Pratap Malla
Pratap Malla was one of the most famous kings of Malla Dynasty. He constructed some magnificent and beautiful architectural structure around Kathmandu. The way he came to the throne is very interesting and controversial at the same time. He had the experience of administration even when his father was alive. When his father Laxmi Nara Singh's madness grew worse, he imprisoned his father and he himself ruled as a regent of his father in Kantipur.
He was an able administrator. Kantipur was highly developed during his reign. Trade with Lhasa (Tibet) was also going on well. By his tact he was making the kings of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other. Sometimes he sided with Bhaktapur and posed a threat to Lalitpur. On other occassions, he aligned with Lalitpur and fell upon Bhaktapur.
Pratap Malla was a religious-minded person. He built a beautiful temple at Guhyeshwari and fenced it. He renovated the temple of Pashupatinath and raised a pinnacle over it. At Swayambhu he built Pratappur, Kabeendrapur and many other temples and also set up a copper gilt 'Bajra'. He also renovated the temples of Basuki Bhimsen, Taleju, and Degutale. With a view to warding off evils, he erected an image of Hanuman, the monkey god, by the side of his palace gate and called the palace Hanumandhoka. He erected the golden gate of the palace, set up an image of Nri Simha, Kal Bhairab, and Vishwaroop at Layaku Bahi. Inside the palace, he also set up Sundari Chowk and Mohan Chowk. A pond was dug at Bhandarkhal and filled with water brought from Budhanilakantha. He installed an image of Narayan lying in the pond, an exact replica from Budhanilakantha Temple.
Pratap Malla was vastly-learned king and a poet. He could compose poems in Sanskrit, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, Bengali and Hindi. He also knew Arabic, Roman and English scripts. Because of his excellent poems, he conferred on himself the title of 'Kabeendra', a king of poets. Himself learned, Pratap Malla had a galaxy of learned men in his palace as the Mughal Emperor Akbar had. Like Akbar, he also respected and patronised the scholars of his time.
Lambakarna Bhatta, who hailed from Maharastra, Nri Simha Thak from Bihar and Jamana Gurubhaju of Kantipur were some of the jewels in the galaxy of scholars in his palace. He was also very fond of music. So, musicians were welcomed and respected in his palace.
Pratap Malla had five sons Bhupendra, Chakrabartendra, Nripendra, Mahipatendra and Parthibendra. He wanted his sons to have experience in the administration of the country while he was still living. He made each of them rule over the country for one year in turn. But unfortunately, his second son Chakrabartendra Malla died the next day he took over the administration of the country. Both the king and queen were greatly grieved at his death. To console the grieving queen, he made a huge pond in front of the present Tri- Chandra College. The pond is known as Ranipokhari.
Pratap Malla had a sudden death while he was watching the religious dance of Harisiddhi.
During his reign for thirty-three years (1641 A.D. to 1674 A.D.), Nepal made remarkable progress in each and every field. There was peace and prosperity at home and no threats from outside. Trade with India and China made Nepal prosperous. Art and literature flourished. Kings of Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and other neighbouring kingdoms did not dare to invade Kantipur.
A. Complete the following sentences with the correct words from the text.
a. Queen Rajendra Laxmi ruled the country as a regent because her son Rana Bahadur Shah was too young. |
b. Many buildings were renovated as they were destroyed by the earthquake.. |
c. Many temples had their pinnacles made of gold. |
d. As the original trophy was stolen, they made the exact replica of it. |
e. Madhav Prasad Ghimire was conferred the title 'Rastrakavi' in 2003. |
f. The government patronised Jhamak Kumari Ghimire for her contribution to Nepali literature. |
g. The British soldiers tried to invade Nepal but the brave Nepali people chased them away. |
