Some details of Rajbanshi residing in Jhapa Nepal

Jhapali Rajbanshi

Introduction
Nepal being a small country in the geograpy of world has cultural and geographical diversities. The social / cultural structure / system of Nepal is based on the unity in diversity that is various caste, ethnic ,linguistic, religious, and cultural groups. According to Nepals National cencus 2001 AD,more than 102 types of caste/indigenous ethnic groups dwell / resides in Nepal and ninetytwo 92 (ninty two) mother languages are spoken (C.B.S, 2002 ). A comprehensive/comparative study about all the caste and indigenous ethnic groups residing/ dwelling in Nepal has not been conducted yet from the anthropological & sociological perspectives. Still today some minority ethnic groups are about to be extinct / verse to disappear. Some of them even do not have the knowledge of their own cultural history. Such ethnic groups have begun to give up their ancestral traditions/culture and adopt the customs of other castes/social groups and forget their own cultural history. According to census of Nepal held in 2048 Bs i.e 1991 , the number of people speaking the koch Rajbanshi language was 85,559 which increased to 1, 29,829 in 2001's census of Nepal. The Jhapa district which located in the eastern Terai in Nepal is inhabited by various caste and indigenous ethnic groups (Tajpuriya, Rajbanshi ,meche, gangai , dhimal etc ). According to Cencus of Nepal 2001, its total population is 6, 33,042. Apart from Rajbanshi, there are other tribes of people such as Dhimals, Tajpuriya, Jhangads, Meches, Koches, gangai,Tharus, Tajpurias, etc. Compared to other caste and ethnic groups such as Bahuns, Chhetris, Newars, Rais, Limbus,kami sharki etc; the Rajbanshis /koches are politically, socially and economically backward in every respect. Steady changes are found over the period of 40-50 years in every aspect of the life of the Rajbanshis / koches who are simple, native and honest in nature. Their culture and social structure are gradually being changed according to time and in this process, their cultural norms and values are gradually getting lost. Sociologically speaking, a number of powerful factors like modernization, westernization, sanskritization (due to the in-migartion of caste group people from different parts hills,mountains) and globalization have contributed to the change in their society and culture. The Rajbanshis /koches residing in Jhapa, Morang & sunsari of Nepal are the oldest indigenous ethnic people of this region. They have been historically marginalized in the state political institutions and economic and social development sectors. Neither significant effort has been made to involve them in the state power institutions and mainstream them in the development process. Given this context, this paper aims at documenting the socio-cultural systems and the undergoing changes among the Rajbanshis for their holistic understanding. Like our face book page Hama Rabanshi CLICK HERE SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA.ORG