The Chaubisi Rajya, Chaubise Rajya, or Chaubisye Rajya (Nepali: चौबीसी राज्य, चौबीसे राज्य; lit. ‘24 principalities’) were a group of sovereign and intermittently allied petty kingdoms located in the mid-hill regions of present-day central and western Nepal. These principalities were ruled by various local dynasties, including Thakuri, Khas, and Magar lineages, reflecting the ethnic and political diversity of the region. One of these kingdoms, Gorkha, under King Prithvi Narayan Shah, began a campaign of unification soon after his accession in 1743 AD. This process led to the gradual annexation of the Chaubisi states between 1744 and 1816 AD. To the west of the Gandaki Basin, a parallel confederation of 22 small kingdoms known as the Baise Rajya (Nepali: बाइसे राज्य) also existed, with similarly diverse ruling groups.
The Shah Kingdom was founded by Drabya Shah, the youngest son of Yasho Brahma Shah, king of Kaski and Lamjung, his eldest son became the king of Kaski and Lamjung which created a fight for supremacy. Palpa was one of the biggest and most powerful kingdoms; the rulers were able to create independent kingdoms in Tanahu, Makwanpur and Vijaypur. The first battle took place in Nuwakot. Prithvi Narayan Shah sent Kaji Biraj Thapa Magar to attack Kathmandu, but he returned without fighting, suggesting that they had misjudged the enemy’s strength and the valley’s defenses. Later, Shah sent Kaji Kalu Pande with a larger force. In 1757, during the first Battle of Kirtipur, Kalu Pande was killed, and the Gorkhali army suffered a heavy defeat, marking an important early setback in Shah’s campaign.
