Historical Journal
Volume: 14
Received Date: Dec. 2022
Number: 1
Feb. 2023
Revised: Jan. 2023
Dol Raj Kafle
Accepted: Feb. 2023
Indigenous Khasa People of Nepal in Crisis
Dol Raj Kafle Ph.D.
Department of History
Ratna Rajyalaxmi Campus, T.U.
Email: dolraj.kafle@rrlc.tu.edu.np
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/hj.v14i1.52957
Abstract
The study relates to the Khasa people, who have lived in Nepal since ancient times and are
considered indigenous due to their history of settling and cultivating land in western Nepal. The
Khasa people have a rich history dating back to the nomadic period when they migrated from the
Caucasus region of Babylonia in West Asia to the Himavatkhaṇḍa and Karnali regions of Western
Nepal. However, Hinduization in the Middle Ages and Westernization in modern times has
threatened their traditional customs and nature-worshiping religious culture. The purpose of the
study is to highlight the identity, tribalism, and current crisis faced by the Khasa people and to
advocate for their recognition as indigenous inhabitants of Nepal. Based on secondary sources, this
research can guide the state to recognize the Khasa people as indigenous.
Key Words: Tribal, Nomadic, Caucasus, Cacas & Masto.
Introduction
The Khasa caste is one of the oldest and most prominent castes among the various
groups living in Nepal. They have lived in Nepal for thousands of years, making them an
indigenous caste among the many castes of Nepal. The Khasa people have a long history of
living in Nepal, with roots dating back to the nomadic period when they chose Nepal as a
permanent home. They have also made the Himavatkhaṇḍa region their primary place of
Residence since ancient times, and their heritage, language, religion, and culture continue to
thrive in this region (Adhikari, 2011). Before the development of Vedic civilization and the
spread of Hindu culture by the Aryan people in India, the Khasa people were the chief
inhabitants of the Himavatkhaṇḍa region. This makes them a pre-Vedic caste, and they have
been the tribal people of the Himalayas for centuries. Over time, the Khasa people have
spread to various parts of South Asia, including Nepal, Uttarakhaṇḍa, West Bengal, and
Sikkim (Sarkar, 1967). Given their long history of living in Nepal, it is clear that the Khasa
people are indigenous to the country.
The word Khasa is not a racial term but a common term that refers to a group of
people with similar tribal origins in Nepal. This group comprises various castes, including
Chhetri, Thakurī, Bāhuna, Kāmī, Damai, Sarkī, Bhata, Vadī, Gaine, and Sanyasī. People of
the Khasa community are known for their clean clothes, high foreheads, high and large
noses, light black or brown hair, and eyes that match the color of the hair. In Nepal, there
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are also Khasa castes within the Newar community. While the culture of caste was later
adopted among the Khasa, some tribal traditions have been preserved gradually (Adhikari,
1988). The word Khasa itself refers to a group of people with shared tribal ancestry, and it is
believed that the Khasa people first developed their religion, culture, and social traditions in
Himwatkhanda around 2500 BC. (Turner, 1961). At that time, animal husbandry was the
main occupation of the nomadic Khasa people due to the region's dense forests and hilly
terrain; the Khasa eventually migrated to the Kathmandu Valley (Baldauf, 2000). Some
historians believe that the first rulers of Nepal were from the Khasa caste, as they were
likely the ones who brought animal husbandry to the valley. In this way, it seems that the
castes that expanded to the valley by grazing animals at that time must have been Gopālas or
Mahiṣapāla (Acharya, 1969). Thus, the accounts say the first rulers of Nepal were Khasa.
The Khasa people were a diverse group at the time of their migration to the
Kathmandu Valley, with some members engaged in cattle breeding and others as nomads.
