Khas
Encyclopedia
Originally the Khas / Khasas
or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir
to Bhutan
, but mostly in Nepal
, Himachal Pradesh
, Uttarakhand
, North Bengal
(Gorkhaland), Sikkim
and Bhutan
, (especially in the parts of former Greater Nepal
). The Khas are typically thought to be descendants western Himalayan people that gradually moved eastward to Uttarkhand and Nepal as well as toward North Bengal and Bhutan. Indo-European traits exhibited by many Khas include fair complexion, generally tall or medium stature, with a long nose and black-brown hair. As per Vishnu Puran(Kashya Vansh)descendants of King 'Kashya' King of Chandra Vansh were latterly called Kashya or Kash/Khas. The king Kashya was ancient vedic king of Kashi(Kashgar,Western China).Vedic Balkhilya were also descendants of King 'Kashya' near lake 'Balkhash' .
In Nepal, the Khas were rice-growing settlers in the Karnali-Bheri basin of far western Nepal since early historic times. When Khas peoples migrated eastward, they bypassed the inhospitable Kham highlands to settle in the lower valleys of the Gandaki basin suited to rice cultivation. One notable extended family settled in Gorkha, a petty principality about halfway between Pokhara
and Kathmandu. In the late 1700s, the Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah
raised armies of Khas
, Magar, Gurung
and possibly other hill tribesmen and set out to conquer and consolidate dozens of petty principalities in the Himalayan foothills, including the three Malla kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley.
Since Gorkha
had replaced the original Khas homeland as the center of political and military initiative, Khas-kura was renamed Gorkhali, i.e. language of the Gorkhas. More recently, it has been renamed called Nepali, the national language of Nepal
. In Nepal, the Khas constitute, according to the 2001 Census of Nepal, about 40-45 percent of the national population.
First mentioned in the Manusmriti as Khasha (along with the Licchavi), and later in some Puranas (Bhagavata, Vishnu, Skanda), the Khasa are described together with Kiratas, Chinas
, Hunas, Abhiras, Yavanas and Pulindas
. In the 12th century history of Kashmir (Rajatarangini), the Khasha are frequently mentioned, constantly threatening the country in times of weakness; they are inhabitants of the hill region south of the Kashmir Valley (Khashali, around the Banihal pass).
Dharani Dhar Dahal had briefly described the history of the Khasa in his book "Jati Bhasa ra Lipi". According to Professor Dor Bahadur Bishta and Professor Suryamani Adhikari, the Matwali Chettris and Brahmins (Bahuns) in the Karnali region of far western Nepal are the proto-type Khas people. They share same surnames (e.g. Bohora, Thapa, Bishta etc.), language and physical features but drink alcohol, eat chicken and do not wear the sacred thread. Khas people also live in the Kumaon
and Garhwal
regions of India
, such as the Sedhai, Prasai, Tiwari
, Lohani, Gyawali, etc.
Main sub castes of the Khas
Main Title (Surname) of Khas
etc.
In Nepal, there are more than 300 surnames of the Khas people. In the past Khas are believed to have intermarried with Magar and Gurung, so that these and the Khas (Brahmin, Kshetri) have the same surnames. According to Professor Suryamani Adhikari (Tribhuvan University) Khas surnames indicate either post/position/profession held (e.g. Thapa = warrior; Karki = revenue officer etc.) or the place of origin in the Karnali region in far western Nepal (e.g. Sinja = Sijapati; Devkot = Devkota etc.). Thapas or Bhudas were warriors in the historic Khas kingdom of the Karnali region, posts which could be held both by Khas and Magar.
Politics
Defense
Khasas
The Khasas / Khas or Khasiyas are an ancient people, believed to be a section of the Indo-Iranians who originally belonged to Central Asia from where they had penetrated, in remote antiquity, the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole hilly region...
or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
to Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, but mostly in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, North Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
(Gorkhaland), Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, (especially in the parts of former Greater Nepal
Greater Nepal
Greater Nepal is a concept referring to the state of Nepal extending beyond present boundaries to include territories ceded to the British East India Company under the Sugauli Treaty that ended the Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814–16...
). The Khas are typically thought to be descendants western Himalayan people that gradually moved eastward to Uttarkhand and Nepal as well as toward North Bengal and Bhutan. Indo-European traits exhibited by many Khas include fair complexion, generally tall or medium stature, with a long nose and black-brown hair. As per Vishnu Puran(Kashya Vansh)descendants of King 'Kashya' King of Chandra Vansh were latterly called Kashya or Kash/Khas. The king Kashya was ancient vedic king of Kashi(Kashgar,Western China).Vedic Balkhilya were also descendants of King 'Kashya' near lake 'Balkhash' .
