KC (surname)


KC is a surname of medieval origin anglicized as an abbreviation of Khatri Chhetri in Nepal. The surname Khatri Chhetri was historically legally labelled to the children of Brahmin fathers and Kshatriya mothers after the introduction of Muluki Ain in 1854 by Jang Bahadur Rana of Nepal. With its origin in the 12th century CE, the archaic form of the surname "Khatri" was ascribed as a local endonym for the progeny of Brahmins from medieval India and Khas women of the Middle Himalayas in medieval western Nepal.

History

Dislodged by the Ghurid conquest of India and subsequent Delhi Sultanate, Brahmins from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Punjab and North India began emigrating to the hills of western Nepal seeking refuge primarily after the 12th century CE where they encountered another Indo-Aryan tribe called Khasas. The progeny resulting from the unions of Brahmin men and Khas women were called Khatris.
In contrast to the British rule in India and subsequent British Raj, Jang Bahadur Rana promulgated the legal code of Nepal called Muluki Ain in 1854 enforcing rigid social and matrimonial structures within Hinduism where the patriline of a caste and thereby the status of children legally depended upon the marriage choice of the father. As per this, the children born from the marriage of a Brahmin father and a Kshatriya mother were labelled as "Khatri or Khatri Chhetri", indicating that they were the descendants of a marriage between a Brahmin man with a Khas/Chhetri woman in their ascendant patriline.
Khatris have played a vital role in the unification of Kingdom of Nepal and thereafter as administrators, governors, political leaders and military commanders. Large number of Khatri commanders became governors of various regions during the unification of Nepal by King Prithvi Narayan Shah; Kaji Ram Khatri, Kaji Bhim Khatri, Kaji Bir khatri and Kaji Hari Khatri each governed newly consolidated Kingdom of Palpa, regions surrounding Gorkha and Kathmandu valley, central Nepal and hilly regions of eastern Nepal respectively. Between 1768 and 1814, Chandrabhan Khatri, Ranabir Khatri, Shiva Narayan Khatri, Gaja Simha Khatri, Damu Khatri and Vamsha Raj Khatri were appointed as the Chief of administration and military, called Sardars, by king Prithvi Narayan Shah and subsequent Shah kings after the merging of Kingdom of Gorkha into the unified Kingdom of Nepal. During the Rana dynasty rule, Kaji Bishnu Khatri was appointed to govern hill regions of eastern Nepal, Kaji Tribhuvan Khatri governed Terai in a close proximity to British India and Kaji Bhairav Khatri governed hill regions of the western frontier.
In 1850 AD, Khatris were among the first Nepalese to travel to England and France as a part of a royal mission. Three Khatri commanders of the Nepalese army namely Lieutenant Karbir Khatri, Lieutenant Lal Singh Khatri and Kaji Karbir Khatri accompanied Nepal's ruler Jung Bahadur Rana's visit to Europe and Lt. Lal Singh Khatri, among them, was also the first Nepalese to study English in the British Residency at the Court of Nepal. The over time exposure of Khatris to United Kingdom and British English led to the anglicization of surname into a formally designated abbreviation of KC, from its original Khatri Chhetri. KCs are prominently visible in politics, cinema, army, arts, education, medicine, business, fashion and sports of Nepal, among others.

Notable KCs

Fictional characters