Narahari Shah

Narahari Shah
King of Lamjung
Reign	16th century (estimated)
Predecessor	Position established
Successor	Chuda Shah
Dynasty	Shah dynasty
Father	Yasho Brahma Shah
Religion	Hinduism

Narahari Shah (नरहरि शाह) was a 16th-century ruler of the hill kingdom of Lamjung in present-day central Nepal. He was the eldest son of Yasho Brahma Shah, the King of both Kaski and Lamjung. Narahari Shah is regarded as an early figure in the Shah dynasty lineage that eventually unified Nepal under his nephew, Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Narahari Shah belonged to the Shah royal family that ruled over several small principalities in mid-western Nepal. After the division of Yasho Brahma Shah territories:

• Narahari Shah ruled Lamjung,
• One of his brothers ruled Kaski, and
• His youngest brother, Dravya Shah, founded the Gorkha Kingdom in 1559.^[1][2]

Historical accounts note that Narahari Shah remained as ruler of Lamjung while his brother advanced into Gorkha. He maintained ties with Gorkhali courtiers and reportedly contested Dravya Shah's expansion, leading to intermittent tension. Their mother later mediated a boundary settlement at the Chepe River, separating Lamjung and Gorkha.^[3][4][5]

Narahari Shah's rule helped sustain the Shah dynasty’s regional influence. His branch of the family provided a stable foundation for the eventual rise of Gorkha and the later unification of Nepal.^[6] Narahari Shah’s tenure represents the consolidation of Shah dynasty power in Lamjung. While his younger brother’s conquest expanded their influence into Gorkha, Narahari’s lineage preserved regional autonomy. His rule helped set the stage for later unification under the Shah monarchy.

• Shah dynasty
• Yasho Brahma Shah
• Dravya Shah
• Lamjung District
• History of Nepal
• Gorkha Kingdom