Khasa Kingdom

An ancient tribe named Khasa is mentioned in several ancient legendary Indian texts, including the Mahabharata. The Khasas are mentioned in several Indian inscriptions dated between 8th and 13th centuries CE. The Khasa Malla kingdom was feudatory and the principalities were independent in nature. Most of its territory was over the Karnali River basin. King Nāgarāja referred as Jāveśvara (), came from Khāripradeśa (present-day Ngari Province) and set up his capital at Semjā. The Khas dynasties were originated at 11th century or earlier period. There were two dynasties of Khas one at Guge and other at Jumla. The widely regarded most renowned King of Khasa Malla Kingdom was Prithvi Malla. Prithvi Malla had firmly established the Kingdom around 1413 A.D. The limits of the reign of King Pṛthvīmalla reached the greatest height of the Khas Empire which included Guge, Purang and Nepalese territories up to Dullu in the southwest and Kaskikot in the east. Giuseppe Tucci contends that The Tibetan chronicles show Pṛthvīmalla as the last king of this empire. This kingdom disintegrated after the death of Abhaya Malla and formed the Baise rajya confederacy. Inscriptions pillar of Ashoka. The inscription reads "Oṃ maṇi padme huṃ" and "Sri Ripumalla Chiram Jayatu 1234" ("Long live Sri Ripumalla"; year 1234 of the Saka Era corresponds to 1312 CE). The earliest Khasa Malla inscription was the copper plate inscription of King Krachalla dated Poush 1145 Shaka Samvat (1223 A.D.) which is in the possession of Baleshwar temple in Sui, Kumaon. Furthermore, Krachalla described himself as a devout Buddhist ('Parama Saugata') and is mentioned to have won over "Vijayarajya" (realm of victory) and destroyed the demolished city of Kantipura (Kartikeyapur). Ashok Challa had issued several inscriptions in modern-day Bodhgaya, Bihar dated 1255 and 1278. There are inscriptions of Ripu Malla on the Ashoka Pillar of Lumbini and Nigalihawa; the Lumbini pillar bears the name of his son as Sangrama Malla. Prithvi Malla's stone pillar inscription dated 1279 Shaka Samvat (1357 A.D.) at Dullu discovered by Yogi Naraharinath, contains the names of his predecessors. It further states that the Khasa Malla dynasty was founded six generations before Krachalla by Emperor Nagaraja. The inscription further states that Emperor Nagaraja founded the Khasa Malla capital at Seṃjā (or, Siṃjā, Sijā, Sijjā), near modern Jumla. A gold inscription of Prithvi Malla discovered at Jumla, dated 1278 Shaka Samvat (1356 A.D.) mentions "Buddha, Dharma, Sangha" along with "Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara". The inscription of Prithvi Malla on Shitushka in Jumla is quoted as: The languages used by Prithvi Malla in his inscription belongs to 13th century form of modern Nepali. ==Religion, language, and culture==

scripts from the 13th century pillar inscription by King Ripu Malla: "Om mani padme hum May Prince Ripu Malla be long victorious" Most of the initial Khas kings before Pṛthvīmalla were Buddhist. Hinduisation of the kingdom began when King Ripumalla commenced the southward expansion of the kingdom and contacts to India slowly increased. King Pṛthvīmalla always used Buddhist syllables in his inscription though he had a strong preference for Hinduism. The Prashasti of Dullu inscription by Pṛthvīmalla shows Buddhist syllables, mantra, and invocations, however, the latter Kanakapatra of Shitushka was fundamentally Hindu. These two inscriptions of King Pṛthvīmalla showed the transition of the state from Buddhism to Hinduism. The reign of King Punya Malla and Prithvi Malla had strict traditional Hindu ritual and customs. A Buddhist-Hindu shrine Kakrebihar has a signboard referring it to the reign of King Ashok Challa but as per experts, it could belong to the reign of King Krachalla. ==Rulers==

