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Total population | |
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Languages | |
Nepali language | |
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Hindu |
Thapa Kaji is a large social group of people of Jharra/Pure Chhettri caste (Kshatriya varna) in Nepal. Thapas of Uttrakhand And Himanchal State of India are considered as Pahari Rajput. Over a period of time, this community has spread to many parts of the world. The surname originated during the Khas Kingdom in Karnali region during middle age-it referred to a position/post of a warrior. [1] Chhetri is considered a derivative form of the Sanskrit word Kshatriya. [2] [3]
"Kaji" means administrator or ruler. It was a hereditary family title awarded to some famous Nepali Kshatriya castes like Thapa, Basnyat/Basnet, Pande, and Kunwar etc. Majority of Thapas Chhetri speak the Nepali language as mother tongue. [1] The Thapas Chhetris are divided into many sub-castes which are given with their Gotra Gana (One level higher than Gotra): [4]
Bhardwaj Gotra : Achhami (अछामी थापा), Patkheti (पाटखेती थापा), Maharaji (महाराजी थापा), Bhandare/Bhandari (भण्डारे / भण्डारी थापा), Kalikote (कालिकोटे थापा)
Madgaulya Gotra : Kalikote (कालिकोटे थापा)
Atri : Khulal (खुलाल थापा), Punwar (पुवाँर थापा), Bagale (बगाले थापा), Bihare (बिहारे थापा)
Kasyap : Godar (गोदार थापा), Ghimire (घिमिरे थापा)
Kaundinya: Gaunle (गाउँले थापा)
Garg : Lamichhane (लामिछाने थापा)
Bashishtha : Suyal (सुयाल थापा)
The above division is through Gotra Gana, which could be also the Gotra, for example in Atri Gotra Gana of Bhramarishi Atri, there are 18 different Rishis in Atri Gana [5] (they are; Atri, Prathama, Svasti, Krishna, Chandra, Pada, Aadima, Atreya, Vamarathya, Gavishtira, Rasa, Paurvatithya, Tithi, Bahutaka, Dhananjaya, Sumangala, Bijavapi and Saumangalya) which are taken as Gotra, among them Rishi Dhananjaya is taken as Gotra by Khulal Thapa [6] (branch of them were Governor until Rana overthrew them) and Rishi Atreya as Gotra of Bagale Thapa [7] of Atri Gotra Gana.
Thapa Chhetri are found in different parts of current Nepal and some parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal State of India. Currently many of the Thapa Chhetri are found in Nepal, and parts of India i.e. Sikkim, Himachal, Assam as well as in Bhutan and Myanmar. The Thapa Chhetri are Kshatriya or varna like Basnyat/Basnet of Nepal. [1]
Thapas were the major political and military figures during and after the unification of the Nepal. Bir Bhadra Thapa was a Thapa of Chhetri group [8] and leading Bharadar during Unification of Nepal. [9] His grandson Bhimsen Thapa became Prime Minister of Nepal and established Thapa faction in the central power. [9] Thapas were a major power base of Nepal in the 19th century starting from Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa (first prime minister of Nepal). [10] Then it was carried out and shined by Major other historical Nepalese hero like Amar Singh Thapa, Bhakti Thapa, and Mathabarsingh Thapa. Due to the unique relation between royal family of Nepal and Thapas, they were always viewed close to royal family. The Rana who ruled Nepal for 104 years were established by Jung Bahadur Rana who rise in power by support of his maternal uncle, Mathabarsingh Thapa who was Prime Minister. [10] Modern Chhetri Thapa are Surya Bahadur Thapa was PM of Nepal for 5 times. Army chiefs Dharmapaal Barsingh Thapa, Pyar Jung Thapa. Gagan Thapa also belongs to Chhetri family. [11]
Chhetri, historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speaking Rajputs of Khas community, some of whom trace their origin to migration from medieval India. Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governor and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom. The nobility of the Gorkha Kingdom mainly originated from Chhetri families. They also had a strong presence in civil administration affairs. The bulk of prime ministers of Nepal before the democratization of Nepal belonged to this caste as a result of the old Gorkhali aristocracy. Gorkha-based aristocratic Chhetri families included the Pande dynasty, the Basnyat dynasty, the Kunwar family, and the Thapa dynasty,.
