Mahendra was born 11 June 1920 to King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal. Although Tribhuvan was nominally king since 1911, he was only window-dressing for de facto rule by the Rana dynasty of hereditary prime ministers, civil servants, and army officers that had been in power since 1846. Mahendra was also captive in Narayanhity Royal Palace, virtually a gilded cage. In 1940 he married Indra Rajya Laxmi Devi, daughter of General Hari Shamsher Rana. They had three sons, Birendra, Gyanendra, Dhirendra and three daughters Shanti, Sharada, and Shobha. Queen Indra died in 1950. In 1952, Mahendra married Indra's sister, Ratna Rajya Lakshmi Devi. This marriage produced no children.