The Shreepali Basnet are originally from the Saipal, Far West Region who got their prominence in Gorkha district of Nepal. They worship "Sishakoti Mahadev", "Veerabhadra", "Mahakali" as their Kul Deuta and Aradhe Devi "Dakshinkali" as Istha deuta. They became very powerful during the unification of Nepal and remained so until the emergence of Jung Bahadur Kunwar or later known as Jang Bahadur Rana.
It is known that during the reign of King Prithivi Narayan Shah the Shreepali Basnyats of Gorkha were the leading military force. They were either highly ranked officers in the army or key figures in the king's court. King Prithvi Narayan Shah formed an alliance between the Basnyat and Pandey families of Gorkha in his quest for the unification of Nepal. Shivaram Singh Basnyat, the commander of Gorkhali forces belonged to Shreepali Basnyat clan. He was son of Jaya Ram Singh Basnyat.
King Prithivi Narayan Shah is known to have arranged the marriage between General Kehar Singh Basnyat, son of General (Kazi) Shivaram Singh Basnyat and Chitra Devi, the daughter of General(Kaji) Kalu Pandey. Later, Chitra Devi constructed the Narayan temple in Timal Danda in honour of her Father-in-law Kaji Shivram Singh. Kehar Singh would go to Tibet to negotiate with its leaders to have Nepalese coins circulated there. He was a major military leader accredited with uniting the western districts and Kathmandu valley to Nepal. Kehar Singh would die at the battle of Satahun.
Kaji Abhiman Singh Basnyat, the third son of General (Kaji) Shivaram Singh Basnyat became the first Commander in Chief of a united Nepal after the death of General (Kaji) Kalu Pandey during the second attempt to capture Kirtipur. His father Shivram Singh was the first military leader of Gorkha who laid down his life in the campaign of unification of Nepal in 1746 in Chhaling, (Naldum) near Bhaktapur. Abhiman's two elder brothers were Kaji Naahar Singh and Kaji Kehar Singh. His youngest brother Kazi Dhaukal Simha Basnyat, who also became the governor of Kumaun, was the first owner of present Narayanhity Palace. Abhiman Singh died at the age of fifty-six in 1857 B.S. when he was sent to settle the area of Morang and Sunsari, then called Kaala Banzaar. It was seen as a great injustice for him to be sent to this area at his age when he was already a Mulkazi. He was reported to have suffered from fever, possibly malaria and died.