Nepal did not have a national anthem as such till about 100 years ago. The Rana government of the day, it seems, made do with whatever melody came in handy for official events and celebrations. Local folk tunes, popular melodies and sometimes even a likeness of God Save the Queen would be played by the military band as the occasion demanded.
Sometime during his reign (1895 to 1901) as hereditary prime minister and de facto ruler, Bir Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana, was advised that a salaami dhun ('salutation melody') each should be composed for the king and the prime minister. The military band was handed the task of composing a suitable tune, and it did so under the supervision of the bandmaster at the time, Director of Music, Nepal, Dr AM Pathan. The Shree Teenko Salaami, meant for the Rana prime minister, and the Shree Paanchko Salaami were pressed into service in 1899. (The three – 'teen' – 'shrees' referred to the Rana prime ministers, while the five – 'paanch' – 'shrees' refer to the Shah kings of Nepal. 'Shree panch' may be translated as 'his majesty'.)