Khas of Nepal II

" The Khasas of Nepal

New Spotlight News Magazine, Vol. 05, No.-16 March 02-2012 (Falgun 19,2068)By Shirshak Ghimire(Source: http://www.spotlightnepal.com/Review.aspx?ArticleID=2920)

Identity is a fluid concept. There are no clear cut definitions or boundaries. Every person belongs to a minority in his own way. But politics of identity have found its roots in the country and flourished.

This booklet Nepalka Khas Jati [The Khas People of Nepal] authored by Dr. Bipin Adhikari provides a brief but illuminating insight into the long history of the Khas people namely the Chhetri, Bahun, Kami, Thakuri, Sarki, Sanyasi, Badi, Damai, Gharti Gaine and others, and their identity.

The author is not a historian by profession. Yet, this booklet provides a straightforward account of its subject matter based on almost all available historical sources. The significance of this work, however, lies in its attempts at debunking several myths and inaccurate perceptions about this ethnic group considered to be the dominant one in the multi-cultural country of Nepal. It has come to publication at a very relevant time, considering the current socio-political situation of the nation, where identity politics is almost paralyzing the country. This book cites many national and international reference materials including seminal works on Nepal's history written by noted scholars in the same pursuit. The net argument of the author is that the Khas people are as much indigenous to this country as the Kirant people, and there is little evidence to show who the first settlers out of these two communities are.

The first major contention of the author, who is a renowned constitutional expert of Nepal, is that the Khas people have lived in the Himalayan foothills for several millennia in an area stretching from Kashmir to Bhutan. The author has cited several sources in claiming that the Khas people were the early Caucasians who migrated into the Himalayas from Eurasia, at least over three thousand five hundred years ago. In doing so the author intends to debunk the popular perception that the Khas people had came over to the areas currently in Nepal to escape the Muslim invasion of India in the 10th to 12th century. He asserts that there is no tangible record or evidence supporting this theory.

Dr Adhikari has analysed plenty of references to prove his contention. Based on these references, he depicts the Khas and the Kirantis as two earliest tribes to settle in the Himalayan foothills. The epic Mahabharat is cited to show that the Khas and the Kirantis had participated in that war, fighting alongside the Kauravas. Several ancient scriptures discussed by the author also seem to suggest Khas people as historically non-Hindus and thus "impure" people in the eyes of devout Hindus in the plains of the South Asia.

The second major contention of the author is that there is a strong distinction between the Khas people and the Vedic Aryan people. He puts forth a bold claim that the arrival of the Khas people preceded the Aryan invasion of India. It is thus asserted that the Khas people arrived along the Hindu-Kush and Himalayan range as a nomadic race and settled in the foothills. This is in contrast to the Aryans who settled in the fertile plains of Punjab and further south, along the Indo-Gangetic plains. The author cites several cultural differences between the Vedic Aryans and the Khas, showing that the early culture of the Khas people was more compatible to that of the local tribal cultures. It is amazing to note the analytical, social anthropological skills of the author in this regard.

An important question that arises is - how and why did the Khas people adopt the cultural practices and societal structures of the Hindus? The author writes that the Khas people were in contact with both the Buddhist and Hindu faiths. So the Khas people started off with coating their own practices with Hindu faith but the Hindu influence continued to increase. The author cites an old practice of the Khas people of keeping a "Masta’ (similar to a clan deity or "kuldeuta") devoid of any form or idol. Such cultural practices were assimilated into the broader Hindu culture once the rulers started following Hindu traditions and claiming lineage from the influential old Kshatriya clans in the plains. It was basically done to get the recognition of the several powerful kingdoms in the plains.

The author maps the journey of the Khas people from a nomadic tribe to the Sanskritised dominant group of Nepal (although he does not use the word Sanskritization anywhere in the text. As it is known the Khas people have had a major contribution in the formation of Nepal. The turning point in Khas ethnicity as pointed by this booklet arrived due to the level of prestige attached to having Vedic/Aryan heritage which caused the Sanskritized rulers to abandon their true Khas ethnicity. This according to the book seems to have trickled down to the public who sought new roles in accordance with the Varna system. The enactment of the Muluki Ain by Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana in 1854 helped the social reorganization under Hindu norms. The author has pointed out that in spite of the Sanskritization, the hill dwelling Khas people with the rare exception of the Shah and Rana rulers, have avoided inter-marriage with their Hindu counterparts from the plains.

