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Cultural Crisis of Caste Renouncer: a Study of Dasnami Sanyasi Identity in Nepal
Molung Educational Frontier 91 Cultural Crisis of Caste Renouncer: A Study of Dasnami Sanyasi Identity in Nepal Madhu Giri* Abstract Jat NasodhanuJogikois a famous mocking proverb to denote the caste status of Sanyasi because the renouncer has given up traditional caste rituals set by socio-cultural institutions. In other cultural terms, being Sanyasi means having dissociation himself/herself with whatever caste career or caste-based social rank one might imagine. To explore the philosophical foundation of Sanyasi, they sacrificed caste rituals and fire (symbol of power, desire, and creation). By the virtues of sacrifice, Sanyasi set images of universalism, higher than caste order, and otherworldly being. Therefore, one should not ask the renouncer caste identity. Traditionally, Sanyasi lived in Akhada or Matha,and leadership, including ownership of the Matha transformed from Guru to Chela. On the contrary, DasnamiMahanta started marital and private life, which is paradoxical to the philosophy of Sanyasi.Very few of them are living in Matha,but the ownership of the property of Mathatransformed from father to son. The land and property of many Mathas transformed from religious Guthi to private property. In terms of cultural practices, DasnamiSanyasi adopted high caste culture and rituals in their everyday life. Old Muluki Ain 1854 ranked them under Tagadhari, although they did notassert twice-born caste in Nepal. Central Bureau of Statistics, including other government institutions of Nepal, listed Dasnamiunder the line ofChhetri and Thakuri. The main objective of the paper is to explore the transformation of Dasnami institutional characteristics and status from caste renunciation identity to caste rejoinder and from images of monasticism, celibacy, universalism, otherworldly orientation to marital, individualistic lay life. -
Some Notes on Nepali Castes and Sub-Castes—Jat and Thar
SOME NOTES ON NEPALI CASTES AND SUB-CASTES- JAT AND THAR. - Suresh Singh This paper attempts to make a re-presentation of evolution and construction of Jat and Thar system among the Parbatya or hill people of Nepal. It seeks to expose the reality behind the myth that the large number of Aryans migrated from Indian plains due to Muslim invasion and conquered to become the rulers in Nepal, and the Mongoloids were the indigenous people. It also seeks to show the construction and reconstruction of identity of the different castes (Jats) and subcastes (Thars). The Nepalese history is lost in legends and fables. Archaeological data, which might shed light on the early years, are practically nonexistent or largely unexplored, because the Nepalese Government has not encouraged such research within its borders. However, there seem to be a number of sites that might yield valuable find, once proper excavation take place. Another problem seems to be that history writing is closely connected with the traditional conception of Nepali historiography, constructed and intervened by the efforts of the ruling elite. Many of the written documents have been re-presented to legitimatize the ruling elite’s claim to power. As it is well known from political history, the social history, too, becomes an interpretation from the view of the Kathmandu valley, and from the Indian or alleged Indian immigrants and priestly class. It is difficult to imagine, that Aryans came to Nepal in greater numbers about 600 years ago, and because of their mental superiority and their noble character, they were asked by the people to become the rulers of their small states. -
A Case Study of Sarki People from Naubise Vdc of Dhading District
16 Occasional Papers, Vol 11 SOCIO-CULTURAL SUBJECTIVITIES OF LANDLESSNESS IN NEPAL: A CASE STUDY OF SARKI PEOPLE FROM NAUBISE VDC OF DHADING DISTRICT Jailab Rai * Introduction Land is a primary resource for an agrarian economy in underdeveloped countries like Nepal. More than 85 percent of Nepal’s population lives in rural areas and more than 60 percent of the economically active population is involved in agriculture (HMG, 2003). Rapid population growth and increasing pressure on land resources to earn the much needed calorie is a major challenge in the country (Graner, 1997). In this context, the study of landlessness remains an important aspect of national agenda (Shrestha, 2001), particularly in the national inclusion process (Gurung, 2006). Moreover, the study of landlessness has become a policy debate and an issue of concern in the debates on national economic development (Shrestha, 2001). The sociological and anthropological understanding of landlessness has its own importance since it requires the analysis of cultural dimensions (Caplan, 1970 and 1972) as socio-cultural subjectivities in a historical context. The access to land resources or landlessness is an important social issue, which can be linked with social and cultural aspects of landless people as socio-cultural subjectivities in drawing out the implication of their access to land resources. This study deals with the socio-cultural subjectivities of landlessness with a focus on the Sarki people in the central hills of Nepal who are among the extremely marginalized groups of people in terms of the access and ownership to land resources. It reviews the process of * Jailab Rai holds M. -
