Ethnic groups in Nepal are delineated using language, ethnic identity or the caste system in Nepal. They are categorized by common culture and endogamy. Endogamy carves out ethnic groups in Nepal.
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Ethnic groups in Nepal in the context of Chhetri
Chhetri (Kshetri, Kshettri, Kshetry or Chhettri), (Nepali: क्षेत्री pronounced [tsʰetri]; IAST: Kṣetrī) historically called Kshettriya or Kshetriya or Khas are Nepali speaking people historically associated with the warrior class and administration, some of whom trace their origin to migration from medieval India. Chhetri was a caste of administrators, governors, warriors and military elites in the medieval Khas Kingdom and Gorkha Kingdom (later unified Kingdom of Nepal). The nobility of the Gorkha Kingdom mainly originated from Chhetri families. They also had a strong presence in civil administration affairs. The bulk of prime ministers of Nepal before the democratization of Nepal belonged to this caste as a result of the old Gorkhali aristocracy. Gorkha-based aristocratic Chhetri families included the Pande dynasty, the Basnyat dynasty, the Kunwar family (and their offspring branch, the autocratic Rana dynasty) and the Thapa dynasty. From 1806 to 1951, Chhetri prime ministers wielded absolute rule in the country and the monarchy was reduced to a powerless figurehead.
Khas Chhetris were traditionally considered a division of the Khas people with Khas Brahmin (commonly called Khas Bahun). They make up 16.45% of Nepal's population according to the 2021 Nepal census, making them the most populous caste or ethnic community in Nepal. Chhetris speak an Indo-Aryan Nepali language (Khas-Kura) as mother tongue.
In this Dossier
Ethnic groups in Nepal in the context of List of contemporary ethnic groups
This is a list of lists of contemporary ethnic groups.
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of Asia
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of Europe
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of North America
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of Oceania
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of South America
- List of Indigenous peoples
- List of diasporas
- List of stateless nations
- African people
- List of contemporary ethnic groups of Africa
- Indigenous people of Africa
- Ethnic groups in Algeria
- Ethnic groups in Botswana
- Ethnic groups in Burundi
- Ethnic groups in Chad
- List of ethno-linguistic groups in Eritrea
- List of ethnic groups in Ethiopia
- List of ethnic groups in Nigeria
- Ethnic groups in Rwanda
- List of ethnic groups in Tanzania
- Ethnic groups in Senegal
- Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone
- List of ethnic groups in South Sudan
- List of ethnic groups in Zambia
- Asian people
- European people
- Indigenous peoples of the Americas
- Oceanian people
- Ethnoreligious group
- Ethnic groups by country
Ethnic groups in Nepal in the context of History of Nepal
Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multi-religious, and multilingual country. The most spoken language is Nepali followed by several other ethnic languages.
The lands of modern-day Nepal are widely regarded to be the birthplace of Buddhism and the Buddha, which eventually spread into India and Sri Lanka, across East and Southeast Asia, and as far west as Kalmykia in Russia. The modern day Kingdom of Nepal was established in 1768 and started a campaign of unifying what would form the modern territories of Nepal. Some former territories had been lost due to the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Sino-Nepalese War. In the Sino-Nepalese war, the conflict ended with both victories and losses with the kingdom ultimately accepting tributary status with the Qing dynasty of China from 1792 to 1865. The Anglo-Nepalese War ended in British victory and resulted in the ceding some Nepalese territory in the Treaty of Sugauli. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, the Nepalese parliament voted to abolish the monarchy in June 2006. Nepal became a federal republic on 28 May 2008 and was formally renamed the 'Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal' ending the 200-year-old reign of the Shah monarchs. From 8-13 Sep 2025, a widespread riot was caused by economic corruption and the banning of social media.