Pande family

The Pande family or Pande dynasty (also spelled as Pandey or Panday) (Nepali: पाँडे वंश/पाँडे काजी खलक; pronounced [paɳɖe] or [pãɽẽ]) was a Rajput-Chhetri political family^[1] that directly ruled Nepali administration affairs from the 16th century to 19th century^[2] as Mulkaji and Mukhtiyar (Prime Minister). This dynasty/family was one of the four noble families to be involved in active politics of Nepal together with Shah dynasty, Basnyat family and Thapa dynasty before rise of Rana dynasty. Pande dynasty is the oldest noble family to hold the title of Kaji.^[1] This family was decimated from political power in 1843 CE^[3] in the political massacre by Prime Minister Mathabar Singh Thapa as a revenge for his uncle Bhimsen's death in 1839.^[4]

The family is descended from nobleman Ganesh Pande of the Gorkha Kingdom. Kalu Pande and Tularam Pande were descendants of Ganesh Pande.^[5] Pande dynasty and Thapa dynasty were the two chief political families who alternatively contested for central power in the Nepalese court politics.^[6][7] The Pande family was divided into two sections, Kala Pandes and Gora Pandes, who were always aligned to opposite political factions.^[8] The Pande aristocratic family of Gora (White) Pande section was connected to Thapa dynasty through daughter of Chief Kazi Ranajit Pande, Rana Kumari who was married to Kaji General Nain Singh Thapa and to Rana dynasty through Nain Singh's son-in-law Bal Narsingh Kunwar.^[9] The Pande family of Kala (Black) Pande section was maritally linked to Basnyat Family through Chitravati Pande who married Kaji Kehar Singh Basnyat.^[10]