He was always seen as a low-profile member of Nepal's royal family. Neither Gyanendra Shah nor the Himalayan nation thought he'd ascend the throne. Fifteen minutes on that fateful 2001 night changed everything. At the Narayanhiti Palace, Birendra, the king, and his family sat for what turned out to be their last supper. Three days later, Gyanendra was the monarch.
His abrupt ascension would ultimately dismantle Nepal's 240-year-old monarchy.
The Night That Changed Nepal
On June 1, 2001, a family gathering inside the Royal Palace turned into a bloodbath. According to the official investigation, Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed several members of the royal family. King Birendra, respected for guiding Nepal's transition to constitutional democracy, was the first to die.
Dipendra was declared king while in a coma but died three days later. With the direct line of succession wiped out, Gyanendra, Birendra's younger brother, became the king.
Nepal Under Gyanendra
Unlike Birendra, who mostly stayed out of party politics, Gyanendra took a more direct role in governing. At the time, Nepal was dealing with a growing Maoist rebellion that started in 1996 and was spreading unrest across the country.
Gyanendra said the country needed strong leadership to bring back stability. In the years that followed, he removed several prime ministers and dissolved parliament more than once, saying political leaders failed to control the violence and restore order.
In February 2005, Gyanendra took full control of the government. He limited civil rights and put several political leaders under house arrest. He said the step was necessary to defeat the Maoists and protect the country.
This gave rise to protests across Nepal. Political parties joined hands with former rivals, including Maoist rebels, to oppose the king's rule. Pressure from the international community increased, and public anger continued to rise.
The Fall Of Gyanendra
The tipping point came in 2006, when massive pro-democracy protests, known as Jana Andolan II, paralysed the country. Facing overwhelming opposition, Gyanendra reinstated parliament and surrendered absolute powers.
Two years later, in 2008, Nepal's Constituent Assembly formally abolished the monarchy, declaring the country a federal democratic republic. Gyanendra vacated the Narayanhiti Palace as a private citizen.
Under the new system, Nepal adopted a parliamentary form of government with a ceremonial president as head of state and an elected prime minister as head of government. Since then, Nepal has held multiple elections at the federal, provincial, and local levels. The country is now voting again on March 5.
