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The Khas People or Khas (Nepali: खस) or Khɒsiyas are ancient people of Iranian and Turkic origin, who originated from Central Asia, from where they penetrated in remote antiquity into the Himalayas through Kashgar and Kashmir and dominated the whole mountainous region of the Himalayan range. It is proposed that the Khas people of Nepal have their roots in Tarim Basin, and are descendants of present day Tajikistani people. It is widely believed that the name 'Khas' is derived from the Persian words 'Koh' meaning mountain and 'Shah' meaning lords, thus combining to form 'Koh-shah' giving its ultimate meaning as 'Lord of the mountains', since 'Khasas', the name which ultimately seemed to have caught on in the regular local dialect, are primarily mountain dwellers for most of their history. They are believed to have given their names to ''Kashgar'', ''Kashi'' (Central Asia), ''Kashkara'', Kashmir, ''Khashali'' (south-east of Kashmir) ''Kashatwar'', ''Khashdhar'' (Shimla Hills) and other recognizable colonies at the present day in the hills from Kashmir down to Nepal as also in various plains. According to 2011 Census of Nepal the population of Khas people is 10.9 Million which is 40% of total population.〔url=http://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/National%20Report.pdf Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal〕 In Nepal a large group Khas families married among Mongoloid population, thus creating a more diverse racial landscape. The Chetrris of Nepal are the admixture of Khas and Mongolian tribes. Most of the Brahmin, Chhetri (Kshatriya or varna) and other people of Nepal are Khas people speaking 'Khas' language also known as Nepali. Khas People of Kumaon, Garhwal, North part of Uttrakhand and far west-eastern Nepal speak Kumaon bhasa, garhwali bhasa, Doteli, Khas Bhasa (called old nepali language) respectively which is almost similar as current Nepali language. Majority of Khas people speaking Nepali language is more similar to Hindi language than India's other language such as Bangali, Tamil, Karnata etc. A small section of the existing inhabitants of Kumaon and Garhwal belong to the ancient ''Khasa'' or ''Khasiya'' race though speak Kumaoni and Garhwali which are languages of the Indo Aryan Central subgroup of Pahari languages. Immigrants Rajputs and Brahmins from the Indian plains made Khasa a small minority in Uttarakhand. Common Khas people are Karki, Thapa, Bist/Bista, Basnet, Adhakari, Pokhrel, Khatri, Raut/Rawat, Rawal, Tandon, Rana, Shah, Khatri, Bhandari, Katwal, kapoor, Kuwar and Pandey as well as Rajput, Malla Chhetri, Singh Chhetri, Parihar/Pariyar, and Bishwokarma etc. are mostly found from Indian Kashmir to Bhutan as well as in Myanmar. ==Antiquity and origin== The Kashgar in Tarim Basin and Kashkar in Chitral are connected with the Khasas. But it seems more likely that these names come from ancient tribal people known as ''Kaskaras''. The Kashgar and Kashkar can easily be derived from ''Kaskara''. The Kaskara is Karaskara tribe which is first referenced by Baudhayana's Dharma Sutra as neighbors to the Arattas and is stated a despised and impure people. The Karaskaras are also referenced in Baudhayana Shrauta Sutra, Apastamba Shrauta Sutra and Hiranyakesi Shrauta Sutra. The ''Kaumudi Mahotsava'' drama refers to King Chandrasena who is called Karaskara. King Chandrasena is identified with ''Chandragupta I'' of Gupta dynasty by Dr Jayswal and ''Chandra of Meharauli Iron pillar inscriptions'' by others. The Kashkara of Chitral also connects with Kaskara or Karaskara. Some scholars identify ''Ch'ia-sha, Chieh-ch'a or Ch'ieh-shih'' of the Chinese classics with the Khashas and think them to be Iranians who had entered from the north. But again, it is more likely that these Chinese names referred to Kaskaras or Karaskaras. The Karaskaras are very ancient people and are attested in several Vedic texts, whereas the Khasas only find mention in later references. It is possible that the Karaskaras of the Vedic texts were later diversified into the Khasas. Pāṇini does not refer to Karaskaras or Khasas but he refers to a plant ''Karaskara'' (Nux-Vomica), at least attesting that he was aware of the term Karaskara. Later Sanskrit literature attests both Karaskaras and the Khasas. Mahabharata refers to the Karaskaras, styling them as an impure people,〔Mahabharata 8.44.43.〕 and also speaks of the ''Khasas of many realms'',〔Mahabharata 7.11.15-18.〕 thus showing that there were many branches of the Khasas, one of them still attested by its former Vedic name ''Karaskara''. The Karaskaras or Kaskaras of later literature were found located in the ''Aparanta'' or western India in later period. The ''Khakha'' tribe of the hills is said to be modern representative of the Khasas. The clan name ''Khokhar'' or ''Khukhar'' is said to have derived from Karaskaras or Kaskaras (Dr J. L. Kamboj). Khasas were people who moved from ancient Iran to western Tibet and established a Khasa kingdom and ruled in Tibet. It was ruled by Khasas i.e. non Mongolian. In Tibet, they followed Shamanism but converted to Buddhism and mixed with the Tibetan population; however some families did not practise inter-racial marriages. After the 12th century the Khas people moved into Karnali region of western Nepal, where they converted to Hinduism but still retained Shamanic and Buddhist elements in their spiritual practise. Shamanic statues and Buddhist inscriptions in Jumla of Nepal proves it. Ancient Tibetan books refer to Khasa king of non Asian origin. Hindu epic books refer to a kingdom of Khasa in western Tibet ruled by Khasa kings. People of Nepal still retain the Khasa language which still has Iranian elements but is largely influenced by Tibeto-Burmese languages (e.g. Magar) and Sanskrit language. Nepali language was originally referred to as''Khasa kura''- i.e. the language of the Khas people, which is the main language (''lingua franca'') of Nepal. Nepali is also spoken in Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling and some part of Burma and by people living in India of Nepalese or Gurkha origin. It is the official language for all Gurkhas serving in the British army. Historians have found strong evidence to support these claims. There are many different kind of people and castes in Nepal. Since the Khas have converted to Hinduism they have adopted Hindu caste system. The Bahuns and Chhetris who are regarded as the high caste people in Nepal, the Damai and Kami who are lower-caste people- "Sanojat"; are all of Khas origin. Scientists have also matched Khasa DNA with DNA of Iranian tribes which proves the movement of Khasa from Persia to Tibet and then to Nepal (which happened recently compared to other human movements.) Also Khasas do not look Mongolian and have physical and racial features resembling Kasmiris and Iranians. Most of the Khas people of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar speak Nepalese language as mother tongue. However these days, few Khas people like Karki, Thapa, Bist/Bista, Basnet, Adhakari, Pokhrel, Khatri, Raut/Rawat, Rawal, Tandon, Rana, Kuwar, Katwal, Kapoor, Shah, and Pandey etc. of Dehradun of Uttrakhand, Himachal, and Kashmir speak Hindi as mother tongue as well. Malla Chhetri, Singh chhetri, Parihar/Pariyar, and Biswokarma etc. are also considered as Khas people. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Khasas」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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