B. Choose the best alternative.
a. Why did Pratap Malla keep his father in jail? |
i. Pratap Malla was insane. |
ii. Pratap Malla wanted to be the king soon. |
iiii. Pratap Malla's father was insane. |
iv. Pratap Malla had no experience of administration. |
Answer: ii. Pratap Malla wanted to be the king soon. |
b. What made Kantipur a strong state during Pratap Mallais reign? |
i. Pratap Malla's bravery |
ii. Pratap Malla's diplomacy |
iii. Pratap Malla's love for poetry |
iv.Pratap Malla's love for art and culture |
Answer: ii. Pratap Malla's diplomacy |
c. Which of the following was not renovated by Pratap Malla? |
i. Pashupatinath |
ii. Temple of Taleju |
iii. Temple of Degutale |
iv. Temple of Budhanilkantha |
Answer: iv. Temple of Budhanilkantha |
d. According to the text, which of the following did not happen during Pratap Malla's reign? |
i. Trade with India and China |
ii. Promotion of art and culture |
iii. Invasion of Kantipur iv. |
Presence of learned men at the palace |
Answer: iii. Invasion of Kantipur |
C. Answer these questions
a. Name two countries that had trade with Kantipur. |
Answer: Pratap Malla had trade with Lhasa (Tibet) and India. |
b. How did Pratap Malla keep his kingdom safe from Lalitpur and Bhaktapur? |
Answer: Pratap Malla made Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other, sometimes siding with one and posing a threat to the other, to keep his kingdom safe. |
c. Where did Pratap Malla place the image of Lord Hanuman? Why? |
Answer: Pratap Malla placed the image of Lord Hanuman by the side of his palace gate to ward off evils. |
d. Pratap Malla conferred himself with the title 'Kabeendral. Do you think this title suit him? Give reasons. |
Answer: Yes, the title 'Kabeendra' suits Pratap Malla because he was a talented poet and had a galaxy of learned men in his palace, similar to the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who also respected and patronized scholars. |
e. Pratap Malla used to invite the intellectuals at his palace. What does this indicate about his personality as a king? |
Answer: Pratap Malla inviting intellectuals to his palace indicates that he valued knowledge and learning, and respected the scholars of his time. |
Word Meaning
magnificent /mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt/ |
splendid, impressive |
Very impressive, grand, or beautiful |
throne /θroʊn/ |
seat, chair |
The seat of a king, queen, or other royal figure |
controversial /ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜːrʃl̩/ |
debatable, disputed |
Causing or likely to cause disagreement or argument |
imprisoned /ɪmˈprɪzn̩d/ |
confined, jailed |
To be confined or put in prison |
regent /ˈriːdʒənt/ |
ruler, governor |
A person who rules a country or region as a representative of a monarch |
reign /reɪn/ |
rule, sovereignty |
The period of time during which a king, queen, emperor, or empress rules |
posed /poʊzd/ |
presented, pretended |
To assume a particular attitude, behavior, or position for effect or as a trick |
threat /θret/ |
danger, risk |
A statement or action that is intended to intimidate, harm, or cause fear |
aligned /əˈlaɪnd/ |
allied, united |
To bring together or into agreement or harmony |
fenced /fɛnst/ |
enclosed, surrounded |
To enclose or protect with a fence |
renovated /ˈrɛnəveɪtɪd/ |
restored, refurbished |
To restore to a good state of repair or remodel or redecorate /a building, room, etc./ |
pinnacle /ˈpɪnəkl̩/ |
peak, summit |
The highest point or most important part of something |
warding-off /wɔːrdɪŋ ɔːf/ |
preventing, averting |
To prevent or avoid something, especially something undesirable or harmful |
erected /ɪˈrɛktɪd/ |
built, constructed |
To construct, build, or set up /a building, monument, or other structure/ |
replica /ˈrɛplɪkə/ |
duplicate, copy |
An exact copy or reproduction of something |
vastly-learned /ˈvæstli lɜːrnd/ |
highly-educated, knowledgeable |
Having a great deal of knowledge or education |
conferred /kənˈfɜːrd/ |
granted, bestowed |
To grant or bestow /a title, degree, benefit, etc./ |
galaxy /ˈɡæləksi/ |
group, assemblage |
A large or impressive group or assemblage of people or things |
patronised /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzd/ |
supported, sponsored |
To support, sponsor, or be a regular customer of /an establishment, event, or person/ |
hailed /heɪld/ |
praised, acclaimed |
To enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate /someone or something/ |
grieving /ˈɡriːvɪŋ/ |
mourning, sorrowful |
Feeling sorrow or sadness, especially over someone's death or a loss |
console /kənˈsoʊl/ |
comfort, solace |
To comfort someone at a time of grief or disappointment |
remarkable /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/ |
impressive, extraordinary |
Worthy of attention or strikingly unusual |
prosperity /prɑːˈspɛrəti/ |
success, wealth |
The state of being successful, flourishing, or wealthy |
threats /θrɛts/ |
dangers, risks |
Statements or actions that are intended to intimidate, harm, or cause fear |
prosperous /ˈprɑːspərəs/ |
successful, flourishing |
Having success, wealth, or good fortune |
flourished /ˈflɜːrɪʃt/ |
thrived, prospered |
To grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way |
dare /dɛr/ |
have the courage, venture |
To have the courage to do something or take risks |
invade /ɪnˈveɪd/ |
attack, trespass |
To enter a country, region, or area by force with the intention of taking control or causing damage |
Extra Questions to Practice
Expandable FAQ Section
Who was Pratap Malla?
