After all recently I have found some good article on Magars in Wikipedia, I guess it has been updated recently,
"The Magars (
Nepali:
मगर जाति) are an indigenous ethnic group of
Nepal whose homeland extends from the western and southern edges of the
Dhaulagiri section of the
Himalayas range south to the Mahabharat foothills eastward into the
Gandaki basin.
Genetically and physically, Magar people are Mongoloid/east Asian. They are believed to have migrated from Tibet like the
Gurungs
and other prominent ethnic groups, however, there is an interesting
mythical story describing Magar's origins and versions of three
different language groups are presented.
[4]
The Magar of the Bara Magaranth (a group of twelve Magar kingdoms east of the
Gandaki River)
are said to have originated in the land of Seem. Two brothers, See
Magar and Chintoo Magar, fought, and one remained in Seem, while the
other left, ending up in Kangwachen in southern Sikkim. The
Bhutia people lived at the northern end of this region. Over time, the Magars became very powerful and made the northern Bhutia their
vassals.
Sintoo Sati Sheng ruled in a very despotic manner, and the Bhutia
conspired to assassinate him. Sheng's queen took revenge and poisoned
1,000 Bhutia people at a place now called Tong Song Fong, meaning "where
a thousand were murdered". The Bhutia later drove the Magar out,
forcing them to again migrate further south. As part of this migration,
one group migrated to Simrongadh, one group moved towards the
Okhaldhunga region, and another group seems to have returned to the
east. No dates are given.
A second Magar federation called Athar Magarat (18 Magar Kingdoms) was situated west of the
Gandaki River, inhabited by
Kham Magar.
The Tarali Magar are said to have originated from a woman who fled
the region of Jumla during a war between Kalyal kings. It is not known
who her spouse, was but she arrived at Tarakot on the verge of giving
birth to a son. One day the boy saw a strange phenomenon in the jungle
lake where he went with his cattle. Lhe lake is said to have filled with
milk, and seven shining creatures, like fairies, were bathing in the
waters of the lake. He was enthralled and came to observe them daily.
One day he told his mother about this strange sight, and she advised him
to touch the youngest of these angels; this would cause her to become
human so he could marry her, and he brought the beautiful damsel to his
mother. When they asked her who she was she replied in an unknown tongue
which was incomprehensible for them. The devi was offered some bread,
and she uttered the words, "Tai khe nan." Slowly they began to learn the
language of this woman, and Kaike was spread among themselves. The
language was called "Kaike", meaning "language of the Gods".
History
The group was first mentioned in AD 1100, when the Magar King of
Palpa and Butwal, Mukunda Sen, invaded and conquered the Nepal
(Kathmandu) valley.
[5]
It is always understood, however, that they have resided around Palpa
from time immemorial and that they were probably the earliest settlers
from the north. This part of the country was formerly divided into
twelve districts, each under its own ruler, being known as the
Barah, or twelve
Magarant[6] or twelve
Thams, the members of each supposedly being of common extraction in the male line. Some records show these twelve areas as being
Argha,
Gulmi, Isma, Musikot, Khanchi, Ghiring, Rising, Bhirkot, Payung, Garhung, Dhor and Satung.
[7] However, it is probable that some of the latter places should have been excluded in favour of
Palpa,
Galkot, Dhurkot, Char Hajar,
Parbat, and even
Piuthan and
Salyan.
[3]
The Magars of middle and western Nepal played a role in Nepal's
formative history. Their kingdom was one of the strongest of west Nepal
in and around Palpa District during the time of the 22 and 24
rajya principalities (17th and early 18th centuries).
[8]
Hamilton, during his research in Nepal in 1802, came to a conclusion
that all the kings of 24 principalities, including Sen King of Palpa in
western Nepal, were Magars.
[9] Many of the Magar aristocracy joined the Thakuri caste and status.
[8]
In recent years, many scholars and historians have claimed that Nepal's
former Shah rulers were the descendants of Magar kings of the Barah
Magarath/Kali Gandaki region. The 18th-century king,
Prithvi Narayan Shah,
the founder of the modern Kingdom of Nepal announced himself as a king
of Magarant. According to Hamilton, Mincha and Khancha Khan, the
forefathers of former Shah kings of Nepal, were of Magar descent.
