page_title: Bista
section_title: Naming and Status
hierarchical_section_title: Bista / Naming and Status
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Lhasa, der Gesandte Nepals mit seinen Sekretären
context_page_description: 'Bisht is a family name of people of Nepal belonging to Khas people group under the caste Chhetri, sub-groups of Kshatriya varna. They are Hindu with a local Masto deity. They speak Nepali language as mother tongue. In India Bista/Bistas are spelled as Bisht/Bishts or Bist/Bists and are titled as Rajputs. They are mostly found in Indian state of Uttarakhand.
context_section_description: Bista is literally translated as Baron or landholder.  For example; Chauhan in Eastern Nepal were referred as Bista in an explanation of assault of a Chauhan man by a Dalit man where governmental orders of capital punishment was given to the Dalit man on Poush Badi 12, 1882 V.S. (1826 A.D.) on the grounds of assaulting a high caste citizen. The excerpts from the royal orders to Bichari (Judge) Shivanidhi Padhya and Bichari (Judge) Parath Khadka on Poush Badi 12, 1882 V.S.:
  Bhote Kami, a resident of Dorpagaun village in Majhuwa, had a quarrel with Daulat Chuhan of the same village. They started abusing each other on the road. Sarba Budhathoki then asked Bhote Kami why, being a Kami, he was abusing a Bista in that manner. At this, Bhote Kami took out his Khukuri and his at Sarba Budathoki, chopping off half of his ear and wounding his cheek. For this crime, Bhote Kami shall have his right arm amputated. His share of the ancestral property shall be confiscated, after apportioning the shares of his brothers and sons.
  — Excerpts from the royal orders to Bichari Shivanidhi Padhya and Bichari Parath Khadka on Poush Badi 12, 1882 V.S.
caption: Surrounded by Tibetan guards, Major Hiranya Bista (seated), a Pahari government officer of Chhetri caste
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