Gagan Singh Bhandari

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General Gagan Singh Bhandari (Nepali: गगनसिंह भंडारी)(1796-1846) was a Nepalese General. He was born in a Chettri family of Gorkha Kingdom. He was the commander-in-chief of the most powerful party headed by Queen Rajya Lakshmi Devi, the favourite wife of King Rajendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. She was anxious to secure the crown for her own son, and meantime permanent regency for herself. At the height of his power during 1845, general Gagan Singh controlled seven regiments in the army compared to only three by the prime minister Fateh Jung Shah, making him the one holding the real power behind the throne of Nepal. His notorious affair with the queen also made him an object of jealousy and dislike to the king and the royal family. Little is known about his early days. He was shot to death from behind while offering evening prayers at his private temple on the night of September 14, 1846. His assassination remains mysterious, and is considered by historians as one of the untold stories which led to a turnaround of events in the History of Nepal, and eventually the establishment of the Rana dynasty.