[1] During his lifetime, Jung Bahadur eliminated factional fighting at court, removed his family's rivals such as the Pandes and Basnyats, introduced innovations in the bureaucracy and judiciary, and made efforts to modernize Nepal.
[6] His original name was Bir Narsingh Kunwar, but he was commonly known as Jung Bahadur, a name given to him by his maternal uncle, Mathabar Singh Thapa.
He was the son of Bal Narsingh Kunwar, a bodyguard of King Rana Bahadur Shah, and his second wife, Ganesh Kumari.
Bal Narsingh witnessed Sher Bahadur Shah, the King's half-brother, commit regicide in front of the court.
According to legend, Jung Bahadur leaped into the Trishuli River while riding a horse, following the Prince's orders.
Jung Bahadur successfully won the favor of the queen, the prince, and the prime minister through his diligent efforts.
Jung Bahadur then befriended Pandit Bijayaraj, the internal priest of the palace, and began to gain valuable information about the Durbar.
By 1850, Jung Bahadur had defeated his main rivals, installed his own candidate on the throne, appointed his brothers and friends to significant positions, and ensured that he was the prime minister responsible for all important administrative decisions.
A plan was devised to carry out the assassination during a gathering to be held in the garden of Bhandarkhal, located at the eastern end of the palace.
After receiving a command from the Rawal Queen to come to Bhandarkhal, Jung Bahadur took his fully armed troops and proceeded towards the garden.
Upon learning of the King and Queen's presence in Benaras, Guru Prasad went there and began gathering an army with the aim of overthrowing Jung Bahadur.
With this support, Guru Prasad began organizing the Nepalese expatriates, gathering those who had come in search of work and starting their training.
On 12 May 1847, Jung Bahadur gave a speech in Tudikhel, accusing the King of attempting to assassinate the prince and the prime minister.
Upon hearing the news of Surendra's coronation, Rajendra decided to take on the responsibility of removing Jung Bahadur and declared himself the leader of the army.
He then left Benaras and appointed Guru Prasad Shah as the Chief of the Army for the operation to remove Jung Bahadur Rana from Nepal.
Rajendra began to accumulate weapons and train troops at the camp of the King of Bettiah, a trusted ally.
They reported the developments to Jung Bahadur, who immediately sent a troop led by Sanak Singh Tandon to Alau.
Upon hearing the news, Jung Bahadur met with the Resident and assured him of the Nepal Government's support for the British.
He sought to establish a direct relationship between the Government of Nepal and the Queen and Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Additionally, he was keen to understand the true extent of British power and, for these reasons, wished to travel to Great Britain.
In Britain, Jung Bahadur met and discussed various topics with Sir John Hobhouse, the President of the Board of Trade, the Duke of Wellington, and others.
During his visit, he met with ministers and dukes, and proposed a direct relationship between Britain and Nepal, which the British government rejected.
Recognizing the power of industrialized Europe, he became convinced that close cooperation with the British was the best way to ensure Nepal's independence.
Realizing that the existing system would not be beneficial in the long run, Jung Bahadur established a Kausal Adda to work on drafting legal codes.
The Adda began its work by carefully studying the traditions, castes, races, classes, and religious situation of Nepal.
However, it did not address the issue of caste inequality, as a progressive policy on this matter could have led to protests and turmoil in Nepalese society.
This act clarified confusions concerning religious laws and ensured that decisions on cases were made in a timely manner.
In 1859, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh took refuge in Kathmandu with her 10-year-old son, Birjis Qadr, and some loyal staff.
The Sikh Empire's last regent, Maharani Jind Kaur, was also given asylum in Nepal by Jung Bahadur after she escaped from a British prison and reached Kathmandu.
Jung Bahadur remained prime minister until 1877, suppressing conspiracies and local revolts while enjoying the fruits of his early successes.