The Limbu People in the Ethnosocial Structure of Nepal (1774–1968)

Abstract

This article describes some specific features of the ethnosocial status of the Limbus in Nepal. Since the annexation by Royal Nepal, the Limbus have retained a certain degree of autonomy which is centered around maintaining their own traditional system of land ownership. This was the only ethnicity based type of land ownership in Nepal. The rest of the land was originally state-owned and the state put it out to lease or sold it to tenants. However, the Limbus’ autonomy gradually decreased as time passed, the amount of clan-owned lands was reduced, and gradual integration into the Hindu society was begun. The Limbus were included into the caste system, in which they were placed in between the upper-caste and the untouchable Parbatiya. Hindu practices supplanted traditional ones, for example, ground burial was replaced by cremation and some rites were performed by Brahmins instead of Shamans. Gradually the Limbus started to worship Hindu deities, make occasional offerings in the Hindu temples, and to celebrate Nepali state holidays. The intensification of Sanskritization led to the consolidation of ethnic movements among the Limbus. In the middle of the XX century, the Limbu alphabet was rediscovered and Limbu ethnic associations emerged. These associations tried to increase the political influence of the Limbus and to retain their traditional culture and beliefs, which they considered to be the core of their ethnic identity. There was also an attempt to create a new syncretistic religion on the basis of Hinduism and traditional beliefs of the Limbus. These multidirectional processes formed the basis of the transformations occurring nowadays among the small nations of South Asia.

Keywords:

Nepal, the Limbus, caste system, traditional land ownership, Sanskritization