Khasas
Khasas (
People of this tribe include
and different part of northern Pakistan.Names and variants
The original spelling for the name in Sanskrit literature is Khaśa (Sanskrit: खश) while variants of the name also used are Khasa (खस), Khaṣa (खष) and Khaśīra (खशीर).[3][4]
There are various theories on how Khasas got their name :
- Suggests that they came from the Caucasus Mountains, hence they got the suffix Khas.
- Suggests that they got their names from Iranians, as a combination of two Persian words, kho (mountains), and Shah (ruler). Thus, khoshah got corrupted into Khoshiya.
- Suggests that they got their name from the aborigines Kol people, who spoke Austroasiatic languages. In Austroasiatic languages, Khasa means hills.
Indian sources
Ancient literature
As per the research conducted by political scientist Sudama Misra, the Khasa Janapada was a late Janapada (around 1100–500 BCE) under the broad division of Parvata-spraying Āryāvarta (Himalayan Āryāvarta) of the ancient Indian Iron Age.[1]
The Manusmṛiti mentions the Khaśa as Kṣatriya-s formerly, due to omission of the sacred-rites and neglect of Brāhmaṇā-s.[5]
शनकैस्तु क्रियालोपादिमाः क्षत्रियजातयः ।
वृषलत्वं गता लोके ब्राह्मणादर्शनेन च ॥ ४३ ॥
But by the omission of the sacred rites, and also by their neglect of Brāhmaṇas, the following Kṣatriya castes have gradually sunk to the position of the low-born.—(43)
पौण्ड्रकाश्चौड्रद्रविडाः काम्बोजा यवनाः शकाः ।
पारदापह्लवाश्चीनाः किराता दरदाः खशाः ॥ ४४ ॥
The Puṇḍrakas, the Coḍas, the Draviḍas, the Kāmbojas, the Yavanas, the Śākas, the Pāradas, the Pahlavas, the Cīnas, the Kirātas, the Daradas and the Khaśas.—(44)
The Shukraniti mentions that People born in the Khasa region take the wife of their brother if she has lost her husband. By these acts, they do not attract atonement or restraint.
खशजाताः प्रगृह्यन्ति भ्रातृभार्य्यामभर्तृकाम् ।
अनेन कर्मणा नैते प्रायश्चित्तदमार्हकाः ॥ ४-५-५१ ॥
Medhātithi, the 8th century CE commentator of the Manusmṛiti says "Some people might be led to think that all these races here named are found to be described as Kṣatriyas so that they must be Kṣatriyas still. And it is to preclude this idea that it is asserted that these are low-born."[6] Therefore, the Manusmriti describes them as descendants of outcast Kshatriyas.[7]
The
Medieval literature
The
"Bāhlikabhāśodhīchyanāṃ Khaśāṇāṃ ca svadeśajā." (Translation : The Bahliki language is the native tongue of the Northerners and Khasas.)[7]
The Kavyamimamsa of Rajashekhara mentions the Kuluta king with the title Khasadhipati.[14] The inscription of Dadda II (also known as Praśāntarāga) mentions about the Khasas in the phrase "...Yascopamiyate - sat - kataka - samunnata vidhyadharavasa taya Himachale na Khasa parivarataya."[15]
European sources
Greek Geographer
E.T. Atkinson speculated that Pliny referred to the terms, Cesi and Catriboni in the above quotations to Khasa and Kshatriya.[16] Irish linguist Sir George Abraham Grierson in his work Linguistic Survey of India (Volume 9 Part 4) mentions the remarks by the Roman Geographer Pliny
Latin Source (Gabriel Brotier edition):
Ab Attacoris gentes Phruri, et Tochari: et jam Indorum Casiri, introrsus ad Scythas versi, humanis corporibus vescuntur.[17]
English Translation:
"Next to the Attacori [
Indian sociologist R.N. Saksena explains that this imputation was due to the existing suspicion towards Khasas by the
Tibetan sources
The Mongolian-Tibetan historian
Modern sources
Irish Linguist George Abraham Grierson quoted that the Khasas that Pliny wrote about were one of the warriors "Kshatriya tribe of Aryan origin" with linguistic connections to both Sanskrit and Iranian languages, who lost claim to Vedichood due to non-observance of Vedic rules:
...in the extreme northwest of India, on the
is the representative Khasiya tract and it"..forms a very important link between the almost Hinduized Khasiyas of Kumaon and their brethren converts to Islam on the ethnical frontier of the mountains of Hindu Kush and gives customs and practices of Khasiya race in full force at the present day which distinguished them thousands of years ago."[23]
Descendants
Irish linguist Sir
Kumaon referred as "Khasia".[23]Khasas under Katyuris
The Katyuris were of the Khasha origin as agreed by most scholars.[24] They belonged to the Khasha people that entirely dominated the inner Himalayan belt upto Nepal[25] and they extensively populated the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand.[24] Previously, Khashas had strongly established themselves from Afghanistan to Nepal in the ancient period and as per internal evidence, they managed the village-level theocratic republics like Gram-Rajya and Mandals under various local clans and identities.[24] Katyuri was one of the ruling houses of Joshimath that claimed sovereignty over other Gram Rajyas of the entire territory.[26] The Katyuris ruled from Joshimath in the Alaknanda Valley and later they shifted their capital to Baijnath.[27]
Khasas under Malla rule
Khasas are thought to be connected to the medieval
Nalanda inscription of Devapala and Bhagalpur; a copper plate of Narayanapala also mentions Khasas. The three copper plates from Pandukeshavara explain the territories of Khasas.[15]Khasas of Jammu
The 12th-century text
Muslim Rajput chiefs and they retained the rulership of the territory till the 19th century.[34] Stein also identified the modern Khakhas as descendants of Khasas mentioned in the Rajatarangini.[15][34] The Bomba clan are descended from the medieval Khas people of Kashmir that inhabited the entire Karnah region of Kashmir.[36]See also
Kingdoms of Ancient India- List of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes
- Kuru Kingdom
- Uttarakuru
- Kambojas
- Gandharas
- Daradas
Kashmiras- Madra
Sakas, ancient Scythiansmentioned in Sanskrit literaturesReferences
Footnotes
Malava and later he deposed Sussala, Uchchala's brother and ruler of Lohara.[32]Notes
- ^ a b Misra 1973, pp. 306–321.
