Chhetri
Sign in to saveAlso known as Kshetri, Kschetriya, Khas Kshatriyas, Pahadi Kshatriyas, Kshetry
Chhetri (Kshetri, Kshettri, Kshetry or Chhettri), ( ; IAST: Kṣetrī) historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speaking people historically associated with the warrior class and administration, some of whom trace their origin to migration from medieval India. Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governors, warriors and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom (later unified Kingdom of Nepal). 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
Key facts
- Ethnic group.group
- Chhetri/Kshetri/Khasiya
- Ethnic group.native_name
- क्षेत्री/खश/खश्या
- Ethnic group.image
- Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal.jpg
- Ethnic group.image_caption
- Portrait of Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal, a Chhetri who ruled the country as a queen regent from 1806 to 1832
- Ethnic group.pop1
- 4,796,995 (16.4% of Nepal's population) (2021)
- Ethnic group.languages
- Nepali (Khas-Kura/Gorkhali), Jumli, Bajhangi, Dotyali (Doteli)
- Ethnic group.religions
- Hinduism 99.25% (2011), Christianity 0.6% (2011)
- Ethnic group.related
- Khas peoplesKhatri, Thakuri, Kumaoni, Magar, and other Indo-Aryan peoples
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Small Thapa family.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Khasi Kshetri
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~33 min read
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Etymology and background
- The family occupation of Chhetris
- History
- Chhetri noble families
- Chhetri and premiership
- Military achievements
- Sino-Nepalese, Anglo-Nepalese and Nepal-Tibet wars
- Religion
- Families and surnames
- Demographics
- Present day
- Notable people
- Queen Mothers of Nepal
- Film industry/Fashion/Arts
- Politics and administration (non-historical)
- Sports
- Chief Justices (Supreme Court of Nepal)
- Academia, social work and philanthropy
- Law and order (Head of Nepal Police)
- Royalties of Chhetri descent
- Other notable people
- See also
- References
- Footnotes
- Citations
- Sources
- Further reading
Chhetri (Kshetri, Kshettri, Kshetry or Chhettri), ( ; IAST: Kṣetrī) historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speaking people historically associated with the warrior class and administration, some of whom trace their origin to migration from medieval India. Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governors, warriors and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom (later unified Kingdom of Nepal). 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 their offspring branch, the autocratic Rana dynasty) and the Thapa dynasty. From 1806 to 1951, Chhetri prime ministers wielded absolute rule in the country and the monarchy was reduced to a powerless figurehead.
Khas Chhetris were traditionally considered a division of the Khas people with Khas Brahmin (commonly called Khas Bahun). They make up 16.45% of Nepal's population according to the 2021 Nepal census, making them the most populous caste or ethnic community in Nepal. Chhetris speak an Indo-Aryan Nepali language (Khas-Kura) as mother tongue.