Chief of the Nepalese Army

The Chief of the Nepalese Army (or Gorkhali Army) (Nepali: नेपाली सेनाको प्रधानसेनापति) is the military position of army head of the Nepalese Army, initially known as Gorkhali Army. The Chief of the Nepalese Army had been from among the Kaji officers during the 18th century. During the reign of Bhimsen Thapa, the title of Commander-in-Chief was introduced for the first time for denoting the army chief. Later in the late 1970s, the title was changed to Chief of Army Staff (CoAS). Currently, the Chief of Army Staff is the Chief of the Nepalese Army.

History

Kalu Pande, the first civilian chief of then Gorkhali army

The Chief of Nepalese Army have been mostly drawn from noble Chhetri families from Gorkha such as "Pande dynasty", "Basnyat dynasty", and "Thapa dynasty" before the rule of "Rana dynasty".[1] During the Shah monarchy, the officers were drawn from these aristocratic families.[1] During the Rana dynasty, Ranas overtook the position as birthright.[1] The first army chief of Nepal was King Prithvi Narayan Shah who drafted and commanded the Nepali (Gorkhali) Army.[2] The first civilian army chief was Kaji Kalu Pande who had significant role in the campaign of Nepal.[2] He was considered as army head due to the undertaking of duties and responsibilities of the army but not by the formalization of the title.[2] Both Indra Adhikari and Shiva Ram Khatri mentions Kalu Pande, Vamsharaj Pande, Damodar Pande, Abhiman Singh Basnyat as Chief of Nepalese Army before first titular Commander-in-Chief Bhimsen Thapa.[3][4]

Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa was the first person to use Commander-in-Chief as the title of army chief.[5] He was given the title of General as an additional portfolio to the position of Mukhtiyar.[6] During the Anglo-Nepalese War, Bhimsen bore all the responsibilities of the army as a Commander-in-Chief.[7] King Rajendra Bikram Shah appointed Bhimsen to the post of Commander-in-Chief on 1835 A.D.[8] and praised Bhimsen for long service to the nation.[9] However on 14 June 1837, the King took over the command of all the battalions put in charge of various courtiers, and himself became the Commander-in-Chief.[10][11] Immediately after the incarceration of the Thapas in 1837, Dalbhanjan Pande and Rana Jang Pande were the joint head of military administration.[12] However, Rana Jang was removed after 3 months on October 1837.[13][14][15][16] During the Rana dynasty, the founding Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana made the position hereditary on agnatic rolls of succession. The Commander-in-Chief was made the second rank in the hierarchy to Prime Minister of Nepal and was made to succeed as the Prime Minister in case of death of reigning Prime Minister.[17] Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) was second in the hierarchy than Supreme Commander during Rana Era.[18] The eradication of Rana dynasty from power after Revolution of 1951 did not end Ranas' dominance. During the Panchayat period, the Ranas continued to dominate the rank of Commander-in-Chief of Nepalese Army.[5] In the late 1970s, Commander-in-Chief was replaced by new term Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from the reign of General Singha Pratap Shah.

Nepotism

Since the regime of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa, 35 army commanders were members of Gorkha based Bharadar families such as Pande dynasty, Thapa dynasty and Basnyat family till 2007. Only seven army chiefs of Nepal were non-Rana Chhetris including Shahs while others were all Ranas.[5] During the Panchayat period, eight Ranas and two non-Ranas; Surendra Bahadur Shah and Singha Bahadur Basnyat, both of whom were royal favorites of elite class family were made Commander-in-Chief of Nepalese Army.[5]The non-elite persons to become Chief of Army were Rookmangad Katawal and Chhatra Man Singh Gurung. However, Rookmangad was a royal favorite adopted by King Mahendra of Nepal and Queen Ratna of Nepal.[5]

List of Chiefs of Nepalese Army

List of Chief Generals of Gorkhali Army (1743 - 1835)

No. Name Starting date Portrait Ending Date Remarks
- Prithvi Narayan Shah
(1723–1775)		 1743 circa 1746 Founder of Gorkhali forces.
1. Kaji
Vamshidhar "Kalu" Pande
(1713–1757)		 circa 1746 June 1757 First civilian army chief of Gorkhali forces.
2. Kaji
Vamsharaj Pande
(1739–1785)		 ?? July 1785 Probably, joint chief of army with others.
3. Kaji
Abhiman Singh Basnyat
(1744–1800)		 ?? April 1794 Probably, joint chief of army with others.
4. Kaji
Damodar Pande
(1752–1804)		 ?? March 1804 Probably, joint chief of army with others.
- Rana Bahadur Shah
(1775–1806)		 1804 April 1806
5. General
Bhimsen Thapa
(1775–1839)		 1811 1835

List of Commander-in-Chief of Nepal Army (1835 - 1979)

