Kirat is not only a dynasty, culture, or tradition, it's the whole civilization. According to history
writer's kirati people came to Nepal around 723 B.C. They are one of the oldest ethnic groups in
Nepal. They ruled over Nepal for more than 1125 years
Kiraties are indigenous ethnic groups of the Himalayas extending eastward from Nepal , the
Indian sub-continent, and beyond. They are spread in a large area of Asia including South Asia,
South-East, and middle Asia.
Ancient Kirati settlements were spread from East of Kasmir, west from Kamrup, Bhutan to
South-West of Mansarobar, Kailali River to Saryou River basin, Mansarobar to China,
Nawadesh to Mahachin.
Various manuscripts like Ancient Sanskrit Literature (Ramayana, Mahabharat, Rigbeda,
Atharvabeda, Puran, Smriti, Kabya, Katha, and Kavita include various ancient literature) have
described Kirati race. Even the Baudha, Brahaman, Jain Literature, Christine, and Islam religious
books have not left out about Kirati race. Kiraties are also illustrated in ancient architecture,
sculpture, folk art, and sketch arts (Ramchandra Rai)
As per Kamala Sanskrityayan, Imansing Chemjong, the people living in East from Laddhak,
Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Asam, Nagaland, Arunanchal, Barma, Thailand, Yunnan of China,
Philippine, Cambodia, Vietnam are Kiraties and the lands are Kirat land (Tanka Rai)
Regarding the "Kirat" and "Kirati" identity meanings are mentioned as:
The meaning of "Kirat" in a Nepali-English Dictionary "Ekta Concise Nepali-English
Dictionary" has mentioned as "a region in Eastern Nepal" and the term "Kirati" is "the
inhabitants of that region or the name of a mountain tribe who live on the hunt".
Kianti is taken as a synonym of Kirati. Similarly Extensive Nepali Dictionary "Nepali Brihat
Sabdakosh (2040 BS)" has termed "Kiranti is related to Kirant or lineage of Kiranti, an ancient
race living in Kirant region.
"Kirat or Kirati" means people with lion nature. It is derived from two words Kira-Lion and Ti-
people and it also means people from the mountain. They are the indigenous ethnic Kirati group
of Nepal. The Kirat were the earliest inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley (Wikipedia says about
Kirati people)
"Nalanda Vishal Shabda Sagar" a dictionary, describes Kirat as an ancient tribe found in the
eastern Himalayas. The area occupied by them was known as KIRATA. (‘Historical Atlas of
Asia’ by Regent University of Minnesota, USA).
Kiraties are known with various words and names as Kiriyat, Kirijyat, Kereti, Kirat Asur, Asur,
Khomboja, Yawan, Pallawab (Parsian), Pursika(persian), Parad (Balikhaj), Kiranta (Asurian),
Khasa, Kichhak, Parbate (Parbatak), Saaka Kirantaa, Pulinda, Tangsangthan, Mangol,
Munafence, Hajara, Samba Asur, Banasur, Yalamba, Kirantaa sur(Palambha), Gandarbha,
Mlheechhya, Aashawa kanta(Kabul), Kullya(Kulu), Keenner Kirat (Garawal), Yaven(Greek) and
Saaka (Sathiyan) who are the fore ancestors of Kirats who carried the great Kirat civilization.
Ethnic Identity of Kirait in Nepal
Kiraties are one of the Indigenous Ethnic groups (aborigines) in Nepal having their historical
civilization, language, culture, and traditional settlements/territories. The traditional settlement/
territory of Kirati people is the eastern hilly and mountain region of current Nepal which lies
from Sunkoshi to Mechi River. Of the total 75 districts under the present state structure, 17
districts (Dolakha, Rammechhap, Sindhuli, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbhu, Khotang, Udayapur,
Bhojpur, Sankhuwasava, Dhankuta, Terathum, Sunsari, Morang, Jhapa, Illam, Panchthar,
Taplejung) are major Kirati settlement areas. Historically the Kirat Territory is also known by
the separate three territories as Wallo- Kirat (Near Kirat), Majh-Kirat (Mid-Kirat), and Pallo-
Kirat (Far-Kirat). Beyond Nepal, Kirati people are living in different countries like different
parts of India, Bhutan, China, etc.
Based on having possessed their unique language, culture, tradition, and settlement areas, the
Kirati Ethnic group of Nepal is further divided into different groups (clan/tribal groups) which
include the Limbu, Sunuwar (Koich), Yakkha, Bantawa, Chamling, Bahing, Kulung, Thulung,
Khaling, Nachhiring, Yamphu, Mewahang, Sampang, Lohorung, Jero(Jerung), Tilung, Dewan,
Aathap, Wambule, Koyu, Puma, Chhiling, Dumi, Jirel. Chepang, Dhimal, Hayu, Koch, Meche,
Surel, Thami ethnic groups also consider themselves to be of Kirati descent. The
solars/researchers have claimed that the other related ethnic groups like Danuwar, Gurung,
Lepcha, Magar, Newar, Tamang, Tharu are also a branch of Kirati. However, the groups have
not made any formal claim as they are Kirat/Kirati.