▼
Pratap Malla was one of the most famous kings of the Malla Dynasty.
What did Pratap Malla construct around Kathmandu?
▼
Pratap Malla constructed magnificent and beautiful architectural structures around Kathmandu.
How did Pratap Malla come to the throne?
▼
Pratap Malla came to the throne by imprisoning his father and ruling as a regent in Kantipur.
How was Kantipur during Pratap Malla's reign?
▼
Kantipur was highly developed during Pratap Malla's reign.
Which countries had trade with Kantipur?
▼
Kantipur had trade with Lhasa (Tibet) and India.
How did Pratap Malla keep his kingdom safe?
▼
Pratap Malla made Lalitpur and Bhaktapur play against each other, sometimes siding with one and posing a threat to the other, to keep his kingdom safe.
Where did Pratap Malla build a beautiful temple?
▼
Pratap Malla built a beautiful temple at Guhyeshwari.
What did Pratap Malla do to ward off evils?
▼
Pratap Malla erected an image of Hanuman, the monkey god, by the side of his palace gate.
Which image did Pratap Malla install in a pond?
▼
Pratap Malla installed an image of Narayan, an exact replica from Budhanilakantha Temple, in a pond.
In how many languages could Pratap Malla compose poems?
▼
Pratap Malla could compose poems in Sanskrit, Nepal Bhasa, Nepali, Bengali, and Hindi.
What title did Pratap Malla confer on himself?
▼
Pratap Malla conferred on himself the title of 'Kabeendra', a king of poets.
What did Pratap Malla do to scholars in his palace?
▼
Pratap Malla respected and patronized the scholars in his palace.
Who were some of the scholars in Pratap Malla's palace?
▼
Some of the scholars in Pratap Malla's palace were Lambakarna Bhatta, Nri Simha Thak, and Jamana Gurubhaju.
What was Pratap Malla fond of?
▼
Pratap Malla was fond of music.
How many sons did Pratap Malla have?
▼
Pratap Malla had five sons.
What happened to Pratap Malla's second son?
▼
Pratap Malla's second son, Chakrabartendra Malla, died the next day he took over the administration of the country.
What did Pratap Malla do to console the grieving queen?
▼
Pratap Malla made a huge pond known as Ranipokhari in front of the present Tri-Chandra College to console the grieving queen.
What happened to Pratap Malla while he was watching a religious dance?
▼
Pratap Malla had a sudden death while he was watching the religious dance of Harisiddhi.
How long did Pratap Malla reign?
▼
Pratap Malla reigned for thirty-three years, from 1641 A.D. to 1674 A.D.
What progress did Nepal make during Pratap Malla's reign?
▼
Nepal made remarkable progress in each and every field during Pratap Malla's reign.
Was there peace and prosperity in Nepal during Pratap Malla's reign?
▼
Yes, there was peace and prosperity in Nepal during Pratap Malla's reign.
Which kingdoms did not dare to invade Kantipur?
▼
The kings of Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and other neighboring kingdoms did not dare to invade Kantipur.
What flourished during Pratap Malla's reign?
▼
Art and literature flourished during Pratap Malla's reign.
Why did Pratap Malla invite intellectuals to his palace?
▼
Pratap Malla invited intellectuals to his palace because he valued knowledge and learning.
What does Pratap Malla's personality as a king indicate?
▼
Pratap Malla's personality as a king indicates that he respected and supported scholars and had a passion for music.