The book has attempted to gather a fresh outlook on the ethnic relations in Nepal. It is written that the Khas people were in contact with many of the other ethnic groups existing in Nepal but maintained a close association with the Magars and both the ethnic groups have many common characteristics. Similarly the usage of Khas language (now known as Nepali) is claimed to have been the common inter-ethnic mode of communication used even by the Malla Kings of Kathmandu valley.

Overall this book takes the focus away from the history of the Kathmandu valley which dominates most of the academic exercises regarding the history of Nepal. Hopefully this work will facilitate new discussions with regard to the ethno-cultural history of Nepal that will help dispel misconceptions and have a positive impact upon the current socio-political trends.

Despite its sharp analysis and presentation, the booklet is still a difficult reading for people who have limited understanding of Nepal’s history. Its references at times look like short hand expression for people already familiar of Nepal’s archives and records. The author can consider further elaborating his work giving it the shape of a full-fledged book.

Nevertheless, it is still an important piece of work. It can make any ethno-activist community which claims indigenous status to it at the cost of Khasas shy of its claim. Although the author does not make the comparison, the Khasas may have much claim for such a status than any other group in Nepal who arrived to settle in this land a couple of millenniums later than the Khas people. "



Source: http://khas-people.blogspot.in/

Kudos to all these bloggers

Khas of Nepal - I

" The Khas-Kirat Tribes As Gorkhas Of Nepal Or Nepalese Nation

The present Nepalese nation is a combination of two big races of the Himalayan country of Nepal who are known by the name of Kirat and Khas tribes. In the beginning, the Kirat tribes had occupied all the countries of the Himalayan mountains extending from Afghanistan to Assam and North Burma. Later on the Khas tribe came from the North and fought with the Kirat people and distributed the Himalayan countries into two big divisions. The land between Kashmir to river Trisuli was called Khas land and the residents were called Khasiyas or Khasis or Khas people. The land between river Trisuli and Assam was called the Kirat land and the people were called Kiratese or Kirat people. They were ally tribes from the time of Mahabharata. Both the tribes had represented their armies in the battle of Kuruchetra. During 317 BC, both tribes had jointly helped King Chandra Gupta against his enemy Nanda King of Magadha.

The Khas had many languages with a few dialects; the Kirat had also many languages with various dialects.

In the beginning the Vedic Aryans had no acquaintance with both the Kirat and Khas people. The latter also did not care to know about and study their culture. So the Vedic Aryans composed a poem in Sanskrit about the Kirat and Khas tribes ignoring them from their fold. They have called them, "Shudras" or foreigners.
"Shanakaistu kriye loped imah kshatriya jatayah, Brikhalatwam gata lokey Brahmana darshanena cha, Paudra Kaschou Dravidra Kamboja Yauwanah Sakah, Parada Palhawa Chinah Kiratah Daradah Khasah."

Although the tribes called Tangan, Kulinda and Daradas were separate from the Khas tribes, Rahul Sankrityayan proves that they belonged to the same Khas people of the Punjab hills. The original habitat of the Khas tribe was on the basin of river Tarim in Central Asia. Their fort was called the Khas garh. When they were disturbed by a nomadic tribe called Laghu Uichi Kushan, they left their native land and migrated towards the Himalayan countries of Chitral, Gilgit, Kashmir, Kulu, Punjab hills or Kumaon, Garhwal and Nepal. The Tibetans had already known them by the name of Horpa with their ally tribe called Sokpa or Mongolian.When they intermingled with them, they were called the Horsok tribe. As the Horpa tribes were of bigger built and their faces were comparatively bigger than that of the Tibetan people, they called them Khachhe Khas tribe which means the Khas tribe of people who had bigger faces.

