JUNG BAHADUR, SIR, MAHARAJA (1816-1877) , prime minister of Nepal, was a grand-nephew of Bhimsena Thapa, the famous military minister of Nepal, who from 1804 to 1839 was de facto ruler of the state under the rani Tripuri and her suc cessor. Bhimsena's supremacy was threatened by the Kala Pandry, and many of his relations, including Jung Bahadur, went into exile in 1838, thus escaping Bhimsena's fate. The Pandry leaders were in turn assassinated in 1843, and Matabar Singh, uncle of Jung Bahadur, was created prime minister. He appointed his nephew general and chief judge, but shortly afterwards he was himself put to death. Fateh Jung thereon formed a ministry, of which Jung Bahadur was made military member. In the following year, 1846, Fateh Jung and thirty-two other chiefs were assassi nated, and the rani appointed Jung Bahadur sole minister. The rani quickly changed her mind, and planned the death of her new minister, who at once appealed to the maharaja. But the plot
failed. The raja and the rani wisely sought safety in India, and Jung Bahadur firmly established his own position by the removal of all dangerous rivals. In 1850-51 he was in England. The reform of the penal code, and a desultory war with Tibet, occu pied his attention until news of the Indian Mutiny reached Nepal. Jung Bahadur resisted all overtures from the rebels, and sent a column to Gorakpur in July 1857. In December he furnished a force of 8,000 Gurkhas, which reached Lucknow on March 11, 1858, and took part in the siege. The moral support of the Nepa lese was exceedingly valuable. Jung Bahadur was made a G.C.B., and a tract of country annexed in 1815 was restored to Nepal. He received a visit from the Prince of Wales in 1876. On Feb. 25, 1877 he died. Three of his widows immolated themselves on his funeral pyre.