Rana Tharu people

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Rana Tharu
राना थारू
Ranatharu women.jpg
Rana Tharu woman
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 83,308 [1]
Flag of India.svg  India 91,342 [2]
Languages
Rana Tharu, Nepali, Hindi
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups

Rana Tharu is an ethnic group generally classified as part of the Tharu people of Nepal and India. They are living in Kailali and Kanchanpur Districts of the far western Nepali Terai and also in India, in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand and Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. [3] As of 2001, Rana Tharu people were the largest of five scheduled tribes in Uttarakhand, with a population of 256,129 accounting for 33.4% of all scheduled tribes. [4]

Contents

The Rana Tharu community of Kailali and Kanchanpur districts have long demanded an identity separate from other Tharus. The Nepal Charter dated 18 May 2020 lists Rana Tharus as a distinct ethnic group; this listing was celebrated by Rana Tharus across Kaliali and Kanchanpur. [5]

Origin

The Rana Tharus in western Nepal claim to be of Rajput origin and to have migrated from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan to Nepal's Far Western Terai region after the defeat of Maharana Pratap against a Mughal emperor in the 16th century. [6] Most scholars refute this claim. The Rana Tharu version of the origin myth as that of Indian origin is long-standing and locally shared by all Tharus in Nepal’s far west, a version that has been reported by anthropologists and travelers from the time of the British East India Company up to the present. [7]

Marriage System

Traditionally, Rana Tharus practice arranged marriages, which parents often arrange already during the couple's childhood. The wedding ceremony is held when the bride and groom reach marriable age. The ceremony lasts several days, involving all the relatives of the two families. [8] Among the Rana Tharus in Bardiya District, it is also custom to arrange marriage of a daughter in exchange for getting a bride for a son or vice versa. Parents give particular attention to the working capacity of the groom and bride, rather than the economic situation of the in-law family. Polygamous marriages are also customary among Tharu people, with rich land holders marrying between two and five women. [9]

Language

The language of the recognized indigenous nationality of Rana Tharu is ‘Rana Tharu’. [10] Under the umbrella of the Nepal Rana Tharu Samaj, a protest was held demanding the Rana Tharu language be made one of the official languages of Sudurpaschim Pradesh. In Kanchanpur, mother-tongue education is provided in the Rana Tharu language up to grade three. The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Rana Tharu as official language in Sudurpashchim Province. Rana Tharu is also spoken in specific areas of Uttar Pradesh, India including the Lakhimpur Kheri district, particularly in Palia Kalan and Chandan Chauki block, situated on the India–Nepal border. Additionally, it is spoken in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand state.

The language has linguistic distinctions with dialects in India and shows lexical similarities with Awadhi as well. [11] Additionally Buksa language, is largely mutually intelligible with Rana Tharu.

Rana Tharu is used in various aspects of life, including at home, with friends, and in religious contexts. It is actively spoken outside the home such as in the workplace and education. The language is widely utilized by all members of the community and coexists with the use of Hindi and Nepali. [11] [10]

Related Research Articles

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The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the Terai in southern Nepal and northern India. They speak Tharu languages. They are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal. In the Indian Terai, they live foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled Indian tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhotiya</span> Tibetic peoples of the Transhimalayan region

Bhotiya or Bhot is an Indian and Nepali exonym lumping together various ethnic groups speaking Tibetic languages, as well as some groups speaking other Tibeto-Burman languages living in the Transhimalayan region that divides India from Tibet. The word Bhotiya comes from the classical Tibetan name for Tibet, བོད, bod. The Bhotiya speak numerous languages including Ladakhi. The Indian recognition of such language is Bhoti / Bhotia having Tibetan scripts and it lies in the Parliament of India to become one of the official languages through Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terai</span> Region in northern India and southern Nepal

The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scrub savannah, sal forests and clay rich swamps. In North India, the Terai spreads from the Yamuna River eastward across Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The Terai is part of the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. The corresponding lowland region in West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Assam in the Brahmaputra River basin is called 'Dooars'. In Nepal, the term is applied to the part of the country situated north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Nepal's Terai stretches over 33,998.8 km2 (13,127.0 sq mi), about 23.1% of Nepal's land area, and lies at an elevation of between 67 and 300 m. The region comprises more than 50 wetlands. North of the Terai rises the Bhabar, a narrow but continuous belt of forest about 8–12 km (5.0–7.5 mi) wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Udham Singh Nagar district</span> District in Uttarakhand, India

Udham Singh Nagar District is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. Rudrapur is the district headquarters. This district consists of nine Tehsils named Bajpur, Gadarpur, Rudrapur, Jaspur, Kashipur, Kichha, Khatima, Sitarganj, Nanakmatta. The district is located in the Terai region, and is part of Kumaon Division. It is bounded on the north by Nainital District, on the northeast by Champawat District, on the east by Nepal, and on the south and west by Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad, Pilibhit and Bijnor District of Uttar Pradesh state. The district was created on 29 September 1995, by Mayawati government out of Nainital District. It is named for freedom fighter and Indian revolutionary Udham Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dhangadhi</span> Sub-Metropolitan City in Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal

Dhangadhi is a sub-metropolitan city and the district headquarters of Kailali District in Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal. It shares a border with Uttar Pradesh, India in the south, Godawari and Gauriganga Municipality in the North, Kailari Rural Municipality in the east and Kanchanpur District in the west. Dhangadhi is a sub-metropolis divided into 19 wards. It has a population of about 147,181 and thus is the 10th biggest city of Nepal. It has an area of 261.75 km2 (101.06 sq mi). It is one of the major cities of Far - West Province of Nepal along with Mahendranagar.

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Bardiya District, one of the seventy-seven Districts of Nepal, is part of Lumbini Province of Nepal. The district, with Gulariya as its headquarters, covers an area of 2,025 km2 (782 sq mi) and according to the 2001 census the population was 382,649 in 2011 it has 426,576.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kailali District</span> District in Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal

Kailali District, a part of Sudurpashchim Province in Terai plain, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The district, with Dhangadhi as its district headquarters, covers an area of 3,235 square kilometres (1,249 sq mi) and has a population 911,155 and, .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanchanpur District</span> District in Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal

Kanchanpur District, a part of Sudurpashchim Province in the Terai plain, is one of seventy seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Bhimdatta as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,610 square kilometres (620 sq mi) and had a population of 134,868 in 2001 and 171,304 in 2011. It is located in south-western of Nepal. It is bordered by Kailali district in the east, Dadeldhura district in the north and with India in the south and west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doti</span> Region in Nepal

Doti, also known as Doti region, Dotigarh (डोटीगढ़) as used in the Jagar, in the Farwestern region of Nepal, is a region situated between River Kali bordering Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, India in the west and the Karnali river on the east. Doti was one of eight different princely states of the Katyuri Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nainital district</span> District of Uttarakhand in India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhimdatta</span> Municipality in Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal

Mahendranagar, officially known as Bhimdattanagar, is a municipality in Kanchanpur District of Sudurpashchim Province, Nepal. The city and the municipality were named Mahendranagar in honour of the late King Mahendra of Nepal. After becoming a republic in 2008, the Mahendranagar municipality name was changed to Bhimdatta municipality in honour of the revolutionary farmer leader Bhimdatta Panta. It is surrounded by Bedkot Municipality in the east, Dadeldhura District in the north, Shuklaphanta National Park in the south and Uttarakhand, India in the west.

Madheshi people is a term used for several ethnic groups living in the central and eastern Terai region of Nepal. It has also been used as a political pejorative term by the Pahari people of Nepal to refer to non-pahari people with a non-Nepali language as their mother tongue, regardless of their place of birth or residence. The term Madheshi became a widely recognised name for Nepali citizens with an Indian cultural background only after 1990. Madheshi people comprise various cultural groups such as Hindu caste groups, Muslims, Marwaris, Brahmin and Dalit caste groups, ethnic groups like Maithils, Bhojpuri, Awadhi and Bajjika speaking people and indigenous people of the Terai. Many of these groups share cultural traditions, educational and family ties with people living south of the international border in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Tharu people and Pahari people living in the Terai do not consider themselves as Madheshi. In recent times, some politicians and journalists use the term for all Nepali citizens of the Terai.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudurpashchim Province</span> Province of Nepal

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Kailari is a rural Municipality in Kailali District in Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal. It is surrounded by Bajani Municipality In the East, Dhangadhi Sub Metropolitan City in the West, Gauriganga Municipality and Ghodaghodi Municipality in the North and Uttar Pradesh, India in the South.

Kathariya Tharu also known as Kathoriya Tharu is one of the Indo Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of Nepal and India. It is a language spoken in the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal, particularly in the Kailali District, including areas like Bardagoriya, Bhajani, Ghodaghodi, Joshipur. Additionally, it is spoken in the Uttar Pradesh state of India, specifically in Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri districts near the Nepal border.

Rana Tharu is a Indo Aryan language spoken by the Rana Tharu people who are part of the Tharu ethnic group in the Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal, specifically in the Kanchanpur district's southern municipalities and Dhangadhi in the Kailali district. Rana Tharu is also spoken in specific areas of Uttar Pradesh, India including the Lakhimpur Kheri district, particularly in Palia Kalan and Chandan Chauki block, situated on the India–Nepal border. Additionally, it is spoken in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand state. It exhibits high intelligibility among its dialects, with reported percentages ranging from 96% to 99%. The language has linguistic distinctions with dialects in India and shows lexical similarities with Awadhi as well.

References

  1. National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  2. General & Census Commissioner (2011). A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
  3. Guneratne, A. (2002). Many tongues, one people: The making of Tharu identity in Nepal. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN   0801487285.
  4. Office of the Registrar General (2001). "Uttaranchal. Data Highlights: The Scheduled Tribes. Census of India 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  5. Rana, B. (2022). "Five misconceptions about Rana Tharus". The Record. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  6. Shukla, P.K. (1994). "The Tharus of Bihar : A historical and anthropological study". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 55: 646–654. All these scholars reject the claim of the Tharus as originally coming from the region of Thar desert in Rajasthan
  7. Skar, H. O. (1995). "Myths of origin: the Janajati Movement, local traditions, nationalism and identities in Nepal" (PDF). Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 22 (31–42).
  8. Kittelsen, T. C. & Gurung, G. M. (1999). "Symbols of tradition, signs of change: marriage customs among the Rana Tharu of Nepal". In Skar, H. O. (ed.). Nepal: Tharu and Tarai Neighbours. Bibliotheca Himalayica. Vol. 16. Kathmandu: Educational Enterprises. pp. 205–222.
  9. Pun, S. (2000). "Gender, land and irrigation management in Rajapur". In Pradhan, R.; Benda-Beckmann, F. v.; Benda-Beckmann, K. v. (eds.). Water, land, and law. Changing rights to land and water in Nepal. Proceedings of a workshop held in Kathmandu, March 1998. Kathmandu, Wageningen, Rotterdam: Legal Research and Development Forum, Wageningen Agricultural University, Erasmus University Rotterdam. pp. 195–216. ISBN   9993316008.
  10. 1 2 Dhakal, Dubi Nanda. "Notes on Rana Tharu language".
  11. 1 2 "Rana Tharu language".