The Chinese people also remarked the Horsok or Khachhe Khas tribe to be of white colour, blue eyes, sharp noses and grey hair. They are not actually Aryans, but either Turks or Mongolians. Many people make a mistake of thinking Turks to be Muhammadans. But in fact, a Turk means the Western Mongolians who were descendents of the Tyurk of Japhetist race of the Western direction, and Khan was their leader. The word Gurkhan means the King of Kings in their language. The word ourkha of Nepal appears to have been derived from the Gurkhan of Central Asia. The famous Gurkhan of Khas people in Tarim land was Yelu whose scion ruled there for three generations after which this Gurkhan dynasty was ousted by the enemies from there. So these Khas tribes with their Gurkhan left their native place and came towards the Himalayan countries of Chitral, Gilgit, Kashmir, Ladak, Kumaon, Kulu, Garhwal and Nepal and settled there permanently. Thus, those Khas people of Chiral and Gillgit called themselves to be of Kho tribe; the same Khasas of Kashmir and Ladaks were called Khachhey tribe. In the Kumaon province they called themselves Darad, Kunet or Kuninda and Tangan tribes. In Garhwal they were called Khasas or Monpas or Bhotias, though they are now proud of calling themselves Rajput Hindus. And in Nepal they are called Khas or Kshetri tribe.
As I mentioned before, they had to encounter the Kirat people in all the above mentioned places in the beginning, but later on came to good terms with them and mixed with them and constituted a big race. When a good relationship was made among them, they divided the Himalayan region into two big divisions; the Eastern and the Western Himalayas. The Kirat people ruled the Eastern Himalayas and the Khas people ruled the Western Himalayas. River Trisuli was the boundary between these two divisions. In this way, the land between river Trisuli and Kashmir was called the Khas land and the land between river Trisuli and Assam was called the Kirat land. Gradually the Khas tribe and Kirat tribe mixed so much so that they began to claim the same family title for both tribes. For example, the family titles of Kharka, Thapa, Rana, Punwar, Konwar, Gharti Burathoki, Baral, Rimal, Rijal, Darlami, Khulal, Sinjali, Basnet, Karki, Bohora, Bista, Singh and Sen can be found in both Khas and Kirat tribes. The practice of Feudalism was common in both tribes and the system of election for common overlordship was also famous among them. Thus, a league of Barah Thakuris ruled Jumla. A league of Barah Magar tribes ruled Mangrat. The Char Ghaley tribes ruled Lamjong. The Nau Gurungs tribes ruled Pokhara. The Ath Khas tribes ruled the Gorkha estates in West Nepal. The Naulakh Kirat ruled Majhkirat and Tem Limbus ruled the Pallo Kirat or Limbuwan in East Nepal.

The famous eight Khas tribes that I found in my MSS are Thapa, Bohora, Karki, Basnet, Rahut, Roka, Bista and Kharka in which Kharka was their Gurkhan or King and Bista was their priest. So long they were not converted into Hinduism, they had free matrimonial connection with the Kirat people of Magar tribe and so they had common family titles. But since the time of Khas people's conversion into Hinduism, they began to feel themselves high caste Hindus and so they themselves separated from their neighbors. They adopted the Devnagri script for Khas language and administered their lands. But since the time of Gorkha King Prithvi Narayan Shah all the Khas Kingdoms as well as Kirat Kingdoms were brought into one unity with common name of Gorkhas. So, the old feeling of relationship between the Kirat and Khas families began to revive and the national feeling grew stronger and the country of Nepal started adopting one language, one literature and one national name of brave Gurkhas alias Nepalese nation.
During 1845-46 AD, the Nepal Government formed a regiment of 6000 Kirat soldiers of Limbuwan in the Nepalese Army and stationed them in Patan with the name of Bhairab Nath.
In the year 1889, the Nepal Government permitted the British Government to form a Battalion of Kirat soldiers under the title of Gurkha Rifles. So they raised a Battalion and called it the 10th Gurkha Rifles. In the same manner in 1907, a 2nd Battalion of Kirat soldiers was formed and called it the 7th Gurkha Rifles.
Thus, the Khas Kirat tribes of Nepal became the world famous Gurkhas alias Nepalese nation.

Source: Kirat M.M.S. and Kirat itihaas by iman sing chemjong.

4 comments:

1. rajendra mahatApril 28, 2013 at 9:44 PM

   Good job Amar ji. Good read but with few flaws. I am being an amateur of khas history and member of the same khas community cannot hold back myself without giving you thanks and Kudos!! First, we khas are believed to be of persian root of tajik people (aryan race) who is now completely mixed breed by marriage with magars, lamas and other mongoloid tribes. We adopted hinduism only after 15th century after the advent of indian hindu brahmins in the western himalyan foothills (karnali basin). One thing you mentioned in really true, khas and kirant are the ancient and harmoniously co-existed two tribe of nepal. Other, kirati people from easter hills got recruited en mass in gorkhali army in the time of king Grivanu yuddha under Ripumardini battalion not the Bhairab and their number was around 7000. At that time regualr size of gorkhali army was around 10-14 thousands. May our unity prevail!!

