Newar people

"Newar" redirects here. For other uses, see Newar (disambiguation).

Newar people
Newar children in traditional costumes during Ihi
Total population
1,507,363[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
   Nepal1,341,363 (2021 census)[3]
 India166,000 (2006)[2]
Languages
Nepal Bhasa (Newar)
Nepali
Religion
[4]
Related ethnic groups
Indo-Aryan people,[5] other Tibeto-Burman speakers

Newar (/nɪˈwɑːr/;[6] Newar: नेवार, endonym: Newa; Newar: नेवा, Pracalit script: 𑐣𑐾𑐰𑐵𑑅‎), or Nepami,[7] are primarily inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and the Indian territories of Sikkim state and Gorkhaland including its surrounding areas and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisation.[8][9] The Newar are a distinct linguistic and cultural group, primarily Indo-Aryan[10][11][12] and Tibeto-Burman[13][14] ethnicities, who share a common language, Nepal Bhasa, and predominantly practice Newar Hinduism[15][16][17][18] and Newar Buddhism. Newars have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation not seen elsewhere in the Himalayan foothills.[5]

Newars have continued their age-old traditions and practices and pride themselves as the true custodians of the religion, culture and civilisation of Nepal.[19] Newars are known for their contributions to culture, art and literature, trade, agriculture and cuisine. Today, they consistently rank as the most economically and socially advanced community in Nepal, according to the annual Human Development Index published by UNDP. Newars are ranked the 8th largest ethnic group in Nepal according to the 2021 Nepal census numbering 1,341,363 people constituting 4.6% of the total population.[20]

The Kathmandu Valley and surrounding territories constituted the former Newar kingdom of the Nepal Mandala. Unlike other common-origin ethnic or caste groups in Nepal, the Newars are regarded as an example of a nation community with a relict identity, derived from an ethnically diverse, previously existing polity. The Newar community within it consists of various strands of ethnic, racial, caste and religious heterogeneity, as they are the descendants of the diverse group of people that have lived in Nepal Mandala since prehistoric times. Indo-Aryan tribes like Maithils of Madhesh Province, theLicchavis, Kosala, and Mallas (N) from respective Indian Mahajanapada (i.e. Licchavis of Vajji, Kosala, and Malla (I)) that arrived at different periods eventually merged with the local native population by marriage as well as adopting their language and customs. These tribes however retained their Vedic culture and brought with them their Sanskritic languages, social structure, Hindu religion and culture, which were assimilated with local cultures and gave rise to the current Newar civilisation. Newar rule in Nepal Mandala ended with its conquest by the Gorkha Kingdom in 1768.