No. Name Portrait Starting date Ending Date Unit of Commission
5. General
Bhimsen Thapa
(1775–1839)		 1835 14 June 1837
- Rajendra Bikram Shah
(1813–1881)		 14 June 1837 June 1837
6. Kaji
Rana Jang Pande
(1789–1843)		 June 1837 October 1837
7. General
Mathabar Singh Thapa
(1798–1845)		 November 1843 17 May 1845
8. General
Jung Bahadur Rana
(1816–1877)		 15 September 1846 1 August 1856
9. General
Bam Bahadur Kunwar
(1818–1857)		 1 August 1856 25 May 1857
10. General
Krishna Bahadur Kunwar
(1823–1863)		 25 May 1857 1862
11. General
Ranodip Singh Kunwar
(1825–1885)		 1862 27 February 1877
12. General
Jagat Shamsher Kunwar Rana
(1827–1879)		 27 February 1877 11 May 1879
13. General
Dhir Shamsher Kunwar Rana
(1828–1884)		 11 May 1879 14 October 1884
14. General
Jeet Jang Rana
(–)		 October 1884 22 November 1885
15. General
Khadga Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1861–1921)		 22 November 1885 13 March 1887
16. General
Rana Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1861–1887)		 March 1887 June 1887
17. General
Dev Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1862–1914)		 June 1887 5 March 1901
18. General
Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1863–1929)		 5 March 1901 27 June 1901
19. General
Bhim Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
(1865–1932)		 27 June 1901 26 November 1929
20. General
Juddha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1875–1952)		 26 November 1929 14 October 1932
21. General
Rudra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1879–1964)		 14 October 1932 18 March 1934
22. General
Padma Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1882–1961)		 18 March 1934 29 November 1945
23. General
Mohan Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1885–1967)		 29 November 1945 30 April 1948
24. General
Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1888–1960)		 30 April 1948 1951
25. General
Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1892–1964)		 1951 1953
26. General
Kiran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1916–1983)		 1953 1956
27. General
Toran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1904-)		 1956 1960
28. General
Nir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1913–2013)		 15 Baisakh, 2017 B.S
(1960 A.D.)		 15 Baisakh 2022 B.S
(1965 A.D.)[19]
29. General
Surendra Bahadur Shah
(–)		 1965 1970
30. General
Singha Bahadur Basnyat
(–)		 1970 10 May 1975
31. General
Guna Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(born 1923)		 10 May 1975 10 May 1979

List of Chiefs of the Army Staff of Nepal (1979 – present)

No. Name Portrait Starting Date Ending Date Unit of Commission
32. General
Singha Pratap Shah
(born 1930)		 15 May 1979 15 May 1983
33. General
Arjun Narsingh Rana
(–)		 15 May 1983 15 May 1987
34. General
Satchit Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(born 1934)		 15 May 1987 15 May 1991
35. General
Gadul Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1936–2016)		 15 May 1991 4 May 1995[20]
36. General
Dharmapaal Barsingh Thapa
(born 1939)		 15 May 1995 15 May 1999
37. General
Prajwalla Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(born 1941)		 19 May 1999 9 September 2003
38. General
Pyar Jung Thapa
(born 1946)		 10 September 2003 9 September 2006
39. General
Rookmangad Katawal
(born 1948)		 9 September 2006 9 September 2009
40. General
Chhatra Man Singh Gurung
(born 1952)		 9 September 2009 5 September 2012 Shreenath Battalion
41. General
Gaurav Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(born 1955)		 6 September 2012 10 September 2015[21] Purano Gorakh Battalion
42. General
Rajendra Chhetri
(born 1960)		 10 September 2015 8 September 2018[22] Rajdal Battalion
43. General
Purna Chandra Thapa
(born 1960)		 9 September 2018[23][24] present Gorakh Bahadur Battalion[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Adhikari 2012, p. 154.
  2. 1 2 3 Adhikari 2012, p. 153.
  3. ↑ Adhikari 2015, p. 153.
  4. ↑ Khatri 1999.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Adhikari 2012, p. 155.
  6. ↑ Karmacharya 1990, p. 88.
  7. ↑ Acharya 2012, pp. 118-145.
  8. ↑ Hamal 1995, p. 61.
  9. ↑ Pradhan 2012, p. 149.
  10. ↑ Acharya 2012, p. 215.
  11. ↑ Nepal 2007, p. 105.
  12. ↑ Nepal 2007, p. 106.
  13. ↑ Acharya 2012, p. 160.
  14. ↑ Oldfield 1880, p. 311.
  15. ↑ Nepal 2007, p. 109.
  16. ↑ Pradhan 2012, p. 164.
  17. ↑ Hamal 1995, p. 62.
  18. ↑ Adhikari 2015, p. 154.
  19. ↑ "First Field Marshal Nir Shumsher passes away". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  20. ↑ "Former army chief Gadul Shamsher Rana no more". 6 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Tough challenges ahead for new NA chief Chhetri - The Himalayan Times". 10 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "Thapa to take charge of Nepali Army as acting CoAS - The Himalayan Times". 9 August 2018.
  23. ↑ "General Purna Thapa is new chief of Nepal Army". 9 September 2018 – via The Economic Times.
  24. ↑ "Thapa sworn in as new Army chief".
  25. ↑ "Thapa likely to be appointed Nepali Army chief". 4 November 2017.

Books

  • Acharya, Baburam (2012), Acharya, Shri Krishna, ed., Janaral Bhimsen Thapa : Yinko Utthan Tatha Pattan (in Nepali), Kathmandu: Education Book House, p. 228, ISBN 9789937241748
  • Adhikari, Indra (2015), Military and Democracy in Nepal, Routledge, ISBN 9781317589068
  • Hamal, Lakshman B. (1995), Military history of Nepal, Sharda Pustak Mandir
  • Nepal, Gyanmani (2007), Nepal ko Mahabharat (in Nepali) (3rd ed.), Kathmandu: Sajha, p. 314, ISBN 9789993325857
  • Oldfield, Henry Ambrose (1880), Sketches from Nipal, Vol 1, 1, London: W.H. Allan & Co.
  • Pradhan, Kumar L. (2012), Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, p. 278, ISBN 9788180698132
  • Khatri, Shiva Ram (1999), Nepal Army Chiefs: Short Biographical Sketches, University of Michigan: Sira Khatri
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