In Nepal, the Khas were rice-growing settlers in the Karnali-Bheri basin of far western Nepal since early historic times. When Khas peoples migrated eastward, they bypassed the inhospitable Kham highlands to settle in the lower valleys of the Gandaki basin suited to rice cultivation. One notable extended family settled in Gorkha, a petty principality about halfway between Pokhara
Pokhara
Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City is the second largest city of Nepal. Pokhara is city of close to 350,000 inhabitants in central Nepal located at 28.25°N, 83.99°E, which is the centre of the country from east to west or from north to south, 198 km west of Kathmandu or 90 km west of Mugling, and...
and Kathmandu. In the late 1700s, the Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah
Prithvi Narayan Shah, King of Nepal was the first king of the House of Shahs to rule Nepal. He is credited for starting the campaign for a unified Nepal, which had been divided and weakened under Malla confederacy. He was the ninth generation descendant of Dravya Shah , the founder of the ruling...
raised armies of Khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
, Magar, Gurung
Gurung
The Gurung people, also called Tamu, are an ethnic group that migrated from Mongolia in the 6th century to the central region of Nepal. Gurungs, like other east Asian featured peoples of Nepal such as Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Magar, Manaaggi, Mustaaggi, and Walunggi, are the indigenous people of...
and possibly other hill tribesmen and set out to conquer and consolidate dozens of petty principalities in the Himalayan foothills, including the three Malla kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley.
Since Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
had replaced the original Khas homeland as the center of political and military initiative, Khas-kura was renamed Gorkhali, i.e. language of the Gorkhas. More recently, it has been renamed called Nepali, the national language of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. In Nepal, the Khas constitute, according to the 2001 Census of Nepal, about 40-45 percent of the national population.
First mentioned in the Manusmriti as Khasha (along with the Licchavi), and later in some Puranas (Bhagavata, Vishnu, Skanda), the Khasa are described together with Kiratas, Chinas
Chinas
The Chinas or Chīnaḥ are a people mentioned in ancient Indian literature from the first millennium BC, such as the Mahabharata, Laws of Manu, as well the Puranic literature...
, Hunas, Abhiras, Yavanas and Pulindas
Pulindas
The Pulindas were an ancient tribe of India, likely resident in the environs of the Vindhya Range of Central India. The Rock Edicts of Ashoka mention the Pulindas, their capital Pulinda-nagara, and their neighboring tribes, based on which their capital is sometimes located in present-day Jabalpur...
. In the 12th century history of Kashmir (Rajatarangini), the Khasha are frequently mentioned, constantly threatening the country in times of weakness; they are inhabitants of the hill region south of the Kashmir Valley (Khashali, around the Banihal pass).
Dharani Dhar Dahal had briefly described the history of the Khasa in his book "Jati Bhasa ra Lipi". According to Professor Dor Bahadur Bishta and Professor Suryamani Adhikari, the Matwali Chettris and Brahmins (Bahuns) in the Karnali region of far western Nepal are the proto-type Khas people. They share same surnames (e.g. Bohora, Thapa, Bishta etc.), language and physical features but drink alcohol, eat chicken and do not wear the sacred thread. Khas people also live in the Kumaon
Kumaon Division
For Kumaoni/Kumauni People see Kumauni PeopleKumaon or Kumaun is one of the two regions and administrative divisions of Uttarakhand, a mountainous state of northern India, the other being Garhwal. It includes the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar...
and Garhwal
Garhwal Division
Garhwal is the north-western region and administrative division of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand which is home to the Garhwali people. Lying in the Himalayas, It is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Kumaon region, on the south by Uttar Pradesh state, and on the north-west by...
regions of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, such as the Sedhai, Prasai, Tiwari
Tiwari
Tiwari Sanskrit | तिवारी, is a Hindu Brahmin surname found mostly in the northern and central parts of India and Nepal.-About the surname Tiwari:Its other forms are Tewari, Tewary, Tiwary, Tewaree, and Tewarey...
, Lohani, Gyawali, etc.
Main sub castes of the Khas
- BahunBahunBahun is a colloquial Nepali term for a member of the Pahari or "hill" Brahmin caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. They are also known as Barmu in Newari. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu...
(Brahman) - Chhetri (Kshatriya)
- Thakuri (Rajput)
- Sanyasi
- Kaami
- Damai
- Sharki
- Gandharvha
- Baadi
Main Title (Surname) of Khas
- KarkiKarki (name)Karki is a family name in Nepal.karki's are of pure Chhetri origin.They were a powerful warrior in ancient Nepal.Kazi Swaroop Singh Karki was very much in power during the rule of king Pratap Singh Shah .Initially Swaroop Singh Karki was army commander of Tirhut princely state in Simraunagadh...
- MahatMahatMahat is ekthariya Chhetri surname of Nepal having Khasa root. Historically, one of the Jumli Malla king in medieval time made his younger brother Dharma Malla chief of army staffs entitling him as MAHAT . Afterwards, his descendants started writing Mahat as their surnames. Like other Khasa...
- Saud or Saun or Samant
- Rana
- ThapaThapaThapa is the surname of a large social group of people, both Chhettris and Magars, from Nepal. Over a period of time, this community has spread to other countries of the world, especially India....
- BishtBishtThe Bisht are a Rajput community living primarily in the Central Himmalayas, such as the Indian state of Uttarakhand.Bisht Rajputs refers to the title of Rajputs in Kumaon and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand...
- MitraMitra*Mitra was an important Indo-Iranian divinity. Following the prehistoric cultural split of Indo-Aryan and Iranian cultures, names descended from *mitra were used for the following religious entities:...
