Lhop
Encyclopedia
The Lhop or Doya people are a little-known tribe of southwest Bhutan
. The Bhutanese believe them to be the aboriginal
inhabitants of the country, although this claim has not been substantiated by anthropologists. The Lhop are found in the low valleys of Samtse
and near Phuntsholing
in the Duars
. They are also known as the Lhops, Lhopu, or Lhokpu and speak a Tibeto-Burman language. They total approximately 2,500 persons.
The dress of the Lhop resembles the Lepcha
, but they bear little similarity with the Bhutia
in the North and the Toto
in the west. The Doya trace their descent matrilineally
, marry their cross cousins, and embalm the deceased who are then placed in a foetal position in a circular sarcophagus above the ground. They follow a blend of Tibetan Buddhism
mixed with animism
.
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The Bhutanese believe them to be the aboriginal
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
inhabitants of the country, although this claim has not been substantiated by anthropologists. The Lhop are found in the low valleys of Samtse
Samtse
Samtse, also known as Chamarchi, is a town in Samtse District, Bhutan. The population was 4,981 at the 2005 census, and in 2008 is estimated at 5,201....
and near Phuntsholing
Phuntsholing
Phuentsholing is a border town in southern Bhutan, and is the administrative seat of Chukha District. The town occupies parts of both Phuentsholing Gewog and Sampheling Gewog. Phuentsholing lies opposite the Indian town of Jaigaon, and cross-border trade has resulted in a thriving local economy...
in the Duars
Duars
The Dooars or Duars are the floodplains and foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan. Duar means door in Assamese, Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi and Bengali languages, and the region forms the gateway to Bhutan from India. There were 18 passages or gateways through...
. They are also known as the Lhops, Lhopu, or Lhokpu and speak a Tibeto-Burman language. They total approximately 2,500 persons.
The dress of the Lhop resembles the Lepcha
Lepcha people
The Lepcha or Róng people , also called Róngkup , Mútuncí Róngkup Rumkup , and Rongpa , are the aboriginal people of Sikkim, who number between 30,000 and 50,000...
, but they bear little similarity with the Bhutia
Bhutia
The Bhutia are ethnic Tibetans who speak Sikkimese, a Tibetan dialect fairly mutually intelligible to standard Tibetan. In 2001, the Bhutia numbered around 70,300...
in the North and the Toto
Toto tribe
The Toto is a primitive and isolated tribal group residing only in a small enclave called Totopara in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India. Totopara is located at the foot of the Himalayas just to the south of the borderline between Bhutan and West Bengal...
in the west. The Doya trace their descent matrilineally
Matrilineality
Matrilineality is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Matrilineality is also a societal system in which one belongs to one's matriline or mother's lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles.A matriline is a line of descent from a...
, marry their cross cousins, and embalm the deceased who are then placed in a foetal position in a circular sarcophagus above the ground. They follow a blend of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
mixed with animism
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
.