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Tamang people

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Tamang
तामाङ
Tamang couple in traditional attire
Total population
c. 1.8 million[1][2][3]
Regions with significant populations
 Bhutan[data missing]
   Nepal1,639,866 (2021)[1]
 India183,812
West Bengal146,203 (2011)[2]
Sikkim37,609 (2011)[3]
Languages
Tamang, Tibetan
Religion
Buddhism (87%) Hinduism (9%) Christianity (3.0%),[4]
Related ethnic groups
Tibetan people, Daman people, Qiang, Gurung, Sherpa, Bhotiya, Thakali
Tamang people
Tibetan name
Tibetanརྟ་དམག
Transcriptions
Tibetan PinyinTamang

Tamang (རྟ་དམག་; Devanagari: तामाङ; tāmāṅ), are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of Nepal, Southern Bhutan and North-east India. The Nepalese Tamang people constituted 5.6% of the population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 in the 2011 census;[5] the 2021 census reported 1,639,866 Tamang.[1] The Nepali Tamangs are concentrated in the central hilly and Himalayan regions of Nepal.[6] Indian Tamangs are found in significant numbers in the state of Sikkim and the districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal state. Bhutanese Tamangs are native to various districts in the southern foothills of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Such districts include the Tsirang District, the Dagana District, the Samtse District, the Chukha District, the Sarpang District and the Samdrup Jongkhar District.[7] Tamang language is the fifth most-spoken language in Nepal.[8]

History

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Historical accounts show that the Tamang ethnic group originated in Tibet. The word ta in the Classical Tibetan means 'horse', and mang means 'traders';[a] hence, their original way of life evolved around horses and trade.[10] The Tamangs, who have lived on hills outside the Kathmandu Valley to the southern slopes of Langtang, Ganesh, Jugal Himal and Rolwaling probably since prehistoric times, have been mentioned in various Nepalese and colonial historical records under a variety of names, such as Bhote, Lama, Murmi and Sain, some of which terms erroneously conflate the Tamangs with Uighurs.[10] The Tibetans called them Rongpa.[11]

Various Gorkha rulers led campaigns against the indigenous Tamangs. The Gorkha Vamsavali provides details of battles with the Bhotyas of a variety of principalities between 1806 and 1862. In 1739, a ruler named Ghale-Botya attacked Narabhupal Shah as he was marching towards Nuwakot, and Narabhupal Shah also fought several battles against Golma Ghale (Gyalpo). In 1762, Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked the Tamangs in Temal, the Tamang cultural heartland. Tamang oral history says that the local chief, Rinjen Dorje, was killed by the Gorkhas. Gorkhali forces had hidden their weapons in the sand on the Sunkoshi riverbank in order to attack the Tamang forces. Afterwards, the Gorkhas washed their weapons in springs at Dapcha Kuwapani, and this is why the modern-day Tamangs do not drink there. Similar stories appear in oral histories throughout the region.[12]

After the attack on the Tamang region, their traditional homeland area, known as kipat to the Gorkhas, was granted to Gorkha generals or government officials who had pleased the king in some way, displacing the Tamangs from kipat lands. Previously, Tamang landholdings had been divided up by clan. Tamangs also had various forced labor obligations, both in times of peace and war, that differed significantly from other regions of Nepal. One reason is the proximity of the Tamang homeland to the center of royal administration at Kathmandu.[12]

Tamangs were also involved in the Sino-Nepalese War (1788 to 1792). (Nepali: नेपाल-चीन युद्ध), also known as the Sino-Gorkha war and in Chinese the Campaign of Gorkha (Chinese: 廓爾喀之役).The war was initially fought between Nepalese Gorkhas and Tibetan armies over a trade dispute related to a long-standing problem of low-quality coins manufactured by Nepal for Tibet. A few hundred eventually settled in Tibet; they are known as Daman people in China. Previously stateless, since 2003 the Chinese government has classified them as ethnic Tibetans.[13][14][15]

Culture

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Tamang tradition and culture include a distinct language, culture, dress, and social structure. They have over 100 sub-clans. About 87 % of the Tamang people are Buddhist[4] and around 3% are Christians and 8% are Hindu.[4] Their language, Tamang, comes from Tamangic branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family, and is closely related to Gurung. They follow the Chinese lunar calendar of the 12-year cycle. Colorful printed Buddhist mantra cloths are put up in various places in villages and towns.[5]