The Origin of the word "Kirat and Kirati"
There is no unanimity among the scholars and are several speculations regarding the origin of the
word "Kirat and Kirati". Due to the phonetic ease of the Western scholars, they use the word
"Kirant", whereas Asian scholars go by ancient Sanskrit and Pali scriptures where the word
"Kirat" is used. There is no consensus among the scholars on the issue of the origin of the word
"Kirat", and even the folklores added to the speculation. However, the use of the word "Kirat" is
more authentic (Col. Viren Jain (Retd).
According to Iman Singh Chemjong the word is a corrupt form of the word "Kiriat" or "Kiryat"
which means FORT in the Moabite language. Kirats were fort dwellers long before they
migrated to the Gangetic plains of India from their home in the Mediterranean region and
Mesopotamia.
Naradmuni Thulung has been given the logic that the Himalaya region lying from Sindhu River
to Brahmaputra River was known as Kalat in ancient times. The inhabitants of Kalat were known
as “Kalati, Kailati, or Kirati.”
Greeks were also familiar with Kirats but called them ‘Ceriadae’. Some scholars believe that the
word Kirat originated from the Latin word ‘Carita’ which means ‘high price’. Another scholar
Balchandra Sharma is of opinion that the word Kirat originated from the word ‘Chirayta.’
Chirayta is an ayurvedic herb that was collected and sold by "Kirat" in large quantities.
According to folklore, a man had two sons, one a human and the other a tiger. The tiger had evil
designs against his brother Kirawa, the human. One day Kirawa covered a tree stump with his
clothes and climbed a nearby tree. When the tiger came, he attacked the tree stump thinking it to
be Kirawa. Later he discovered Kirawa on a nearby tree. Kirawa told his brother, the tiger to
open his mouth wide so that he could jump in it. When the tiger opened its mouth wide, Kirawa
shot arrows at it and killed the tiger. The folklore is given in the ‘Kesapmi Namsapmi
Mundhum.’ Limbi, a branch of Kirat believe that the word Kirat is a corrupt form of Kirawa.
Though there are many or maybe numerous speculations, logics regarding the origin of the word
"Kirat" and "Kirati" like "Ceriadaem", "Carita", "Chirayta", "Kirawa", "Kirriyat",
"Kiriat", or "Kiryat", the word "Kirant", "Kiranti" or "Kirat" and "Kirati" is well recognized or
known term which denotes land by the term "Kirat" and the people who are living in the land
(one of the Indigenous Ethnic group) by the term of Kirati. On this ground, it is logical that the
people related to are called "Kirant, Kiranti and its synonyms Kirat and Kirati" The people
(Kiratis) themselves often pronounce the term as 'Kirat and Kirati'.
Historical Background
Kiraties were developed in the Mediterranean region (Nahor, Bebilon) and spread towards
North-Eastern countries before 2400 BC. Among them a branch of which came to Mesopotamia
or the Assyrian country, intermingled with the Ashur people and formed one nation with them.
Later on, they migrated to Northern India and the Himalayan region via Media and Nisa of
Northern Persia with the title of the Kirat-Ashur tribe. In Aisa, they were known as Khambos or
Yavan and claimed their descent from the Greeks of the Ionian island. In the Sanskrit book
"Yogini Tantra", the Kirat nationality is included among the Yavan, Pallava, Koch, and Pulinda
races. The Greeks had also known the Kirats by the name of Kirhadai. The last remnant of the
ancient Kiratite or Cherethite tribe was found recorded in the book of 2 Samuel. They were a
martial tribe during the reign of the Syrian King David in 1049 BC.
Sir John Hammerton in his book called “Early Races of Mankind", mentions that probably in the
4000 BC, there was a civilized race of mankind on the lower Euphrates of the Mediterranean
region described as Mongolian or Summerian of the Chaldean. They had their independent forts
or towns. They used to fight for their borderline and had erected an inscribed stone pillar of
agreement in the middle of their boundaries. The defeated town never agreed to live under their
enemies. They used to quit their native place for good and migrate to other countries. In like
manner, in about 3000 BC, a big horde of people left their native place and came to the east and
established the Chinese Empire.
As the Assyrian country was mountainous where the Kirat-Ashur people were living they
preferred to live in the mountainous countries of Kabul, Kashmir, Karakoram, and all the
Himalayan regions, though some of them migrated to the Indian plains and lived there for about
twelve generations. There were certain principalities which were definitely styled as Nishada in
the epic and Alavaka in the Pali Texts and were doubtless of non-Aryan origin."
