Tillers of the High Lands: Tracing the Agrarian Roots of the Khasas and Kiratas in the Sub-Himalayan Region Including Sikkim through History and Archaeology

A region of unparalleled geographical and cultural complexity can be found along the dramatic transition between the North Indian plains and the high Himalayas. This sub-Himalayan belt, encompassing the ancient lands of modern-day Sikkim, eastern todays Nepal, Darjeeling hills, and parts of Bhutan, is more than just a geographical entity; it is a historical stage shaped by the flow of rivers and the movements of peoples. It is a realm deeply inscribed in the early cultural memory of South Asia as the domain of the Kiratas and the Khasas, two broad ethno-linguistic groups whose legacy forms a foundational layer of Himalayan civilization.