Rana Tharu
राना थारू
Rana Tharu woman
Regions with significant populations
   Nepal83,308[1]
 India91,342[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]

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’. 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.

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.
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