Their typical song and dance style is known as Tamang Selo, and includes songs representing humor, satire, joy and sorrow. It has a brisk movement and rhythmic beat specific to the Tamangs.[7] A distinctive musical instrument is the damphu, a small, round drum covered with goatskin. Traditional Tamang songs are known as Hwai. Sung by Tamang genealogists callTamba, Hwai songs are ritualistic and hold tremendous importance in Tamang rituals.[16]

People dancing in Sonam Lhosar (Tamang New Year) celebration

Festivals

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Sonam Lhosar is the main festival of the Tamangs and is celebrated in the month of Magh (February–March).[17] It is celebrated to welcome the Tamang new year.

Tamang girl in Sonam Lhosar Festival

Another significant festival is the Saga Dawa, a religious festival based on birthday of Gautam Buddha.[9]

Language

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Main article: Tamang language

Tamang is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken predominantly in Nepal, with significant communities in Sikkim and West Bengal, India. It encompasses several dialects, including Eastern, Western, Southwestern, Northwestern, and Eastern Gorkha Tamang, with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. For instance, Eastern and Western Tamang are mutually unintelligible.[18]  The language employs both the Tamyig script, similar to Tibetan, and Devanagari for writing. Grammatically, Tamang follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) order and utilizes postpositions.[19]  It is tonal and exhibits ergative-absolutive alignment.  Despite being the fifth most spoken language in Nepal,  Tamang faces challenges due to the dominance of Nepali, leading to concerns about language preservation.[20]

Distribution of Tamang in Nepal

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The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Tamang people within the broader social group of Mountain–Hill Janajati.[4] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 1,539,830 people (5.8% of the population of Nepal) were Tamang. The percentage of Tamang people by province was as follows:

In the following districts, the percentage of Tamang people was higher than the national average of 5.8% (2011):[21]

Surnames of Tamang families (clans)

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  • Bajyu
  • Bal
  • Baldong
  • Bamten
  • Blenden
  • Blon
  • Bomzon
  • Brangdong
  • Brasingar
  • Chakengochumi
  • Chelengate
  • Chhekapala
  • Chhyoimi
  • Chimkan
  • Chhoden
  • Chyapangkhor
  • Damarang
  • Daratang
  • Dimdong
  • Dan
  • Dong
  • Dongpa
  • Dosing
  • Dumjan
  • Pheuwa
  • Galden
  • Gangtang
  • Gemsing
  • Gyawaten
  • Ghale
  • Ghising
  • Ghunsade
  • Ghunsaden
  • Glan
  • Gole
  • Gombyo
  • Gomden
  • Gomja
  • Gonden
  • Gongwa
  • Gongbo
  • Gongso
  • Gothar
  • Grangdan
  • Grangden
  • Gromba
  • Grom
  • Gropchan
  • Gyaba
  • Gyabten
  • Gyamdan
  • Gyamden
  • Gyangtang
  • Gyomacho
  • Hen
  • Himdung
  • Hopten
  • Jimba
  • Jogna
  • Jongan
  • Jumi
  • Kagate
  • Kalden
  • Kamewa
  • Kamden
  • Khanikhor
  • Khyulpa
  • Khyungwa
  • Kolden
  • Komdan
  • Lala
  • Lamagonju
  • Lamakhor
  • Lo
  • Laminkhor
  • Lopchan
  • Lungba
  • Lungpa
  • Mahendong
  • Mamba
  • Manangthen
  • Manden
  • Marpa
  • Mensing
  • Mikchan
  • Mitak
  • Moden
  • Mokchan
  • Moktan
  • Mulung
  • Myalpa
  • Najung
  • Negi
  • Ngake
  • Ngarwa
  • Ngarden
  • Ngilpa
  • Ngongcho
  • Ngyojo
  • Ngyachen
  • Nyasur
  • Nyarwa
  • Ngyongdong
  • Palden
  • Pajuten
  • Pakhrin
  • Palchoke
  • Pangboten
  • Pangten
  • Phewa
  • Prabhuwa
  • Rampod
  • Rimten
  • Rumba
  • Sai
  • Samden
  • Sangri
  • Sarwakhor
  • Sengjewa
  • Senten
  • Swangwo
  • Syangree
  • Syorten
  • Singan
  • Singgar
  • Singtan
  • Suktan
  • Subba
  • Syamjan
  • Syangjuwa
  • Syangtan
  • Sayangdan
  • Syanten
  • Syongtan
  • Syorten
  • Thangten
  • Theeng/thinley
  • Thokar
  • Titung
  • Toibara
  • Toisang
  • Tongyar
  • Tunba
  • Tupa
  • Waiba
  • Walim
  • Yosadin
  • Yonjan