Titles, ranks, and suffixes The successors of King Nāgarāja adhered to some suffix as -illa and -challa like King Chapilla, King Krachalla. Challa and Malla were titles of kings and princes. Rāulā was the title of a high-ranking official. Personalities like Malayavarma, Medinivarma, Samsarivarma, Balirāja, etc. had title of Rāulā. Mandalesvara or Mandalik was a title conferred on powerful persons of the Kingdom. Royal princes, senior officials and defeated Kings were appointed to the post of Mandalesvara. List The Dullu stone pillar inscription dated 1279 Shaka Samvat (1357 A.D.) of King Prithvi Malla consists the following names of his predecessors: 1. Krachalla 2. Ashokachalla 3. Jitari Malla 4. Akshaya Malla 5. Ashoka Malla 6. Ananda Malla 7. Ripu Malla 8. Sangrama Malla 9. Jitari Malla 10. Aditya Malla The list of Khas kings mentioned by Giuseppe Tucci is in the following succession up to Prithvi Malla: • Nāgarāja (); also known as Jāveśvara or Nagadeva by Tibetan chronicles including a Chronicle of Fifth Dalai Lama • Chaap/Cāpa (; IAST: Cāpa); son of Nāgarāja • Chapilla/Cāpilla (; IAST: Cāpilla), son of Cāpa • Krashichalla (; IAST: Krāśicalla), son of Cāpilla • Kradhichalla (; IAST: Krādhicalla), son of Krāśicalla • Krachalla (; IAST: Krācalla), son of Krādhicalla (1207 CE–1223) • Ashoka Challa (; IAST: Aśokacalla), son of Krācalla (1223–87) • Jitari Malla (; IAST: Jitārimalla), first son of Aśokacalla • Ananda Malla (; IAST: Ānandamalla), second son of Aśokacalla • Ripu Malla (; IAST: Ripumalla) (1312–13), son of Ānandamalla • Sangrama Malla (; IAST: Saṃgrāmamalla), son of Ripumalla • Aditya Malla (; IAST: Ādityamalla), son of Jitārimalla • Kalyana Malla (; IAST: Kalyāṇamalla), son of either Ādityamalla or Saṃgrāmamalla • Pratapa Malla (; IAST: Pratāpamalla), son of Kalyāṇamalla, had no scions • Punya Malla (; IAST: Puṇyamalla) of another Khas family of (Purang royalty) • Prithvi Malla (; IAST: Pṛthvīmalla), son of Puṇyamalla • Surya Malla () Son of Ripu Malla, Nāgarāja clan back to rule • Abhaya Malla () (14th century) Tibetoloical list The list of rulers of Khasa (Tibetan: Ya rtse) Kingdom established by the Tibetologists Luciano Petech, Roberto Vitali and Giuseppe Tucci are: • Naga lde (Nepali: Nāgarāja) (early 12th century) • bTsan phyug lde (Nepali: Cāpilla) (mid-12th century) • bKra shis lde (Nepali: Krāśicalla) (12th century) • Grags btsan lde (Nepali: Krādhicalla) (12th century) brother of bTsan phyug lde) • Grags pa lde (Nepali: Krācalla) (fl. 1225) • A sog lde (Nepali: Aśokcalla) (fl. 1255–1278) son • 'Ji dar sMal (Nepali: Jitārimalla) (fl. 1287–1293) son • A nan sMal (Nepali: Ānandamalla) (late 13th century) brother • Ri'u sMal (Nepali: Ripumalla) (fl. 1312–1314) son • San gha sMal (Nepali: Saṃgrāmamalla) (early 14th century) son • A jid smal (Nepali: Ādityamalla) (1321–1328) son of Jitari Malla • Ka lan smal (Nepali: Kalyāṇamalla) (14th century) • Par t'ab smal (Nepali: Pratāpamalla) (14th century) • Pu ni sMal/Puṇya rMal/bSod nams (Nepali: Puṇyamalla) (fl. 1336–1339) of Purang royalty (another Khas family) • sPri ti sMal/Pra ti rmal (Nepali: Pṛthvīmalla) (fl. 1354–1358) son ==Decline==

, Raika Mandhata Shahi at Saka Era 1612 (शाके १६१२) (or 1747 Bikram Samvat), AD 1690/91 in old Khas language using Devanagari script. After the siege of Chittorgarh in 1303, large immigration of Rajputs into Nepal occurred. Before it, few small groups of Rajputs had been entering into the region from Muslim invasion of India. These immigrants were quickly absorbed into the Khas community due to larger similarities. Historian and Jesuit Ludwig Stiller considers the Rajput interference to the politics of Khas Kingdom of Jumla was responsible for its fragmentation and he explains: Francis Tucker also further states that "the Rajputs was so often guilty of base ingratitude and treachery to gratify his ambition. They were fierce, ruthless people who would stop at nothing." After the late 13th century the Khas empire collapsed and divided into Baise Rajya (22 principalities) in Karnali-Bheri region and Chaubise rajya (24 principalities) in Gandaki region. The 22 principalities were • Jumla • Doti • Jajarkot • Bajura • Gajur • Biskot • Malneta • Thalahara • Dailekh • Dullu • Duryal • Tulsipur • Dang • Salyan • Chilli • Phalawagh • Jehari • Darnar • Atbis • Gotam • Majal • Gurnakot • Rukum The 24 principalities were • Gorkha • Lamjung • Tanahun • Kaski • Nuwakot • Dhor • Satahun • Garahun • Rishing • Ghiring • Paiyun • Parbat • Galkot • Palpa • Gulmi • Argha • Khanchi • Musikot • Isma • Dhurkot • Bajhang • Bhirkot • Pyuthan • Butwal ==References==