The Kot massacre (Nepali: ) took place on 14 September 1846 when then Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar and his brothers killed about 30-40 civil, military officers and palace guards of the Nepalese palace court including the Prime Minister of Nepal and a relative of the King, Chautariya Fateh Jung Shah and other senior-most ministers and army generals at the palace armory (Kot) of Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu.

The Kot meeting was called upon by Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi after the same night murder of her confidante Kaji Gagan Singh Thapa while performing worship at his prayer room. The Kot meeting turned ugly and eventually, the Jang brothers and their supporters led an open court full-fledged assault on all rival participants in the meeting. This massacre led to the loss of power of political clans such as Chautariyas, Pandes, Thapas, and Basnyats and that of King Rajendra Bikram Shah and Queen Rajya Laxmi Devi and ultimately the establishment of the Rana autocracy in Nepal.

Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (Nepali: वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (Nepali: जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) (Listen ) was a Khas Rajput (Chhetri) ruler of Nepal and founder of the Rana Regime in Nepal. Jung Bahadur took control of the government after killing an alleged usurper, Gagan Singh, who was accused of plotting with the junior queen in 1846 to become prime minister by putting the queen's son on the throne. His original name was Bir Narsingh Kunwar but he was popularly known as Jang Bahadur, a name given to him by his maternal uncle Mathabar Singh Thapa. Mathabar Singh Thapa used to call Jang Bahadur Jangay for his boldness.His mother Ganesh Kumari was the daughter of Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa of the then prominent ruling Thapa dynasty. During his lifetime, he eliminated the factional fighting at the court, removed his family's rivals like Pandes and Basnyats, introduced some innovations in bureaucracy and judiciary, and made efforts to modernize Nepal. He is one of the most important figures in Nepalese history. Some modern historians blame Jung Bahadur for setting up an oppressive dictatorship in Nepal that lasted 104 years- the dark period of Nepalese history. Other historians blame his nephews, the Shumsher Ranas, for the dark period. Rana rule is associated with tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution.