Magarat is a name for the area settled and inhabited by

Magars The Magars, also spelled Mangar and Mongar, are the largest ethnic group native to Nepal and Northeast India, representing 6.9% of Nepal's total population according to the 2021 Nepal census. They are one of the main Gurkha tribes. The first ...

, one of the largest indigenous ethnic groups of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. It is a geographical cluster in Nepal that existed in the modern territory of Nepal before the Unification of Nepal. It extended westward from the Budhi Gandaki River. Palpa district and Rolpa district of Nepal (majority of

Kham Magar The Kham Magars (खाम मगर), also known in scholarship as the Northern Magars, are a (Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman language) Magar Kham language or Kham Kura speaking indigenous ethnic tribal community native to Nepal. In g ...

s), both located in Province 5 of Nepal, are the top two districts of Nepal with the highest indigenous Magar population.

Magars

are martial people who first established their kingdom in present-day western Nepal. They were

animistic Animism (from meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, Rock (geology), rocks, rivers, Weather, ...

and

shamanic Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spiri ...

in their religious practices. The

of the upper Karnali basin and their brethren of the mid-hills of Nepal had a flourishing kingdom. Archaeological proof of their existence can be found in the western mid-hills of Nepal. The Magar have a strong military and warrior tradition. However, their hospitality and concern for their fellow human beings is legendary.

Aramudi

Aramudi is a name of a legend in the 8th century Himalayan history, particularly of

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

and

. In a war between King Aramudi and Kashmir (King Jayapida), the Kashmir king was defeated and imprisoned in a fortress built above the bank of Kali Gandaki river is called Kalhana ''aśma-veśman'' " (stone house) in present Gulmi district. Aramudi was also called king Baradev of ancient Nepal. Lalitpattan, presently Lalitpur, was his capital.

Etymology

Aramudi sounds like an indigenous Magar name with ‘di’ suggesting – ‘water’ or ‘river’. The four morphemes or segments ‘a’ + ‘ra’ + ‘mu’ + di’ or ‘mo + di’. Conjugating these morphemes produces either “aramu + di” or “ara’ + ‘mudi or modi”. In Magar ‘aramu’ or ‘armu’ means ‘sweet smell’ and ‘di’ means ‘water’ - hence literally “aramu + di” means ‘sweet smelling water’ or ‘sweet tasting spring water', in Nepali ''‘jharanako mitho pani’''. The ‘di’ in ‘Aramudi’ is suggestive of ‘water’ in Magar. In the Kali Gandaki region and western Nepal, rivers, small streams, towns and villages retain their Magar language names. Examples include Marshyang+di river in Tanahu, ‘Lang+di’, ‘Darang+di’; ’Lun+di’ in Gorkha, ‘Hosrang+di’ village in Parbat, Chhang+di in Tanahu, ‘Argaun+di’ village, ‘Hug+di’ in Plapa district. During the period of Magarat ( Confideration of Twelve Magarat & Eighteen Magarat ) In the kingdom called Palpa the King was ‘ Mukunda Sen Magar” in Naradsmriti Granth. He waged a war against Nepal athmanduValleytwice in 1521 Bikram Era and on Chaitra 11,1522 BE.

Mansingh Khadka Magar

Mansingh Khadka Magar was a king of Majhakot and Uppalokot in Gorkha until 1559. At an annual running event called Liglig Daud, the winner was chosen King Of Ligligkot Kingdom Dravya Shah (youngest son Of Yashobrahma) was invited to take over the throne by the Brahmins, in particular Bhagirath Panth and Ganesh Pande. On the 8th of Bhadon Badi, Saka 1481 (A.D. 1559) Dravya Shah was aided by Bhagirath Panth, Ganesa Pande, Busal Arjyal, Khanal Bohra, Murli Khawas and Gangaram Rana Magar of Liglig-kot. Ganesa Pande had collected all the people of Gurkha, such as the Thapas, Busals, Ranas and Maski Ranas of the Magar tribe, they went by the Dahya Gauda route and attacked the Durbar and defeated the Khadka Raja (Khadka a sub-clan of Rana Magar clan's). As Dravya Shah took his seat on the ''gaddi'' and named the new Gorkha Kingdom, Dravya Shah used the army of the

Khas Khas peoples or Khas Tribes, (; ) popularly known as Khashiya are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group native to the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, in what is now the South Asian country of Nepal, as well as the Indian stat ...

Thakuri The Thakuri (Nepali: ठकुरी) . This term is Nepalese title ""Thakuri"", which translates to 'master of the estate'. The term denotes the royal descendants of kings of Baise Rajya and Chaubisi Rajya. During the height of their influence ...

and

to invade neighboring states. His successors continued this aggression to increase the territory belonging to Gorkha. Kingdoms such as Rishing, Ghiring, Argha, Khachhi, Gulmi, Dhor, Satung, Paiung, Bhirkot, Gharung Mishikot, Isma were collectively known as Barha Magarat or Confederation of Twelve Magar Kingdoms and were ruled by Magar Kings. The annual festival of ''Barhakune Tal'' in Ghorahi of Dang district commemorates the founding of Twelve Magarats Confederation of Twelve Magar Kingdoms. Similarly Athara Magarat or Confederation of Eighteen Magar Kingdoms was located west of Kali Gandaki, primarily inhabited by

References

{{reflist Regions of Nepal Geography of Nepal