A Thami woman in Ilam District wearing Jhamke Bulaki, a typical Nepali ornament on her nose

The Thangmi (in Nepali थामी) are an indigenous tribe of the hills east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. They mainly live in Suspa, Kshamawati, Khopachagu, Alampu, Bigu, Kalinchok, Lapilang and Lakuri Danda villages of Dolakha district in East-Central Nepal. They are locally known as Thangmi.[1]

The social structure of the Thami comprise a bilineal clan system. Apart from the male clans, there are distinct female lineages that are passed down from mother to daughter.[2]

They speak the Thami language, which is related to Nepal Bhasha.[3] They do not have a written script; however, inscriptions on monuments built over graves lay claim to one.[2]

According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are a total of 29,000 Thami of which some belong to the Kirant religion and some belong to Buddhism.[4][5] Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami people are their descendants.

The Thami men originally engaged in shifting agriculture besides hunting and foraging.[2] They now earn a meagre living through the stone quarrying business and by joining the military forces. To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to India to find better jobs. Many upper class members of Thami clan are living in Bhutan. They go to Nepal in search of employment, and to do business.

The Thami are shamanists, though they have come under strong Buddhist influence from the Tamang. Hindu influence can be also seen in their marriage rituals, which is a festival to them. Although they are poor they must make a chautara in the name of their deceased relatives. Recently many people of the Thami clan are joining Christianity.

Geographical distribution

The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Thami within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.[6] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 28,671 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Thami. The frequency of Thami by province was as follows:

The frequency of Thami was higher than national average (0.1%) in the following districts:[7]

References

  1. ↑ Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. "Nationalities of Nepal". Nepal Democracy, Gateway to Nepali Politics and Civil Society. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
  2. 1 2 3 The Splendour of Sikkim- Cultures and Traditions of the Ethnic Communities of Sikkim. Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Government of Sikkim. 2017. p. 232.
  3. ↑ Thami at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013) Closed access icon
  4. ↑ Dahal, Dilli Ram. Chapter 3. Social composition of the population: caste/ethnicity and religion in Nepal (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  5. ↑ 2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables
  6. ↑ Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II
  7. ↑ 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report
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