Tharu
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Tharu (थारू) people are an ethnic group indigenous to the southern foothills of the Himalayas.
Variants
- Thāru (थारू)
Origin
The word thāru [1] is thought to be derived from sthavir meaning follower of Theravada Buddhism.[2]
History
The origin of the Tharu people is not clear but surrounded by myths and oral tradition. The Rana Tharus claim have migrated from the Thar Desert to Nepal's Far Western Terai region. Tharu people farther east claim to be descendants of the Śākya and Koliya peoples living in Kapilvastu.[3]
According to a British officer, historian Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod (1782–1835)[4] , Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, fought 17 wars with the Mughal emperor Akbar but in 1595, after Maharana Pratap's death, he conditionally accepted them as rulers. At this time, many of Maharana Pratap's band of loyal Rajputs became disillusioned by the surrender and left Rajasthan. This group included Rathores, Deoras, Chauhans, Parihars, Tomars, Kachwahas, Ranas, Tharus and Jhalas. Collectively, they are called Tharu at present and are settled mostly in sub Himalayan belt on the boundary of Nepal in and around of dense forest of present district Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. Many of the Tharu tribe are still living in the remote forest area in the district and trying to conserve the tradition and culture they brought from Rajasthan.
In the 10th century, the Tharu king of Mausen Madan Singh ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area.
Modern history (1700s-1999): Tharu families worked under the system of bonded labour known as Kamaiya which existed in Nepal since the 18th century.
इतिहास
तामेश्वरनाथ का नाम ताम्रगढ़ और बाद में तामा पड़ा। बताया जाता है कि तामा गांव के उत्तर दो बड़े तालाब थे जिसे वर्तमान में लठियहवां व झझवा नाम से पुकारा जाता है। पूरब दिशा में भी इसी तरह का तालाब-पोखरे व भीटा स्थित है। इसके सटे ही कोटिया है। इस नाम से प्रतीत होता है कि यहां पर कोई कोटि या दुर्ग रहा है। पुराने लोगों का यह भी कहना है कि यहां पहले थारू जाति के लोग रहा करते थे। इसका बिगड़ा रूप तामा है जो अब तामेश्वरनाथ धाम नाम से प्रचलित है।[5]
Distribution
Most of the Tharu people live in the Nepal Terai.[6] The Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal.[7]
Some Tharu groups also live in the Indian Terai, foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.[8] The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled tribe.[9]
External links
References
- ↑ Turner, R. L. (1931). "थारु thāru". A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language. London: K. Paul, Trench, Trubner.
- ↑ Skar, H. O. (1995). Myths of origin: the Janajati Movement, local traditions, nationalism and identities in Nepal. Contributions to Nepalese Studies 22 (1): 31–42.
- ↑ Skar, H. O. (1995). Myths of origin: the Janajati Movement, local traditions, nationalism and identities in Nepal. Contributions to Nepalese Studies 22 (1): 31–42.
- ↑ Text of 'James Tod'
- ↑ भारतकोश-तामेश्वरनाथ मंदिर
- ↑ Bista, D. B. (1971). People of Nepal (second ed.). Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
- ↑ Lewis, M. P., G. F. Simons, and C. D. Fennig (eds.) (2014). "Tharu, Chitwania: a language of Nepal". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International, online version.
- ↑ Verma, S.C. (2010). "The eco-friendly Tharu tribe: A study in socio-cultural dynamics" (PDF). Journal of Asia Pacific Studies. 1 (2): 177–187.
- ↑ Verma, S.C. (2010). "The eco-friendly Tharu tribe: A study in socio-cultural dynamics" (PDF). Journal of Asia Pacific Studies. 1 (2): 177–187.