THE KIRAT KINGDOM

The Vriji republic was situated south of Sesant at a great distance from both the Mahabharat and the Chure ranges. The Videhas inhabited a part of the district of Mahottari in the outer Tarai region; the rest of that region comprised stray settlements of Tharus. The Bajis gradually pushed the Tharus toward the north. The passes of Sindhuli, as well as those along the banks of the Bagvati river, were open at that time, but were covered by forests and infested with wild animals and so inaccessible.
One group of Tharus living on the banks of the Bagvati river in the Tarai region as fishermen was known as Danuwar. The Danuwars gradually penetrated through the Chure and Mahabharat mountains and reached the valley on the upper reaches of that river. They had borrowed the Aryan civilization from Magadh and adopted the Magadhi language, forgetting their own Mongolian language. These Danuwars introduced the light of Arya civilization in the Bagvati Valley. The inhabitants of this valley began to visit the capitals of Vriji and Magadh in the company of Danuwars. They called themselves Nepar. At that time, the people of Magadh pronounced rasal, hence they began to describe the inhabitants of the valley of Nepal. the term eventually came to signify the country.