The 1769 Fall of Kathmandu Valley to Prithvi Narayan Shah

After the brutal siege of Kirtipur, Prithvi Narayan Shah's Gorkha army turned its sights on the three Malla capitals of the Kathmandu Valley. This episode traces the final months of the conquest: the blockade that starved Kantipur, Patan, and Bhaktapur into submission; the role of the Newar merchant class, including the powerful Jog Bishnu and his family; the controversial decision by King Jayaprakash Malla of Kantipur to seek help from the British East India Company, which led to the failed Kinloch expedition; and the Gorkha capture of the strategic pass at Chandragiri. We explore how Prithvi Narayan used a combination of military pressure, economic strangulation, and psychological warfare—including a famous incident where he sent a message to the Malla kings offering them safe passage out of the valley. The episode also examines the fate of the deposed Malla rulers: Jayaprakash Malla died in exile, while the last king of Bhaktapur, Ranjit Malla, was allowed to live out his days in Patan. Finally, we consider the immediate aftermath: the unification of the valley under a single ruler for the first time in centuries, and the beginning of Nepal's modern history. This is a story of ambition, betrayal, and the birth of a nation.

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