| Nepal
is among the most diverse and complex of Asian countries, with
an enormous range of cultures united only by recent nationalism
and the resulting common language. Traditionally it was a collection
of loosely federated kingdoms and tribes. It was only in the
mid-18th century that they were unified into a single
country but it wasn’t until the 1950s that Nepalis developed
a national identity that transcended ethnic differences.
The term
‘Nepali’ encompasses a tremendous range of people. The diverse
human mosaic can be roughly sorted into a geographically characterised
ethnic map divided into three layers: the Himalayas, the midlands
or Pahar zone, and the Terai. The lifestyles and agriculture
of the ethnic groups in each zone are adapted to suit the
physical constraints of their environment.
|
|
| Himalayan
Zone |
 |
The Himalayan
zone is inhabited by people of Mongoloid or Tibetan descent.
These include the Sherpas, the Manangpas, the Lopas, the Thakalis,
and the Tamangs around the Kathmandu Valley and the Langtang
region.
The Sherpas
The Sherpas
are probably the best known Nepali ethnic group. Originally
from Tibet, they settled in Nepal about 500 years ago and now
live high in the mountains of eastern and central Nepal, particularly
in the Solu Khumbu region at the foot of Mt. Everest.
The Sherpas
were probably nomadic herders until the mid-19th
century when potatoes were introduced in the region. This
new crop improved their financial position, allowing them
to settle in permanent villages and build a number of monasteries
known as gompas. Ever since Tenzing Norgay scaled Everest,
the word ‘Sherpa’ has become almost synonymous with mountaineering
and trekking. Sherpas are famous throughout the world for
their skill, loyalty and hardiness in trekking expeditions.
Today, they have joined other fields, such as business, administration
and politics.
The
Thakalis
The Thakalis
whose actual numbers are very small, are mostly
farmers. However, many of them have become the hotel entrepreneurs
of Nepal. In fact, the Pokhara to Jomsom trek along the Kali
Gandaki Valley is the best ‘village inn’ trek in the country
because of the numerous Thakali lodges along this route.
The Tamangs
The word
Tamang means ‘horse soldier’ - make up one of the largest
Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups in Nepal but very little is known
of their history. Mostly farmers and labourers, they inhabit
about half of the Himalayan zone of Nepal. They also work as
craftsmen and many of the ‘Tibetan’ souvenirs for sale in Kathmandu
are actually made by Tamangs.
Their
homesteads are often solitary, modest in size and constructed
out of brick or stone, with a mud finish and a thatched roof.
Many Tamangs
have been influenced in their dress by western and Newari
styles. Traditionally, women wear a colourful wraparound skirt
with a blouse, jacket and scarf. Jewellery for special occasions
includes gold or brass earrings and nose rings set with semiprecious
stones. Men wear either loincloths or Newari pants with short-sleeved
jackets and topis (traditional caps).
Their
religion is closely associated with Tibetan Lamaism, but some
Tamangs follow Bon, the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet. Because
of the Buddhist influence, chortens (Tibetan Buddhist
stupas) and mani (prayer stones engraved with
mantras) walls are a common sight in Tamang areas.
The
Tibetans
The Tibetans settled in Nepal thousands of years
ago but the most recent arrivals were of refugees fleeing the
Chinese invasion. When the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and
political head, fled to India in March 1959 after a Tibetan
uprising was brutally crushed by the Chinese, thousands of Tibetans
followed him across the Himalayas. Today, there are about 12,000
Tibetans in exile in Kathmandu and Pokhara.
As many
hotels and restaurants in Kathmandu are owned or operated
by Tibetans, they play an important role in the tourism sector.
The credit for the huge growth of the Tibetan carpet industry,
which has grown from nothing to being the single largest employer
in the country also goes to them.
Tibetans
are devout Buddhists. They have rejuvenated a number of important
Buddhist sites, most notably the stupas at Swayambhunath
and Bodhnath. They have also established a large number of
new monasteries.
|
|
| Midlands
Zone |
 |
The east
of the midlands zone is inhabited by the Kiratis. The Newars
live in the central midlands zone around the Kathmandu Valley.
The two main groups around the Kali Gandaki are the Magar and
the Gurung. The western midlands are dominated by Khas, an Indo-Aryan
people whose language has evolved into present-day Nepali. The
Khas, who once controlled a large empire, were joined in the
12th century by Bahun (Brahmin) and Chhetri refugees
from the Muslim invasion in India.
