An Overview of Social Structures of Nepali Society

7/27/2019 An Overview of Social Structures of Nepali Society

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Unit I:An Overview of Social Structures of Nepali Society:

Social Structure of Nepalese Society:

1. There are two major human civilizations- Mongoloid from theNorth and the North East, and Indo-European or Caucasoid fromthe South and South West

Hierarchical Social structure- based on Hindu Vernasystem- Brahmin, Chhetri, Baishya, and Sudra (Dalits)

Horizontal social structure- Indigenous (Adibashi)

Nationality (Janajati)

2. Minor groups- Austro- Asiatic and Dravidian civilizations

Religious Minorities- Muslim, Shikh, Christians, etc.


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1.1: Historical perspective

Oral accounts are the major source for the histories of Adibasi/ Janajatis in Nepal.

The Kirant dynasty was the first ruler of the Kathmandu valley.

Indigenous Nationalities used to live by organizing around the various small kingdoms,

chiefdoms and clans when the Indo-Aryan speaking population entered through western Nepalduring 11th centuryi.

Very little is known about the history of Indigenous Nationality population until the medieval

period except self-governing and independent principalities.

Major changes for the indigenous nationalities began to occur with the arrival of the Indo-

Aryan people and their cultural and political domination.

Restructuring of the society along with hierarchical caste system introduced by Jayasthiti Malla

in the 14th century- it was the disruption in the egalitarian value of Indigenous Nationality

societies.

A political domination and encroachment upon the native societies (khas people) occurred in

western hill through predominance of newly infiltrated Hindu refugees. Thakuri chieftains

emerged in the western hills.

The process of domination finally culminated in the territorial unification of Nepal in 1768

by King Prithvi Narayan Saha.

The unification project eventually submerged 64 small kingdoms and political units in Nepal

under one umbrella either through violent conquest or negotiation.

The unification of Nepal basically meant a subjugation of independent indigenous

nationalities of Nepal.

The loss of independence and autonomy was followed by the gradual loss of their rights over

land and other natural resources.

Although King Prithvi Narayan Saha characterized Nepal as a garden of four caste and

thirty-six Varna his mission was to make the country asali Hindustan (true Hindu land)

eventually turned into Hindu religious kingdom.

The state lacked tolerance to cultures, languages, religions, customary laws and knowledge

systems of the indigenous peoples and, consequently, they began to face discrimination and tolose their heritage.


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Ascendance of Jung Bahadur Kunwar in 1846 as Prime Minster and the autocratic Rana rule

for 104 years was another dark chapter in the history of Nepal.

Jung Bahadur Rana introduced the first Nepalese Code: the Muluki Ain in 1854.

o The ritually pure twice born Tagadhari Brahmin and Chhetri

o Indigenous nationalities were slotted beneath them as Matwali alcohol drinking

castes.

Within the Matwali groups, some were further classified into caste

category as enslavable (masine) low caste groups.

Dalit groups were classified as enslavable (masine) low caste groups.

Through the Muluki Ain, the Nepali rulers formalized punishments for

failing to observe the caste hierarchy and these punishments differed for the same crime

according to the specific caste status.

The political system called Panchayat, headed by an absolute monarch,

engaged in a project to modernize Nepal and attain national integration through

homogenization.

The Constitution of Nepal 1963, for the first time, declared Nepal as a

Hindu Kingdom.

During the Panchayat regime, debates and efforts pertaining to ethnicity

and culture other than national culture fashioned in line with the high caste Hindu ways wasdiscouraged as communal and anti-national.

National development was modelled in evolutionary framework, in which the Parbatiya

Brahman/Chhetri was placed at the apex of the evolutionary chain while the indigenous

nationalities in general were perceived as backward.

Assimilation oriented development programmes largely controlled by the high caste elites

stigmatized and pauperized the indigenous nationalities.

Advent of multiparty democracy and associated freedom of expression in 1990, provided an

opportunity for articulating the pains of historical injustice and long standing grievances of theindigenous nationalities in Nepal.

