khasa

Khasa is a term with several related uses in the western Himalayas and adjacent regions. It most commonly refers to the Khas or Khasa people, an ethnolinguistic group historically inhabiting parts of what is now Nepal and northern India. In the medieval period these communities formed a regional polity sometimes called the Khas kingdom or Khas Malla, a power center whose influence extended over portions of western Nepal and neighboring Indian territories. The Khas spoke a Northwest Indo-Aryan language known as Khas Bhasa, which contributed to the evolution of the modern Nepali language and to the linguistic landscape of the area.

Over time, Khas communities became a major component of the Nepali-speaking population, and their lineage is associated with the origins of the Gorkha Kingdom and the later unification of Nepal in the 18th century. In this sense, Khasa is linked to broader discussions of Nepali identity and the ethnolinguistic formation of the region.

Geographically, the name Khasa survives in the toponyms of several villages and settlements in Nepal and northern India, reflecting historical presence of Khas communities. These places are typically named for historical reasons rather than indicating an ongoing political entity.

The term is sometimes spelled as Khas or Khasā and may be encountered in historical, linguistic, and ethnographic contexts. It is related to, but distinct from, the broader term Nepali, which now designates the national language and a wider ethnolinguistic identity that developed partly from Khas-speaking populations.