The à Âreá¹£á¹Âha () or () is the second largest Newar caste group, occupying around 21% of overall Newar population, or about 1.1% of NepalâÂÂs total population. It is believed that the word SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha is derived from the Newar word à Âeà Âyah, which itself is derivation of a Sanskrit word Sista meaning 'noble', although literal meaning of the word also translated to 'best or important.' "Shrestha" itself was later adopted as the specific family surname by members of this high-caste Hindu group, although there are over 50 other recognized surnames of SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas. Despite their numerically low national population, their high-status and socio-economic capital puts à Âreá¹£á¹Âhas amongst the most socio-economically privileged and politically over-represented segments of Nepali population.
Prior to NepalâÂÂs unification, SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha was a collective high-status title given to those Hindu clans referred to as 'BhÃÂro' (from bhÃÂrdÃÂr/nobles) who served as the key non-Brahmin class of ruling, administrative and merchant class of the Malla courts. From within this broad SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha groups are two distinct caste groups. First, they count among them the high-caste aristocratic Kshatriya, locally pronounced as Chatharëya, who are descended from the nobles and courtiers of the Malla period and consist of the ruling, land-owning and literate Hindu caste group of the Nepal Mandala, which later formed the core of government bureaucracy during the Shah and Rana period. Second, SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha title is also attributed to the PÃÂñchthariya, who now mostly write their surnames as 'Shrestha', who were historically the Hindu merchant clans of the Valley, as opposed to the Buddhist merchant caste of UrÃÂy. These PÃÂñchthariyas have Vaishya status in the traditional varna framework. SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha 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 SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha castes.
In traditional Hindu Newar society, the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha caste ranks second to the priestly RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhman in the ritual hierarchy. In the Malla era, together with the RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhman priests, the Sréṣá¹Âhas controlled key posts of the administration and gained vested interest in the land by acquiring feudal rights over holdings. As descending from the noble houses of the Malla courts, the Kshatriyas (locally pronounced Chatharëya) are second in line in the traditional caste-bound view, their social superiority evidenced through their strict endogamous marriage relations within Chatharëyas, disallowing marriages with the PÃÂñchthariya-status SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas and other lower groups. Similarly, they have historically been strict adherents of the BrahmÃÂnic social norms and rituals (like following the custom of Upanayana, performing the à ÂrÃÂddha ceremony, and being much closer to the mainstream North-Indian Hindu virtues in comparison to other Newars). They have also maintained their higher status through dining restrictions, as they do not partake in cooked rice from the hands of anyone except their Chatharëya-status clans and/or the BrÃÂhmans, suggesting their higher-caste status than all other Newars. The PÃÂñchthariyas, although lower in rank than the Chatharëyas, nonetheless have socio-cultural and religious affinities with them and as the chief materially-endowed trading caste group, enjoy a considerable position of high status in the eyes of other Newar castes. Both the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha caste groups are traditionally Hindus, often termed as Sivamargi in local parlance. However, there are few exceptions to this norm; a few notable families like the PradhÃÂn aristocrats of Bhagavan BahÃÂl in Thamel and Amatyas of Swatha, Lalitpur. have been traditional patrons of Buddhist viharas and temples, suggesting reverence towards Buddhist shrines as well, and having reverence towards the Buddhist Vajrayana Vajracharya priests.
The particular position of the dominant caste that SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas 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 RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhman priests. Among Hindu Newars, as in traditional Hindu societies, the position of SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas, particularly of the KÃÂatriya-status Chatharëyas, in the society can be viewed through the dichotomy between their role as the sacrificer who organizes religious functions, the yajamÃÂna, to the BrÃÂhman priest who performs the solemn rituals. Like other North Indian societies, this dichotomy is between the BrÃÂhman and the Ká¹£atriya. The former is the specialist of ritual Vedic texts, the guardian of the sacred science, the repository of the knowledge of the dharma, the ultimate authority on religious affairs. The latter represents the king, the warriors, the military, and administrators, and he has a particular affinity with all matters pertaining to material goods, and economic or political action. It is his duty to perform his dharma, his duties as the provider and protector of the BrÃÂhman, his society, and his nation. Their relationship is complementary; a priest must have a patron, and a patron must have a priest. This quintessential BrahmÃÂnic Hindu tradition is the basis of which in local Newar customs, the RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhman is given superior status to the KÃÂatriya SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha even though the societal functions entirely depend on the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha's role as patrons.
