magars magars and magars everywhere

8/14/2019 Magars Magars and Magars Everywhere

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MagarMagarMagarMagarssss, Magars and Magars, Magars and Magars, Magars and Magars, Magars and MagarsEverywhere?Everywhere?Everywhere?Everywhere?

---- B. K. RanaB. K. RanaB. K. RanaB. K. RanaEmail: [email protected]

Can the Magar[s] other than those of Nepalese originin different parts of the world be the same Magars ? Thisis a kind of historical linguistic question. Do the Magaror Magars as in Nepalese Magar, Armenian' Mugar',American Magar[s], Greek Makart Hungarian Magyar,Italian Magari and Persian Magar cognate with eachother or have they derived from the same root ? Can aparticular cognate in different languages refer todifferent groups of human-beings or things ? Or is it amere lexical coincidence among different languages ? It

cant be said for sure. It is a matter of thoroughresearch. Only a few cognates are not enough to determinethe ethnic identity and values of certain human beingsscattered around the world, however, such coincidencecertainly offers ample opportunity to a curious reader tothink more about it.

Being a Magar myself from Gorkha proper and havingheard or read the glorious history of our ancestors thegreat Gorkha Magars and other Magars who shed lot moreblood in the making of modern Nepal, I have always beenfascinated by the word Magar. In this sort note I attemptto explore how has this lexicon - Magar - become so

pervasive over the passage of history and languages.

Magars of NepalMagars of NepalMagars of NepalMagars of Nepal [563[563[563[563 ---- 483 B. C483 B. C483 B. C483 B. C ????]]]]::::

The Magars are the indigenous peoples who constitutethe 3rd largest population by 7.14 % after the Chettris15.80 % and Brahmans 12.74 % in Nepal [2001]1. No individualcaste or ethnic population seems exceeding 16.00 % inNepal. This suggests that every other individual caste orethnic [indigenous population] group of population in Nepalfalls in minority in a strict demographic sense.

Some scholars have written Magars are the descendantsof the Gautam Buddha the prince of peace. If we couldwell attest it historically, the history of Magars of Nepalmay stretch as far back as 563-483 B.C. By offering somelinguistic and cultural clues, M. S. Thapa Magar has

1 Rana, B. K.: Linguistic Dynamism in South Asia; Some Insights into RecentChange and Development in Different Language Communities of Nepalhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdf
http://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/linguistic_dynamism_nepal.pdf


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discussed it in his book on the ancient Magars of Nepal2. Hehas written some research articles contesting ManusDharmashastra also meaning that the Nepalese Magars wereconverted to Hindu faith quite recently. He does notbelieve the Nepalese Magars were Hindus ever.

The Magars were made Shudras, the lowest-caste in theHindu four-fold, only after the coronation of King Mahendrain 1956. Posing as a Shudra, Dil ManDil ManDil ManDil Man SinghSinghSinghSingh Thapa MagarThapa MagarThapa MagarThapa Magar hadpoured holy waters onto the head of King Mahendra duringthe latters coronation ritual. Later he was promoted toBrigadier General of then Royal Nepal Army. He was alsoprizedby the government with a handsome piece of land inNepalgunj - the western plains of Nepal.

When objected over phone from Kathamandu, he hadreplied to me that he had poured the water as some high-level officers forced him to do so. The Magars do notbelieve that they are any Hindu Shudras. Now, the Magars of

Nepal must tell others that they are not Shudras or theTallo Jat[lower caste] anymore.

Historians differ on the origin of the Magars ofNepal. Some historians attest Magars already being there inNepal by the later half of 8th century3. They prescribe KingAramudi of Rajtarangini to discuss it. While others, mostlythe western scholars from Hamilton4 down to the present seemto believe Magars, a Tibeto-Burman group of people, whospeak one of the Tibeto-Burman languages and practice othercultures in South Asia.

Magar in ChristianMagar in ChristianMagar in ChristianMagar in Christian EgyptEgyptEgyptEgypt [[[[---- 390 A390 A390 A390 A....DDDD....]]]]::::

There is a short story with some archaeologicalillustrations of Deir Abu MagarDeir Abu MagarDeir Abu MagarDeir Abu Magar:::: [St. Macarius] and hisMonastery in Egypt.

This monastery can be seen west from the Cairo-Alexandria desert highway at about 129 Km. to Alexandria or86 to Cairo. It is said that the Christian, St. Magar[Maker], who lived as a hermit monk in a cave for overforty years, received a divine revelation in the form of adream to build a church. When he died in 390 A.D, he wasburied in his beloved cave, but his monks remained and the

2 Thapa Magar, M. S. : Prachin Magar ra Akkha Lipi[ Ancient Magars andAkkha Script] 1993

3 Rana, B. K. : A Short Note on King Aramudi and Other Magar Rulers of Kali

Gandaki Region: http://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdf

4 Hamiltion, F. B: An Account of Kingdom of Nepal 1819
http://www.touregypt.net/cairo/http://www.touregypt.net/alexandria/http://www.touregypt.net/chiste0.htmhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://nipforum.org/king_aramudi.pdfhttp://www.touregypt.net/chiste0.htmhttp://www.touregypt.net/alexandria/http://www.touregypt.net/cairo/


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cell where he was buried became the Venter of themonastery. His relics were kept as treasures and stillremain. The monastery became a memorial to him so thatpeople might not forget his story, devotion and piety5.

A Leiden University team from the Netherlands is

excavating there since 1995 and it is hoped that they mayend up providing an analysis of how a loose group ofhermits might have evolved into a monastic society.

Mongols, Moghol and MagMongols, Moghol and MagMongols, Moghol and MagMongols, Moghol and Magaaaars:rs:rs:rs:

The Magars of Nepal also believe that they are theoffspring of the Mongols. If it is so, this directly takesus to the Royal Family of the Great Mongol Empire, YekeMongol Ulus, and the Genghis Khan himself. But there shouldbe a standard research before jumping into any suchconclusion. However, the Kham Magars of west Nepal, such asBudha, Gharti, Puns and few others may be taken intoconsideration. These western Magars might have migratedfrom the Kham province of Tibet. These western Magars donot profess Hinduism.

A well known historian and linguist, the much reveredIman Singh Chemjong6 and some others believe 'Magars' tobe the children of the Mongols. Chemjong goes deep intothe morphemes of the word Magar to find mong +ar/or/ur. He argues mong means of Mongols andar/or/ur = children, however, this view is also not welltaken. A Mongolian informant told me here in Cambridge thatthe explanation is incorrect.

Andrew Shimunek, in an email message writes theMoghol [or Mogholi as they are called in Persian] peopleliving mostly in the Heart province of Afghanistan. Theyare descendants of the Negderi Qara'una clan of theMongols, who in occupied the area in the 13th century, andtheir ethnonym is certainly derived from the Mongol word/mongGol/ 'Mongol' [where /G/ indicates an uvular stop and/ng/ a velar nasal]. In the 1970s, there were a smallnumber of Moghol elders who could still speak the language,and from fieldwork data collected around that time by theGerman scholar Michael Weiers we know that their languageis a rather conservative Mongolic language, preserving for

example certain diphthongs and thevoiceless aspirated uvular stop [q] of Middle Mongolian. Asto the present language situation, it is unclear; evenWeiers does not know if speakers still exist.7

5 Dunn, Jimmy: The Monastery of St. Macarius [Deir Abu Magar]http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/magar.htm6 Chemjong, Iman Singh : The history and culture of the Kirat people 19677 Andrew Shimunek [Email communication Friday, April22, 2005 ]
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/monasteries.htmhttp://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/magar.htmhttp://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/magar.htmhttp://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/monasteries.htm


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I have also received another email communication fromthe Museum of Science and Mugar Omni Theatre in Cambridge.A Michael from the Mugar Omni Theatre writes: Mugar meansmeeting in Kabyle, one of the Berber languages. There is

also a Mugar hill in south of Algeria. The caravanserailused to meet near this hill, hence the name. I dont knowmuch about it. You should direct to a Berber [Amazigh]language8. There is a place called Mugardos in northernSpain on the east Atlantic seashore. And we have yetanother Mugarjong the fort of the Magars - in Sikkim,east of Nepal.

Magyars of Hungary:Magyars of Hungary:Magyars of Hungary:Magyars of Hungary:

A team of Hungarian Magyars was on a research visitto some Magar settlements in different parts of Nepal,possibly in search for their ancestors in around 1990. I amstill hoping to read their research findings.

Also a Hungarian researcher, Alexander Csoma de Krs,while in search for his ancestors, died in Darjeeling, ahill-town of eastern India in 1842. It is written that hewas traveling to Mongolia via Lhasha of Tibet to study onthe Mongols also. But some other Hungarian scholarsdisapprove of any such relations9 existing between NepaleseMagars and Hungarian Magyars.

They argue the Magyars of Hungary who speak Finno-Ugric believe their ancestors gradually migrated southward

onto the Russian steppes before the fifth century A.D. Theywandered into the lands near the Volga River bend, atpresent-day Kazan, as nomadic herders. Later, probablyunder pressure from hostile tribes to the east, theymigrated to the area between the Don and lower Dneprrivers. There they lived close to, and perhaps weredominated by, the Bulgar-Turks from about the fifth to theseventh century. During this period, the Magyars became asemi-sedentary people who lived by raising cattle andsheep, planting crops, and fishing. The Bulgar-Turkishinfluence on the Magyars was significant, especially inagriculture. Most Hungarian words dealing with agricultureand animal husbandry have Turkic roots. By contrast, the

etymology of the word Hungary has been traced to aSlavicized form of the Turkic words on ogur, meaning "tenarrows," which may have referred to the number of Magyartribes.10

8 Museum of Science and Mugar Omni Theatre in Boston http://www.mos.org/Mugar:::: [email protected] [Email communication Thursday, April 21, 2005]9 Laszlo, Gyula: The Magyars, Their Life and Civilisation 1996[ISBN 9631342263]10 Hungary : Early History http://countrystudies.us/hungary/4.htm
mailto:[email protected]://www.mos.org/mailto:[email protected]://countrystudies.us/hungary/4.htmhttp://countrystudies.us/hungary/4.htmhttp://countrystudies.us/hungary/4.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.mos.org/


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Some Nepali linguists argue that as much as 20% ofMagyar language is similar to Magar Kura or Magar language.I am unsure about it. We may require studying more on itagain.

Magars inMagars inMagars inMagars in the USthe USthe USthe US:::: HowHowHowHow wwwwould They perceive ?ould They perceive ?ould They perceive ?ould They perceive ?

Interestingly, a well Known American hat maker LeighLeighLeighLeighMagarMagarMagarMagar of South Carolina, had displayed his hats for saleduring a program of the LowcountryLowcountryLowcountryLowcountry Heritage SocietyHeritage SocietyHeritage SocietyHeritage Society onSaturday, May 8, 2004, at the Charleston Museum inCharleston, South Carolina.

A host of poets11 read their poems about hats duringthe poetry evening. The Lowcountry Heritage SocietyLowcountry Heritage SocietyLowcountry Heritage SocietyLowcountry Heritage Society wascreated in 1994 and is dedicated to the production of newworks of art, music and literature about or inspired by theSouth Carolina Lowcountry. It operates in conjunction withthe College of Charleston School of the Arts and is a

nonprofit. The society produces two events each year, sofar creating over 44 new musical works by 14 composers, twomodern dance works, a ballet, two literary anthologies, anoriginal play, and 13 art exhibits. The society's two booksare available for purchase. The organization celebrated 10years of the "arts in harmony" in February 12.

I have had a chance to read on some US Magarprofessionals other than the Nepalese Magars in this greatnation on the earth. There were at least two families of'Magars' in Vermont and one each 'Magar' family in at leastother 23 different states of USA in 1840.

Some 'Mugars' are doing fine businesses in Boston andsome other parts of USA. These Mugars have migrated herefrom Armenia in 1905. I have no idea how these AmericanMagars or Mugars perceive themselves but it is worthtaking note that they also bear the same last name as theMagars of Nepal.

It is quite interesting to note that some NepaleseMagars are converting to Christian faith13 nowadays. And Iperceive this is practical in their part as the Shudraelement discussed above still dehumanizes them in thecountry.

Cambridge, MASeptember 6, 2006

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11 Carol Furtwangler, Don Geddes, Ellen Hyatt, Susan Meyers George Pope, GloriaAllen, Jeff Bollier, Sue Finch Stevens, Charles W. Waring III, and Dennis WardStiles.12 Carolina Arts Online: http://www.carolinaarts.com/504lowcountryheritage.html13 The Bible in Magar: http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.html
http://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.htmlhttp://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.htmlhttp://www.carolinaarts.com/504lowcountryheritage.htmlhttp://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.htmlhttp://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.htmlhttp://www.worldscriptures.org/pages/magar.htmlhttp://www.carolinaarts.com/504lowcountryheritage.html

magars magars and magars everywhere

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