Archaeological evidence from various sites in Nepal, such as Lower Mustang, supports this
fact, as artifacts and remains from people living in the northern hilly areas, riverbanks, and
caves have been found. These were probably Khasa, as no other human communities lived
in such remote places (Mishra, 1994). In ancient times, the Khasas were one of the major
castes in Nepal, and the kings of Kapilvastu were also members of this caste. Buddhism
spread from Kapilvastu to the West Khasa region during this time, and the Khasa rulers of
the medieval period also embraced this religion. However, they later adopted Hinduism,
which also influenced the local population. Khasa also had a notable presence in Tibet;
Kailāśa, Mānsarovara, and Muktināth are considered sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists
due to their historical association with the Khasa people.
The Khasas are a type of ancient Aryan people who are considered the founders of
Nepali culture and civilization. They were known for their co-existence, coordination, and
tolerant culture and were led by the Gopālas and Mahiṣapāla of the first ruling dynasty of
Nepal. The Khasas are one of the oldest caste groups in Nepal and have a history of being
warrior-like and living in the Himalayan foothills and hilly areas (K.C., 2013). They have
traditionally eaten fish and meat and drunk alcohol, which led Indian Arya Hindus to label
them as non-Aryans. Despite this, the Khasa later adopted Hinduism and the caste system,
even though it is mentioned in the Manusmr̥ti that they were initially excluded from these
practices due to their failure to follow religious duties (Sadhana Pocket Book, n. d.). But
later, they gradually adopted Hinduism as well as the caste system.
The Khasas are an ancient community that has lived in western Nepal and northern
India for centuries, with several subgroups, including Kashi, Kosala, Malla, Gandhara,
Kamboj, Panchal, and Chedi (Pokharel, 1998). They are also known as the Pavai, derived
from the steep hilly plains below the Himalayas where they reside (Joshi, 1971). Writer
AlatauTamchiboulacAtkinson (1974) described the Khasa as a strong Aryan race similar to
the Nāga people and noted that they migrated to Nepal from various parts of Asia, including
Kashgar, Hindukuśa, Kashmir, and Kumaon. As the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal, the
Khasa have a long history in the region and have traditionally followed their religious
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traditions and culture (452). However, due to mixing with people of other castes and
acculturation, these traditions and cultures are now facing challenges. The main objective of
this study is to introduce the Khasa people as an indigenous caste group of Nepal and
expose the cultural crisis that has occurred in this caste at the present due to the changes in
their culture and traditions. The field of this study is the Khasa community, their origin,
development, expansion, and indigenous traditions as well as the cultural crisis in the
present movement. The importance of this study is to draw serious attention to this issue
because the government of Nepal made a wrong decision by including the Khasa people
into other caste groups, who have been living in Nepal since the ancient period.
Material and Method
This study is a historical research project that utilizes a qualitative research design
based on secondary sources such as books, articles, and documents. This study focuses on
the history of the Khasa, an indigenous and tribal community that came to Nepal during the
nomadic period and settled in the western part of the country. The research aims to
understand the introduction, settlement, expansion, and cultural deviation of the Khasa
people in Nepal. The study uses descriptive and analytical methods and follows APA Seven
guidelines for parenthetical notes and references. It should be noted that the culture of the
Khasa has undergone some changes over time due to acculturation, and the community is
currently divided into two groups: traditionalists and reformists. This has led to a crisis in
Khasa culture. The research paper has been prepared using necessary sources and adhering
to the guidelines of the publication's editorial board.
Results and Discussion
Origin, Development, and Expansion of the Khasa
The Khasas are a group of tribes whose origins and expansion into Nepal are still not
fully understood. Despite ongoing research and study, scholars have not reached a
consensus on the history of the Khasa. According to some interpretations of the Vedas, the
Khasa may have originated from a mountain region called Kakesas or Kakasa in Central
Asia, known as the Caucasus till now. It is believed that around 4000 years ago, the Aryantype Khasa migrated from Central Asia. (Welch, 1922). Many scholars seem to agree on the
origin of the word Khasais derived from Kakes, Kakas, or Kas. Khasawas known as the Kas
in Babylonia in West Asia. They maintained their empire in that area for a long time. But
since the word Khasa and the Khasa language were not used anywhere outside the
Hindukuśa region, it shows that they came to be known as Khasa people only after they had
come to the Hindukuśa region. In Vedic literature, the word Karaskar is used similarly to
the word Khasa. In the ancient period, some areas inhabited by people of Khasa, called
Kaskar, Kasmir, Kashgar, etc., were the former form of the word Khasa. From those areas,
the Khasa expanded to Himavatkhaṇḍa in the ancient period (Kshetri, 2013). The Khasa
expanded to those areas before the development of Vedic civilization in India.
