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).
This is not history of Rajbanshi's in nepal. Actually raja Bijaya singha establish the Rajbanshi kingdom of Morung long before prthbi Narayan Shas's Gorkha kingdom. His capital was Bijayapura in present eastern Nepal. It was named on his own named.Later Gorkhas incorporated western Morung into Nepal. Rajbanshi's have rich cultural and political history in Nepal(Morung)
ReplyDeletePradip Singharoy
Thanks Mr.Pradip ...The statement which u have stated is new to me.. i havent herad abt it ..atleast got to know more the history of rajbanshi of nepal..ample thanks ...Wud expect more from u ..
ReplyDeleteThe emperor of Kamtapur Naranarayan captured Mithila and a part of Nepal,and a deputee ruler was posted; That was Narayan Dyanasty of Bijaypur state of Mithila.Bijay NarayanRoy was the seventh ruler of the state. He was the most successful ruler, very amicable and diplomatic. So the Capital was named after his name. He established good relations with the Kirata subjects. He appointed Morey Hang, a chieftain of the Kirata, the minister (Dewan). Sangla Ing was the first king of this dynasty. This dynasty was called Hindu dynasty. Amar Roy was the second ruler. The first ruler Sangla Ing was perhaps Kirat. And he was defeated by Naranarayan. Amar Roy was perhaps the deputee of Naranarayn.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the more information about rajbanshi from Nepal...would expect more information about this in near future....Thanks Pujan Barman
Deleteits not good to join the rajbanshis to india....
ReplyDeleterajbanshi and rajbongshi are nat same ,rajbanshis are of nepal and rajbongshis are of aasam,so don't connect to each other.naw some different in rajbanshi and rajbongshi to dress,culture,language etc so that we should keep our mind ' we are rajbanshi ,we are nepali 'not aasami of india .
ReplyDeleteThank you for the words...You have said the correct figure..
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