The dichotomy between the patron-patronized relationship that defines the functional role of the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha extends beyond the BrÃÂhman. Although in terms of ritual purity, the BrÃÂhmans rank above KÃÂatriyas, they represent transcendental values, not local ones. It is the KÃÂatriyas, i.e. the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas, who are the paradigmatic Newars on the traditional caste-bound view. This places SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas as the central caste of the entire Newar society. All other castes revolve around them, as they preside over as the patron of all other caste groups. In many traditional socio-religious events or festivals (jatras), they act as chief performers and leaders of the rituals. Among the 'pure' castes, a SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha invites the BrÃÂhman to perform Vedic rituals, the KarmÃÂcharya AchÃÂju for Tantric rituals, JyÃÂpus to till his land, NÃÂu barbers to perform ritual cleaning, ChitrakÃÂrs to paint his deities and house, the TÃÂmrÃÂkÃÂrs to make ritual utensils, HalwÃÂis to make ritual confections, etc. He also has to take the services of the 'impure' castes in historically purity-defining tasks; he utilizes the NÃÂy/Khadgi butchers to perform ritual sacrifices of animals to please the Gods and Goddesses, the BhÃÂ/Karanjits funeral priests to perform the "katto" death ritual of eating a portion of the skull, the Jogi/KapÃÂli to accept the offerings during the 13-day mourning period after a death, etc.
Many belonging to SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha caste began to adopt âÂÂShresthaâ as their caste name as early as the 18th century. SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas are considered to be the most educated caste. They are employed in various organizations, banks, schools, universities, industries, and other private sectors. Many of them also occupy high-ranking administrative positions at governmental and non-governmental organizations. They also rank among the most astute businessmen in Nepal. SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas have also traditionally been the patrons of various temples of the Valley, including the famous Pasupatinath temple where traditionally RÃÂjbhandÃÂrës serve as caretakers and assistant priests to the chief Bhatta priests. Similarly, the KarmÃÂchÃÂryas, locally called AchÃÂju (AchÃÂryajyu) serve as the main Tantric/Smarta priests of many Shaivite or Shakta temples of Kathmandu, including that of the Taleju Bhawani temple which serves as the kuldevi of the Mallas and the Chathariyas, and also serve as the chief assistant priests of the RajopÃÂdhyÃÂya BrÃÂhmins. The Joshës similarly serve as the astrologers of the Newars. Many SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha clans also act as chief patrons of various local deities and temples, performing the role of the protector of the various local traditions, jatras, rituals.
Although to outsiders they remain as a single non-hierarchical group, to SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha 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. Although researchers have found up to four broad divisions, the two main historically categorized groups of the SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha caste are: Chatharëya and PÃÂñchthariya.
The Chatharëya (à ¤Âà ¤¥à ¤°à ¤¿à ¤¯/à ¤Âà ¥Âà ¤·à ¤¤à ¥Âà ¤°à ¤¿à ¤¯) (also referred to as Chatharë or Chatharé) are regarded as the Newar aristocracy and contain several subgroups within the caste, which are now treated as ritually equal. The term Chatharëya is the derivative of the word âÂÂKshatriyaâÂÂ, the second varna of the traditional Hindu varnashrama comprising kings, warriors, and administrators. Most Chatharëyas consider themselves as the Raghuvanshi Ká¹£atriya descendants of the Karnat king Hari Simha Dev (14th century CE) and the entourage that came along with him to Kathmandu Valley with the attack of the Tirhut kingdom by Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq of Tughluq dynasty in 1324 CE. The presence of notable present-day Chatharëya clan titles non-indigenous to the Newars that are still prevalent among the present-day Rajputs of India has been suggested as evidence of the Chatharëya's claim to their ancestry. The Rajput clans that have been transformed as surnames among the Chatharëyas include Raghuvanshi, Rawal, Rathore, Chauhan, Chandel, and Hada. Similarly, presence of notable Bengali clans Raya, Baidya and Kayastha among Chatharëya also suggests that today's Newar Chatharëya 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. Being absorbed in the Newar society, all these groups retained their Ká¹£atriya varna-status while acquiring the local title of SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha 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 Chatharëya status clans.
The use of the word Chatharëya seems to have been derived only since the 16th/17th century from the attempts of few powerful and highly influential Ká¹£atriya lineages of the time, like the PradhÃÂn and Rathore/ nobles, to demarcate themselves as a separate, higher group from other high-caste SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âhas. Notably, the PradhÃÂns of Patan was a very powerful courtier clan who made and unmade Malla and early Shah kings on their whim. Throughout the centuries, many clans have been 'included' or 'dropped' from Chatharëya status as a result of economic and social prowess or impure and mixed-caste marriages respectively. Although several other clans associated with the nobility of the late Malla court were successful in integrating themselves into the Chatharëya fold, it is widely believed that a small number of families are the 'original' Chatharëya clans. Family names that demonstrate an alliance with the old Malla courts (post 14th century) are commonly cited as evidence of this. These include Malla, the ritual kings and descendants of Mallas; Rathore, the ministers; PradhÃÂn and PradhÃÂnaà Âga, the chief ministers and military chiefs; RÃÂjbhandÃÂri, the royal treasurers and chamberlains; KÃÂyastha, the scribes; Chandela, HÃÂdÃÂ, PÃÂtravaá¹Âà Âh, of royal descent; RÃÂjvaá¹Âà Âë/Raghuvamà Âë, of Raghu descent; MÃÂské, royal functionaries; and RÃÂj Vaidhya, royal ayurvedic physicians. These Chatharëya are unequivocal in their association with the Mallas and they claim descent from former Malla, Karnat, and other Rajput rulers, and that many of them have an ancestry tied to present-day India. Presently, they claim direct descent from the previous ruling dynasties of Malla, Lichhavi, , among others. This group also consist of the "fallen" Brahmins - Joshë, the astrologers; and KarmÃÂchÃÂrya, the Tantric priests - both of which once part of RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhmin caste but due to their disregard of Brahmanical percepts (like marrying non-Brahmin brides) are now âÂÂdegradedâ to Kshatriya status - are regarded as non-Brahmins performing the duties of Hindu priests in the various shrines of the Valley.