The Himavatkhaṇḍa is a mountain range located in the western part of the
Himalayas that stretches across Central and South Asia. It includes the Hindu Kush hill
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range and has a total length of 3500 km, extending across eight countries: Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. The Himavatkhaṇḍa
is considered a part of the Indian subcontinent and extends to the Tibetan Plateau region.
Before the development of the Vedic civilization in India, the Khasa people had already
settled in this region. (Tucci, 1956). The Khasais like the Kashmiris and Darads of the
Aryan Race of people. They were on the upper side of the Sutlej River and around Lake
Mānsarovara around 1400 to 1200 BC, and later they gradually expanded to Nepal
(Shepherd, 1954). Because of this, when searching for the ancient site of Khasa, one has to
reach from the western border of Nepal through Kumaon, Garhwal, Kashmir, and the
Hindukuśato the Qusai Empire of Babylonia. At that time, it was called 'Casa' in West Asia.
At that time, they were called Kasa in West Asia (Adhikari, 1996). In this way, it seems that
Khasa spread from Babylonia to the northern part of India in BC and gradually came to
Nepal too. The Khasa people have lived in the region surrounding the Hindukuśa mountain
range for centuries. Some places associated with the Khasa include the Kashgar Valley,
Kaskar, Kazakhstan, Kasmir, Khasadar, and Kumaon. There is still a significant Khasa
population in the Chitralaya region of present-day Pakistan, especially in a place, like
Kaskar. In Nepal, the traditional homeland of the Khasa people lies in the area between the
Trishuli River and the Mahakali River to the west, also known as the Karnali
region. (Bajracharya, 1971). Thus, in the ancient period, the people of the Khasa expanded
to the Hindukuśa of Himavatkhaṇḍa, Kashmir, Khari, Kailas, and Mānsarovara region of
Tibet and later entered Nepal.
The Arrival of Khasa People in Nepal
By the time the Aryan civilization developed in India, the Khasa people were
originally nomadic and had already expanded to the northern part of the country. They had
migrated eastward and southward through the hill regions from the northwest. Due to this,
the contact between the Khasa and the Indian Aryans, who established the Vedic civilization
in the plains of India, was relatively late. The Khasa people's territory stretched from the
Caucasus to the southeast, covering a distance of approximately 4000 kilometers from
northwest Nepal (Prichard, 1826). The rule of the Kushan dynasty began in China's Tarim
Valley between the first and second centuries AD. They established a new kingdom called
Kashgar, and the Khasa had been expanded in that area. The Khasa borrowed the Brahmi
script from the same Kasagar state. After that, Khasa made a new state to make the capital
city the Taklakot in western Tibet (Franke, 1995). In The Tibetan language, it is called
Taklakhar. That area is located in the south part of Kailash peak now. The Taklakhar area
has been a trading post since the ancient period. There are no settlements of Khasa in the
north of that area. Over time, some Khasa were nomadic, and some had taken up animal
husbandry. Practicing Shamanism in the Taklakhar region was developed by Khasa. The
shamans were witch doctors who performed religious ceremonies (Adhikari, 2013). In the
western area of Nepal, the Khasa who followed the Masto worship tradition are still
following that practice.
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In ancient times, the Khasa people's territory extended to the far western zones and
Karnali regions of Nepal. By the middle ages, they had also settled in the Mechi river region
on the eastern border of Nepal. Over time, they gradually expanded across the Mechi river
and settled in Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, and western Myanmar. As a result, many
places in the Himavatkhaṇḍa region reflect the language and culture of the Khasa people
(Pande, 1997). Although the Khasa expanded in the Karnali region in ancient times, it was
only in the middle ages that they kept their language in writing and maintained their history.
