BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NEPALESE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

[The second English language book on Nepal by Hamilton was published in 1819. The account was based on the author's 14 months (1802-1803) stay with the British Mission in Kathmandu and supplemented by intelligence gathering along the border preceding the Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16)5.]

By Harka Gurung

Krishna B. Bhattachan

INTRODUCTION

This is a thematic bibliography devoted to the indigenous peoples (Janajati) of Nepal. The aspects covered are their culture, economy, language and religion. The growth of such ethnographic literature is closely linked to the increase in publications on Nepal.

Bibliographies  

The first Western book with some reference to Nepal was China Monument is by Athanasius Kircher[1]. It included the letters of Johannes Grueber who traveled through Kathmandu in 1661 and described the terrors of journey to Kuti and Pratap Malla's hospitality towards the Jesuit order[2]. The first English language article to be published on Nepal was by Father Giuseppe describing the invasion of Kathmandu Valley by Prithvi Narayan[3]. The first English language book on Nepal was published in 1811 based on a brief journey of

1793 to Nawakot and Kathmandu. It described the country as Terra Incognita and El Dorado (p.i), "Nepal, or more correctly Nypaul (p. 169), and "a most interesting country, till now unvisited by an Englishman...." (p. 365)[4]. This account of official mission was written expressly for the information of East India Company and "certainly with no view to future publication "(p.xii). A decade later (1803), its publication was officially sponsored "to encourage even the humblest attempts to contribute to the stock of useful knowledge on every subject connected  with India.....". Its publication was delayed, first due to Kirkapatrick's reluctance to undertake the task and death of the proposed editor and second, the plan to incorporate materials of the Hamilton mission (1802-1803) could not materialize. The content of the book is mostly exploratory geography devoted to information on routes and distances with an index of 215 place-names. There is cursory description of classes of inhabitants" (pp. 183-187) which include Brahmin, Cheri, Newar, Dhenwar (Danuwar), Mhanjee (Majhi), Bhootia (Tamang), Bhanra (Banra), Limbooa, Nuggerkootees (Table 3). It also includes a 618-word vocabularly of Purbutti (Nepali) and Newar languages (pp. 221-249) and 76 specimen of the Limbooa (Limbu) and Mungur (Magar) dialects (pp. 249-252).

The second English language book on Nepal by Hamilton was published in 1819. The account was based on the author's 14 months (1802-1803) stay with the British Mission in Kathmandu and supplemented by intelligence gathering along the border preceding the Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16)5. The first chapter (Of the Tribes Inhabiting the Territories of Gorkha) includes observations on the Hinduisation of Khas since the 14th century and brief descriptions of Brahmin, Khas, Mangar, Gurung, Jariya, Newar, Murmi, Kirat, Limboo, Lapcha and Bhotiya (Table 3). Substantial part of the book is devoted to the history of hill principalities under the Gorkha dominion stretching from Sikkim to Kangra. In the case of Chaubisi and Baisi confederations, the account dwells on the family history of rulers as well as social composition[5]. 

Click here for the full text of bibliography.

---

[1] Amsterdam, 1667. Reprinted in 1979 as Bibliotheca Himalayica Series 1, Vol. 24.

[2]  Landon, 1928, Vol. II, pp. 231-233 provides an extract.

[3] Father Giuseppe, 1807. Extract in Kirkpatrick, 1811, Appendix III, pp. 330-336.

[4] Kirkpatrick, 1811.

[5] Hamilton, 1819, 'Introduction', pp. 1-6