Born at Narayanhiti Royal Palace, Kathmandu, as the eldest son of King Mahendra
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
Deceasedवीरेन्द्र वीर विक्रम शाह देव
Also known as King Birendra
King of Nepal who accepted constitutional monarchy after the 1990 pro-democracy movement; killed in the 2001 royal massacre
About
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah became king in 1972. He took over the Panchayat system of full royal control from his father, King Mahendra. In 1990, people across Nepal protested for democracy in the Jana Andolan movement. Birendra responded by agreeing to a new constitution. This allowed multiple political parties and made him a constitutional king, with less direct power. Many credit his calm response for this peaceful change.
Later in his reign, a Maoist uprising began in 1996. In 2001, King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, and several other royal family members were killed in the Nepalese royal massacre.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1945-12-29
- Birthplace
- Narayanhiti Royal Palace, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Profession
- Monarch
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Deceased
- Died
- 2001-06-01
Previous roles
King of Nepal
Kingdom of Nepal · 1972-01-31–2001-06-01
Career & life timeline
- 1945
- 1972-01-31
Ascended the throne following his father's death
- 1990
Accepted a new constitution establishing multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy, following the Jana Andolan movement
- 1996
The Maoist insurgency began during his reign
- 2001-06-01
Killed along with Queen Aishwarya and much of the royal family in the Nepalese royal massacre
Achievements
Accepted constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy
1990Following the Jana Andolan pro-democracy movement
Organizations & affiliations
- Shah dynasty
Related people
Last updated: 2026-09-06