The Kirat Vansavali mentions that after twelve generations, one branch of Kirat people migrated
from the Indo-Gangetic plains to the Himalayan region and the other branch to Lanka or Ceylon
to the south. They spread from this Himalayan region to India, Burma, Syam, Vietnam, Malaya,
and Philippine islands, established their kingdoms, and kept their respective records of history. In
India, Kirat people occupied the regions from Himachal Pradesh to Assam in the north and from
Manipur to Chittangong in the south-east.
When the Aryans came to India for the first time and started to advance toward the hilly regions.
They fought against a Kirat-Ashur king "ShambaAshur" whose kingdom was situated on the
bank of river Indus in the Himalayas. Shambashur was defeated in the battle, so he left his place
and came towards the east and established a stronghold in the Kinner land which is now known
by the name of Himachal Pradesh in India. In this place, a horde of Mongolian people came and
intermingled with this stock of Kirat people and constituted one big Kirat race. Gradually they
spread towards the east and settled in Nepal.
The Regime of Kirats in Nepal
Different manuscripts mentioned that Kirats had ruled in Nepal after Mahispal or Ahir Dynasty
and before Lichhavi Dynasty. According to Baburam Acharya, they came to Nepal in about 700
B.C. and ruled over it. They were the ancestors of the present day Kiratas:– Kulung, Thulung and
Yellung. The first Kirat king was Yalamber (Yalung), who defeated Bhuvan Singh, the last king
of Ahir dynasty, and established Kirat rule in Nepal. This event is believed to have taken place in
the last phase of Dwaparyug or the initial phase of Kaliyug or around the 6th century BC. Until
Yalamber took Nepal under his control was bounded to the west Trisuli River, the east by the
Dhood-Kosi, to the north by the mountains Neel-kantha, and to the south by the valley of
Chitlong (Kirkpatric). Yalamber extended his kingdom from Trishuli in the west to Tista River
in the east.
Various manuscripts (the genealogies of Nepal, Puranas like Pashupati Purana, Nepal Mahatmya,
Skanda Purana, etc. reveal that Kirat dynasty had ruled Nepal before the Lichhavi dynasty.
Altogether, 29 kings of Kirat dynasty ruled over Nepal for about 1225 years. As of kirant
bansawali record, Nepal was ruled by 34 kiranti kings. There is no unanimity among the scholars
regarding the number of Kirat rulers and the time duration. The Gopal genealogy shows
altogether 32 Kirat kings had ruled over Nepal. Similarly, Language-genealogy and Wright's
genealogy reveal that 29 and 28 kings ruled over Nepal respectively. However, looking into
various sources seems to mention 27 to 32 Kirati kings who had ruled over Nepal. According to
the chronicle (Bamsavali) of Kirkpatrick, Kiratas ruled over Nepal from about 900 B.C. to 300
A.D. Later Kirats were defeated by the Lichhavies.
The last King of the Kirat dynasty was Gasti. When they were defeated by Lichabi king again
they regrouped and formed another kirant kingdom in Banepa. Their new kingdom was started
from Sanga Bhanjyang hill Kathmandu valley to Sikkim in the east and remains as hostile power
for the lichavi. After Twenty years of ruling in Banepa as Kiranti kingdom later this kingdom
was divided into 3 small kingdoms called: Wallo Kirat, Majh Kirat, and Pallo Kirat with the
different kings. Among them, wallo kirat had a border from sanga bhanjyang from the west to
dudh koshi in the east (C. P. Sunuwar).
The first king of wallo kirant was king Binicha. According to sunuwar kirant chronicle he used
to form this wallo kirant in the time of maghe siri panchami or sukla panchami another form of
yele sambat in Bhuji kot gaun in ramechap district so he declared that day is New Year as it is
like before. This New Year used to celebrate beating dhole, Jhyamta and sacrificing many
animals and eating, drinking making socialize. In addition, they used to do stick fighting, sword
fighting khukuri fighting, and game of archery (C. P. Sunuwar).
Kirata race was ancient and used to tussle with gods, goddesses, and demons in their daily life.
They were only not ancient but also had very developed civilizations like the Indus civilization
and Mohenjo-Daro civilization. Ancient Indian civilization is a civilization of Kirata. This great
civilization was situated in the northeast Himalayan range of Mahavarata. According to S.k
chattarji north eastern Kiranti civilization was the key civilization of ancient India. They were
the supreme power in that era. If you see the 10000 BC Scientific human evolution film then you
can find out how to civilize we Kirati were in past. When southern Chinese people used to
cultivate paddy and live with happy civilized life that time how Westerners were struggling for
resources and living in cave-like Jungle man. Due to the dynamic of time, they start to lose their
colony, civilization, culture, and tradition one after another (C. P. Sunuwar).
Jaya Kirat
