Prithvi Narayan Shah

Prithvi Narayan Shah (Nepali: पृथ्वीनारायण शाह; 7 January 1723 – 11 January 1775) was the last monarch of the Gorkha Kingdom and the founding monarch of the unified Kingdom of Nepal, also referred to as the Gorkha Empire. He is credited with initiating the Unification of Nepal and relocating Kathmandu as the royal capital. He ruled Gorkha from 1743 to 1768 and Nepal from 1768 until his death in 1775. Through a series of strategic conquests, systemic economic blockades, and fragile political alliances, he expanded Gorkha's territory and laid the sovereign framework of modern Nepal. Prithvi Narayan Shah played a central role in the formation of modern Nepal through his campaigns to unite different small kingdoms under one rule. He is considered a foundational titan in Nepalese history. His efforts to unify the fractured country and build a shared political identity earned him the historic title "Father of the Nation" and "King of Kings". Scholars have drawn comparisons between his nation-building role and that of George Washington in the United States or Otto von Bismarck in Germany, citing his macro-regional vision and military leadership within the volatile context of 18th-century South Asia. His legacy remains deeply influential in Nepal's contemporary geopolitical, political, and cultural discourse.