The power grab was his undoing, and the resulting unrest brought his enemies together, stoked the anger of an already wary public and, as the deal signed this week makes clear, put Nepal on the road to becoming a republic.
"Now there is nothing else that needs to be done," Prachanda, the leader of the former communist rebel, who uses only one name, said yesterday. "There is no monarchy left in the country."
Gyanendra heads a dynasty that dates to 1769, when a regional ruler led an army down from the hills and conquered the ancient city of Katmandu. He established a line of kings that have been traditionally considered reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, to be venerated by their subjects.
In the centuries since, that was often the case. But Gyanendra, the 12th Shah dynasty monarch, has never enjoyed the popularity of his predecessors, and Sunday's deal to eliminate the throne was welcomed by many in Katmandu.
"Before, kings were part of people's heart," said Mata Pasad Risal, 60, a retired government official. "Now people have turned against him. The king has lost his position and popularity. It will be best for him to leave the palace."
From the start, Nepalis were wary of Gyanendra, who before becoming king was known as a hardheaded businessman with interests in tourism, tea, and tobacco.
His tumultuous reign began in 2001 after a palace massacre in which the crown prince is accused of gunning down Gyanendra's older brother, the late King Birendra, and much of the royal family and then killing himself.
In all, 10 members of the royal family were killed, and the slaughter helped pierce the mystique surrounding Nepal's royalty.
Four years later, Gyanendra dismissed Nepal's Parliament and seized total power, saying he would bring order to a chaotic political scene and quell the communist insurgency.
But the insurgency worsened, the economy faltered, and Gyanendra used heavy-handed tactics to silence opposition, jailing and banning critics of himself, his government, and the army.
