Born in Kathmandu to a family of musicians
Mahesh Chandra Regmi
Deceasedमहेशचन्द्र रेग्मी
Historian and archivist of Nepal's economic history; first Nepali to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award
About
Mahesh Chandra Regmi came from a Kathmandu family of musicians. He tried working in the book and cloth trade in Calcutta, but this did not succeed. He returned to Nepal just before the fall of the Rana regime, in 1951.
By chance, he got a job translating land reform documents for an American researcher. This job launched him into a lifetime of extremely careful and detailed archival research on Nepal’s land tenure and economic history. He published this research through his influential Regmi Research Series.
In 1977, he became the first Nepali to win the Ramon Magsaysay Award. The Kathmandu-based Social Science Baha later established an annual lecture series in his honour. He attended the first of these lectures just weeks before his death in 2003.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1929-12
- Birthplace
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Profession
- Historian, Archivist
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Deceased
- Died
- 2003-07-10
Previous roles
Editor
Regmi Research Series
Education
Tri-Chandra College
BA
Career & life timeline
- 1929
- 1951
Returned to Nepal from Calcutta shortly before the end of Rana rule
- 1955
Left government service and began translating land reform documents for an American researcher
- 1977
Received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for the Regmi Research Series
- 2003
Died at age 73, weeks after attending the first Mahesh C. Regmi Lecture held in his honour
Achievements
First Nepali to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award
1977For creating the Regmi Research Series documenting Nepal's history
Awards & honours
Ramon Magsaysay Award
Organizations & affiliations
- Regmi Research Series
Last updated: 2026-09-06