KC (surname)

KC (or K.C, K.C.) is a surname of medieval Indian 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 (Chhetri) mothers after the introduction of Muluki Ain (the Legal Code of Nepal) 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 Khas Brahmin father and a Kshatriya (Chhetri) mother were labelled as "Khatri or Khatri Chhetri", indicating that they were the descendants of a marriage between a Brahmin man with a Chhetri woman in their ascendant patriline.

Khatris were among the first Nepalese to travel to England and France in the mid-19th century as a part of a royal mission. Three Khatris 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 (or K.C.), from its original Khatri Chhetri.

Notable KCs

• Arjun Narasingha K.C., former five-times minister of Nepal and Senior Nepali Congress Leader
• Chitra Bahadur K.C., former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal & Chairman of the Rashtriya Jana Morcha Party
• Dr. Govinda K.C., Nepalese orthopedic surgeon and philanthropic activist
• Kul Bahadur KC, late Nepalese Poet and laureate
• Nayan Bahadur Khatri, longest serving late Chief Justice of Nepal
• Kul Prasad KC, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province of Nepal
• Sugarika KC, former Miss Nepal
• Karishma K.C. (Manandhar), one of the most prominent Nepalese actress
• Renu KC, late mother of Nepalese movie superstar Rajesh Hamal
• Nandita K.C., Nepalese actress
• Bhavna Khatri, Indian actress
• Hira Singh Khatri, first director of Nepalese Film industry with 1964's movie Aama
• Atithi Gautam K. C, youngest singer in the world to release a professional solo album
• Sulakshana Khatri, Indian actress
• Bhuwan K.C., Nepalese actor, director, producer, singer and filmmaker
• Anmol K.C., actor and producer
• Sita KC, Nepalese singer
• Lieutenant Lal Singh Khatri, first Nepalese to study English and an entourage of Jung Bahadur Rana's visit to Britain and France
• Dr. Kedar Narsingh KC, former Director of the National Tuberculosis Center and President of Nepal Medical Association
• Shreedhar Khatri, Nepalese Ambassador to the United States
• Sarala KC, President of Nepal Nursing Council
• Kamal Khatri, Nepalese singer
• Sushant KC, Nepalese singer and songwriter
• Sher Bahadur KC, former President of Nepal Bar Association
• Krishna Khatri, Nepalese football player of national women's team
• Rajendra Kumar KC, former minister of Nepal and leader of Nepali Congress Party
• Dr. Badri KC, President of Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA)
• Padma Bahadur Khatri, late former Foreign Minister of Nepal and Nepalese Ambassador to the United States
• Dr. Nagendra Bahadur KC, former Major general (Nepalese Army) and Director general of Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences
• Neelam KC, President of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF-Nepal)
• Phupu Lhamu Khatri (born 1996), Nepalese Olympic judoka
• Buddhi Bahadur KC, executive director of state-owned Radio Nepal
• Hira Chandra KC, State Minister of Health and Population of Nepal
• Surya Bahadur KC, former Chairman of Machhapuchhre Bank Ltd
• Bal Bahadur K.C., former minister of Nepal
• Sunil KC, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NMB Bank Nepal
• Kiran KC, prominent comedian and actor of Nepal
• Ramesh Kumar KC, former Chairman of Agricultural Development Bank of Nepal.
• Manoj Kumar KC, band member of 1974 AD
• Dr. Fatta Bahadur KC, former Chairman of National Insurance Board of Nepal (Rastriya Beema Sansthan)
• Dhruba KC, former coach of Nepal national football team
• Roshan KC, former Chairman of Machhapuchhre Bank Ltd
• Bhagawati Khatri, Nepalese sport shooter at the 2000 Olympics
• Karan KC, Nepalese national professional cricketer
• Anjan KC, national football player of Nepal
• Rupesh KC, national football player of Nepal
• Jenisha KC, Nepalese actress appearing in Nepalese and Bhojpuri Films
• Sandhya KC, Nepalese actress
• Sushil KC, national football player of Nepal

Fictional characters

• Fenisha Khatri, in the British television series Casualty

Gallery

Citations