क्षेत्री/खस | |
---|---|
![]() Portrait of a Chhetri 'Queen Tripurasundari of Nepal', who ruled the country as a Queen regent in the 19th century | |
Regions with significant populations | |
![]() | 4,796,995 (16.4% of Nepal's population) (2021)[1] |
Languages | |
Nepali (Khas-Kura), Dotyali[2] | |
Religion | |
Hinduism 99.25% (2011), Christianity 0.6% (2011)[3] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Bahun, Thakuri, Kumaoni, Magar, Other Indo-Aryan peoples |
Chhetri (Kshetri, Kshettri, Kshetry or Chhettri), (Nepali: क्षेत्री pronounced [tsʰetri]; IAST: Kṣetrī) 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.[4][5] Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governor and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom (later unified Kingdom of Nepal).[6] The nobility of the Gorkha Kingdom mainly originated from Chhetri families. They also had a strong presence in civil administration affairs.[7] 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, (Rana dynasty and other Kunwars).
Khas Chhetris were traditionally considered a division of the Khas people with Khas Brahmin (commonly called Khas Bahun).[8] 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.[9] Chhetris speak an Indo-Aryan Nepali language (Khas-Kura) as mother tongue.[2][4]