Ram Shah

Ram Shah (reign before 1606 - 1636) was the Gorkha Kingdom's king (present-day Gorkha District, Nepal). He was the son of Gorkha King Purna Shah and the brother of Chatra Shah. In 1606, he ascended to the throne after his brother's death. He extended his kingdom as far east as the Trishuli River, west to the Marshyangdi, north to the Rasuwa, and west to the Mahabharat Range.

Shah was dubbed the "great conqueror" and the "conscientious." He introduced many changes to the Kingdom of Gorkha, such as fixed and uniform weights and measurements, criminal codes, the establishment of a fixed rate of interest, and the construction of the Newar architecture palace Gorkha Palace. His statue can be found at his Chautari, where he used to administer justice to the people.

Ram Shah's birth date is unknown; he was the brother of Chatra Shah. He was born to Purna Shah. Ram Shah requested that the King of Bhutan send Lamas "to perform [the] rite for the peace in his family and for the birth of a son." They were successful; he had three sons, including Dambar Shah. He followed the religion Hinduism. It was thought that he ruled the kingdom for about 27 years until his death in 1633; however, newly discovered information indicated that he was ruling in 1636. It was thus concluded that he ruled until 1636.

In Gorkha, there is a statue of Ram Shah in Ram Shah's Chautari, where he used to provide justice to the people. His criminal code was used by his successors, including the last king of Gorkha and the first king of Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah. It is said that Shah's wife possessed the power of the Devi, and after her death, someone built a Manakamana Temple.