Nepalese people of Indian ancestry
Encyclopedia
There is a large number of Nepalese people of Indian ancestry, consisting of the descendants of early migrants from the India
to Nepal
. There are currently about 4 million people of Indian origin living in Nepal making it home to the largest Indian community outside of India.
_of_janakpur_dham(nepal).jpg)
Many Indo-Nepalese people are descendents of Indians, mostly families of Brahmin
and Kshatriya
status, who fled India and moved to the safe sanctuaries of the Nepal hills several hundred years ago, in the wake of the Muslim invasions of northern India
. The hill group of Indian origin primarily was composed of descendants of high-caste Hindu families and they have spread through the whole of Nepal with the exception of the areas immediately adjacent to the northern border. They usually constitute a significant portion of the local elites and are frequently the largest landowners in an area. They usually constitute a significant portion of the local elites and are frequently the largest landowners in an area.
These north Indian antecedents of a number of caste groups in the hills, which, in the early 1990s, made up more than 50 percent of the total population, are evident in their language, religion, social organization, and physical appearance. These groups are generally classified as Pahari, or Parbate. However, in most parts of Nepal (except in the Terai), the term Pahari has only a limited use in that the Paharis generally are known by their individual caste names.
The second wave of Indian immigration occurred during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The government of Nepal or its agents encouraged many Indian migrants to move into the Terai
for settlement. In the early 1990s, this group mostly consisted of landless tenants and peasants from northern India's border states of Bihar
and Bengal
. Some of these Indian migrants later became large landowners.
Most of the Indo-Nepalese peoples, both Paharis and Terai dwellers, were primarily agriculturalists, although a majority of them also relied on other activities to produce supplementary income. They generally raised some farm animals, particularly water buffalo, cows, goats, and sheep for domestic purposes. The Paharis traditionally have occupied the vast majority of civil service positions.
s, the high-ranking Thakuri and Chhetri castes and Dalit
groups.
A majority of Nepalese Muslims are of Indian descent. Nearly 97 per cent of them reside in the Terai region.
In 2009, a group of Nepalese Maoists posing as devotees and armed with iron rods attacked Indian priests in the Pashupatinath Temple
in Kathmandu, tore their clothes and cut their sacred threads. The issue of Indian priests officiating at the temple has been simmering for some time. This, along with the alleged corruption within temple had been an issue among Nepalese people.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. There are currently about 4 million people of Indian origin living in Nepal making it home to the largest Indian community outside of India.
History
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
and Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
status, who fled India and moved to the safe sanctuaries of the Nepal hills several hundred years ago, in the wake of the Muslim invasions of northern India
Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent
Muslim conquest in South Asia mainly took place from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though earlier Muslim conquests made limited inroads into the region, beginning during the period of the ascendancy of the Rajput Kingdoms in North India, from the 7th century onwards.However, the Himalayan...
. The hill group of Indian origin primarily was composed of descendants of high-caste Hindu families and they have spread through the whole of Nepal with the exception of the areas immediately adjacent to the northern border. They usually constitute a significant portion of the local elites and are frequently the largest landowners in an area. They usually constitute a significant portion of the local elites and are frequently the largest landowners in an area.
These north Indian antecedents of a number of caste groups in the hills, which, in the early 1990s, made up more than 50 percent of the total population, are evident in their language, religion, social organization, and physical appearance. These groups are generally classified as Pahari, or Parbate. However, in most parts of Nepal (except in the Terai), the term Pahari has only a limited use in that the Paharis generally are known by their individual caste names.
The second wave of Indian immigration occurred during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The government of Nepal or its agents encouraged many Indian migrants to move into the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
for settlement. In the early 1990s, this group mostly consisted of landless tenants and peasants from northern India's border states of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. Some of these Indian migrants later became large landowners.
Most of the Indo-Nepalese peoples, both Paharis and Terai dwellers, were primarily agriculturalists, although a majority of them also relied on other activities to produce supplementary income. They generally raised some farm animals, particularly water buffalo, cows, goats, and sheep for domestic purposes. The Paharis traditionally have occupied the vast majority of civil service positions.
Religion & Caste System
The majority of the Indo-Nepalese are Hindus along with small numbers of Muslims, Buddhists and Jains. The Hinduism that is practiced by the Pahari has been influenced by Buddhism and indigenous folk belief. The Paharis' caste system was neither as elaborately graded nor as all embracing in its sanctions as that of the Indians. Their caste system include several castes of BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s, the high-ranking Thakuri and Chhetri castes and Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
groups.
A majority of Nepalese Muslims are of Indian descent. Nearly 97 per cent of them reside in the Terai region.
Discrimination
Anti-India sentiment in Nepal is partly driven by history. The root of the problem lies in the settlement of Indians in the Terai region of Nepal. Indigenous Nepalese people residing mostly in the hill areas have resented their presence. They feel the Terai population exercises a disproportionate influence over Nepalese politics and economy.In 2009, a group of Nepalese Maoists posing as devotees and armed with iron rods attacked Indian priests in the Pashupatinath Temple
Pashupatinath temple
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The temple served as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, Nepal is a secular country...
in Kathmandu, tore their clothes and cut their sacred threads. The issue of Indian priests officiating at the temple has been simmering for some time. This, along with the alleged corruption within temple had been an issue among Nepalese people.
Notable people
- Hum JayegaHum JayegaDal Bahadur Gurung, popularly known as Hum Jayega is a legendary person often cited as a funny character in folklores and jokes in Eastern Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Assam and Manipur. Because of several unrealistic jokes and tales about him, many people still consider him as an...
- Comedian - Madhav Kumar NepalMadhav Kumar NepalMadhav Kumar Nepal is a Nepali politician who was Prime Minister of Nepal from May 25, 2009 until February 6, 2011. He was nominated as a PM through internal arrangements within the current ruling coaliation government of Nepal. Nepal announced his resignation as Prime Minister on June 30, 2010...
- Prime Minister of Nepal - Jamim ShahJamim ShahJamim Shah was a Nepalese media entrepreneur and the chairman of Channel Nepal Pvt. Ltd. He was the pioneer of commercial cable television network in Nepal with over 1,000 kilometres of cable network...
- Chairman of Channel Nepal Pvt. Ltd - Yuyutsu SharmaYuyutsu SharmaYuyutsu R.D. Sharma is a widely traveled Nepali/Indian writer who was born at Nakodar, Punjab and grew up in Nakodar and later at Nangal Township of Shivalik ranges of Mahabharata Hills where his father worked. He moved to Nepal at an early age and now writes in English and Nepali...
- Writer - Ram Baran YadavRam Baran YadavDr Ram Baran Yadav is the current President of Nepal. He was elected in July 2008 and is the country's first President. He previously served as Minister of Health and as General Secretary of the Nepali Congress party....
- President of Nepal
See also
- Indo-Nepalese relationsIndo-Nepalese relationsRelations between India and Nepal are close yet fraught with difficulties stemming from geographical location, economics, the problems inherent in big power-small power relations, and common ethnic, linguistic and cultural identities that overlap the two countries' borders...
- Nepali IndianNepali IndianNepali Indian are people who are citizens or full-time residents of India whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the South Asian nation of Nepal...
- 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and FriendshipThe Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 is a bilateral treaty between Nepal and India establishing a close strategic relationship between the two South Asian neighbors. The treaty was signed on July 31, 1950 by the then-Prime Minister of Nepal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and...