The oldest written document is an inscription of the Khasa language incised by Aśoka Calla
(1255-1278), the Khasa ruler of the Karnali region. Khasa was also the official language in
the Khasa kingdom of the medieval Karnali region (Pokhrel, 1998). Hamilton mentions that
the area between Kathmandu valley in the east and Kashmir in the west is that
KhasaPradesh and its inhabitants are called Khasis, and the dialect spoken there is called the
Khasa language (2014, 113). Yogi (1998) referred to the areas as Khasa state around,
below, and above Manasarovara and Kailash hill. He also mentioned that the western border
from Krishna Gandaki (Kali) is called Khaṣadeśa. The Khasahas been expanding in
different parts of Nepal since the ancient period and was concentrated in the Middle Ages,
especially in western Nepal. The Vedic Aryans came much later to the mountainous region
of Nepal. Before their arrival, the Khasa had spread through the mountains of Central Asia
from Gilgil to the Kali river and then to the eastern border of Nepal, having matching facial
and physical features. The land of the residents of Khasa is a large area. At any time,
theseKhasis extended from Kashgar (Khasagir) to almost the entire Himavatkhaṇḍa
(Sankrityayan, 1959). The same period is considered the time of arrival of Khasa to Nepal.
Khasa as Indigenous People
Indigenous people are those who have lived in a particular region or land since its
earliest settlement. The term 'indigenous' comes from the Latin word 'indigena,' which
means 'native.' From a semantic perspective, the term refers to people who have a deep
connection to the land and have lived there for generations (online etymology dictionary,
2021). The English word indigenous which was derived from the Latin word Indigena
means to differentiate between people who are born in a certain place and those who come
from somewhere else. Such words are also used in languages like France and Germany. The
meaning of all of them is the first or the beginning of which time is given importance.
Initially, the term indigenous was used to distinguish the cultural activities of people
arriving in different parts of the world based on colonization and the cultural activities of
local people (Dess, 1996). Indigenous living in a particular area or land from early
settlement. The term 'indigenous' comes from the Latin word 'indigena,' which means
'native.' From a semantic perspective, the term indigenous refers to people who have a
connection to the land and have lived there for generations (online etymology dictionary,
2021). The English word indigenous comes from the Latin word Indigena, which
signifies distinguishing between people born in a fixed place and who came from elsewhere.
Such words are also used in languages like France and Germany. All of these mean the first
or beginning of which time is given importance. Initially, the term tribal was used to
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distinguish the cultural activities of people who came to different parts of the world based
on colonialism and the cultural activities of local people. (Dess, 1996). As per historical
evidence of human remains discovered in Nepal, this area is considered for human
development. Despite this, the fact that the descendants of those ancient human ancestors
lived in Nepal or migrated elsewhere has not been discovered. When Nepal was uninhabited
in primitive times, Aryan and Mongol people from different places expanded to Nepal. They
engaged in animal husbandry, but they did not settle permanently at that time. The Mongols
from the northeastern region and the Aryans from the northwest area expanded to Nepal. In
this sense, Caucasians and Mongols arrived in Nepal around the same time and met here
(Gurung, 2005). Based on this description, it seems that the Khasais the most ancient
inhabitants of western Nepal. When the Khasa came to Nepal, there was no settlement of
people of any caste in west Nepal.
