal king surrenders crown". The Guardian. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Nepalese celebrate opening of new era and end of monarchy (Published 2008)". The New York Times. 28 May 2008. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
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