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| Khas people | |
|---|---|
| Group | Khas people |
| Regions | Nepal, India, Bhutan |
| Languages | Nepali language, Khas language |
| Religions | Hinduism, Buddhism |
| Related | Indo-Aryan peoples, Aryan migrations in South Asia |
Khas people are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic community historically associated with the western Himalayas and the middle hills of Nepal. Originating in the medieval polities of the Khasa Malla Kingdom and interacting with neighboring groups such as the Gorkha Kingdom, Tibetan Empire, Rajputs, and Malla dynasty, they played a central role in the formation of modern Nepal and cultural diffusion across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. Their social structure, language development, and migration patterns connect them to wider historical processes including the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, and the British Raj in South Asia.
Scholars trace the ethnonym to medieval inscriptions and chronicles of the Khasa Malla Kingdom, references in Tibetan annals, and mentions in Persian and Sanskrit sources such as the Brahma Purana and regional gazetteers. Colonial administrators in the British Raj recorded variants in reports alongside terms used by Gurkha rulers and Kumaoni and Garhwali neighbors. Modern identity labels evolved under post-Rana censuses in Nepal and repertories produced by institutions like the Census of India and the Central Bureau of Statistics (Nepal), leading to contemporary classifications used by the Government of Nepal and civil society organizations.
Medieval chronicles place the Khas-associated polity, the Khasa Malla Kingdom, as a regional power from the 11th to 14th centuries, interacting with the Tibetan Empire, engaging in trade along routes toward Lhasa and Kashmir, and contesting influence with the Kirat principalities and Rajput clans. In the 18th century the rise of the Gorkha Kingdom and the unification campaigns of rulers tied to Khas lineages contributed to state formation culminating in treaties like the Sugauli Treaty after conflict with the British East India Company. Under the British Raj and later the Rana dynasty of Nepal, Khas social mobility shifted as land tenure, military recruitment into the British Indian Army, and migration to Calcutta and the Terai altered demographics. Twentieth-century political movements including the Nepalese Civil War and democratic reforms influenced Khas participation in parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal.
Significant concentrations occur in western and central Nepal, with diasporic communities in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as migrant populations in Bengal, Kolkata, Delhi, and international diasporas in the United Kingdom, United States, and Malaysia. Census categories in the Census of India and the National Statistics Office (Nepal) have documented shifts in self-identification, with overlaps among groups such as Brahmin, Chhetri, Thakuri, and regional castes recognized in legal frameworks like the Muluki Ain (1854). Urbanization trends mirror those in capitals like Kathmandu and Pokhara and labour migration patterns to Gulf states and Hong Kong.
The primary tongue associated with the community is the Nepali language, historically termed Khas Kura or Khas language in colonial and local sources; it belongs to the Indo-Aryan languages branch and shows affinities to Kumaoni language, Garhwali language, and Awadhi language. Dialectal variation includes western hill vernaculars influenced by contact with Tibetan languages, Bhotia speech forms, and lexical borrowings from Persian and Mughal-era administrative idioms. Literature in Devanagari script flourished in periods tied to courts and religious patrons, producing texts for performance traditions recorded by scholars of Nepalese literature and compiled in archives such as the National Archives of Nepal.
Social stratification among groups historically associated with Khas heritage reflects varna-derived categories manifested locally as Brahmin and Chhetri elites, alongside agrarian and artisanal communities. Customs include life-cycle rites performed in conjunction with regional Hindu temples and monastic centers connected to lineages that also patronize vaishnavite and shakta traditions. Material culture balances hill architecture seen in settlements near Mustang, pastoral practices akin to Bhotia transhumance, and craft traditions linked to markets in Kathmandu Durbar Square and trade fairs such as those historically held along routes to Ladakh. Political representation has been contested in institutions like the Constituent Assembly of Nepal and civil movements led by figures associated with parties including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
Religious life is predominantly shaped by Hinduism with syncretic incorporation of Vajrayana Buddhism in highland zones and rituals influenced by tantric lineages present in monasteries linked to Tibetan Buddhism. Pilgrimage sites frequented include sanctuaries near Pashupatinath Temple, shrines in the Karnali region, and pilgrimage circuits connecting to Mount Kailash in Tibetan tradition. Calendrical festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, and regional observances reflect scriptural sources like Smriti texts and liturgical genres preserved in temple libraries and by ritual specialists trained in Vedic chant and tantric praxis.
Prominent social categories historically associated with this heritage include groups recognized as Brahmin (e.g., families comparable to noted Pande family lineages), Chhetri (including military lineages analogous to Thapa and Rana clans), and noble houses such as dynasties recorded alongside the Khasa Malla rulers. Regional subgroups appear in administrative records from Kaski District, Myagdi District, Doti District, and Achham District, each with local elites and cultural patrons who commissioned temples and manuscripts preserved in institutions like the Tribhuvan University Central Library. Contemporary figures with roots in these communities have held offices in the Office of the Prime Minister of Nepal, served in the Nepalese Army, and contributed to literature represented in collections curated by the Royal Nepal Academy.
Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal