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Bahun

Nepali Brahmins of Khas descent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bahun (Nepali: बाहुन), also known as Hill Brahmins,[3] are a Brahmin varna among the Khas of Nepal. They are a sub-caste of the Kanyakubja Brahmin[4][5][6] while their origins are from Kannauj[7] and the Himalayan belt of South Asia. According to the 2011 Nepal census, Bahun is the second most populous group after Chhetri.[8]

Quick Facts Regions with significant populations, Nepal ...
Khas Bahun
Bahun
Regions with significant populations
   Nepal3,292,373 (11.2% of Nepal's population) (2021)[1]
Languages
Nepali (Khas-Kura)
Religion
Hinduism 99.56% (2011), Christianity 0.31% (2011)[2]
Related ethnic groups
Chhetri, Thakuri and other Khas people
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According to 1854 Muluki Ain, the first Nepalese civil code, Bahuns were regarded as caste among sacred thread bearers (Tagadhari) and twice-born Hindus.[9]

Origin

Further information: Khas people

Traditionally, Bahuns were members of the Khas community together Chhetris.[10] Possibly due to political power of the Khasa Malla kingdom, Khas Brahmins and Khas Kshatriyas[11] had high social status in the present-day western Nepal.[10] Bahuns, regarded as upper class Khas group together with Chhetris, were associated mostly with the Gorkha Kingdom and its expansion.[12][12][13]

Demography

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Perspective

According to the 2011 Nepal census, Bahuns (referred as Hill-Brahmin) are the second most populous group after Khas Chhetri with 12.2% of Nepal's population (or 3,226,903 people).[14] Bahun are the second largest Hindu group in Nepal with a population of 3,212,704 (99.6% of Bahuns).[14] Bahuns are the largest group in 15 districts in Nepal: Jhapa, Morang, Kathmandu, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kaski, Syangja, Parbat, Gulmi and Arghakhanchi. Among these, Bahuns in Parbat (35.7%), Arghakhanchi (32.8%), Dhading (30.9%), Chitwan (28.6%), Kaski (27.8%) and Gulmi (25.2%) consist more than 25% of the district population. Kathmandu has largest Bahun population with 410,126 people (23.5%).[14]

Bahuns have the highest civil service representation with 39.2% of Nepal's bureaucracy while having only 12.1% of Nepal's total population. The civil service representation to population ratio is 3.2 times for Bahuns which is fourth in Nepal. khas/Chhetris represent 1.6 times in civil services to their percentage of population, which is the highest in Nepal.[15] As per the Public Service Commission, Brahmins (33.3%) and Chhetris (20.01%) were two largest caste group to obtain governmental jobs in F.Y. 2017-18 even though 45% governmental seats are reserved for women, indigenous and ethnic minorities, Madhesis, dalits, people with disability and those from the backward regions.[16] Similarly, in the fiscal 2018–19, Bahuns (24.87%) and Chhetris (9.63%) maintained 35% of their proportion in civil service as per Public Service Commission.[17]

Geographic distribution

According to the 2021 Nepal census, 3,292,373 people (11.29%) of the population of Nepal are Bahun (Hill Brahmins).[18] The frequency of Bahun (Hill Brahmins) by province was as follows:

The frequency of Bahun (Hill Brahmins) was higher than national average (12.2%) in the following districts:

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