   Reply
2. rajendra mahatApril 28, 2013 at 9:45 PM

   Sorry it's 700 not 7000

   Reply
3. Laxmi TamangApril 29, 2013 at 5:00 AM

   It is the great piece of writing with historical facts and evidences but don't know how much truth but I'm pretty sure it is 80-90% true. I said 80-90% might be true above statement because Manusmrit had written in around 200 BC after Buddha died and Buddha was considered purest Kshatriya and converted Kshatriya to Hinduism thereafter officially as per the law of manu. But pratice of casteism was before Buddha time as well. Thus Buddha was against Casteism. "Shakya kshatriyas were considering themselves as the purest breed of kshatriya. To protect their purity, they were doing same Gotriya(Sagotriya) marriage which is prohibited in Hinduism. This sentiment lead to mass scale massacre by king of Kosala after one incident.
   
   Shakyas who were proud of the superiority of their blood took meeting in Santhagara at Kapilvastu. Santhagara decided that they would not give their girl even though she will be made patrani of Kosala.
   
   When Gautam Buddha was 80 year old and was near to Vaishali, and wanted to declare his mahaparinirvana, King Virudhaka went towards Kapilvastu. His army surrounds the Shakaya republic.
   
   After this he gave order to his army that don’t kill the Shakyas who apologize, don’t touch women and children, do not kill the person who runs from you. Shakyans who didn’t apologized were killed in masses. Many Shakyans fled from Kapilvastu. It is widely believed that they fled to Pipphalvana where they adopted new title as “Maurya”. Maurya Kshatriya traces their origin from Shakya republic with reference to this incident. The greatest king of India, Ashoka, was born in Mauryan dynasty. Shakyans were killed in masses while maintaining their purity of blood and self-respect.
   
   The Shakyans along with Malla, Lichchhavi, Koliya and other republic kshatriya clans were ruling from their “Santhagara”. “Sainthwar Kshatriya” community of eastern Uttarpradesh and part of western Bihar carries the Buddhist legacy of these ancient clans; prominent of those areas are Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Deoria. Sainthwar community derives their name from “Santhagara” and means “the one who leaves Santhagara”. Same gotriya marriage but in diffirent clan, is still seen in Sainthwar community.
   
   Republic Kshatriyas like Malla, Shakya, Lichchhavis, Mauryas, Koliya and Videhas never gave high respect to Brahmins. This feeling was highest with the rise of Buddhism and Jainism where both Buddha and Mahavira were from republic kshatriya family. With rise of Brahminism after Buddha’s death, kshatriya who were considered as first among the four varnas, were slowly placed to second number.The republic kshatriyas like Malla and Lichchhavis were termed as Vratya Kshatriya (degraded Kshatriya) due to their Buddha linkage. Maurya kshatriyas were defamed as Shudra by Sunga dynasty, a Brahmin dynasty and in later era all Mauryas and associated Buddhist clans were known under common title of "Maurao, Murai or Mauryas". The democratic Santhagara kshatriyas who must be liberal towards Brahminism or Hinduism, were assembled due to their common social and political orientation and later known as "Santhawar" {present Sainthwar / Saithwar Rajputs of Gorakhpur}and their population must be very low as recorded in visit of Chinese travelers Fa-xian (Fa-Hien). Similarly the Buddhist Brahmins who later accepted Hinduism were known as Bhumihar or Babhan.
   
   The purest Breed of Shakya clan of ancient India is now divided and they exists as integral part of Sainthwar / Saithwar Rajput community and some of them as part of broader Murao (also known as Koeri ) community of Eastern Uttarpradesh, though Shakya are also found in Nepal. There were marital relations between Malla, Koliya, Lichchhavi and other democratic kshatriyas with Maurya kshatriyas during Buddha and Ashoka period, but it must have slowly disappeared with fall of Buddhism." http://shakya.kshatriya.tripod.com/sainthwar/"

   
   

   Source:  http://yakthung20.blogspot.in/2013/02/the-khas-kirat-tribes-as-gorkhas-of.html

   
   

   An excellent article. This article also quite satisfactorily explain why Khas & Kirats have common tittle.