[10] Baburam Acharya, a prominent historian of Nepal, also confirmed that Nepal's former Shah kings were the descendents of Magar kings.
[11]
Many prominent historians of Nepal have claimed that Aramudi, an
eighth-century ruler of the Kali Gandaki region, was a Magar King.
[12][13][14][15] "Aramudi" derives from the word for 'river' in the
Magar language.
[16] 'Ari'-'Source of Water' + 'Modi'-'River'='Arimodi' or 'Aramudi', thus the literal meaning of Aramudi is 'source of river'.
[17] Jayapida [782-813 AD]
[18] also called Vinayaditta, a king of
Kashmir, invaded Kali Gandaki Region, a traditional homeland of the Magars of Nepal. Aramudi resisted the invasion.
[19] After capture by Aramudi, Vinayaditta was taken to the right banks of the
Kali Gandaki river,
[20] in a strongly built fort,
[21] where Aramudi imprisoned him.
[20] Jayapida was a powerful king of Kashmir who ruled for 31 years and defeated the kings of
Kanyakubja(Kannauj),
[22] and
Prayag/
Allahabad in
Utter Pradesh, India. He was in a conquering expedition to the valley of the
Ganges.
[22]
Subdivisions
The tribes are structured with
septs followed by the
sub-septs and the next smallest groups are the
gotras.
The Magar people are divided into three sub-tribes by linguistic
classification, as there are three languages among the Magar people:
| Language |
Septs |
| Magarkura speakers |
Rana, Ale, Gaha, Thapa,Rakhal, Sijali, most of Magars |
| Khamkura/Magar Pang speakers |
Bura, Gharti, Roka, Pun, Jhankri |
| Kaike speakers |
Tarali Magar of Dolpa/Budha, Gharti, Rokaya, Jhankri |
Language
Main article:
Magar language
Of the 1,887,733 Magar people in
Nepal, nearly 788,530 speak a
Magar language as their mother tongue. The
Kham Magar of Rapti Zone speak
Kham language. In Dolpa District, the Magar speak Tarali or
Kaike language. The Magar languages are rooted in the
Bodic
branch of the Tibetan family. Magarkura speakers are Ale, Thapa,
Singjapati and Rana. Similarly Khamkura speakers are Budha, Gharti,
Roka, Pun, Shrees, Jhankri, and Kaike speakers are Tarali Magar of
Dolpa, Budha, Gharti, Roka, Jhankri.
[2] Language expert Madhav Pokhrel says that there is 16%
[23] similarity between Magar Language and Hungary's
Magyar Language.
[24]
The 1971 census put the total population of those who spoke the Magar
language at 288,383, i.e. 2.49 percent of the total population of Nepal,
of which more than half lived in the Western hills of Nepal.
[25]
Religion
The original religions or beliefs of Magar people are
Shamanism and
Tengriism and the northern Magar practice
Tibetan Buddhism, in which their priest is known as
bhusal.
The majority of Magars are Hindu, although Buddhism is common in the
Magar area, though are less evident in Kham hinterlands, particularly in
the ranges along the boundary between Rukum and Pyuthan-Rolpa districts
. These hinterlands are geographically, and therefore culturally,
isolated from the beaten tracks of transhimalayan trade routes and from
rice-growing lowlands (Hitchcock, 1966:25-34).
Animists and shamanism form part of the local belief system; their
dhami (the faithhealer or a kind of shaman) is called Dangar and their
jhankri (another kind of faithhealer or shaman) is called Rama. Bhusal
was the traditional spiritual and social leader of the Magars.
[28]
Magars have an informal cultural institution, called Bheja, who
performs religious activities, organizes social and agriculture-related
festivities, brings about reforms in traditions and customs, strengthens
social and production system, manages resources, settles cases and
disputes and systematizes activities for recreation and social
solidarity.
[29] Some educated and prosperous Magars are shifting closer to traditional Hinduism in recent years.
