Ram Shah

Ram Shah (; reign before 16061636) was a king of the Gorkha Kingdom (present-day Gorkha District, Nepal). He was the son of Gorkha king Purna Shah and brother of Chatra Shah. He acceded to the throne after his brother's death. He expanded his kingdom as far as the Trishuli River to the east, the Marshyangdi to the west, the Rasuwa to the north, and the Mahabharat Range to the west.

Shah was known as the "great conqueror" and "conscientious". He brought many changes to the Gorkha Kingdom, including fixed and uniform weights and measures, criminal codes, created a fixed rate of interest and built the Newar architecture palace Gorkha Palace. His statue is displayed at his Chautari where he used to administer justice to the people.

Reign When the first ruler of Gorkha Dravya Shah's son Purna Shah acceded in the throne, he ruled for about thirty-five years. Upon his death, his son Chatra Shah became the King and ruled the kingdom for about seven months until his death, as he did not have any children his brother Ram Shah acceded in the throne in c. 1606. In 1620, Ngawang Namgyal signed a friendship treaty with Shah; which allowed 50 people from the kingdom to live in Bhutan.

He began to colonise Barpak, Shyartan, Atharsaya Khola, Ferung, Khari, Meghi Charage, Niwarchok, Dhading; his conquest led the size of the kingdom far as the Trishuli River (east), the Marshyangdi (west), the Rasuwa, (north) and the Mahabharat Range (west). He would "dispense justice and display fairness". During his reign, the Gorkha Palace, Newar architecture palace was built circa 1610; it was destroyed by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.

Personal life and legacy

The birth date of Ram Shah is unknown; he was the brother of Chatra Shah. Ram Shah asked King of Bhutan to send Lamas "to perform [the] rite for the peace in his family and for the birth of a son". They were successful; he had three sons including Dambar Shah. It was believed that he ruled the kingdom for about 27 years until his death in 1633; however, newly discovered information indicated he was ruling in 1636.

In Gorkha, there is a statue of Ram Shah in Ram Shah's Chautari, where he used to provide justice to the people. It is said that wife of Ram Shah possessed the power of the Devi, following the death of Queen, and before revolutionary Lakhan Thapa Magar, another Saint 1st Lakhan Thapa Magar, who is also described as a spiritual guide for King Ram Shah and he also had a very close relationship with the Queen, who was also considered an incarnation of the Goddess Durga Bhawani, an incarnation of Parvati, in that place he Built a Manakamana Temple in Gorkha District and it is mandatory for a priest to be a Magar, the Main Priest must be a descendant of Saint Lakhan Thapa Magar. He was also noted for his justice system.