Khas people

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Originally the Khas (खस) / Khasas or Khasiyas were the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan in the present day countries of Nepal, India (in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and the Darjeeling in West Bengal), and Bhutan. Most modern Khas people will not refer to themselves as Khas, instead referring to themselves by caste and ethnic Nepali (Gorkha) origin (e.g. Bahun, Bhakuni, Chhetri, or Thakuri) after falling under the influence of the caste system. The Khasas were a warlike tribe who built three capitals over time: Taklakot in Tibet, and Sinja and Dullu in Nepal. From the 11th century, their powerful kingdom, known as the Malla Empire (not related to the Malla Kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley), grew, covering much of west Nepal, Ladakh, Kashmir and western Tibet. As the empire fell apart during the 14th century, many of the ruling families migrated throughout Nepal. As a result, many common Nepali surnames (e.g. Thapa, Basnet, Bisht/Bista, Adhikari and Bhandari), as well as the national language, have their roots in the ancient Khas kingdom. The Khas language was imposed on the people of Nepal and renamed Nepali during the Shah Dynasty.


The word “Chhetri” is actually a corruption of the word “Kshatriya”, meaning warriors and rulers. In ancient time they were also known as Khas (Chhetris and Thakuris).


Main sub castes of the Khas

Main Title (Surname) of Khas


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 (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; 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[edit]

Notable Khas People[edit]

Khas Bahun[edit]




Khas Chhetri[edit]




See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Nepalka Khas Jati(The Khas People of Nepal), Dr. Bipin Adhikari, Nepal Consulting Lawyer's Inc, 2011