clan. The origin of the fourth major clan is different. One of the three sons was a shepherd who kept losing the same female goat every day, so one day he followed her when she wandered away from the rest of the herd. He discovered that she was giving her milk to a baby boy living in the hollow part of a bamboo tree. He brought the baby home. This boy grew up and became the ancestor of the Jhankri clan. The language was called "Kaike", meaning "language of the Gods". History The first written history about Magar people dates as far back as 1100 CE. The Magars are one of the oldest known tribes in Nepal. Their ancient homeland was known as Magwar Bisaya, later called Magarat. Magarat bordered from Marsyangdi river to the Pyuthan area during that time. Magars prospered at such a level during that period that this part of the country was divided into twelve kingdoms/thams (Barah Magarant)—each under its own ruler—the members of each supposedly being of common extraction in the male line. Some records show these twelve areas as being Arghak, Khachi, Gulmi, Isma, Musikot, Ghiring, Rising, Bhirkot, Payung, Garhung, Dhor and Satung. Among them, the most powerful kings were those of Gulmi, Argha, Khachi. Broadly speaking, the twelve Magarat consisted of present-day Argha, Khanchi, Gulmi, Isma, Musikot, Ghiring, Baldengadhi, Rudrapurgadhi, Deuchuli, Tanahang/Tanu-hyula (Tanahu), Kanhu, Ligligkot, Gorkhakot, (Bahakot), Targhakot (Takukot), and Makawanpur areas. Similarly, Athara (eighteen) Magarat consisted of the following regions: Dhurkoi (Gulmi), Gharkoi (Arghakhachi), Paiya (Parbat), Sinkhang (Myagdi), Narikoi (Pyuthan), Balungbang (Pyuthan), Jangkoi (Rolpa), Rukumkoi (Rukum), Chhilikoi (Dang), Bhaba (Dailekh), Borekoi (Jajarkot), Tarakoi (Dolpa), Timarkoi (Jumla), Jural (Doti), Bunkot, Bahrakot, Lu Nanya (Dadeldhura) and Ru-pal (Dadeldhura). The Magars of the middle and western regions also played an important role in Nepal's formative history. Their kingdom was one of the strongest of west Nepal in and around Palpa District during the time of the 22 and 24 rajya principalities (17th and early 18th centuries). In the 16th century, Palpa ruler Mukunda Sen briefly invaded the Kathmandu valley. Dravya Shah captured Gorkhakot, the last Magarat area, from the Magar King, Mansingh Khadka Magar in BS 1616 Bhadra 25. In the kingdoms of Gorkha and Musikot, the Magars even seem to have taken part in their own initial defeat, revealing both the weakness of their ethnic solidarity at that time and the presence of clan