Dress and ornaments
The Magar of the low hills wear the ordinary
kachhad or wrap-on-loincloth, a
bhoto or a shirt of vest, and the usual Nepali topi. The women wear the
pariya or
sari or
lunghi, chaubandhi cholo or a closed blouse and the heavy
patuka or waistband and the
mujetro or shawl-like garment on the head. The higher-altitude Magars wear an additional
bhangra, and the ones living in the Tarakot area even wear the Tibetan
chhuba. The ornaments are the
madwari on the ears,
bulaki on the nose and the
phuli on the left nostril, the silver coin necklace and the
pote (green beads) with the
tilhari gold cylinder and
kuntha.
Magar males do not wear many ornaments, but some are seen to have
silver or gold earrings, hanging from their earlobes, called
"gokkul".
The magar girls wear the amulet or locket necklace, and women of the
lower hills and the high-altitude ones wear these made of silver with
muga stones imbedded in them and
kantha. The bangles of gold and glass are also worn on their hands along with the
sirbandhi,
sirphuli and
chandra on their heads. These are large pieces of gold beaten in elongated and circular shapes.
Occupations
Agriculture and the military are the primary sources of income. Magars constitute the largest number of
Gurkha soldiers outside Nepal.
[30] Prime Minister
Bhimsen Thapa was the descendant of a Magar Thapa, as was General
Amar Singh Thapa.
[31] Sarbajit Rana Magar became the head of government during the regency of Queen Rajendra Laxmi.
[32]
Biraj Thapa Magar, General Abhiman Singh Rana Magar and Sarbajit Rana
Magar headed the Nepal army. Biraj Thapa Magar was the very first army
chief in Nepal Army's history.
[33]
Magars are famous as gallant warriors wherever they served in the past.
The Magars are well represented in Nepal's military, as well as in the
Singapore Police Force, the British and Indian
Gurkha
regiments, and they are also employed as professionals in the fields of
medicine, education, government service, law, journalism, development,
aviation and in business in Nepal and other countries.
Dor Bahadur Bista's observation of Magar's occupation during the 1960s was:
Some of the northernmost Magars have become quite
prosperous by engaging in long-range trading that takes them from near
the northern border to the Terai, and even beyond to Darjeeling and
Calcutta. Were it not for their role in the Gurkha regiments of the
Indian and British armies, their self-sufficiency might be endangered.
[34]
Toni Hagen, who did his field research in Nepal during the 1950s, observed:
Magars possess considerable skill as craftsmen:
they are the bridge builders and blacksmiths among the Nepalese, and the
primitive mining is largely in their hands. On the lower courses of the
Bheri & Karnali rivers, a great number of Magars annually migrate
to the Terai & there manufacture bamboo panniers, baskets, and mats
for sale in the bazaars along the borders. In their most northerly
settlement, on the other hand, the important trading centre of Tarakot
on the Barbung river, they have largely adopted their way of life, their
clothes, and their religion to that of the Tibetans; like the latter,
they also live by the salt trade. As regard race, the Magars have
almond-shaped eyes or even open eyes, whereas Mongoloid eyes are very
rare.
[35]
Mountaineering
Magars, often those serving in the British Indian Army in the 19th
century, were skilled mountaineers. Subedar Karbir Budhathoki from 5th
Gorkha Rifles (GR) scaled Mount Trishul (23,400 feet or 7,130 metres) in
the Garhwal Hills, Uttarakhand, India. Parbir Thapa, Amarsingh Thapa,
Karbir Budhathoki and Harkabir Thapa, all from 5th GR accompanied
mountaineering expeditions in the Alps on three occasions between 1891
and 1899.
[36]
Dr Harka Gurung confirmed that Karbir Budhathoki and Amarsingh Thapa
were pioneers of mountaineering expeditions in Nepal's history. They
climbed 39 high-altitude passes and 21 mountain peaks in 86 days in the
Karakoram mountain range. Corporal Tejbir Budha from 3rd Gorkha Rifles stayed at
Chomolongma/Mt Everest at 7,772 metres (25,499 ft) for two nights in 1922. He was awarded an
Olympic Medal by the French president for his courage in 1927.
