Recently, I have come across an
article in which it’s written that Nepal’s Thakuris are actually Magars. Even Hamilton
has famously quoted that Prithvi Narayan Shah was descendants of Magars.
So, today I have thought of
putting my thought with you guys, what is my view on it.
First understand the word ‘Thakuri’
means. Its origin is very simple & clear this word is derived from the word
‘Thakur’ which is used in Gangetic plain for the ruling class like zamindars. In
simple world they were the landlords. According to the size of their property
they can claim themselves as local kings. Common local people used to call them
‘Raja Saheb’ means ‘King’. Thakur word itself has many derivatives in India for
example Tagore (which is British pronunciation of Thakur), Thakkar, Thackrey
etc. Thakur could have probably become Thakuri when speaking in Khas language, which
if I am not wrong was originally similar to today’s Doti region language.
Many Magar scholars claim that
Thakuris are actually Magars, who claim that many Magar chieftains have raised
themselves to upper caste & claim the title of Thakuri. They have their own
points to support it for example cousin marriage, some cultures etc. However,
my view is very much different with their view. In my opinion Thakuris are truly
Khas people or in some case Rajputs.
This very thing gets complex
when we look at the Thakuris of Gandaki region. The region which was ruled by
Magar chieftains. So, in my opinion only few Magar chieftains from Gandaki
region has come under the influence of Khas Brahmans & change their title. But
true Magar origin Thakuris actually came from, Sen Thakuris of Palpa. As
mentioned in history, Palpa was once ruled by Sen Kings, these are same &
true Magar Kings who declared themselves as Thakuri. And, Palpa is actually the
region which is dominated by Magars. This Sen Thakuris are the one who makes
the Thakuris history complex. Apart from that there is some possibility that some
Gandak region Magar chieftains may have taken the title of Shah, however the
possibility of it very slim. There is written history that Prithvi Narayan Shah
had Sen King of Palpa had marital relationship.
For me other Thakuris like
Shah, Chand, Bam are mainly come from western part of Nepal & are Khas.
Shah Thakuris was already ruling present day Garhwal in 14th
century. In my opinion Prithivi Narayan Shah’s ancestors were also migrated from
Garhwal region. Slowly, they started moving east as Khas people themselves started
moving east. One of my points is the language used by Prithvi Narayan Shah,
which is pretty similar to present day Doti region language.
However, if we specifically talk about Prithvi Narayan Shah & his ancestors, some scholars claim that Prithvi Narayan Shah ancestor named Kulmandan Shah was a son of Mincha Khan, a Magar king. Even, their Kul Devi is Alam Devi of Lasargah, where main priest is Magar. Though, I myself will like more concrete support to favour this theory.
Mallas, in my opinion
were migrated directly from Gangetic plain. There was in fact a Malla Kingdom in
Terai 2500 years ago. Malla later got inter-mingled with local Newar elites.
So, guys I am also looking
forward to inputs from you. Please do comment and share your view to me too.
My name is Anish Gurung Living in Damauli I have a lot of friends from Bhirkot, Gwaslung, and Vyas Gaupalika because I live near Damauli, Tanahu. They look more Mongolian than Brahmin. They can easily marry between their maternal mamako chori and Fupuko chora. My Gwaslung Thakuri friend says their village celebrates Ghatu, Kauda, and Chandi Puja, the same as the Magars, and they all look purely Magar. Their tongue/language seems a little bit like local Magar.
ReplyDeleteAs a Thakuri from Syangja, I agree that some of our Thakuri subclans, such as Sen, Uchai, Khand, Suryabanshi, and a few others, seem to have closer historical and cultural ties with the Magar community. I believe we share many cultural similarities, including traditions and ways of celebration, although we Thakuri generally do not perform dances and songs like Kauda, Bhume, Maruni, and similar Magar cultural practices.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned, I personally believe that some of these Thakuri subclans may have originally been Magar groups who later adopted a Thakuri identity over time. I have also found that surnames or clan names like “Uchai” and “Banshi” are present among Magar communities as well. Interestingly, the Uchai and Banshi Thakuri subclans are said to have been among the last groups to officially start using “Thakuri” in their names.
In terms of physical appearance, many people from these subclans tend to resemble Gurung or Magar communities more than Bahun or Chhetri groups.
I have asked several Sen community leaders about this topic. Some said that the Sens could originally be Magar, some said we are like brothers, while others believed we are separate groups that simply developed close historical ties over time.
We can also find many Kunwar, Sanyasi, and Khawas families in places like Pokhara and Syangja adopting or changing their identity to Khand Thakuri. Because of all these historical and social connections, I believe that if DNA studies were conducted on older Thakuri subclans such as Uchai, Banshi, Khand, and Sen, they might show closer genetic ties with Magar populations than many people expect.