The Rais and Limbus
The Rais
and Limbus constitute the two main groups of the Kiratis,
whose ancestors formed the first recorded kingdom in the Kathmandu
Valley in the 7th century B.C, which they ruled for
1,000 years. They are a Tibeto-Burmese people who practise a
shamanistic religion – neither Buddhist nor Hindu – although
Hinduism is becoming increasingly influential. Priests, elders
and shamans play an important role in their traditional religion,
which is entirely oral and based on the appeasement of ancestor
divinities and nature spirits. Both groups bury their dead.
Large
numbers of Rais and Limbus find employment with the Gorkha
regiments. Those of them who are farmers cultivate wet and
dry fields. Shifting agriculture is still important in some
parts.
In the
hills, their villages are scattered, and their houses are
small, one-storey buildings made of stone. Along the Arun
River and in the Terai, their houses are usually made of timber
and bamboo, on high wooden piles. In the Terai, their houses
are often large and surrounded with a veranda.
The
Newars
The Newars
of the Kathmandu Valley constitute about 6 per cent of the total
population. They number about 600,000 and speak Newari, a language
that is quite different from Nepali, Tibetan or Hindi. The Newars
are a good example of the Himalayan melting pot – they are Hindus,
but their version of the religion has many Buddhist elements
with tantric and animist overtones.
The
Newars are accomplished in commerce and run most enterprises
in the heart of the Kathmandu Valley. They also take credit
for establishing the aesthetically appealing cities of Patan,
Bhaktapur and Kathmandu.
The
Magars
The Magars,
who also include the Thakalis, are a numerically
large group constituting about 8 per cent of the total population.
A Tibeto-Burmese people, they had their own kingdoms until the
18th century. However, as they were also in close
contact with the Hindu Indo-Aryans in the west, they were faced
with an increasing Hindu influence and cultural assimilation.
Today, their religion, farming practices, housing and dress
are hard to distinguish from those of the Chhetris.
The Magars
are farmers and renowned soldiers. Their kingdom of Palpa
was one of the last to be incorporated into the newly unified
Nepal. Their martial qualities have been recognised by the
British and Indian armies and Magars make up the single largest
group in Gorkha regiments. Their earnings as soldiers play
a crucial role not just in improving their own villages, but
in the Nepali economy as well.
The
Gurungs
are similar
to the Magars in many respects. However, they tend to live higher
and further east than the latter. They are a Tibeto-Burmese
people who practise a unique shamanistic religion that is gradually
giving way to Hindu and Buddhist influences.
The
Gurungs are essentially farmers. They cultivate rice, wheat,
maize and millet. Sheep husbandry is important, with every
family contributing a few sheep to the larger village flock.
Like the Rais, Limbus and Magars, the Gurungs often join the
ranks of the Gorkha regiments.
The
Bahuns and Chhetris
The Bahuns
and Chhetris Brahmin priests and Kshatriya warriors – originate
from the Khas kingdoms that flourished before the unification
of Nepal. They played an important role in the court and armies
of Prithvi Narayan Shah. They were rewarded for their loyalty
with landed estates that were gifted to them after the unification
of Nepal. Their language, Khas Kura, became the national language
of Nepal and they became the religious and cultural elite of
the country. They continue to dominate governmental processes
to this day. Outside the Valley, however, the majority of Bahuns
and Chhetris are farmers. Others are moneylenders with a great
deal of power.
All Bahuns
and Chhetris are Hindu and more caste-conscious than other
Nepali Hindus. Many are vegetarians and do not drink alcohol.
They have no typical traditional dress, but men in both castes
wear the janai or sacred thread.
|
|
| Terai
Zone |
|
Until the
eradication of malaria in the 1950s, the only people to inhabit
the larger parts of the Terai zone were the Tharus and a few
small, associated groups. The Mithila people dominate the eastern
Terai. The central Terai has a significant number of Bhojpuri-speaking
people, while the western Terai is dominated by Abadhi-speaking
people. As all these cultures originated in the Gangetic plain,
the Hindu caste structure is still strictly followed. The Terai
also possesses a large number of Muslims, notably around Nepalganj
and Lumbini.
The Tharus
the original
inhabitants of the Terai – form the largest ethnic group in
Nepal. They have a Mongoloid appearance, but their origin is
a matter of speculation. Their religion is animist with increasingly
important Hindu overtones. Due
to the migration in Nepal, the urban population is increasing
by 7 per cent every year. As a result, most cultures have intermingled.
|
|
| Sherpa boy, Phorche (Send
as an e-greeting) |
| |
|
|
 |
|
| |
Due
to the migration in Nepal, the urban population
is increasing by 7 per cent every year. As a result,
most cultures have intermingled. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Tharu Woman Smoking A
Hukkah (Send
as an e-greeting) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
The
sherpas live high in the mountains of eastern and
central Nepal, particularly in the Solu Khumbu region
at the foot of Mt. Everest. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
