Thapathali Durbar was a palace complex in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Thapathali means abode of the Thapas. It was initially built by Nain Singh Thapa of the Thapa dynasty but was later occupied by Jung Bahadur Rana, as prime minister, the executive head of Nepal. The palace complex, located north of the Bagmati river, encompasses an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. Many palaces and buildings were built throughout late 1840s to 1900, initially by Nain Singh Thapa, a member of the aristocratic Thapa family and brother of Bhimsen Thapa, and later was acquired by Nain Singh Thapa's grandson Jung Bahadur Rana. Further additions were made by successive Ranas up to the 19th century.

Mathabar Singh Thapa was the Prime Minister of Nepal and the Commander-In-Chief of the Nepalese Army from 25 December 1843 – 17 May 1845, until he was murdered by his nephew Jung Bahadur Rana. He was the first Mukhtiyar to title himself as a Prime Minister, as per the British convention. He was the nephew of Bhimsen Thapa, who was sentenced to prison after falsely being accused of killing King Rajendra's six months old son. Mathabar Singh Thapa fled to Shimla after the execution of Bhimsen Thapa, to avoid his own execution as he was Bhimsen's nephew. Four years later, the second queen of Rajendra, Queen Rajya Lakshmi, called him back and installed him as the Mukhtiyar, paving the way for him to eventually title himself as the Prime Minister. Mathabar Singh, however, enraged the queen by refusing to make her son, Ranendra Bikram, the king. The queen, in turn, had him shot by his own nephew Janga Bahadur Rana and thereby making him the last dynast of the Thapa dynasty. Mathabir Singh Thapa was killed by his own nephew.