kingdom · South Asia

Kingdom of Lalitpur

1597 CE – 1768 CE (approx.) · capital Patan

The Malla kingdom of Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, whose Durbar Square is among the finest groups of Newar temples and palaces.

Origins

Patan, an ancient Buddhist city long dominated by its own nobles, was brought under the Kathmandu king Shiva Simha Malla of the Kingdom of Kantipur, who around 1597 placed it under his son Hariharasimha. Hariharasimha's son Siddhi Narasimha Malla ruled it as a fully separate kingdom from about 1620, alongside Kantipur and the Kingdom of Bhaktapur.

Rule and society

Siddhi Narasimha Malla, a devout ruler, built the stone Krishna Mandir. His son Shrinivasa Malla added to the palace complex. Patan was known for Buddhist monasteries and metalwork, and its nobles were powerful, often deposing kings. The city competed with its neighbours for the trade with Tibet.

Decline and legacy

Prithvi Narayan Shah of the Gorkha Kingdom captured Patan in 1768, shortly after Kathmandu, and its last ruler Tej Narsingh Malla fled to Bhaktapur. Patan became part of the Kingdom of Nepal, and its Durbar Square is a World Heritage Site.

Lineage

Kingdom of Kantipur 1484 CE – 1768 CEKingdom of Lalitpur

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Lalitpur. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lalitpur
MLA
“Kingdom of Lalitpur.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lalitpur. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Lalitpur.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lalitpur.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Lalitpur’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-lalitpur (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