Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana


Sir Baber Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, GCVO, GBE, KCSI, KCIE was a member of the Rana dynasty who served as the Minister of Defence of Nepal in 1951. A prominent member of the Rana oligarchy, he fought valiantly in the First World War. He was the second son of Maharaja Sir Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and Bada Maharani Chandra Loka Bhakta Lakshmi Devi. He was the younger brother of Maharaja Sir Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and older brother of Field Marshal Sir Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Family

Sir Baber Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana was born to Field Marshal H.H. Svasti Sri Madati Prachandra Bhujadandyetyadi Ati-Projjwala-Nepal-Taradisha Sri Sri Sri Maharaja Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, T'ung-ling-ping-ma-Kuo-Kang-wang, Maharaja of Lambjang and Kaski, GCB and Bada Maharani Chandra Loka Bhakta Lakshmi Devi on January 27, 1888 at Kathmandu. He married twice, first in 1903, to Sri Bada Rani Deva Bakhta Rajya Lakshmi; and secondly to Sri Bada Rani Baid Bakhta Rajya Lakshmi. He had three sons and two daughters:
General Gaurav Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, the chief of the Army of Nepal since 2012, is his great-grandson through his son, Mrigendra's son Adiyta Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Later life

Sir Baber Shamsher was educated at the Mayo College, Ajmer. In 1901, he was made a Major General of the Royal Nepalese Army and was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1903. After being Aide de camp to his father in 1908, he was promoted to a General in 1914, and finally to the post of Commanding General in 1934. In 1927, he was made an Honorary Colonel in the British Army. In 1946, he led the Royal Nepalese troops at the Victory parade in London. During the premiership of his older brother, Sir Mohan Shamsher, Sir Baber Shamsher was the Mukhtiyar and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army. In 1951, he became the Minister for Defence in the Congress Rana Cabinet led, by his brother. However he was a bete noire in the eyes of the Nepali Congress, and was replaced by his younger brother, Singha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana on June 10, 1951.

Death

He died at his residence at Baber Mahal, Kathmandu on May 12, 1960.
His brother Kaiser Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana, died Four years later at the same age.

Styles