Socio-Economic Status of Dalits Community in Sindhuli District
Patan Pragya (Volume: 5 Number: 1 Sept. 2019) Received Date: July 2019 Revised: Augest 2019 Accepted: Sept. 2019 Socio-Economic Status of Dalits Community in Sindhuli District Neupane, Bed Prasad17* Abstract This study is based on Kamalamai Municipality, Sindhuli District. There are 56 households of Dalit (Damai 29 and Kami 27) in this area. The census method was used in the study where, total population is 365 from 56 households. Among them, 172 were male and 193 were female. The general objectives of this study are to identify demographic and socio-economic status of Dalits and to find out causes of deprivation of Dalits people in the community. They worked as agricultural labour and service work. Their income is less than their expenditure. Most of them are uneducated but nowadays, the level of education has increased so that their children go to school and college. Only 39 percent were literate and only 7 percentDalits have passed SLC and +2. They give priority on arrange marriage. Youth generation doesn't like the traditional occupation and skills. They use a lot of alcohol (Jaad and Raski) in the festivals and rituals ceremony howeverthe economic condition of Dalit is poor so many children of them are forced to dropout from schools because their parents cannot afford their education fees. The social status of the females in the Dalit community is very low than the males in the society. After the father's death all the properties is transferred to the son. The main causes for degrading status of Dalits are due to poverty, lack of education and lack of social awareness. -
Oral History and the Evolution of Thakuri Political Authority in a Subregion of Far Western Nepal Walter F
Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 4 Number 2 Himalayan Research Bulletin, Monsoon Article 7 1984 1984 Oral History and the Evolution of Thakuri Political Authority in A Subregion of Far Western Nepal Walter F. Winkler Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Winkler, Walter F. (1984) "Oral History and the Evolution of Thakuri Political Authority in A Subregion of Far Western Nepal," Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies: Vol. 4: No. 2, Article 7. Available at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol4/iss2/7 This Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ... ORAL HISTORY AND THE EVOLUTION OF THAKUR! POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN A SUBREGION OF FAR WESTERN NEPAL Walter F. Winkler Prologue John Hitchcock in an article published in 1974 discussed the evolution of caste organization in Nepal in light of Tucci's investigations of the Malia Kingdom of Western Nepal. My dissertation research, of which the following material is a part, was an outgrowth of questions John had raised on this subject. At first glance the material written in 1978 may appear removed fr om the interests of a management development specialist in a contemporary Dallas high technology company. At closer inspection, however, its central themes - the legitimization of hierarchical relationships, the "her o" as an organizational symbol, and th~ impact of local culture on organizational function and design - are issues that are relevant to industrial as well as caste organization. -
Ethnic Identity and Expansion in Kirat Samba Phyang Article History Abstract: Samba Is a Kirat Indigenous to Eastern Nepal
IAR Journal of Humanities and Social Science ISSN Print : 2708-6259 | ISSN Online : 2708-6267 Frequency: Bi-Monthly Language: Multilingual Origin: KENYA Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/IARJHSS Research Article Ethnic Identity and Expansion in Kirat Samba Phyang Article History Abstract: Samba is a Kirat indigenous to Eastern Nepal. It is known as Limbu, Received: 08.06.2021 Rai, and has clans. Phyang is a sub-clan of Samba family. The available Samba Revision: 19.06.2021 genealogy is hazy in and of itself. Also, the histories of Nepal have kept them apart. They start talking after naming Samba. They have been almost to the limit, Accepted: 30.06.2021 silent on earlier ancestors. The genealogical study of Samba Phyang spread across Published: 10.07.2021 Nepal, India, and Bhutan has done something in this context. The Samba Author Details dynasty's cultural aspects, including familial data, were explored. The study Dr. Nawa Raj Subba examined their cultural data, including inheritance history. The study found they Authors Affiliations worshiped Tungdunge wherever they lived to remember their ancestors. Kirat literature, mundhum, manuscripts, and genealogies provided imperative Purbanchal University, Edenburgh information about the Tungdunge and the history of Samba Phyang. According to International College, Biratnagar-16, Nepal the information gathered throughout the study, Senehang of the Sen dynasty Corresponding Author* became Rai, Limbu, Samba, and Phyang after arriving in Kirat-Limbu states. Dr. Nawa Raj Subba Samba's predecessor, the most youthful ruler of the Sen Regime, Tungdunge, How to Cite the Article: arrived at Mewa Khola (river) in the 17th century and favored Samba. -
Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal
UNEQUAL CITIZENS UNEQUAL37966 Public Disclosure Authorized CITIZENS Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal Caste and Ethnic Exclusion Gender, THE Department For International WORLD DFID Development SUMMARY BANK The World Bank DFID Nepal Nepal Office P.O. Box 106 P.O. Box 798 Kathmandu, Nepal Yak and Yeti Hotel Tel.: 5542980 Complex Fax: 5542979 Durbar Marg Public Disclosure Authorized Kathmandu, Nepal Tel.: 4226792, 4226793 E-mail Fax: 4225112 [email protected] Websites www.worldbank.org.np, Website www.bishwabank.org.np www.dfid.gov.uk Public Disclosure Authorized DFID Development International Department For ISBN 99946-890-0-2 9 799994 689001 > BANK WORLD THE Public Disclosure Authorized A Kathmandu businessman gets his shoes shined by a Sarki. The Sarkis belong to the leatherworker subcaste of Nepal’s Dalit or “low caste” community. Although caste distinctions and the age-old practices of “untouchability” are less rigid in urban areas, the deeply entrenched caste hierarchy still limits the life chances of the 13 percent of Nepal’s population who belong to the Dalit caste group. UNEQUAL CITIZENS Gender, Caste and Ethnic Exclusion in Nepal SUMMARY THE Department For International WORLD DFID Development BANK THE Department For International WORLD DFID Development BANK The World Bank DFID Nepal Nepal Office P.O. Box 106 P.O. Box 798 Kathmandu, Nepal Yak and Yeti Hotel Complex Tel.: 5542980 Durbar Marg Fax: 5542979 Kathmandu, Nepal Tel.: 4226792, 4226793 E-mail Fax: 4225112 [email protected] Websites www.worldbank.org.np, Website www.bishwabank.org.np www.dfid.gov.uk A copublication of The World Bank and the Department For International Development, U.K. -
Considering Dalits and Political Identity In
#$%&'#(')$#*%+,'-.+%/0$'$1.$,1/)'2,/3*%4/1& )+,4/0*%/,5'0$./14'$,0' 6+./1/)$.'/0*,1/1&'/,'/#$5/,/,5' $',*7',*6$. In this article I examine the articulation between contexts of agency within two kinds of discur- sive projects involving Dalit identity and caste relations in Nepal, so as to illuminate competing and complimentary forms of self and group identity that emerge from demarcating social perim- eters with political and economic consequences. The first involves a provocative border created around groups of people called Dalit by activists negotiating the symbols of identity politics in the country’s post-revolution democracy. Here subjective agency is expressed as political identity with attendant desires for social equality and power-sharing. The second context of Dalit agency emerges between people and groups as they engage in inter caste economic exchanges called riti maagnay in mixed caste communities that subsist on interdependent farming and artisan activi- ties. Here caste distinctions are evoked through performed communicative agency that both resists domination and affirms status difference. Through this examination we find the rural terrain that is home to landless and poor rural Dalits only partially mirrors that evoked by Dalit activists as they struggle to craft modern identities. The sources of data analyzed include ethnographic field research conducted during various periods from 1988-2005, and discussions that transpired through- out 2007 among Dalit activist members of an internet discussion group called nepaldalitinfo. -
Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal Sunil Kumar Pokhrel Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects 7-2015 Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal Sunil Kumar Pokhrel Kennesaw State University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd Part of the International and Area Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Pokhrel, Sunil Kumar, "Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal" (2015). Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects. Paper 673. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND THE ROLE OF PRINT MEDIA IN THE PAHADI COMMUNITY OF CONTEMPORARY NEPAL by SUNIL KUMAR POKHREL A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Conflict Management in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia March 2015 IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA © 2015 Sunil Kumar Pokhrel ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Recommended Citation Pokhrel, S. K. (2015). Identity-based conflict and the role of print media in the Pahadi community of contemporary Nepal. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America. IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA DEDICATION My mother and father, who encouraged me toward higher study, My wife, who always supported me in all difficult circumstances, and My sons, who trusted me during my PhD studies. -
Contextualizing Social Science in Nepal
Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 6, 2012 | 61 62 | Dave Beine Nepal’s dark ages1 (750-1750 C.E.). Relatively little is known about Nepal during that era, and even less is known about the healing practices being actively employed among the populous of An Investigative Look at Healthcare Beliefs and the Palpa kingdom during that time. For this reason, anyone endeavoring to intelligently write on the subject must, much like an Practices archaeologist, use a bit of educated conjecture in order to piece During the Sen Dynasty together a picture of the likely past healing practices. In order to do so, this paper examines several evidences, both historic and contemporary: 1) the available literature on healthcare practices among the Rajputs-- the root from which the Sen Dynasty first Dave Beine sprang (during the centuries preceding and corresponding to the Sen Dynasty’s entrance into Nepal), 2) available historical evidence regarding healthcare practices of the then-contemporary Abstract Shah Dynasty (a hereditarily related and intermarrying branch off the same Rajput root), 3) historic healthcare practices of the local majority (and intermarried) Magar community, which likely would There is not much known about Nepal during the historical period have impacted the healthcare of the inhabitants of the kingdom, sometimes referred to as Nepal’s dark ages (750-1750 C.E.). And Magar and non-Magar alike and 4) contemporary healthcare even less is known about the healthcare practices of the Sen practices still observed today among the populace of Palpa Dynasty of Palpa, Nepal, which found its inception over 500 years (inferring that some of what we see practiced today, by the modern ago, during the late fifteenth century. -
Changes in Livelihood and Caste Relations in Udipur
Change in ........ Subedi Changes in Livelihood and Caste Relations in Udipur ? Madhusudan SUBEDI Abstract There have been changes in the economic and social relations in Nepal. The market has been providing opportunities for choosing livelihood options. Livelihood diversification, particularly non-farm, appears to be growing in extent and importance in recent years. Although local wage labor has increased in farm sector, agriculture is not a path out of poverty. The relationship between caste and hereditary occupations has been less significant and there has occurred a significant shift in the bases of power. There is an increase in class consciousness and a decrease in caste consciousness; wealth is replacing birth as the basis of social power and prestige. Keywords: livelihood diversification, power relations, Jajmani system, social transformation 1. Introduction This paper presents caste relations and social transformation. It has focused principally to examine the livelihood change and its impact in caste relations in rural area which I call ‘Udipur’ located in a hilly district. I argue that changes in means of living and occupational diversification have contributed to shift caste-based relations. I had been in Udipur as a high school teacher for one and half years during 1986-87. The place was revisited in 2012-13. A caste does not exist itself. According to Leach (1960:5), ‘a caste can only be recognized in contrast to the other caste with which its members are closely involved in a network of economic, political and ritual relationships’. Deshpande (2011) argues that caste-based occupational structure has undergone a profound change and the link between caste and occupation is broken. -
Changes in Ecological Relationships of Argali Magars
Changes in Ecological Relationships of Argali Magars Man Bahadur Khattri* 1. Introduction Nepali society and culture is identified as diversity of various caste, ethnic and indigenous people, and their colorful cultural practices. The Magars of Argal are one of them. The ethnographic description and various studies show that the Magars of Nepal are the most diverse ethnic group themselves. This diversity is associated with only on regional cultural practices. However, they are also recognized themselves with different local lineal clans. Ecologists seek to establish relationship between population and their natural environment. Cultural ecologists focus their study on human populations and their adaptation to their immediate environment primarily through socio-cultural means (Kottak 1974:19). Human beings like all other animals must maintain adaptive relationships with their ecosystems in order to survive, although they achieve this adaptation principally through the medium of culture (Keesing and Strathern 1998:105). Cultural ecology as a concept and method coined by Julian Steward (1955) means the study of the processes by which a society adapts to its environments. Cultural ecology suggests what aspect of a society we should focus on the study. It also looks local variation of culture in order to adapt environment locally. In this article I have looked the relationships of inter-ethnic and inter-ecological gradients, which mediated by social-cultural mechanism i.e. ista mitra (fictive kin relationship). Ista has played role to with local production and different socio-cultural of two different ecological setting. It tries to demonstrate how socio-cultural processes transform when rice gets closer market access.