In ancient times, there were two castes, Khasa and Kirants, who came and settled in
Nepal before the formation of a strong society. This has been confirmed by the family
traditions and rituals they have been following. Like the tribals or indigenous people living
in different parts of the world, the primitive inhabitants of Nepal were also unknown to the
gods and goddesses. Therefore, they worshipped the air, plants, rivers, vegetation, birds,
snakes, scorpions, etc., present in their surrounding environment, they offered to the
invisible forces such as ghosts, ghouls, monsters, demons, etc. to protect them from natural
disasters and obstacles. They used to worship with the help of a shaman (DhāmīJhākrī)
(Regmi, 2009). Such traditions are still found in the Khasa castes. Based on this, it seems
that the Khasa are the indigenous people of Nepal. Like the various tribes such as Kirants
and other indigenous living in Nepal, while treating the sick or worshiping, the
KhasaDhāmī/Jhākrī was called and worshipped Vayu (air), Bhuiyar (land), etc. (Sharma,
2012). The tradition of spreading Dhāmī of Khasa is similar to the Semani tradition of
Gurung, Magar, etc. Masto tradition is a living tradition of the Khasa caste of Karnali region
even at present. It is also found in the hillsof Brahman, Chhetri, and Thakuri of Nepal.
Masto tradition is related to physical objects of nature like air, sun, fire, etc. If the Khasa,
Brahmin, and Chhetri of Nepal came later from India, the Vedic culture with language
prevalent in India should have been brought in abundantly with them. But the Khasa culture
differs from Vedic culture, so it must have been living in Nepal for a long time (Gurung,
2005). The research and study conducted in Nepal regarding indigenous have shown that
people who have their own distinct and original language, culture, religious beliefs, and
nature worshipers are considered indigenous. In the same way, people who do not care
about traditional rituals, their social values are despised, they have equality in their internal
society or gender differences are reduced and people who claim that their group is
indigenous are said to be indigenous people (K.C., 2013). As all these things exist in the
Khasa community, it seems that the Khasa are the primitive inhabitants of Nepal.
MatwaliKshetris living in Tibrikot and Jajarkot areas of western Nepal are
traditional Khasa. They drink alcohol, eat chicken, and don't wear sacred thread (Janai). But
their surnames are similar to other chetries like Budha, Bohra, Basnet, Thapa, Khadka,
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Rawal, Bhandari, etc. They speak the traditional or original Khasa language. They build a
traditional Munda (roofless) house. They use sheep and goats to carry their goods. They
worship Masto as a deity. Apart from this, they also worship Malika, Bhuihar, ghosts, etc.
On the days of Oct-Nov and March-April of full moon day (Purnima), they change the pole
(lingo) at the place of the deity. Flags are also tied to a such pole. They take the mourner
outside their village and feed them with meat, rice, and wine (Sharma, 1976). As other
Khasa living in Nepal later adopted Hinduism, the culture of the indigenous Khasa is in
crisis. It was only then that the Brahmin-Chhetri of Nepal started to say that they are not
indigenous when they are Hindus.
In the local laws made by King Ram Shah of Gorkha, it was arranged that the death
penalty should not be given to Brahmins to ascetics, but Khasa, Newars, Magars, etc. should
be given the death penalty according to the punishment (Sherchan, 2004). Based on this law,
it is understood that Khasais also indigenous people of Nepal like Newar, Magar, etc. In the
ancient period, they spread in Nepal from the Tarim Valley of Tibet and the surrounding
area had extended to the Kathmandu valley by the medieval period (Franke, 1998).
Language is also a strong basis for how far the Khasa people have expanded in Nepal. The
Khasa language, known as the Nepali language at present, is a language developed in the
Karnali region. Since there were people who spoke this language as far as in the Kathmandu
Valley in the medieval period, it seems that the Khasa had expanded to Kathmandu and the
areas east of it by the medieval period. Before military unification in Nepal, linguistic
unification had already taken place. Until the Medieval period, the Nepali people living in
one corner of the country did not understand the language of the Nepali living in the other
part of the nation. Linguistic unification took place in Nepal only after the Khasa gradually
expanded from the west to the eastern border (Vaidya, 2067). So, the Khasa language has a
great contribution to the linguistic integration of Nepal (Livi, 2006). In this way, the Khasa
language has been known in Nepal since the ancient period, so it is felt that this caste is the
indigenous people of Nepal. If the people of the Khasa caste entered Nepal later, it would
have been impossible for the language of this caste to spread throughout the country.
The Khasa language was expanding throughout Nepal in the thousands of century
AD, and it had taken the place of the official language mostly in the western part of Nepal
(Khanal, 2011). By the late Malla period, the settlement of Khasa had expanded in areas like
Kavrepalanchok, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, etc. in the Kathmandu Valley and the eastern
parts. In that region, during the Malla period, KhasaThapas lived as Umraus (local
administrator). The Khasa were prominent in the Malla kingdom as security soldiers
(Acharya, 2004). The treaty between King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of Gorkha, and
JayaprakashMalla, the king of Kantipur in 1756 was written in the Khasa language.
Similarly, the document of King JagajjyotiMalla of Bhaktapur regarding the
GunduAnantaliṅgeśvara dated 1632 was also written in the Khasa language (Regmi, 2013).
During the regime of RatnaMalla, the first ruler of Kantipur, he was unable to resist the
attack of BhateDewans called Kuku in the valley, so he took military help from King
MukundaSena of Palpa. The soldiers who came as helpers were Khasa and Magars. They
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managed to drive the BhoteDewansKuku out of the valley. After that, RatnaMalla
established a settlement of the Khasa on the outskirts of the urban settlements of Kathmandu
and Patan (Shrestha, 2002). When the KukuBhotes attacked the Kathmandu valley, there
was a settlement of KhasaThakuris in Nuwakot. Since the business of the valley was under
their control, when RatnaMalla interfered in that business, the BhoteDewans of the Kuku
caste got angry and attacked RatnaMalla's kingdom and plundered it. So, RatnaMalla had to
take the help of the Khasa army. This evidence further confirms that the Khasahas been the
inhabitants of Nepal since ancient times as indigenous people.
Khasa Culture in Crisis
Khasa culture has been developed by the Khasa people who have been living in
Nepal since the ancient period. It is not a culture followed by any other group or
community. The people of Khasa have been a nature-worshipper since the ancient period.
Masto (clan god), Vanadevatā (forest god), Goṭhadevatā (sheds god), Soil, Dubo (sacred
grass), Vara (banyan tree), Pipala (holy fig tree), Tulsi (basil), Jaladevatā (water god),
Jhānkri (shaman), Surya (sun), etc. were the deities believed by the people of Khasa
(Kshetri, 2013). Masto is the special religion of the Khasa. 12 Mastos are mainly worshiped
there. They are DhandarMasto, Khappara (Khaptaḍa) Masto, TediMasto, Kawa Masto,
Kala Sill Masto, RunalMasto, BuduMasto, TharpaMasto, GuroMasto, DahreMasto,
DudheMasto and BabiroMasto (Karki, 2018). Masto is an old word that has been used since
the ancient period by Khasa. Masto is a word stuck in the life of people in the Karnali
region (Joshi, 1971). The history of the Karnali region is considered incomplete without the
mention of the word masto.
The Khasa extending from Mānsarovara, Kailāśa to Karnali were casteless since the
ancient period. To some extent, they embraced the traditions of Shaivism and Dhāmījhankri
(shamanism) (Adhikari, 2004). At that time, they had contact with the Kirants. Along with
the Khasa, the Kirants were also becoming true Shaivites. As the Khasa were the indigenous
of the Himavatkhaṇḍa, they did not have to fight with any other people. In many religious
books written later than the Rigveda, the Khasais discussed as an irreligious race (Adhikari,
2011). The Khasa started adopting Hinduism in the 8th century AD. After this, some groups
of Khasa people were called Rajputs, who were under Chhetri. The Brahmins, Thakuris,
Hamals, Khatris, Khasa, Bhats, Rana, etc. who are currently in Nepal are descendants of
Khasa. Today, Khasa's religion and culture are going through a crisis due to the attempt to
show themselves big by adopting Hinduism (Sharma, 2001). From the beginning, the Khasa
had their art of war. They used to fight with swords and spears as well as stones. In the
Mahabharata, the Khasais called the impure caste. It was said so because they were not
Vedic. The Khasa, who have developed their original culture since the ancient period, did
not adopt Vedic Hinduism and they are mentioned in mythological texts as uncivilized and
wild people. After the Aryans of the Gangetic coast of India developed the Hindu religion
and culture, that religion and culture expanded to Himavatkhaṇḍa. By the medieval period,
the Hindu religion expanded in such a way that even the Khasa were forced to adopt that
religion. Due to this religion, the Khasa started to be considered a modern caste group.
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Because of this, their cultural identity from tradition was getting destroyed. Even so, some
of their traditions such as Masto Puja, Devālī tradition, etc., remained alive. The custom of
offering sacrifices to the clan gods is also a tradition of the Khasa. Among the Khasa in
places less affected by Hinduism, there is still a tradition of treating women as the head of
the household and not discriminating based on sex, just like other indigenous or ethnic
groups (Wist, 2000). All kinds of worship in the Dhāmītradition (shamanism) of the Khasa
are based on the Khasa tradition. Shiva is a classical deity. Therefore, the Kirants and Khasa
of Himavatkhaṇḍa, before the Vedic Aryans, considered Shiva as the main deity. The Khasa
used to offer sacrifices while worshipping Shiva as Bhairav (Sharma, 2012). In this sense,
Shiva is Nepal’s primordial god, and the Khasa and Kirants are his worshippers.
Historical study over the past 2000 years suggests that the Khasahas existed as
indigenous for centuries. Khasawas initially influenced by Buddhism and later by Hinduism
from the medieval period. In the Bhote genealogy, it is mentioned that Nāgarāja and
Devarājā two brothers of the Khari state were Buddhist monks (Adhikari, 2013). Khasa
king Aśoka Calla and Aditya Malla also assumed the title of Buddhism and later they also
adopted Hinduism. By the 14th century, the influence of Hinduism was increasing in Khasa
Province. Even so, some of the traditional customs of the Khasa had become mixed. The
custom of marrying within one's group is still maintained among the Khasa. They do not
marry Terai Brahmins or Indian Brahmins. This tradition is also maintained among people
called Dalitas of the Khasa community. One of the main bases for Khasa to become Dalitas
is Hinduization. After adopting the Hindu religion and culture, some of their traditional
cultures were destroyed and some became cultured in a mixed manner. Some of the rituals
that remain among the Khasa are not worshiping to make the soil gods, eating with caps off,
everyone in the family eating together, father, son, and grandson not eating on the same
plate, not bathing during the day, etc. (Gurung, 1998). Widow marriage is accepted in the
Khasa community. There are special rituals such as filling Khukurī in marriage, worshiping
the daughter as a deity, honoring the niece, giving a share to the maternal, etc. Making a
roundhouse, throwing bread from the roof while building a house, protecting the house by
wearing a ferry at night, etc. Khasa tradition is also found to be influenced by other castes of
Nepal (Acharya, 2003). At present, the identity of Khasa has been eroded by Indian culture
and other foreign cultures.
Conclusion
The word Khasa is believed to have originated from the word Kakesas, which may
have evolved from Kakas or Kasa. Right now the place is known as 'Caucasus'. This word is
also thought to be the root of the word 'Caspian', which is the name of a sea in West Asia
where the Khasas were known as Kasa. The Khasas, who were a group of people living in
the western Tibetan region, expanded into the Himavatkhaṇḍa region and Nepal before the
Vedic Aryans developed civilization in India. Over time, the word Khasa came to be used to
denote a caste, and the Khasa and Kirants are believed to have entered Nepal around the
same time. While the Khasais indigenous to western Nepal and the Kirants are indigenous
to eastern Nepal, both groups have been influenced by the Vedic culture of the Indian
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Volume: 14
Number: 1
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Dol Raj Kafle
Aryans. Some Khasahas fully adopted Hinduism, while others have blended Hindu and
Masto traditions. However, the traditional culture of the ancient Khasa in Nepal is being lost
due to the influence of Western and Indian Vedic culture. The government of Nepal has
even referred to the Khasa as non-indigenous, which has contributed to a cultural crisis
among this group.
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