[37]
Sergeant Till Bikram Budhathoki (Gulmi) from 1/1 GR scaled Mt Everest
on 23 May 2001, as a team member of the Indian Army Everest Expedition
2001.
[38][39]
During the Mt. Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration, three Magars from
the Nepalese Army scaled Mt. Everest as team members of the Indo Nepal
Army Everest Massif Expedition. Sergeant Lok Bahadur Magar from
Okhaldhunga and Corporal Dutta Bahadur Budha from Gulmi scaled Mt
Everest on 22 May 2003 and Gunner Kul Bahadur Ale Magar from Lamjung
scaled on 26 May 2003.
[40]
Military service
A number of Magar have distinguished themselves in military service
under the British military. In total, 5 Victoria Crosses (out of 13 VCs
awarded to Gurkhas) were awarded to the Magars:
[41]
- First World War:
- Rifleman Kulbir Thapa, the very first Gurkha to win VC in recognition of his valor and bravery. He was from Palpa. He served in 2/3 Gurkha Regiment (GR). He received VC in France in 1915.
- Rifleman Karanbahadur Rana, Gulmi, was from 2/3 GR. He received VC in Egypt in 1918.
- Second World War:
- Subedar Lalbahadur Thapa, Nepal Tara[42] was from 2nd GR. He received VC in Tunisia in 1943.
- Rifleman Tul Bahadur Pun,(born 23 March 1923) was from Myagdi.
He served 6 GR. He received VC in Burma in 1944. He is a living
recipient of the VC. He later achieved the rank of Honorary Lieutenant.
In addition to the VC, Pun has been awarded 10 other medals, including
the Burma Star.
- Subedar Netrabahadur Thapa, was from 5th GR. He received VC in Burma in 1944.
In the modern era, Sergeant
Dip Prasad Pun was decorated with the
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
(CGC), Britain's 2nd highest medal for bravery. He was born in Bima
Village Development Committee, Myagdi district, West Nepal, and joined
British Gurkha Army in January 2000.
[43]
Politics
Under the leadership of minister
Giri Prasad Burathoki,
a first ever Magar Convention was held in Bharse of Gulmi District, one
of the 12 Magarats in 1957. The objective of the conference was to
sensitize the Magars to come forward in the national spectrum.
[44]
Later Magar political and social organisations included
Nepal Langhali Pariwar (1972),
Nepal Langhali Pariwar Sang, and
Langhali Pariwar Sangh.
Kings
- Shintoo Sati Sheng, Kangwachan, Sikkim and Nepal, before Lichhabi Rule in Nepal.[46]
- Aramudi, Nepaladesyasya Raja, Kali Gandaki Region, 8th century.[47][48][49][50]
- Jeetu Magar, Chha-Bisa Kot, Rolpa, donated present-day Dang district to his son-in-law.
- Bali Hang Rana Magar, Baldeng Gadhi extended from Pokhara to Gorakhpur, 12th century,[51] west of Palpa.
- Mukunda Sen, Tansen-Palpa and Butwal, 11th century
- Gajalaxman Singh, Makawanpur Gadhi.[52]
- Micha Khan, Nuwakot-Syangja
- Khancha, Dhor
- Dalsur Ghale Magar, Lig Lig Kot (Gorkha) 1548-1559
- Mansingh Khadka Magar, Gorkha, until 1559
- Tulu Paija Magar, Pakhapani "
Source " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magars
First time in internet I can see the names of Magar King. There is no doubt that Nepal at least Barah Magarat and Atharah Magarat was ruled my Magar Chiefs of Kings but our Nepali historian (Bahun haru), they have never acknowledge it neither they were interested in knowing the fact. Or we can say that they could be the one who are responsible for hiding our true History or Identity.
This is though not going to make any impact on my personal life, but our generation should know what the fact is. For example, now Shah kings are too is past, Ranas are already gone and one knows what or how the future will be. As I always says history is created by the Winner. Like in India today no one is bother about their Moghul Emperor. But to know the fact is our right.
