Background
Surendra was the son of King Rajendra and his first wife, Queen Samrajya. He was born the crown prince of Nepal and was relatively unpopular.
Surendra was the son of King Rajendra and his first wife, Queen Samrajya. He was born the crown prince of Nepal and was relatively unpopular.
He became king after Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana forced the abdication of Surendra"s father, Rajendra Bikram Shah. Surendra wielded little real power, with Jang Bahadur Rana effectively ruling the country during Surendra"s reign. Name Surendra means "Chief of Deities".
However, Jung Bahadurwho was ambitious and wanted powermight have cooperated with Rajya Laxmi for his own motive.
After the Kot massacre, in which Jung Bahadur managed to eliminate a large number of nobles, Jung Bahadur turned against the queen, who in turn plotted to kill him (though the plot failed). Thinking Queen Rajya Laxhmi might be a threat to him, Jung Bahadurwho had become the prime ministerexiled Rajyalakshmi to Varanasi.
King Rajendra also accompanied her to Varanasi. Before leaving, he made Surendra the prince regent.
However, later Jung Bahadur Rana forced the abdication of King Rajendra and then Surendra was made the king.
King Surendra was like a prisoner in his own palace: with the exception of his immediate family, nobody could visit him without the permission of Jung Bahadur Rana. The king was only allowed to read literature. Surendra was allowed to meet his father, the ex-king Rajendra, once every month.
Rajendra continued to live under house arrest until his death.
In 1856, King Surendra issued a sanadwhich formalized the dominance and political leadership of the Kunwar familythe family of Jung Bahadur Rana. While Surendra remained the king (Maharajadhiraja), he had little power.
Jung Bahadur Rana ruled the country. Surendra"s son, General and Crown Prince Trailokya Bir Bikram Shah Deva married three of Jung Bahadur Rana"s daughters, Tara Rajya Laxmi Devi, Lalit Rajeshwori Rajya Laxmi Devi and Hiranyagarbha Kumari Devi.
Trilokya died in 1878, and Trilokya"s son Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah became heir to the throne.
Surendra died in 1881.
The king and his descendants could use the honorific title of "Shri" five times with their names, while the members of the Kunwar family used the title thriceplacing the Kunwar family in a rank that was second only to the royal family.
