Kingship poses specific questions in relation to the particular social and cultural contexts where it is found. Within the Hindu caste system both the uniqueness of the king, and his status in terms of purity require particular resolutions. Contrasting Malla kingship with the Shah kingship that succeeded it shows how elements were disjoined and recombined to form a new composite form of kingship, one well suited to the task of maximizing the legitimacy of the newly extended crown in the eyes of all its subjects. In Shah kingship, the place where the king is established is quite naturally his kingdom. The royal person creates a sacred territory around himself and this is supplemented by the installation of his tutelary goddess. The dying Malla king used to transmit to his son an essential part of kingship through the mantra of Taleju before his kingship was later confirmed by the neighbouring and related kings.