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- The Śreṣṭha (Nepali: श्रेष्ठ) or (Newar: स्यस्य: Syaśya or श्रेष्ठ Shrestha) is the second largest Newar caste group, occupying around 21% of overall Newar population, or about 1.1% of Nepal’s total population. It is believed that the word Srēṣṭha is derived from the Newar word Śeśyah, which itself is derivation of a Sanskrit word Sista meaning 'noble', although literal meaning of the word also translated to 'best or important.' "Shrestha" itself was later adopted as the specific family surname by members of this high-caste Hindu group, although there are over 50 other recognized surnames of Srēṣṭhas. Despite their numerically low national population, their high-status and socio-economic capital puts Śreṣṭhas amongst the most socio-economically privileged and politically over-represented segments of Nepali population. Prior to Nepal’s unification, Srēṣṭha was a collective high-status title given to those Hindu clans referred to as 'Bhāro' (from bhārdār/nobles) who served as the key non-Brahmin class of ruling, administrative and merchant class of the Malla courts. From within this broad Srēṣṭha groups are two distinct caste groups. First, they count among them the high-caste aristocratic Kshatriya, locally pronounced as Chatharīya, who are descended from the nobles and courtiers of the Malla period and consist of the ruling, land-owning and literate Hindu caste group of the Nepal Mandala, which later formed the core of government bureaucracy during the Shah and Rana period. Second, Srēṣṭha title is also attributed to the Pāñchthariya, who now mostly write their surnames as 'Shrestha', who were historically the Hindu merchant clans of the Valley, as opposed to the Buddhist merchant caste of Urāy. These Pāñchthariyas have Vaishya status in the traditional varna framework. Srēṣṭha group has also incorporated in it the socially upward Jyapu farmers and other peasants especially outside the Valley as a means of the Sanskritisation process, although their status is not accepted by the upper-level Srēṣṭha castes. (en)
- 什雷斯塔，是尼泊爾尼瓦爾人的種姓，也是一個姓氏，解作優秀和貴族。 在尼泊爾統一前，他們是馬拉王朝宮廷的行政人員，現在多数從事商業和專業行業、金融業，是尼泊爾一個高地位種姓。 他們多数是印度教徒，少数是佛教徒，很多同時信仰两教。 (zh)
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- 什雷斯塔，是尼泊爾尼瓦爾人的種姓，也是一個姓氏，解作優秀和貴族。 在尼泊爾統一前，他們是馬拉王朝宮廷的行政人員，現在多数從事商業和專業行業、金融業，是尼泊爾一個高地位種姓。 他們多数是印度教徒，少数是佛教徒，很多同時信仰两教。 (zh)
- The Śreṣṭha (Nepali: श्रेष्ठ) or (Newar: स्यस्य: Syaśya or श्रेष्ठ Shrestha) is the second largest Newar caste group, occupying around 21% of overall Newar population, or about 1.1% of Nepal’s total population. It is believed that the word Srēṣṭha is derived from the Newar word Śeśyah, which itself is derivation of a Sanskrit word Sista meaning 'noble', although literal meaning of the word also translated to 'best or important.' "Shrestha" itself was later adopted as the specific family surname by members of this high-caste Hindu group, although there are over 50 other recognized surnames of Srēṣṭhas. Despite their numerically low national population, their high-status and socio-economic capital puts Śreṣṭhas amongst the most socio-economically privileged and politically over-represented s (en)
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