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Gurung people

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Gurung" redirects here. For other uses, see Gurung (disambiguation).
Gurung
Gurung people in traditional attire
Regions with significant populations
Manang, Parbat, Lamjung, Mustang, Gorkha, Kaski, Tanahun, Syangja and Dolpa
 Nepal543,790 (2021)[1]
 India139,000 (2021)
 United States17,000 (2023)[2]
 United Kingdom75,000 (2023)
Languages
Nepali (Lingua Franca), Gurung (Tamu kyi, Manangi, Mustangi, Loki), Seke
Religion
Buddhism (67.4%), Hinduism (28.16%), Bon (2.32%), Christianity (2.12%)[3]
Related ethnic groups
Tibetan, Qiang, Tamang, Magar, Thakali, Sherpa
Gurung people
Tibetan name
Tibetanཏམུ
Transcriptions
Tibetan PinyinTamu

Gurung (exonym; Nepali: गुरुङ) or Tamu (endonym; Gurung: རྟམུ) are a Tibetan ethnic group living in the hills and mountains of Gandaki Province of Nepal.[4] Gurungs speak Tamu kyi which is a Sino-Tibetan language derived from the Tibeto-Burman language family. The written form of Gurung is heavily dependent on the Tibetan script and history and details related to their culture and tradition is passed on from one generation to the other usually by word-of-mouth.

History

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The origin of the Gurung people can be traced back to Qiang people located in Qinghai, China. After the end of the Anglo-Nepalese War and the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, the British started recruiting soldiers into the British Army from the northern villages of Nepal. The majority of these soldiers come from four ethnic tribes, one of which is the Gurung tribe. Their distinguished service in various military campaigns has earned them numerous prestigious accolades, including highly decorated medals and Victoria Crosses. Their contributions have been recognized for their exceptional bravery, discipline, and commitment on the battlefield, solidifying their reputation as formidable soldiers within the British and Indian armed forces. 

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British authorities in India grew apprehensive about the influence of Hindu castes in the military. They actively discouraged Brahminical influence and viewed Hindu castes, including Thakuri and Khas groups, as more vulnerable to Brahminical values.

Consequently, they implemented policies to limit the inclusion of Thakuri and Khas groups in Gorkha units, insisting instead on recruiting predominantly Gurungs and Magars. Diplomatically, they pressured Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana to ensure that at least 75% of new recruits for Gorkha units were Gurungs and Magars. Gurungs continue to be recruited in the British, Indian and Bruneian armies and the Singapore Police Force (under British supervision) as regular soldiers and police officers who retire after serving for anywhere from 15 to 35 years. Upon retiring, with the exception of India, the soldiers and police officers serving in the Bruneian army and Singapore Police Force have to return to Nepal. In 1999, the British government updated its policy under the original 1816 Treaty of Sugauli and allowed Gurkha British Army retirees to settle with their families in the United Kingdom.

Geographical distribution

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Manang
Gurung Ghandruk

At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 798,658 people (2.97% of the population of Nepal) identified as Gurung.[5] The proportions of Gurung people by province was as follows:

The proportions of Gurung people were higher than national average in the following districts:

Culture and religion

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Gurung people can be organised into different sub-clans:


Festivals

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Gurung girl celebrating Tamu Lhosar (Gurung New Year)

Tamu Lhosar is the main festival of the Gurungs and is celebrated every year on the 15th of Poush (December/January) to celebrate the new year.[6]

Religion

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Further information: Gurung shamanism

Gurung Dharma include Ghyabri (Ghyabring) and Pachyu (Paju).[7] Lamas perform Buddhist rituals as needed, such as in birth, funeral, other family rituals (such as in Domang, Tharchang) and in Lhosar. Lamas perform Buddhist ceremonies primarily in Lamjung, Parbat, Kaski, Manang, Mustang, and elsewhere. Some Gurung villages have kept remnants of a pre-Buddhist form of the Bon religion, which flourished over two thousand years ago across much of Tibet and Western China. They have also kept aspects of an even older shamanic belief system that served as a counter to the Bon religion.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  2. ^ "Rai-Peoplegrouporg".
  3. ^ Central Bureau of Statistics (2014). Population monograph of Nepal (PDF) (Report). Vol. II page 56. Government of Nepal.
  4. ^ Ragsdale, T.A. (1990). "Gurungs, Goorkhalis, Gurkhas: speculations on a Nepalese ethno-history" (PDF). Contributions to Nepalese Studies. 17 (1): 1–24.
  5. ^ "2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  6. ^ Gurung, Sachitra (January 2018). "Tamu Lhosar, New Year of the Gurungs". ECS Nepal. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  7. ^ von Fürer-Haimendorf, Christoph (1985). Tribal populations and cultures of the Christianity from Thai. Vol. 2. Brill Publishers. pp. 137–8. ISBN 90-04-07120-2. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  8. ^ Macfarlane, A. 1976. Resources and Population: A Study of the Gurungs of Nepa1. New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press Cambridge, London.

Further reading

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  • P. T. Sherpa Kerung, Susan Höivik (2002). Nepal, the Living Heritage: Environment and Culture. University of Michigan: Kathmandu Environmental Education Project.
  • William Brook Northey (1998). The Land of the Gurkhas, or, The Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-1329-5.
  • Murārīprasāda Regmī (1990). The Gurungs, Thunder of Himal: A Cross Cultural Study of a Nepalese Ethnic Group. University of Michigan: Nirala Publications.
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