Ranga Nath Poudyal
{{Short description|Top administrator in Nepal}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Pandit Raaj
| name = Ranga Nath Poudyal
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name = पण्डित राज
रङ्गनाथ पौड्याल
| native_name_lang = ne
| image = Portrait of Rangnath Paudel.jpg
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| birth_date 1830 B.S =
| birth_place = Makhantole, Kathmandu
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| nationality = Nepali
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| notable_works = Rajbidhansaar & Kapurstwa
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| office = 4th Mukhtiyar of Nepal
|term_start = 1837 December
|term_end = 1838 August
| predecessor = Rana Jang Pande
| successor = Chautariya Pushkar Shah
|term_start2 = 1840 November
|term_end2 = 1840 November
| predecessor2 = Rana Jang Pande
| successor2 = Fateh Jung Shah
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| parents = Panditraj Bajranath
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Ranga Nath Poudyal Atreya ({{langx|ne|रङ्गनाथ पौड्याल आत्रेय}}) popularly known as Ranganath Pandit was the Mukhtiyar of Nepal from 1837 December to 1838 August and in 1840 November for about 2–3 weeks. He was the first Brahmin Prime Minister of Nepal.
Early life
Ranga Nath Poudyal Atreya was born in 1773 A.D. at Makhantole Kathmandu to Pandit Brajnath Atreya, who was a prominent courtier in the palace who was later exiled to Benaras. He was a Bahun by ethnicity.{{sfn|Raj|2006|p=55}} Ranga Nath Poudyal Atreya spent his childhood years in Benares, where he mastered Sanskrit. He was granted the title "Pandit Raj" by the then king of Benares.{{cite book|last=Paudel|first=Baburam|title=Paudel Bansalwali|publisher=Jagadamba Press|location=Lalitpur|year=2003|page=3}}{{qn|date=April 2015}}
Political career
Ranga Nath Poudyal Atreya met Bhimsen Thapa in Benares (Varanasi). He was deeply influenced by Bhimsen Thapa and thus he forged his path to power by establishing himself as the prominent supporter of Bhimsen Thapa. After the execution of Mulkaji (Chief Kaji) Damodar Pande, Paudyal was appointed as Raj Guru (Royal Preceptor) along with Ranajit Pande as appointed as Mulkaji, Bhimsen Thapa as second Kaji and Sher Bahadur Shah as Mul Chautariya.{{sfn|Nepal|2007|p=58}}{{sfn|Acharya|2012|p=55}} He became Prime Minister of Nepal at the time of utmost political turmoil. He is remembered as a clever Brahmin .{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} Although he was the prominent supporter of Bhimsen Thapa{{cite book|author1=Cocker, M |author2=Inskipp, C.|title=A Himalayan ornithologist: The life and work of Brian Houghton Hodgson|year=1988|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|pages=129}} His political career was doomed after the downfall of Bhimsen Thapa. He is often characterized as the spiritual advisor of the court rather than a powerful governor.
Personal life
Not much is known about his personal life. He is believed by many to be spiritual minded.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{citation | last = Acharya | first = Baburam | editor-last = Acharya | editor-first = Shri Krishna |title = Janaral Bhimsen Thapa : Yinko Utthan Tatha Pattan | location = Kathmandu | year = 2012 | pages = 228 | language = ne | publisher = Education Book House | isbn = 9789937241748}}
- {{citation |last=Nepal |first=Gyanmani |title=Nepal ko Mahabharat |publisher=Sajha |language=ne |year=2007 |edition=3rd |pages=314 |location=Kathmandu |isbn=9789993325857}}
- {{citation | last = Pradhan | first = Kumar L. | title = Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839 | publisher = Concept Publishing Company | year = 2012 | isbn = 9788180698132 | location = New Delhi | pages = 278 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7PP1yElRzIUC}}
- {{citation | last = Raj | first = Prakash A. | title = Dancing Democracy: The power of a Third Eye | publisher = Rupa & Company | year = 2006 | isbn = 9788129109460 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rVNuAAAAMAAJ&q=sarbajit+rana+magar}}
{{Prime Ministers of Nepal}}
Category:People from Kathmandu
Category:Year of death missing
Category:19th-century prime ministers of Nepal