  1. ^ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  2. ^ a b "Newar". Ethnologue. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  3. ^ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  4. ^ Central Bureau of Statistics (2014). Population monograph of Nepal (PDF) (Report). Vol. II. Government of Nepal.
  5. ^ a b Gellner, David N. (1986). "Language, Caste, Religion and Territory: Newar Identity Ancient and Modern". European Journal of Sociology. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  6. ^ "Newar". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  7. ^ (Mrigendra Lal Singh. Nepami: An Idol of Yalambar. 2016)
  8. ^ von Fürer-Haimendorf, Christoph (1956). "Elements of Newar Social Structure". Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 86 (2). Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland: 15–38. doi:10.2307/2843991. JSTOR 2843991. Page 15.
  9. ^ Basnet, Rajdip; Rai, Niraj; Tamang, Rakesh; Awasthi, Nagendra Prasad; Pradhan, Isha; Parajuli, Pawan; Kashyap, Deepak; Reddy, Alla Govardhan; Chaubey, Gyaneshwer; Das Manandhar, Krishna; Shrestha, Tilak Ram; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy (15 October 2022). "The matrilineal ancestry of Nepali populations". Human Genetics. 142 (2): 167–180. doi:10.1007/s00439-022-02488-z. ISSN 0340-6717. PMID 36242641. S2CID 252904281.
  10. ^ Acharya, Baburam. Nepal, Newar Ra Newari Bhasha (in Nepali). Nepal Sanskritik Parishad. p. 21. Retrieved 31 May 2024." किरातीय वा तिब्बती-बर्मी बोली मातृभाषा भए तापनि नेवारहरूमा मधेशी-नेपाली तथा मैथिली आर्यकै जस्तो जात-भात र हाउभाउ, स्वरुप, भेद-भाव मौजूद छ। यिनका रंग-रूपमा आर्य नस्लका लक्षण मौजूद छन्। यस कारणले यी किरात वा तिब्बती-बर्मीवर्गका होइनन् भन्ने निश्वय गर्न सकिन्छ । यो आर्य नस्ल को जनसमुदाय कसरी नेपालका केन्द्रस्थलमा आएर श्राफ्नो भाषा छोडी नेवारी भाषा लिएर नेवार कहलायो। "
  11. ^ Shrestha, Tulsi N. नेपालका नेवारहरू पहिचान र पृष्ठभूमि (in Nepali). Institute for Research and Development. p. 21. Retrieved 31 May 2024." नेवारहरू मूलत: आर्य जातिका हुन्‌ भन्ने कुराको पुष्ट्याई गर्ने धेरै आधारहरू छन्‌। नेवारहरू मूलत: आर्य जातिको भएता पनि तिब्बतबाट विभिन्न समयमा आएका मंगोलियन जातिका जनसमुदायहरू पनि नेवार समुदायमा मिसिन पुगेका छन्‌ । तिनीहरूको संख्या अधिक नभएपनि तिनीहरूले नेवार समुदाय भित्र मंगोलियन नश्लको अस्तित्वको पनि विकास गरेका छन्‌ । अतः नेवार समुदायमा आर्य र मंगोलियन नश्ल दुवै पाइने भएकोले यस समुदायलाई बेहुनश्लीय समुदायकै रूपमा स्वीकार गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ "
  12. ^ Regmi, Jagadish C. नेवारी संस्कृतिको रूपरेखा (in Nepali). Sevak Printing Press. p. 3. Retrieved 30 May 2024." जुन-जुन वर्गले आफ्नो मातृभाषा नेवारी स्वीकार्दै आए ति-तिनले नै नेवार समाजको संरचना गरेका छन्‌ । अर्थात्‌ उक्त भाषा तिब्बती-बर्मी खलकको भए पनि यसको क्रमशः उपयोग बढाउँदै जाने आर्य-वर्गहरूका सन्तानहरू नै आजसम्म अधिसंख्य नेवारका रूपमा रहेका छन्‌ । केही निम्न मानिसहरूमा मंगोलायड तिब्बती-बर्मी पुरानो तह शुद्ध रूपमा बाँकी भए होता नत्र प्राय वर्गमा कतै पनि रहन गएको छैन। "
  13. ^ "Varanasi: Cultural ties of Nepal with country, Tibet reflect in genomic ancestry, says Gyaneshwer Chaubey". The Times of India. 19 October 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 27 May 2024."Tibeto-Burman communities like Newar and Magar revealed a distinct population history than contemporary high-altitude Tibetans/Sherpas."
  14. ^ "Newar - My Holiday Nepal". www.myholidaynepal.com. Retrieved 27 May 2024."The rich culture or Newars have given Kathmandu its identity as cultural capital of the country. "Shrestha" are also called or knows as "Pradhan." They are equal they are Shrestha also and Pradhan also. Kathmandu has been the homeland of Newar community. The Newars are inhabitants of a Tibeto-Burman origin who speak in Newari as well as Nepali."
  15. ^ Levy, Robert I. Mesocosm Hinduism And The Organization Of A Traditional Newar City In Nepal. p. 36."The modern inhabitants of the valley, the Newars, are believed to be an intermixture of Indo Aryan and Mongoloid strains resulting from the unions between the Kiratas and the Indo Aryans migrating from the plains of India. "
  16. ^ "Newar Buddhist culture". Retrieved 30 May 2024."Newar community constitutes of primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicities."
  17. ^ "The Newari People of Nepal – a short background". Retrieved 21 June 2024."Newars are descendants of indo-aryan and tibeto-Burman ethnicities."
  18. ^ Gellner, David N. (1986)
  19. ^ Tree, Isabella. "Living Goddesses of Nepal". nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015.
  20. ^ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).