The Sen Kings of Palpa: Nepal's Forgotten Hill Kingdoms

Before the Gorkha conquest unified Nepal, the western hills were dotted with small kingdoms ruled by the Sen dynasty. In this episode, Lucas and Luna travel to the medieval Sen kingdom of Palpa, whose kings claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs of Chittor. They explore how the Sena rulers navigated between the Mughal Empire, the Khasa Malla, and the rising Gorkha power, and how their legacy survives in the architecture of Tansen and the syncretic culture of the Magar peoples. Discover the story of Mani Mukunda Sen, the 16th-century king who invaded Tibet, and his son Purna Narayan Sen, who built the splendid Palpa Durbar. Lucas explains how the Sen kingdoms — Palpa, Makwanpur, Chaudandi, and Tanahun — developed a distinctive hill statecraft blending Rajput honor with local shamanic traditions, and why they ultimately fell to Prithvi Narayan Shah's unification campaign. A fascinating look at the lost world of Nepal's petty kingdoms and their enduring mark on the nation's identity.

#SenDynasty #Palpa #Tansen #ManiMukundaSen #NepalHistory #GorkhaConquest #Magar #HillKingdoms #SouthAsia #Rajput #PrithviNarayanShah #Makwanpur #Chaudandi #Tanahun #TibetInvasion #MedievalNepal #FexingoHistory #History

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo