Thakuri

Thakuri (Nepali: ठकुरी) is a royal tribe of Nepal. It consists of the historical ruling class, and is made up of the descendants of the Great Khasa Malla kingdom rulers of the Baisi and Chaubisi principalities. The former royal family of Nepal also belong to this tribe.

Not to be confused with Thakali people or Thakurai.
Thakuri
ठकुरी
Regions with significant populations
   Nepal425,623 (1.6% of Nepal's population)[1]
Languages
Nepali
Religion
Hinduism 99.31% (2011)

Etymology

Nepali sociologist Harka Bahadur Gurung noted that the Thakuri is the Nepalese version of the Hindi word Thakur which means 'master of the estate'.[2] Thakuris of Nepal are also associated with some territory inherited from the days of Baisi and Chaubisi principalities and the term Thakurai actually refers to 'fiefdom'.[2]

Origins

Thakuris traditionally constituted the ruling and warrior classes, and claimed ancient royal descent[3] Thakuris are a high socio-political group considered to have arisen from intermarriage between Khas, Magars, and perhaps Indian Yadav immigrants.[4] The 1854 Muluki Ain (Legal Code) refers Thakuris by the term Yadav despite being descended from the local Nepalese tribes.[5] Many historians contended that the theory of Yadav descent was used for political purposes by the various ruling families of Nepal.[6] The Thakuri Shah dynasty[4] of Gorkha Kingdom and later Kingdom of Nepal, descended from the Magar tribe despite their claim of descent from the Mewar Ahir Ranas as per Scottish contemporary historian Francis Buchanan-Hamilton.[7] Historian Hamilton further states the origins from Ahir rana/Yadavs of Chittor is "a mere fable."[8] Historian Mahesh Chandra Regmi contends that "Each ruling dynasty in Nepal has tried to connect its lineage with well known dynasties of India."[9] One of the Thakuri Shah ruler of Gorkha,[4] King Ram Shah, also attempted to forge recognition of kinship relations from the Ranas of Udaypur.[9]

Society

Thakuris constitute the aristocracy and possess the high social, ritual and political status.[4] Thakuris are politically and socially ahead of others.[4] Traditionally, the Thakuris' main occupations involved government, agriculture and military.[3] Thakuri traditionally constituted the ruling and warrior classes.[10] Most of the Thakuris are agriculturalists in Western Nepal except few aristrocratic families in the capital city.[4] The children born from a Brahman father and a Thakuri mother is categorized into a new caste called "Hamal".[3]

The Thakuris of Palpa speak Magar language more fluently than Nepali language and the local Thakuris generally drink chyang in the evenings with Magars. In the Jhirubas village of Palpa, Magars have married Thakuris and vice versa.[11]

Demographics

The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Thakuri as a subgroup within the broader social group of Hill Chhetri (together with Chhetri and Sanyasi/Dasnami).[12] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 425,623 people (1.6% of the population of Nepal) were Thakuri. The frequency of Thakuri by province was as follows:

The frequency of Thakuri was higher than national average (1.6%) in the following districts:[13]

Thakuri family and dynasties

The ruling Shah dynasty of Gorkha Kingdom and later Kingdom of Nepal are ranked among Thakuris.[4]

The Pal Thakuri the Katyuri kings of Darchula ( Dethala, Uku, Nepal village ) and Doti districts of Far-Western Development Region, Nepal[14] [15]

Notable Thakuri surnames

In alphabetical order, the commonly known Thakuri surnames are:[16][17][18]

  • Bam
  • Chand
  • Khand
  • Pal
  • Uchai
  • Sen
  • Shah (not to be confused with Sah of Terai, Shah caste in Kumaon region in Uttarakhand State of India)
  • Shahi
  • Singh
  • Simha

Of these, Chand, Bam, Malla, and Pal are also associated with Kumaon/Kuramanchal kingdom.

Unproven Thakuri Claimants

The following surnames have claim Thakuri status but are not corroborated by governmental inclusivity organizations or historical sources:[19]

  • Kunwar
  • Thagunna
  • Thakurathi
  • Rana /Jabara / Jang Bahadur Rana / JBR
  • Rawal
  • Bogati
  • Deuba

See also

References
  1. "Nepal Census 2011" (PDF).
  2. Gurung 1996, p. 29.
  3. Dharam Vir 1988, pp. 56–57.
  4. Dharam Vir 1988, p. 56.
  5. Sharma 2004, p. 133.
  6. Nagendra Kr Singh 1997, pp. 1–2.
  7. Hamilton 1819, p. 26.
  8. Hamilton 1819, p. 240.
  9. Mahesh Chandra Regmi 1976, p. 5.
  10. Dharam Vir 1988, p. 57.
  11. "Broom brings boom | Nation | Nepali Times".
  12. Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
  13. 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report
  14. Katyuri kings 1988, p. 56.
  15. Askot 1988, p. 56.
  16. Vanisttart, Eden (1896). Notes on Nepal. Asian Educational Services. pp. 80-81.
  17. Adhikary, Surya (1988). The Khasa Kingdom : A Trans-Himalayana Empire of the Middle Age. Jayapur, New Delhi: Nirala Publications. p. 19. ISBN 978-8185693026.
  18. Hodgson, Brian (May 1833). "Origin and Classification of the Military Tribes of Nepal". Journal of the Asiatic Society. 17: 223.
  19. "खस आर्थ थर सूची ( राय, सुझाव तथा प्रतिक्रियाका लागि प्रकाशन गरिएको)". National Inclusion Commission of Nepal. p. 31. Archived from the original on 2022-10-11. Retrieved 2022-10-12.

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