The Prime Minister of Nepal is the head of government of Nepal. Together with their Council of Ministers, The Prime Minister exercises executive power in the country. The Prime Minister must enjoy the confidence in the Pratinidhi Sabha before being appointed by the President and shall resign if they are unable to retain the majority in the House.
The Rana dynasty was a Chhetri dynasty that imposed authoritarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making the Prime Minister and other government positions held by the Ranas hereditary. They are Kshatriya, whose ancestors were descended from the Ranas of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The Rana dynasty is historically known for their iron-fisted rule in Nepal. This changed after the Revolution of 1951 with the promulgation of a new constitution, when power shifted back to the monarchy of King Tribhuvan.
Basnyat/Basnet family or Basnyat/Basnet dynasty was a Khas-Chhetri and a warlord clan family involved in the politics and administration of the Gorkha Kingdom and Kingdom of Nepal. This family got entry into Thar Ghar aristocracy group of Gorkha at the time of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. It was one of the four noble families to be involved in active politics of Nepal together with the Shah dynasty, Pande family and the Thapa dynasty before the rise of the Rana dynasty. This family is descended from Shivaram Singh Basnyat, the commander of Gorkhali forces and a member of Shreepali Basnyat clan of Gorkha. This family was maritally linked to Kala (Black) Pande section of the Pande dynasty through Chitravati Pande who married Kaji Kehar Singh Basnyat. This family was the last Kshatriya (Chhetri) political family to be wiped out from the central power by Jung Bahadur Rana of Kunwar family during the Bhandarkhal Massacre in 1846 for the conspiracy to take the power leading to people suffering from 104 long years of the Rana rule.
Thapa (pronunciation:) is a common surname used by Chhetri and Magar people of Nepal it is also used in India to lesser extent.
The Government of Nepal is the federal executive authority of Nepal. Prior to the abolition of the Nepali monarchy in 2006, it was officially known as His Majesty's Government.
Mathabar Singh Thapa was the Prime Minister of Nepal and the Commander-In-Chief of the Nepalese Army from 25 December 1843 – 17 May 1845, until he was murdered by his nephew Jung Bahadur Rana. He was the first Mukhtiyar to title himself as a Prime Minister, as per the British convention. He was the nephew of Bhimsen Thapa, who was sentenced to prison after falsely being accused of killing King Rajendra's six months old son. Mathabar Singh Thapa fled to Shimla after the execution of Bhimsen Thapa, to avoid his own execution as he was Bhimsen's nephew. Four years later, the second queen of Rajendra, Queen Rajya Lakshmi, called him back and installed him as the Mukhtiyar, paving the way for him to eventually title himself as the Prime Minister. Mathabar Singh, however, enraged the queen by refusing to make her son, Ranendra Bikram, the king. The queen, in turn, had him shot by his own nephew Janga Bahadur Rana and thereby making him the last dynast of the Thapa dynasty. Mathabir Singh Thapa was killed by his own nephew.
Kaji was a title and position used by nobility of Gorkha Kingdom (1559–1768) and Kingdom of Nepal between 1768 and 1846. Many other contemporary kingdoms used the same title for their ministers.
Nain Singh Thapa or Nayan Singh Thapa was a Nepalese Kaji (minister) and a military general. He died in the offensive campaign of Kangra from bullet injury. He was the owner of the Thapathali Durbar temple complex.
Bakhtawar Singh Thapa, also spelled Bhaktawar, was a Nepalese military commander, politician, and governor. He acted as an aide of his brother Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa and was appointed the commander of Samar Jung Company. He commanded the Bijayapur-Sindhuli Gadhi Axis in the first campaign of Anglo-Nepalese War and Makwanpur Gadhi Axis in the second campaign. Later, he became the governor of Palpa and died in the office.
