Birendra of Nepal
| Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev | ||
|---|---|---|
| King of Nepal - | ||
| Reign | 31 January 1972 - 1 June 2001 | |
| Born | December 28, 1945 | |
| Died | 1 June 2001 | |
| Predecessor | Mahendra of Nepal | |
| Successor | Dipendra of Nepal | |
| Consort | Aiswarya | |
| Royal House | Shah dynasty | |
| Royal anthem | Shrimann Ghambir | |
| Father | Mahendra of Nepal | |
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (विरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव) (December 28, 1945 – June 1, 2001) was king of Nepal from 1972 until 2001, and the son of King Mahendra, whom he succeeded. He was made a British Field Marshal in 1980.
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Early life
Educated at premier institutes in Europe, Asia, and America, including the elite Eton College and Harvard University, he travelled a great deal before ascending the throne.
Reign
Birendra was more open to parliamentary democracy than his father, and granted a democratic government after a people's movement in 1990. However, the quarrels between various political parties and numerous social problems caused a Maoist rebellion called the Nepalese People's War, which has been escalating since 1996.
Death
Nepal's stability was threatened even more when he and most of his family (including Queen Aiswarya) were massacred at a royal dinner on 1 June 2001. His eldest son and heir, Dipendra, was apparently the gunman, but he himself died a few days later of gunshot wounds suffered during the massacre. Birendra's brother, Gyanendra, then became king.
| Preceded by: Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah | Crown Prince of Nepal 1955–1972 | Succeeded by: Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah |
| King of Nepal 1972–2001 |
Categories
1945 births | Nepalese monarchs | British Field Marshals | 2001 deaths | Murdered kings | Nepalese murder victims | Deaths by firearm | Recipients of the Royal Victorian Chain