- Chand
- SinghSinghAlso see SinhaSingh is a common title, middle name, or surname in Northern India and South India used by sikhs warriors and kings. eg. Man Singh I, Maharana Pratap Singh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Siṃha meaning "lion and used by Ahir kings of Nepal". It is also used in Sri Lanka by...
- MallaMalla (surname)The surname Malla is a very popular Surname in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam District in Andhra Pradesh belonging to a cast called Gavara....
- Bohora
- ShahShahShāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
- Gotame
- Gautam
- TiwariTiwariTiwari Sanskrit | तिवारी, is a Hindu Brahmin surname found mostly in the northern and central parts of India and Nepal.-About the surname Tiwari:Its other forms are Tewari, Tewary, Tiwary, Tewaree, and Tewarey...
- Silwal
- Khanal
- Parajuli
- BajgainBajgainBajgain is a last name of people from Nepal. They are of Bahun/Brahmin caste and of Aryan origin. They come from Kashmir and Kamboj. They are believed to have come from central Asia entering Kashmir and finally western Nepal. Bajgain were mostly found in Seti zone of Nepal. They settled in Western...
- GhimireGhimireGhimire is the surname of a common caste in Brahmin. They belong to kashyap gotra. They are found in almost all parts of Nepal. There are two types of Ghimire those that worship the cow during the laxmi puja and those not worshiping the cow during the laxmi Puja. Besides Brahmin there are other...
- Budathoki
- DhakalDhakalDhakal is one of the most common [Brahmin] castes found in Nepal. They are believed to the direct decedents of Rishi or sage Upamanyu , who is in turn believed to be descended from RishiVasishta. They are believed to be originated from a place called Dhaku in Gorkha district of western Nepal. Yaku...
- Bhatta
- Neupane
- JoshiJoshiJoshi is a family name common in India and Nepal. Whereas the Joshi's of India are of Brahmin origin, the Joshi's of Nepal are either Newars or Khas-Brahmin...
- Bishta
- Giri
- Uphadyaya
- PandeyPandeyPandey Sanskrit is a surname of the Hindu Brahmins communities of Northern and Central India .-Derivation:Pandey's : Well known for the the Superior Castes in Brahmin's...
- Dahal
- Nepal (Surname)
- Pokhrel
- Gajmer
- Biswo
- AdhikariAdhikariAdhikari originally referred to a village administrator in Nepal. It is used as a surname, and may refer to:*Shantidas Adhikari , Hindu preacher from Sylhet*Rajesh Singh Adhikari , Indian army officer...
etc.
In Nepal, there are more than 300 surnames of the Khas people. In the past Khas are believed to have intermarried with Magar and Gurung, so that these and the Khas (Brahmin, Kshetri) have the same surnames. According to Professor Suryamani Adhikari (Tribhuvan University) Khas surnames indicate either post/position/profession held (e.g. Thapa = warrior; Karki = revenue officer etc.) or the place of origin in the Karnali region in far western Nepal (e.g. Sinja = Sijapati; Devkot = Devkota etc.). Thapas or Bhudas were warriors in the historic Khas kingdom of the Karnali region, posts which could be held both by Khas and Magar.
Some similar titles/surname between Khas and other ethnic groups
- BaralBaralBaral is a surname found in people from Nepal, India, and individuals of Jewish ancestry.There are over 100,000 Nepalese Barals who mainly constitute of the chetriya, brahmin and magar castes in Nepal. The surname Baral is found predominantly in India in individuals from Orissa and Bengal. Many...
(Bahun,khas and Magar) - Lamichhane (Bahun, Khas and Gurung)
- BudhaBudhaIn Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
(Magar, Bahun and khas) - ThapaThapaThapa is the surname of a large social group of people, both Chhettris and Magars, from Nepal. Over a period of time, this community has spread to other countries of the world, especially India....
(Magar and Khas) - RanaRana (title)Rana is a Princely title of Royalty in Sanskrit. Rana is used by the Jats and Rajput of South Asia. The name is usually interpreted to mean "Prince".Compound titles Rana Sahib, Rana Bahadur, and Maharana.-Royal title in India:...
(Magar and Khas)
Notable Khas People
- Prakash Thapa – Khas chhetri (Nepal)
Politics
- Gokarna Bista – Khas chhetri Former Minister of Nepal (Nepal)
- Lokendra Bahadur ChandLokendra Bahadur ChandLokendra Bahadur Chand was the prime minister of Nepal four times: from 1983 to 1986, briefly during April 1990, briefly during 1997, and from October 2002 until June 2003. He is a major supporter of the Nepalese monarchy...
– Khas thakuri Former Prime Minister of Nepal (Nepal) - Surya Bahadur ThapaSurya Bahadur ThapaSurya Bahadur Thapa has been Prime Minister of Nepal five times, under three different kings, in a political career lasting nearly 50 years. His terms were 1963-64, 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98 and 2003-04....
– Khas chhetri Former Prime Minister of Nepal (Nepal)
- Ram Sharan Mahat – Khas Chhetri Leader of Nepali Congress (Nepal)
Defense
- Major Dhan Singh Thapa