Bir Bhadra Thapa or Birabhadra Thapa also spelled Virabhadra or Virbhadra, was a politician, courtier and military officer in the Gorkha Kingdom during the 18th century. Born in the medieval Tanahun Kingdom, he left his ancestral property there and migrated to the uprising Gorkha Kingdom. He got entry into the minor ranks of military of King Prithvi Narayan Shah due to being a nephew of Sura Prabha, the wife of military commander Shivaram Singh Basnyat of the Basnyat dynasty. Thereafter, he took part in the various battles of Unification of Nepal throughout his life. Among his grandsons, Bhimsen Thapa went on to become the Mukhtiyar of Nepal for 31 years and founder of Thapa dynasty.
Bagale Thapa anciently known as Bagalya Thapa is a prominent clan within Khas Chhetri community. They claim Atreya Gotra. The name of the clan is also transliterated as Bagale, Bagalya, Bagaalya, Bagaliya, Bagaley, Bagaale or Bagaleya.
Ranadhoj Thapa or Ranadhwaj Thapa was the deputy Kaji to Mukhtiyar of Nepal Bhimsen Thapa.
Amar Singh Thapa, distinguished as Sanukaji Amar Singh Thapa was a Nepalese military commander, courtier, minister and regional administrator. He was born as the youngest son of one of the leading Gorkhali Bharadar Birabhadra Thapa. He led battles against many independent principalities in Nepal and a battle against Tibet. He was a Governor of Palpa and retained the post till his death in 1814.
Thapa dynasty or Thapa noble family also known as Dynasty of Borlang was a Chhetri political family that handled Nepali administration affairs from 1806 to 1837 A.D. and 1843 to 1845 A.D. as Mukhtiyar. This was one of the four noble families to be involved in the active politics of the Kingdom of Nepal, along with the Shah dynasty, Basnyat family, and the Pande dynasty before the rise of the Rana dynastyor Kunwar family. At the end of 18th century, Thapas had extreme dominance over Nepalese Darbar politics alternatively contesting for central power against the Pande family. Bir Bhadra Thapa was a Thapa of Chhetri group and leading Bharadar during Unification of Nepal. His grandson Bhimsen Thapa became Mukhtiyar of Nepal and established Thapa dynasty to the dominating position of central court politics of Nepal.
The Pande family or Pande dynasty was a Chhetri political family with ancestral roots from Gorkha Kingdom that directly ruled Nepali administration, affairs from the 16th century to 19th century as Mulkaji and Mukhtiyar. This dynasty/family was one of the four noble families to be involved in active politics of Nepal together with the Shah dynasty, Basnyat family and Thapa dynasty before the rise of the Rana dynasty. The Pande dynasty is the oldest noble family to hold the title of Kaji. This family was decimated from political power in 1843 CE in the political massacre by Prime Minister Mathabar Singh Thapa as a revenge for his uncle Bhimsen's death in 1839.
The Kunwar family was a noble Khas-Chhetri family in the Gorkha Kingdom and the Kingdom of Nepal. The Kunwars were linked to the Thapa dynasty and family of Amar Singh Thapa by marital lineages and, thus, to Pande dynasty through the Thapa dynasty. Three branches of the Kunwars; Ramakrishna, Jayakrishna and Amar Singh Kunwar were formed with opposite political aspirations. Bal Narsingh Kunwar supported Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa while Chandrabir Kunwar supported Bada Kaji Amar Singh Thapa due to their marital relations with those families. Later, the Ramakrishna section of the family including Amarsingh established the Rana dynasty of Nepal and styled themselves as Rana Rajputs while Jayakrishna most section remained as Kunwars.
The Chief of the Nepalese Army is the military position of army head of the Nepalese Army, initially known as Gorkhali Army. The Chief of the Nepalese Army had been from among the Kaji officers during the 18th century. During the reign of Bhimsen Thapa, the title of Commander-in-Chief was introduced for the first time for denoting the army chief. Later in the late 1970s, the title was changed to Chief of Army Staff (CoAS). Currently, the Chief of Army Staff is the Chief of the Nepalese Army.Gurung Magar Thakuri were thakurai/chatrapal/thakurs /kings of western Nepal.Some of chief army head of Nepal is missing.
Jharra Chhetri are the subgroup of the Chhetri/Kshatriya caste. Jharra Chhetri wear the six threaded Janai. They are historically Indo Aryan people. Communities of Jharras are Basnet/Basnyat, Thapa, Karki, Kunwar, Khadka, Katuwal,Rawat,Bisht etc.