Pokhari,

You should not claim yourself smarty just because your knowledge base and opinion contradicts with others.

The common name Sharma among bahuns is used in combination like Sharma Poudel, Sharma Adhikari etc., in separate form like Sharma only, Poudel only etc. and in interchanged form like a father being Sharma and his son being Nepal or Pokharel etc. Many Newar Bahuns (primarily Rajopadhyay) took Sharma as their last name in last 3 decades, but I am not sure if they are accepted or are able to mix up with rest of non-newar Bahun Sharmas. I have seen them still marrying and maintaining relations among their traditional Rajopadhyay circle only. Interesting fact is that, many of those Rajopadhyays who use Sharma have left their traditional responsibility of being a Pundit and they did not study the Shastra at their home. Those who have studied their Shastra, maintain their traditional role and keep updated with the knowledge of their tradition and history have started to roll back to Rajopadhyay. The ancestor of Rajopadhyay and Joshi are those people who participated in शास्त्रार्थ  with Shankaracharya, and got beheaded after defeat. The Rajopadhyay clan still believe that the evidence is preserved there in Patan. 

There is nothing like who is entitled to take Shrestha and who is not as you think. If Maharjan, Tamrakar, Sthapit and Shahi are not entitled, then how the others you mentioned from the lower tiers are entitled? If someone is स्यस्य: he may write Shrestha. It is that simple. The example of Hari Thapa Shrestha you mentioned is totaly wrong. If you met a Thapa married to Shrestha and they chose to use the Thapa-Shrestha as their last name, that is an exception, Otherwise, there is a large mass of Thapa Shrestha families, who are truely Syasyah, and have no background of intercast marriage in their family tree. Pay me air-ticket, I will take you to an entire tole of Thapa Shrestha families in Nepal. If you know about बिनां among स्यस्य:, you would not have the confusion that Thapa Shrestha came from intercast marriage.

I repeat, there is no clear demarcation of bahun, chhetri and baisya in Newar. All your attempt to show the difference is merely the result of comparison based on their profession and practice from the metrics of those caste-based division. Because the knowledge and job are transferred in generations, they got clear stratification that could be compared to caste-based division, but there is nothing hierarchy as you find among non-newars.  If you compare the job nature and tradition, you can find brahmin, chhetri, vaishya and shudras among muslim and among christians too, but that does not mean they have caste-based division.

Newar is conservative society but that conservative culture is not due to Jaysthiti Malla. The conservative culture dates back to almost 2500 years according to some research done by Bangdel and Bajracharya on Newar Arts. Some argue that Newar civilization maintained and flourished due to the conservative and carefull strategy despite facing tonnes of destructive attacks, natural calamity and political instability, which has nothing to do with the attempts of Jayasthiti Malla or the emergence of Shresthas. The community has practiced every odd startegy to keep themselve as conservative as possible, which was not a bad choice for them. Shresthas did that too.

I don't know why you claim that most of Shresthas are not farmers. I do not know where did you get this idea of "original" Shresthas. 

Just count the Shresthas from KTM valley and see in which profession their grandparents were attached? You will get it. Jyapus are farmers but Shresthas are too. More than 90% of Shresthas from Patan, Lubhu, Sunakothi, Sakhu, Bhaktapur, Changu, Thimi, Kathmandu, Banepa, Dhulikhel, etc. were in farming business until 3 generation ago. As newer opportunities came, they gradually went into other sectors. Shresthas are quick to change job nature and try to do everything. Therefore there is a saying उखे मस्यं थुखे मस्यं ल्हाबास्य स्यस्य:- Have you heard about this? 

There is no doubt about the newness of the word "Shrestha", which emerged after Jayasthiti Malla, so it won't be there in the old history. Most स्यस्य: used to have their बिनां, for example, Chandra Prasad Gorakhali is also a स्यस्य: (if he is newar) because Gorkhali is one of the बिनां among newar. 

Certain group of people change caste after getting associated with power and politics, but Shresthas are not. Nor Shresthas are united strongly that they can make a bigger impact in the national political frame. Therefore the example of Magars turning into Kunwar and to Rana to Rajput has no meaning in understanding about Shresthas. Shresthas are mainly middle class Newars who refused the caste-based division and does a variety of profession to survive. With rise and fall of Nepalmandal, from Brave Warriors of Maurya to Cowards of Shahs, Shresthas remained the part of Newar community and shared every rise and fall together with other Newar community members. Any derogatory remarks and any ill-attempt to provoke division would not separate them from the mainstream Newar community.

Letsplaygolf,

It is now clear that you are not a newar. You don't know the difference between स्यँ स्यँ and स्यस्य:. So there is no point to respond you.