218 
E. Vansittart— Tribes, Clans , and Castes of Nepal. [No. 4, 
The Rais and Limbus inhabited the whole of the country to the 
north and to the east of the Nepal valley. The Lepchas are the inhabi¬ 
tants of Sikhim. About the ancient history of these tribes nothing is 
known. We know, however, that Nepal never was subjected by the 
Delhi Emperors, or by any other of the great Asiatic conquerors. 
Advent of Rajputs .—It is stated by Colonel Tod that the Gurkha 
dynasty was founded towards the end of the 12th century by the third 
son of the Rajput Raja Samarsi, ruler of Citor, 1 who settled in Palpa. 
A Nepalese tradition exists, which says that the Raja of Udaipur 
probably Hari Siijgh, was besieged by the Muhammadans in his capital. 
He made a long and gallant defence, but at last food and water began 
to fail him, and, foreseeing the horrors of famine, he destroyed all the 
■women and children within the city, to the number of 70,000, set fire to 
the town, and with his garrison attacked and cut his way through the 
Muhammadan hosts, and took refuge in the hills of Nepal to the west of 
the Gandak river, where he was hospitably received by the aborigines. 
Whatever truth there may be in the above traditions, there can be 
no doubt that large numbers of Rajputs and Brahmans did make their 
appearance in Western Nepal about the twelfth century, and it can 
easily be understood how, in time, from their superior intelligence and 
civilization, they obtained positions of influence and importance amongst 
the barbarians who inhabited the land. 
In time it would appear that a number of the Magar mountaineer 
princes were persuaded to follow the doctrines of the Brahmans, and 
many of the subjects and clans of these princes were induced to follow 
the example set them, but a large number also refused to be converted. 
To the former the Brahmans granted the sacred thread, whilst they 
denied it to the latter, and hence have sprung up tribes called Thapas, 
Ghartis, Ranas, etc., etc., some of whom wear the thread and are called 
Khas, whilst the others do not wear the thread and remain merely Magars. 
The Brahmans, to completely reconcile their most important con¬ 
verts, worked out marvellous pedigrees for them, and gave them the right 
to claim descent from various famous origins, such as “ Surya-varin^I,” 
(“born of the sun”), “born of the moon,” “born of a kiug,” etc., etc. 
The progeny of the women of the country by Brahmans were, as 
a term of reproach called “Khas,” 2 or the “fallen,” from hhasnu, 
“ to fall,” but the Brahmans invested this progeny with the sacred 
1 This would account for the numerous Citoriyfi clans. 
8 Dr. Francis Hamilton in his introduction to his book, published in 1819, says :— 
“ The country between Nepal (valley) and Kasmir, in the ancient Hindu writings, is 
called Khas, and its inhabitants Khasiyas. I am told. .the Khasiyas 
are considered as abominable and impure infidels.” 
