Bahun

Brahman (संस्कृतम् :ब्राहमण) (Nepali: Bahun (बाहुन)) is a colloquial Khas 'Brahmin (Nepali: बाहुन) caste, who are traditionally educators, scholars and priests of Hinduism. By tradition—and by civil law until 1962—they represented the highest of the four Hindu varna or castes. Bahuns from the "hills" have been represented disproportionately in Nepal's education system, political parties and civil service since Prithvi Narayan Shah period. Before the rise of Shah dynasty, bahunsbahun originally came from India.

Excluding the indigenous janajati ethnic groups Gurung, Newar, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Mananggay, Mustang-gi, Thakali, Dolpo, Walungi and similar ethnic groups comprise over 50% of the population of the Middle Hills, the Khas Bahun represent 31% of the Hindu population while the second-ranked Khas Chhetri or Kshatriya and Thakuri castes who were traditionally rulers and soldiers make up another 42%. This leaves only 27% engaged in occupational castes such as blacksmiths, tailors/musicians, tanners/cobblers, potters, sweepers and goldsmiths. This top-heavy social structure contrasts strongly with that of Nepal's Terai plains and the adjacent territories of northern India.

The Brahman community is the major chunk of the community of Nepal. They moved eastward along Xinxiang province of China, the Western Tibet, the himalayan foothills from Kashmir and Kumao/Garwal. They settled first in the Karnali River basin, then the Gandaki. finally the Kosi basin as well as into Sikkim and Bhutan after the treaty between LIMBUWAN FEDERAL KINGDOM and NEPAL

Family names of the Bahun

• A अ - Adhikari (अधिकारी),
• A अ - Acharya (आचार्य), Arjel (अर्जेल)/Arjyal (अर्ज्याल)/Aryal (अर्याल),Awasthi(अवस्थी)
• Ā आ - Atreya (आत्रेय),
• B ब - Banskota (बास्कोटा)
• Bh भ - Bhatta (भट्ट), Bhattarai (भट्टराई)
• Ch च - Chalise (चालिसे), Chapagain (चापगाईँ), Chamlagain (चम्लगाँई )
• D द - Dawadi (दवाडी), Dahal (दाहाल), Devkota (देवकोटा)
• Dh ढ - Dhakal (ढकाल)
• G ग - Gaudel (गौडेल), Gautam (गौतम), Guragain/Gurangain (गुरागाईँ), Gyanwali (ज्ञवाली), Gaire (गैरे)
• Gh घ - Ghimire (घिमिरे)
• H ह - Humagai (हुमागाई)
• K क - Kafle (कफ्ले/काफ्ले), Koirala (कोइराला)
• Kh ख - Khanal (खनाल), Khatiwada (खतिवडा), Khakurel (खकुरेल )
• L ल- Lamsal(लम्साल), Lohani (लोहनी)
• N न- Nepal (नेपाल), Nyaupane (न्यौपाने), Neupane (नेउपाने), Niraula (निरौला)
• P प - Parajuli(पराजुली), Pageni (पंगेनी), Pandey ), Pandit (पण्डित), Pant (पन्त), Pathak (पाठक), Pokhrel/Pokharel (पोखरेल), Paudyal (पौड्याल)/Poudyal/Paudel (पौडेल), Pudasiani (पुडासैनी), Panthee
• R र - Regmi (रेग्मी), Rijal (रिजाल), Rimal (रिमाल)
• S स - Silwal, Sapkota (सापकोटा),Subedi (सुवेदी), Sharma (शर्मा)
• T त - Timilsina (तिमल्सेना), Tiwari (तिवारी), Tripathi (त्रिपाठी)
• U उ - Upadhyaya (उपाध्याय) Uprety

Very often, Khas Bahuns can be identified by their middle names being Dev (देव), Nath (नाथ), Mani (मणि), Raj (राज), Prasad (प्रसाद), Devi (देवी). They never use bahadur (बहादुर) as their middle names because it is associated mainly with Chhetris (Kshatriya) and "martial tribes".

Notable Bahuns

• Laxmi Prasad Devkota Poet/Scholar/lecturer/Former Education Minister of Nepal
• Lekhnath Paudyal Poet

Politics

• Girija Prasad Koirala, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
• Prof.Dr. Upendra Devkota, Former Health Minister of Nepal
• Madhav Kumar Nepal, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
• Jhalanath Khanal, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
• Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
• Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
• Khil Raj Regmi, Current Prime Minister of Nepal

Arts

• Haribansha Aacharya
• Manisha Koirala

External links

• The complete reference to Brahmins: Material from this site has been borrowed for this article with the permission of Dr. Vepachedu
• A List of Brahmin Castes and Sub-castes