- ^ a b Grierson 1916, p. 3.
- ^ a b Thakur 1990, p. 285.
- ^ a b c Saksena 2019, p. 108.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 December 2016). "Manusmriti Verse 10.44". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 December 2016). "Manusmriti Verse 10.44". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Thakur 1990, p. 286.
- ^ Saklani 1998, p. 70.
- ^ Thakur 1990, pp. 285–286.
- ^ a b c Saklani 1998, p. 71.
- ^ Thakur 1990, pp. 288–289.
- ^ a b Sharma 2019, p. 706.
- ^ Kumari, Ved (1968), The Nīlamata purāṇa, Volume 1, J. & K. Academy of Art, Culture and Languages; [sole distributors: Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi
- ^ Thakur 1990, p. 289.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thakur 1990, p. 287.
- ^ a b c Adhikary 1997, p. 28.
- ^ Pliny The Elder 1826, p. 1117.
- ^ Saksena 2019, p. 107.
- ^ Sumpa Yeshe Peljor's 18th century work Dpag-bsam-ljon-bzah (Tibetan title) may be translated as "The Excellent Kalpavriksha"): "Tho-gar yul dań yabana dań Kambodza dań Khasa [sic] dań Huna dań Darta dań..."
H. W. Bailey.- ^ Grierson 1916, p. 17.
- ^ Saksena 2019, pp. 108–109.
- ^ a b Saksena 2019, p. 109.
- ^ a b c Handa 2002, p. 22.
- ^ Handa 2002, pp. 24–25.
- ^ Handa 2002, p. 24.
- ^ Handa 2002, pp. 26–28.
- ^ Sinja valley – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- ^ Kumar Pradhan (1984). A History of Nepali Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 5.
- ^ Witzel, Dr. Michael (1976). "On the History and the Present State of Vedic Tradition in Nepal". Vasudha. 15 (12): 17–24, 35–39.
ISBN 9780789207227. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 March 2006. Retrieved 14 June 2016.- ^ Stein 1900a, pp. 133–138.
- ^ Stein 1900b, p. 432.
- ^ a b c Stein 1900b, p. 433.
- ^ Mohan 1981, p. 28.
- ^ Stein 1900b, p. 434.
Books
- Acharya, Baburam (1975), Bhandari, Devi Prasad (ed.), "Ei. Shi. Baburam Acharya Rachana garnubhayeko nepalko samkshipta itihasa" (PDF), Purnima, 8 (4), Kathmandu: 197–206
- Adhikary, Surya Mani (1997). The Khaśa kingdom: a trans-Himalayan empire of the middle age. Nirala Publications.
ISBN 978-81-85693-50-7.- Grierson, George Abraham (1916). Linguistic Survey of India, Volume 9, Part 4. Vol. 9. Office of the superintendent of government printing, India.
- Handa, O. C. (Omacanda) (2002). History of Uttaranchal. New Delhi: Indus Publishing.
ISBN 9788173871344.- Misra, Sudama (1973). Janapada state in ancient India. Vārāṇasī: Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- Mohan, Krishna (1981). Early medieval history of Kashmir: with special reference to the Loharas, A.D. 1003–1171. Meharchand Lachhmandas Publications.
Pliny The Elder (1826). Gabriel Brotier (ed.). C. Plinii Secundi Naturalis historiae libri XXXVII: Lib. VI-VIII. London: A.J. Valpy.- Saklani, Dinesh Prasad (1998). Ancient Communities of the Himalaya. Indus Publishing.
ISBN 9788173870903.- Saksena, R.N. (2019). "Marriages and Family in the Polyandrous Khasa tribe of Jaunsar-Bawar". In George Kurrian (ed.). The Family in India: A Regional View. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. pp. 108–118.
ISBN 9783110886757.- Sharma, Megha (2019), "The region of Kashmir in Ancient Literature with special mention to Tribes" (PDF), Pramana Research Journal, 9 (6): 703–707,
ISSN 2249-2976- Singh, M.R. (1972). Geographical data in the early Puranas: A critical study. Punthi Pustak.
ISBN 9780896841017. ISBN 978-81-208-0370-1. Retrieved 10 July 2011.- Thakur, Laxman S. (1990). "The Khaśas: An Early Indian Tribe". In K. K. Kusuman (ed.). A Panorama of Indian Culture: Professor A. Sreedhara Menon Felicitation Volume. Mittal Publications. pp. 285–293.
ISBN 978-81-7099-214-1.