Shresthas

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This article is about the caste. For the surname, see Shrestha.
Shresthas
Srēṣṭha श्रेष्ठ
Total population
21% of total
Newar peoples; Indo-Aryan peoples; Kshatriya clans; Nepal Mandala peoples; Rajputs of Nepal
Statue of King Bhupatindra Malla at Bhaktapur Durbar Square

The Śreṣṭha (

Hindu group, although there are over 50 other recognized surnames of Srēṣṭhas.[3] Despite their numerically low national population, their high-status and socio-economic capital puts Śreṣṭhas amongst the most socio-economically privileged and politically over-represented segments of Nepali population.[4]

Prior to

Vaishya status in the traditional varna framework.[6] Srēṣṭha group has also incorporated in it the socially upward Jyapu farmers and other peasants especially outside the Valley as a means of the Sanskritisation
process, although their status is not accepted by the upper-level Srēṣṭha castes.

Religion and caste status

In traditional Hindu Newar society, the Srēṣṭha caste ranks second to the priestly

viharas and temples, suggesting reverence towards Buddhist shrines as well, and having reverence towards the Buddhist Vajrayana Vajracharya
priests.

Patrons of the society as Newar Kṣatriya

Newar castes of Lalitpur and the role of the Shrestha as the dominant patron group

The particular position of the dominant caste that Srēṣṭhas hold in relation to the religious, cultural, and spatial organization of the Newars can be viewed through their traditional occupational work as the patron caste to all other caste groups, most importantly as patrons to their Rājopadhyāyā Brāhman priests. Among Hindu Newars, as in traditional Hindu societies, the position of Srēṣṭhas, particularly of the Kșatriya-status Chatharīyas, in the society can be viewed through the dichotomy between their role as the sacrificer who organizes religious functions, the

Brahmānic Hindu tradition is the basis of which in local Newar customs, the Rājopadhyāyā Brāhman is given superior status to the Kșatriya Srēṣṭha even though the societal functions entirely depend on the Srēṣṭha's role as patrons.[4]

The dichotomy between the patron-patronized relationship that defines the functional role of the Srēṣṭha extends beyond the Brāhman. Although in terms of ritual purity, the Brāhmans rank above Kșatriyas, they represent transcendental values, not local ones. It is the Kșatriyas, i.e. the Srēṣṭhas, who are the paradigmatic Newars on the traditional caste-bound view.

Jyāpus to till his land, Nāu barbers to perform ritual cleaning, Chitrakārs to paint his deities and house, the Tāmrākārs to make ritual utensils, Halwāis to make ritual confections, etc. He also has to take the services of the 'impure' castes in historically purity-defining tasks; he utilizes the Nāy/Khadgi butchers to perform ritual sacrifices of animals to please the Gods and Goddesses, the Bhā/Karanjits funeral priests to perform the "katto" death ritual of eating a portion of the skull, the Jogi/Kapāli to accept the offerings during the 13-day mourning period after a death, etc.[9]

‘Srēṣṭha’ in modern times

Many belonging to Srēṣṭha caste began to adopt ‘

jatras, rituals.[11]

An aristocratic Newar woman in parsi, circa 1860–1900

Srēṣṭha sub-caste groups

Although to outsiders they remain as a single non-hierarchical group, to Srēṣṭha themselves there are two major divisions within the caste which in theory and till recent times practiced caste-endogamy, non-commensality, dining restrictions, and other caste-status denoting activities between each other.[7][12] Although researchers have found up to four broad divisions, the two main historically categorized groups of the Srēṣṭha caste are: Chatharīya and Pāñchthariya.[13]

Chatharīya

The Chatharīya (छथरिय/क्षत्रिय) (also referred to as Chatharī or Chatharé) are regarded as the Newar

Chauhan, Chandel, and Hada.[15] Similarly, presence of notable Bengali clans Raya, Baidya and Kayastha among Chatharīya also suggests that today's Newar Chatharīya caste is a result of the amalgamation of mostly Kshatriya, or equivalent status, clans of heterogeneous roots who immigrated to Nepal and became the ruling elite of the Malla courts. Other evidence of their non-indigenous roots compared to other Newar castes point out their generally more defined Indic-Aryan roots; their Brahmanic traditions, phenotype characteristics, and written historical genealogies.[7] Being absorbed in the Newar society, all these groups retained their Kṣatriya varna-status while acquiring the local title of Srēṣṭha to the new populace. Although native speakers of Maithili, which was spoken as the language of the Malla courts, they adopted the Newari language and customs over the generations and divided themselves among various sub-clans and new local names. At present, they are part of the larger Newar nation, where they inter-marry with other Chatharīya status clans.[7]