Chatharëyas differ from most Newars in that they, along with RÃÂjopadhyÃÂyàBrÃÂhmans, are the only Newar castes entitled to wear the sacred-thread (JwanÃÂ/JanÃÂi/Yajñopavëtam) to mark their twice-born status, and are put in the category of tagadhari in the pan-Nepal social hierarchic structure.
Surnames of Chatharëya: -
** Also belonging to Pancthariya caste
The PÃÂñchthariya (or called Panchthari/Panchthare) are less elevated but along with Chatharëya form the other half of the larger SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha caste. While the Chatharëya were the aristocrats and administrators in Malla society, the PÃÂñchthariyas' traditional occupations have been mostly in trade and business. Together with their high-caste Buddhist merchants counterparts, the UrÃÂy (Tuladhars and others), they were the primary carriers of trade of Nepal Mandal. In modern times, many PÃÂñchthariya families adopted the name âÂÂShresthaâ as their common surname instead of their traditional and archaic family names. However, this group also has had an influx of Jyapus and other lower castes who claim the status of Shrestha by changing their surnames. Believed to be of Vaishya origin, well-renowned and traditional PÃÂñchthariya families include -
sweetmakers Madhika:mi(à ¤®à ¤¾à ¤§à ¤¿:à ¤Âà ¤°à ¥Âà ¤®à ¥Â); metal-workers NyÃÂchhyoñ(à ¤¨à ¥Âà ¤¯à ¤¾à ¤Âà ¥Âà ¤Â); money-lenders and tenants KÃÂcchipati(à ¤Âà ¤¾à ¤Âà ¤¿à ¤ªà ¤¤à ¥Â); traditional merchant clan Shahukahala (à ¤¶à ¤¾à ¤¹à ¥Âà ¤Âà ¤²); others include Bhaju (à ¤Âà ¤¾à ¤Âà ¥Â), Deoju (à ¤¦à ¥Âà ¤Âà ¤Âà ¥Â), NÃÂeju (à ¤¨à ¤¾à ¤¯à ¤Âà ¥Â), Chhipi (à ¤Âà ¤¿à ¤ªà ¥Â), Bhocchibhoya (à ¤Âà ¥Âà ¤Âà ¤¿à ¤Âà ¥Âà ¤¯à ¤¾), Duwal (à ¤¦à ¥Âà ¤µà ¤²), Singh (à ¤¸à ¤¿à ¤Âà ¤¹), Sakhakarmi (à ¤¸à ¤¾à ¤Â:à ¤Âà ¤°à ¥Âà ¤®à ¥Â), SyÃÂyabaji (à ¤¸à ¥Âà ¤¯à ¤¾à ¤¬à ¤Âà ¥Â). Shresthas from towns of 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(à ¤¶à ¥Âà ¤°à ¥Âà ¤·à ¥Âà ¤ )".
Among the PÃÂñchthariyas also include the KarmachÃÂryàor âÂÂAchaju(à ¤Âà ¤Âà ¤Âà ¥Â)âÂÂ, who unlike in Kathmandu and Patan, is regarded as the highest segment of PÃÂñchthariya caste in Bhaktapur. In Kathmandu this group also include the descendants of the pre-Malla era Vaishya-Thakuri dynasty who stylize themselves as Thakoo(à ¤¥à ¤Âà ¥Â). In Bhaktapur, this group consists of 'degraded' Malla-status groups with surnames Malla Lawat (à ¤®à ¤²à ¥Âà ¤² à ¤²à ¤µà ¤Â), who are the descendants of Ranajit Malla (1722âÂÂ1769) and his mistresses.
Unlike other Newar castes, the surname "Shrestha" is found in every district of Nepal. One of the reasons behind it is the adoption of Shrestha as oneâÂÂs 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. 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. 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 âÂÂShresthaâÂÂ. Similarly, outside Nepal, for instance in Darjeeling and Sikkim, almost all the Newars used âÂÂPradhÃÂnâÂÂ, another high-caste SrÃÂá¹£á¹Âha surname, as their common name. 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.