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The present Nepal Royal family is the members of the Shah dynasty. The ruling members have no constitutional power and cannot influence the actions of the Nepali government.
The current Nepal Royal family started its lineage in the 16th century. The ground was laid by Yashobramha Shah. Yashobramha annexed the Kaski Principality of Nepal. This maiden conquest earned him the accolade of 'Shah'. His son Dravya Shah established the Kingdom of Gorkha in 1599. Dravya Shah and his successors continued their spree of conquests and by 1743 owned large tracts of present day Nepalese territory. The Royal family of Nepal further cemented their right to the throne when Prithvi Narayan Shah assumed the title 'King of Nepal' in 1768.
The Nepalese royal family received their first blow, when they lost the war against the British East India Company in 1816. The royal family of Nepal was forced to give one third of their territory to the corporate behemoth. The Shah lost political and administrative control over the region when the Rana dynasty of Nepal curtailed their powers to a figurehead.
The Shah dynasty regained power over Nepal in 1951. King Birendra Shah ruled Nepal until June 1, 2001. The subsequent palace massacre enabled the present King Gyanendra to ascend the throne. His autocratic rule led to mass protests and subsequent abdication of his throne. King Gyanendra Shah is a ceremonial monarch.
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