Restoration of democracy through the Peoples movement and subsequent installation of the

new Constitution which recognize the country as multi-ethnic and multi lingual symbolized a

victory in itself on the part of the people.


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Nepal went through fatal armed conflict after the Maoist started Peoples War from 1996 to

2006.

Conflict studies suggested that the main causes of the conflict are political, economic and

social exclusion and discrimination based on caste, ethnicity and language.

1.2: Definitions and main features of Indigenous People and DalitsCommunities of Nepal


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i

Definitions:

National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) Act 2002 defines

Adibasi Janajati as those

o tribes or communities as mentioned in the schedule who have their own mother tongue

and traditional customs, distinct cultural identity, distinct social structure and written ororal history of their own.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169 defines the indigenous and tribal peoples

as those peoples:

whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the

national community and whose status is regulated wholly or partially by their own customs or

traditions or by special laws and regulations; and

who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which

inhabited the country or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of theconquest or colonization or the establishment of present state boundaries and who, irrespective

of their legal status, retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political

institutions.

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN, 1994), defined Indigenous Peoples or

Indigenous Nationalities in the context of Nepal based on following principles:

i. which possess their own distinct tradition and original linguistic and cultural traditions and

whose religious faith is based on ancient animism (worshiper of ancestors, land, season, nature),

or who do not claim "Hinduism" enforced by the state, as their traditional and original religion.

ii. those existing descendants of the peoples whose ancestors had established themselves as the

first settlers or principal inhabitants of the present territory of Nepal at the time when persons ofdifferentculture or ethnic origin arrived there and who have their own history (written or oral)and historical continuity.

iii. those communities which have been displaced from their own land since the past four centuries,

particularly during the expansion and establishment of modern Hindu nation state and have

been deprived of their traditional rights to own the natural resources (Kipatcommunal land,cultivable land, water, minerals, trading points etc.).

iv. who have been subjugated in the State's political power set-up (decision-making process),whose ancient culture, language and religion are non-dominant and social values neglected and

humiliated;

v. whose society is traditionally erected on the principle of equality rather than of hierarchy of

the Indo-Aryan caste system and gender equality or rather women enjoying more advantaged

positions) rather than social, economic and religious subordination of woman, but whose

social norms and values have been slighted by the state;


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The term "Janajati," roughly translated as people, tribe ornationality has been widely adopted

to collectively identify socially and culturally distinctive groups.

Indigenous Nationalities possess horizontal social structure with egalitarian value system and

distinct social, cultural, and linguistic identities.

Although the indigenous peoples are found across the entire country, they show a higherconcentration in the eastern, central and western development regions with sparse distributionin the mid and far west.

About 65% of the indigenous nationalities are found in the eastern and central development

regions whereas in far western region has only about 5%.

Dalitword derived from Hindi literature where it has been used with a positive connotation

than the negative words untouchables orSudra of Hindu manusmrit.

There are over 200 forms of commonly practiced types of caste-based discriminations.

There are about 15% of Dalit caste population who are traditionally considered as untouchables,

wide spread across the country.

Classification of Indigenous Nationalities of Nepal

A. EndangeredB. Highly MarginalizedC. MarginalizedD.Disadvantaged1Kusunda1Majhi1Sunuwar1Gurung2Bankaria2Siyar2Tharu2Magar3Raute3Lhomi3Tamang3Rai

4Surel4Thudam4Bhujel4Limbu5Hayu5Dhanuk5Kumal5Chhairotan6Raji6Chepang6Rajbansi6Tangbe7Kisan7S

atar (Santhal)7Gangai7Tingaule Thakali8Lepcha8Jhangad8Dhimal8Bargaule9Meche9Thami9Bhote9Marphali

Thakali10Kusbadiya10Bote10Darai10Sherpa 11Danuwar11Tajpuriya11Yakkha 12Baramu12Pahari12Chhantyal

13Topkegolsa13JirelE.

Advantaged 14Dolpo14Byansi1Newar 15Free15Yolmo2Thakali 16Mugal 17Larke 18Lohpa 19Dura 2

0Walung Source: Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), 2004

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An Overview of Social Structures of Nepali Society