The use of the word Chatharīya seems to have been derived only since the 16th/17th century from the attempts of few powerful and highly influential Kṣatriya lineages of the time, like the

Brahmins - Joshī, the astrologers; and Karmāchārya, the Tantric priests - both of which once part of Rājopadhyāyā Brāhmin caste but due to their disregard of Brahmanical percepts (like marrying non-Brahmin brides) are now “degraded” to Kshatriya status - are regarded as non-Brahmins performing the duties of Hindu priests in the various shrines of the Valley.[19]

Chatharīyas differ from most Newars in that they, along with Rājopadhyāyā Brāhmans, are the only Newar castes entitled to wear the sacred-thread (Jwanā/Janāi/Yajñopavītam) to mark their twice-born status, and are put in the category of tagadhari in the pan-Nepal social hierarchic structure.[9]

Surnames of Chatharīya:[20] -

  • A अ – Amatya (अमात्य) also called Mahaju (महाजु)
  • B ब - Banepali (बनेपाली)
  • Bh भ – Bharo (भाराे), Bhariju (भारिजु), Bhari (भारी)
  • CH च - Chandela (चंदेल),
    Chauhan
    (चौहान)
  • Dh ढ – Dhaubhadel (धौभदेल), Daiwagya (दैवग्य)
  • G ग – Gonga (गोँग), Gurubacharya (गुरुवाचार्य), Gongal (गोंगल)
  • H ह – Hada (हाडा)
  • J ज – Joshi (जोशी), Jonchhe (जोँछे)
  • K क – Kasaju (कसजु), Kayastha (कायस्थ), Karmacharya** (कर्माचार्य)
  • Kh ख – Khyargoli (ख्यर्गोली), Khwakhali (ख्वखली)
  • L ल- Lakhey (लाखे), Lacoul (लकौल), Layeku (लएकु)
  • M म-
    Malla
    (मल्ल), Munankarmi (मुनंकर्मी), Mulepati (मुलेपती), Maskey (मास्के), Malekoo (मलेकू), Mathema (माथेमा), Mool (मूल), Mahapatra(महापात्र), Mulmi(मुल्मी)
  • O व - Wanta/Onta (ओन्त), Ojhathanchhe (वझथंछेँ)
  • P प - Pradhananga (प्रधानाङ्ग), Pradhan (प्रधान), Patrabansh (पात्रबंश), Piya (पिया), Palikhe (पालिखे)
  • R र –
    Raghuvanshi (रघुबंशी), Rawal (रावल), Rathor
    (राठौर), Rajbaidya (राजवैद्य), Rajlawat** (राजलवट)
  • S स – Sainju (सैंजु), Sinya (सिन्या), Shrestha** (श्रेष्ठ)
  • T त – Talchabhadel (ताल्चाभडेल), Timila (तिमीला)
  • Th थ- Thaiba (थैव), Thakoo(थकू)**
  • V व –
    Vaidya (वैद्य), Varman
    (बर्मन)

** Also belonging to Pancthariya caste

Pāñchthariya

The Pāñchthariya (or called Panchthari/Panchthare) are less elevated but along with Chatharīya form the other half of the larger Srēṣṭha caste. While the Chatharīya were the aristocrats and administrators in Malla society, the Pāñchthariyas' traditional occupations have been mostly in trade and business.

Jyapus and other lower castes who claim the status of Shrestha by changing their surnames.[21][22] Believed to be of Vaishya
origin, well-renowned and traditional Pāñchthariya families include -

sweetmakers Madhika:mi(माधि:कर्मी); metal-workers Nyāchhyoñ(न्याछोँ); money-lenders and tenants Kācchipati(काछिपती); traditional merchant clan Shahukahala (शाहुखल); others include Bhaju (भाजु), Deoju (देउजु), Nāeju (नायजु), Chhipi (छिपी), Bhocchibhoya (भोचिभोया), Duwal (दुवल), Singh (सिंह), Sakhakarmi (साख:कर्मी), Syāyabaji (स्याबजी). Shresthas from towns of

Thimi, Banepa, Dhulikhel, Dolakha and other Kathmandu Valley surrounding towns are generally regarded as Panchthariya. These and other general traders and mercantile groups have now simply adopted their caste name "Shrestha(श्रेष्ठ)".[23]

Among the Pāñchthariyas also include the Karmachāryā or ‘Achaju(आचजु)’, who unlike in

Patan, is regarded as the highest segment of Pāñchthariya caste in Bhaktapur.[19] In Kathmandu this group also include the descendants of the pre-Malla era Vaishya-Thakuri dynasty who stylize themselves as Thakoo(थकू). In Bhaktapur, this group consists of 'degraded' Malla-status groups with surnames Malla Lawat (मल्ल लवट), who are the descendants of Ranajit Malla
(1722–1769) and his mistresses.

