History Of Rajbanshi In Nepal

Rajbanshis live in the Nepal-India borderlands of the districts of Jhapa and Morang of east Nepal. Anthropologists opine that they are the kiths and kin of the peripheral Koch people of the adjacent states of West Bengal and Asom (Assam) in India. Though having Mongoloid features - they consider themselves as a branch of the Kirants - their language is akin to Bengali and Assamese. They wear clothes conforming to their climate and weather. They worship Thakur Brahmani and also practice shamanism. Consumption of alcohol is a must for worshiping the gods. They play with mud and water during their major festivals. The groom's side makes monetary payment to the bride's family during their marriage. This custom also prevails among some other ethnic groups of Nepal. Their principal occupation is agriculture. Rajbanshis were the indigenous people of Jhapa and Morang before the hill migrants of Nepal overwhelmed them. Most of the Rajbanshis bury their dead but now-a-days some of them have adopted cremation formalities. According to Census 2001, their population is 95,812.

Rajbanshi is the name of an indigenous people settled in Jhapa, Morang and in some number in Sunsari district. It is conjectured that they belong to a mixed race of Austroasian or Dravidian and Mongolian. Rajbanshis and Satars have settled in the eastern Terai in the same process as Tharus and Danuwars were settled in Western Terai of Nepal. When these peoples entered Morang they entered as Rajbanshis. The name Rajbanshi was given after AD1515. The original tribal name of Rajbanshis is Koch or Koche. Worshippers of nature and followers of shamanistic religion these indigenous Koch people have changed their names to Rajbhanshi after coming into contact with Hindus (Sharma, BS2045; Upadhyaya, BS2051-052). They have a lifted bone over their throat a little higher than the average height. The structure of their eyes and forehead, etc is like those of a mix of Aryan-Mongloid, Austric, Negrito, Dravidian. A mix of the culture of worshippping nature and Hindu culture however seems to have developed among the Rajbanshis of Nepal.

Rajbanshis are found mainly in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari. Their place of origin is the setlement area of Koch in Bihar, Bengal and Assam of India and also Bangladesh. But the largest settlement of Koches with their name Rajbanshi is in Nepal only. According to the census of 2001, their population is 95,812. The language of Rajbanshis is called Rajbanshi Bhasa. It is a mix of Bengali and Maithili. The language of Koches, who are considered the original ethnonym of Rajbanshis, has commonalities with the language of Garo (Bista, 1996).