Notable people

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Arts and entertainment

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Politics

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Engineering, science and social science

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  • Kul Man Ghising – engineer, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority
  • Mahendra P. Lama – Indian political analyst and development economist
  • Jyoti Prakash Tamang – Indian microbiologist, known for his work on fermented foods of Himalayan region

Sportspeople

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Indian

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Nepalese

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Notes

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  1. ^ Another theory says Tamang may have been derived from the Tibetan word tamang, where ta means 'horse' and mak means 'warrior' in Tibetan.[9][better source needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c National Statistics Office (June 2023). National Report on Caste-Ethnicity, Language and Religion (Report). Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. p. 31. National Population and Housing Census 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2024. Direct PDF download link
  2. ^ a b "Population of West Bengal 2011".
  3. ^ a b "Population of Sikkim 2011".
  4. ^ a b c d Population monograph of Nepal (PDF). Vol. II (Social Demography). Kathmandu: Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Central Bureau of Statistics. 2014. ISBN 978-9937-2-8972-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Socio-cultural and economic condition of tamangs" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  6. ^ National Statistics Office (January 2022). Census Nepal: Preliminary Report of National Population 2021 (Report) (in Nepali). Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b Sadangi, H. C. (November 2008). Emergent North-East: A Way Forward. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8205-437-0. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2015. Emergent North-East : A Way Forward By H. C. Sadangi
  8. ^ "Report on Socio-Economic Status of Tamang–Kavre". Nefin.org.np. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Who actually are the Tamang People? An Insight into Indigenous Tribe of Nepal". Chronicles of ADVENTURE TRAVEL. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  10. ^ a b Tamang, Ganesh (2003). "An Ethnobiological Study of the Tamang People". Our Nature. 1 (1): 37–41. doi:10.3126/on.v1i1.303. ISSN 2091-2781.
  11. ^ Paudel, Dinesh (20 September 2021). "Himalayan BRI: an infrastructural conjuncture and shifting development in Nepal". Area Development and Policy. 7 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1080/23792949.2021.1961592. ISSN 2379-2949. S2CID 239242919.
  12. ^ a b Gellner, David (10 September 2009). Ethnic Activism and Civil Society in South Asia. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-81-321-0422-3.
  13. ^ Woebom, Tenzin (23 December 2014). ""Eastern Gypsies": Damans in Tibet". Vtibet. Archived from the original on 4 November 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  14. ^ "New life of Daman people". China Tibet Online. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  15. ^ "西藏达曼人：从居无定所到发"边贸财"吃"旅游饭"". People's Daily Online (in Chinese (China)). 25 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  16. ^ Rai, Pradeep (1 August 2021). "Oral Traditions of the Tamang People". Himalayan Cultures. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Sonam Lhosar celebrated". Street Nepal. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.sil.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  19. ^ lana8998 (16 February 2023). "Hereby Debuting Our Eastern Tamang Translation Services". TranslationServices. Retrieved 21 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Tamang: A Cross-Varietal Documentation and Descriptive Study | Endangered Languages Archive". www.elararchive.org. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  21. ^ National Population and Housing Census 2011: Social Characteristics Tables (PDF). Vol. 5, part II: "Caste–ethnicity, Mother Tongue and Second Language". Kathmandu: Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Central Bureau of Statistics. February 2014. ref NPHC2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Melody queen Aruna Lama". Boss Nepal. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  23. ^ Kalakar, Hamro. "Gopal Yonzon Biography". Hamro Kalakar. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
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