Kiran Shamsher Rana
Encyclopedia
Kiran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, KBE
, KCVO
(1916-1983), was a Nepal
ese army officer. He served as the Royal Nepalese Army's Commander-in-Chief from 1951-1956 and as the Nepalese ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1973-1977. Over the course of thirty years, he served as Aide-de-camp
General to Their Majesties King Tribhuvan
, King Mahendra
and King Birendra
.
and the Eastern Active Service Area in India. For his praiseworthy service he was mentioned in the despatches. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1943 and decorated with the Order of Nepal Tara (2nd Class), then sent as a liaison officer to the Eastern Command and the 14th Army in India.
Following the end of World War II, he was a member of the Nepalese contingent at the London Victory Parade of 1946 and of the first Nepalese Goodwill Mission to the United States. On return of the troops in 1948, he was awarded the Nepal Pratap Vardhak by the government of Nepal and KBE
by the British government. Outside of the military, he served the Nepalese government in other roles between 1946 and 1950, including Director General of Health, Transport and Communications, the Royal Mint, and as Chief Justice for a brief period.
During the 1950 insurgency in Nepal, General Kiran lead a peace mission to the eastern parts. In recognition of his services was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army and awarded the most refulgent order of Nepal Supradipta Manyabara Nepal Tara (1st Class). He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army the next year. General Kiran then reorganized the Royal Nepalese Army and was awarded with the order of Trishakti-Patta (1st Class).
During the reign of His Majesty King Tribhuvan
, he was appointed as Aide-de-camp
General to the king and decorated with the order of Suprasiddha Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (1st Class). (He subsequently served as ADC General to the following two kings of Nepal.) In 1954 and 1955, he served on the Coronation Committee of His Majesty King Mahendra
.
General Kiran made an official visit to Malaya
in 1955 at the invitation of Commander-in-Chief, Far Eastern Command (Land Forces) of the British Army
and inspected the Gurkha regiments
stationed there. The following year, he retired from the Army and was appointed Minister of State for Planning and Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tanka Prashad Acharya. In 1957, General Kiran was appointed Vice President of the 1st Planning Commission.
He took on duties outside of Nepal later in life, appointed to a six-year term as a member of Rajya Sabha
in 1963 and later serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the Court of St. James's
from 1973 to 1977.
.
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Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(1916-1983), was a Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese army officer. He served as the Royal Nepalese Army's Commander-in-Chief from 1951-1956 and as the Nepalese ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1973-1977. Over the course of thirty years, he served as Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
General to Their Majesties King Tribhuvan
Tribhuvan of Nepal
King Tribhuhvan Bir Bikram Shah , King of Nepal was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his death...
, King Mahendra
Mahendra of Nepal
Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
and King Birendra
Birendra of Nepal
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev was a King of Nepal. The son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded in 1972, he reigned until his death in the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre...
.
Biography
Kiran Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana was born October 1916, son of the late H. H. Maharajah Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, then Prime Minister of Nepal.Career
He joined the Nepali Army in 1933 and during World War II, he commanded the Mahendra Dal Battalion of the Nepalese Army in 1940, sent in aid of the Allied Forces in the North-West FrontierNorth-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
and the Eastern Active Service Area in India. For his praiseworthy service he was mentioned in the despatches. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1943 and decorated with the Order of Nepal Tara (2nd Class), then sent as a liaison officer to the Eastern Command and the 14th Army in India.
Following the end of World War II, he was a member of the Nepalese contingent at the London Victory Parade of 1946 and of the first Nepalese Goodwill Mission to the United States. On return of the troops in 1948, he was awarded the Nepal Pratap Vardhak by the government of Nepal and KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by the British government. Outside of the military, he served the Nepalese government in other roles between 1946 and 1950, including Director General of Health, Transport and Communications, the Royal Mint, and as Chief Justice for a brief period.
During the 1950 insurgency in Nepal, General Kiran lead a peace mission to the eastern parts. In recognition of his services was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army and awarded the most refulgent order of Nepal Supradipta Manyabara Nepal Tara (1st Class). He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army the next year. General Kiran then reorganized the Royal Nepalese Army and was awarded with the order of Trishakti-Patta (1st Class).
During the reign of His Majesty King Tribhuvan
Tribhuvan of Nepal
King Tribhuhvan Bir Bikram Shah , King of Nepal was King of Nepal from 11 December 1911 until his death...
, he was appointed as Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
General to the king and decorated with the order of Suprasiddha Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (1st Class). (He subsequently served as ADC General to the following two kings of Nepal.) In 1954 and 1955, he served on the Coronation Committee of His Majesty King Mahendra
Mahendra of Nepal
Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
.
General Kiran made an official visit to Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
in 1955 at the invitation of Commander-in-Chief, Far Eastern Command (Land Forces) of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and inspected the Gurkha regiments
Gorkha regiments (India)
The Gorkha regiments have been serving in the Indian Army ever since independence in 1947, when the Tripartite Agreement was signed. The regiments primarily consist of soldiers from India's Gorkha community and from the Gorkha tribes of Nepal...
stationed there. The following year, he retired from the Army and was appointed Minister of State for Planning and Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Tanka Prashad Acharya. In 1957, General Kiran was appointed Vice President of the 1st Planning Commission.
He took on duties outside of Nepal later in life, appointed to a six-year term as a member of Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
in 1963 and later serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the Court of St. James's
Court of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
from 1973 to 1977.
Marriage and children
General Kiran married Sri Rani Yuba Rajya Lakshmi in 1936. The couple had five children:- Rani Teeka Rajya Laxmi Simha (d. 1993)
- Shri Prashiddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
- Shri Prabal Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
- Shri Pramodh Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
- Shri Subodh Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana
Death and afterward
General Kiran expired in November 1983 in Kathmandu and was cremated with full military honors at Arya Ghat, PashupatinathPashupatinath temple
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple served as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, Nepal is a secular country...
.
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Nepalese Decorations
- Order of Pratapa Vardhaka
- Order of Nepal Tara (1st Class)Order of the Star of NepalThe Most Refulgent Order of the Star of Nepal is an award of Nepal. It was instituted by King Tribhubhan Bir Bikram Shah Dev on 29 November 1918. The order consists of the Sovereign, Grand Master and ordinary members. For the ordinary members there are five grades and an associated medal...
- Order of Om Ram Patta (1st Class)
- Order of Tri Shakti Patta (1st Class)
- Order of Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (1st Class)
Foreign Decorations
- Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE)
- Commander of Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(American Order, 2nd class) - Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
- Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished service in 1943 (U.K.)