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verification. (October 2020) |
Bahun | |
---|---|
Regions with significant populations | |
Nepal | 3,292,373 (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 |
Bahun ( Nepali: बाहुन), also known as Hill Brahmins, [3] are a Brahmin varna among the Khas of Nepal. They are 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]
According to 1854 Muluki Ain (Nepalese Legal Code), Bahuns were regarded as caste among sacred thread bearers ( Tagadhari) and twice-born Hindus. [9]
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]
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]
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: