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Peoples of the Buddhist World

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Peoples of the Buddhist World Champa Primarily located along the southern border area between most Champa have no problem understanding Ladakhi Tibet and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, more when they travel outside their remote valleys for trade. than 5,000 Champa people live east and south-east of the Most Champa people are pastoralists. They raise sheep city of Leh. One of the alternative names for the Champa and goats, and they are particularly noted for the cashmere is Changtang. The Nghari Tibetans in China are also called wool they produce. The Champa can be identifi ed by their Changtang Tibetans, after the massive plain of the same conical yak-skin tents called reboo. The Champa who name. More research live nomadic lives are known as needs to be done to Phalpa, while those who have determine if the Champa settled down in fi xed locations people of India are the are called Fangpa. The ruling same (having common aristocracy is known as the Nono. origins and speaking All Champa families profess the same language) as Tibetan Buddhism as their religion. the Nghari Tibetans of It ‘occupies a central place in their China. The area inhab- culture. Each tent invariably accom- ited by the Champa in modates the family deity, Donaq, Jammu and Kashmir is and a picture of their spiritual extremely cold. Living at head, the Dalai Lama. The family an average altitude of deity is worshipped on the fi fteenth 4,000 to 5,000 metres day of the seventh Buddhist month. (13,000 to 16,000 ft.) . The Bon heritage is quite above sea level, the conspicuous in the Champa religion Champa’s homeland is despite the efforts of the Buddhists ravaged by snowstorms to erase it.’3 Another source states, during the long winter ‘Buddhism rests quite lightly on months. them, as they have more faith In 1989 the Champa in their traditional beliefs and were granted offi cial practices. In this form of primitive status in India as a religion, a carry over from the early Julian Hawken Scheduled Tribe. Before bon religion, the lha (spirits) and then they were considered a sub-group of the Ladakhi, lhu (serpents) are considered very important. The world but their customs, language and ethnicity are different of lhas and lhus is believed to be complex and fearful. For from those of the Ladakhi. They are also distinct from the every unwelcome event, be it harsh weather, or death, Zangskari people, with whom the Champa barter to obtain one of the lhas or lhus is responsible. The supreme lha is grain.1 The Champa come down to trade at the Changthang known as Changmen, who is believed to control about 360 Nyoma market, where they have also sent some of their lhas in the Changthang area.’4 children to be educated in Tibetan schools. The diet of the The Champa could surely be ranked among the most Champa people consists of ‘barley (tsampa) and the meat unreached people groups in the world. Because of their of yak and wild horses. Dried cheese and meat boiled with remarkably isolated existence, very few have ever been 2 barley fl our and seasoned with chilies are also eaten.’ exposed to the gospel, which has failed to penetrate this The Champa language is closely related to Ladakhi, and remote part of the world. Overview of the Champa Status of Evangelization CHINA Xinjiang Other Names: Changpa, Professing Buddhists: 100% Champa Ladakhi, Changthang, Practising Buddhists: 75% Changtang, Changtang Ladakhi, 91% INDIA Christians: 0% Jammu & Kashmir Changs-skat, Byangskat, Xizang Byanskat, Rong, Rupshu, Stotpa, Scripture: none (Tibet) Upper Ladakhi, Fangpa, Phalpa Jesus fi lm: none Champa Population Sources: Gospel Recordings: none Population: 9% 5,000 in India (2000, P Christian Broadcasting: none 0% 5,000 (2000) Hattaway) 5,830 (2010) ROPAL code: CNA Language: Sino-Tibetan, A B C 6,800 (2020) Tibeto-Burman, Himalayish, A = Have never heard the gospel B = Have heard the gospel but have Countries: India, possibly Tibeto-Kanauri, Tibetic, Tibetan, China not become Christians Western, Ladakhi C = Are adherents to some form of Buddhism: Tibetan Dialects: 0 Christianity Christians: none known 31 CHAMPA, 4 February.
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