‘Shrestha’ surname popularity

Main article: Shrestha

Unlike other Newar castes, the surname "Shrestha" is found in every district of Nepal.[24] One of the reasons behind it is the adoption of Shrestha as one’s surname once a family belonging to any of the Newar caste moves to settle far off places from the Kathmandu Valley. Shrestha surname is equated to all the Newars in the areas outside of Kathmandu Valley.[25] Other castes like Sakya, Vajracharya, Prajapati, Jyapu and Jogi all adopted Shrestha as their caste name. Similarly, cross breed children begot from a Newar and any other caste/ethnicity also adopted Shrestha as their caste name.[26] Many lower castes have also adopted the name, Shrestha; the status they then assume tends to be expressed in the traditional idiom i.e., one moves up to a higher hierarchic (ascribed) position like well-to-do Jyapus assuming the name ‘Shrestha’.[27] Similarly, outside Nepal, for instance in Darjeeling and Sikkim, almost all the Newars used ‘Pradhān’, another high-caste Srēṣṭha surname, as their common name.[3] The Chathariyas of Nepal, therefore, see the status and purity of these Pradhan from Sikkim and Darjeeling with doubt as they do with the Shrestha of Nepal.[28]

Notable Shresthas

Politics and civil leadership

Business and trade

Literature and arts

Arts and contemporary culture

References

  1. ^ Sharma, Man Mohan (1978). Folklore of Nepal. p. 5.
  2. ^ Whelpton, John (2005). A History of Nepal. Cambridge University Press. p. 9.
  3. ^ a b c d Shrestha, Bal Gopal. "Castes Among Newars Status of Shrestha". Academia.edu. European Bulletin of Himalayan Research.
  4. ^ a b Gellner, David N. Language, Caste, Religion and Territory Newar Identity Ancient and Modern. University of Cambridge. p. 138.
  5. ^ Whelpton, John (2005). A History of Nepal. Cambridge University Press. p. 31.
  6. ISBN 8125001883
    .
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "The Newari Caste System". Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. ISBN 978-99933-43-95-0
    .
  9. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-827960-0
    .
  10. ^ Upadhyaya, Umesh (2001). The Big Business Houses in Nepal. Kathmandu, Nepal: GEFONT-Nepal. p. 13.
  11. ISBN 978-9745241367
    .
  12. ^ Gellner, David (1986). Language, caste, religion and territory: Newar identity ancient and modern. Cambridge University Press.
  13. ^ Rosser, Colin (1966). Social Mobility in the Newar Caste System. London, United Kingdom: Asia Publishing House.
  14. ISBN 9780521254847
    .
  15. ^ "Mithila, Maithili and Maithil: the Field in Historical Context" (PDF). ShodhGanga. INFLIBNET. pp. 88–89, 101–102.
  16. ^ Bista, Dor Bahadur (1967). People of Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
  17. ^ Rosser, Colin (1966). Social Mobility in the Newar Caste System. In Furer-Haimendorf.
  18. ^ Gellner, David N.; et al. (1997). "Newars and the Nepalese States" in Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Hindu Kingdom: The Politics of Culture in Contemporary Nepal. Harwood Academic Publication.
  19. ^ a b c I. Levy, Robert (1991). Mesocosm Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  20. ^ Levy, Robert I. (1991). Hinduism and the Organization of a Traditional Newar City in Nepal. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS.
  21. ^ Quigley, D. (1995). "Sresthas: Heterogeneity among Hindu Patron Lineages" (University of Cambridge). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ "Rosser 1966:90-104". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ISBN 978-9745241367
    .
  24. ^ Shrestha, Bal Gopal. "CastesAmong Newars Status of Shrestha". European Bulletin of Himalayan Research (Academia.edu).
  25. ISBN 9780195343021
    .
  26. ^ Shrestha, Bal Gopal (2007). "CastesAmong Newars Status of Shrestha". EuropeanBulletin of Himalayan Research. 31: 10–29.
  27. ISBN 978-9745241367
    .
  28. ^ Shrestha, Bal Gopal. "Castes Among Newars Status of Shrestha". European Bulletin of Himalayan Research.
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