A Tharu man from Nepal is on his way to do farm work on April 26, 2011. © ILO/ Pradip Shakya (Creative Commons, Flickr)

Tharus are one of 142 castes/ethnicities of Nepal and an aboriginal people of Nepal. Tharu is an umbrella term used to refer to the people of this ethnic group and the language they speak. The term “Tharu” recognizes many different subgroups distinguished by clan, region, cultural differences, and language. Thus, the Tharus are a group of culturally and linguistically diverse people. According to the 2021 census, the total population of the Tharu in Nepal is 1807124 (6.2%). 5.88 per cent of Tharus speak their mother tongue. Tharus are the second-largest indigenous nationality after the Magar.

Tharu Economy

Tharus are the pioneer cultivators and creators of rich farmland on the fringe of the forest. Most Tharus practice agriculture, raise cattle, hunt, fish, and collect forest products. Their primary economy is agriculture, and it is the main source of income. Nowadays, they are also engaged in business, civil service, and public service. The collective nature of the economic system and social order is manifested in the Tharu community, where a village has a social, ritual, and economic unit. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main occupations of the Tharu. The whole family works as an economic unit. Agriculture is important both for subsistence and for market production.

Tharus are closely connected with land, water, and forest for their habitat and livelihood. Land is an important source of livelihood in the traditional agricultural economy. Each Tharu family has some land to produce crops and vegetables. They grow several kinds of cereals, oilseeds, and vegetables. The most important crops are rice, wheat, maize, mustard, lentil, barley, gram, onion, potato, and several other seasonal green vegetables.

Tharus have a traditional system of farming. They use traditional tools such as a plough, a spade, and a sickle. They rear cows, buffalo, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, and pigeons. These animals and birds are kept for both domestic use and sale. Cattle are kept for manure, ploughing, and transportation. A few houses have a horse for transporting goods. Many indigenous traditional tools, techniques, and practices related to agriculture, fishing, and livestock production are found to exist, which signifies that the Tharu are rich in indigenous knowledge. Tharu women produce bowls of handmade pottery. During sowing and harvesting seasons, they are busy in the fields all day.

Land

Generally, the land of Nepal is classified according to size, location, topography, and the quality of the soil. They are Khet, Bari, Pakho, Gharbari, and Jungle. Khet is irrigated land. Bari is non-irrigated land. Pakho is a land with a gentle slope. Gharbari is a kitchen garden. The jungle is the forest. Based on the physical quality of the soil, irrigation facilities availability, and estimated productivity, the land has been divided into different categories namely: Awal, Doyam, Sim, and Chahar. Awal means irrigated land having high production, Doyam means non-irrigated land but high production, Sim means non-irrigated and low productive land, and Chahar means waste land.

In Dang and Deukhuri, the land has been classified according to its quality and production. They are Khet and Bari. Khet is subdivided into different categories such as Jabdi (irrigated land with some kinds of water content), Gautariya (irrigated land best for wheat production), Ganar (irrigated land with good channel connection), Daabar (land that lacks a channel connection), Baluhwa (soil mostly consisting of sand), and Pathraha (soil with sand and gravel). Bari is subdivided into: Diuhwa (good land with high humus), Darainya (land with some slope), and Dumna (small hill/hump).

Dang and Deukhuri valleys have fertile land for rice, wheat, maize, barley, mustard, lentil, etc. Cultivation is the main source of livelihood for the Tharu. Agricultural activities are mostly completed by simple traditional techniques in which human labour and oxen are used for ploughing and threshing. The present lifestyle of the local Tharus provides evidence for the past.

Classification of land

Irrigated plain land is called Khetwa, where the farmers grow crops such as paddy, wheat, lentil, barley, gram, etc. It is divided into small plots. Diuhwa refers to both irrigated and non-irrigated plain land where the farmers grow mustard, maize, gram, etc. It is larger and bigger in size.

Baari is the plain land around the house, where they grow vegetables and fruits. Kharkatti is the land where thatch grass is grown. Thatch grass is used for roofing houses. The villagers who do not have such land bring dry grass from the forest. Khenhwa is the farmyard where the farmers collect the agricultural products. Now, communal Khenhwa has been replaced by the private. Gaurhi is the land that lies on the skirt of the village.

Social organization

Each community has its own traditional organization, which seems inevitable to maintain the communal harmony. Traditional leadership is a form of leadership in which an authorized person of the tribe is tied to the traditional customs. Ethnic groups have been governed by their cultural institution that maintains social solidarity and unity by performing various economic, political, and social functions. Tharu social organization is moulded through an agrarian and functional system. In a Tharu village, there is the duty of maintaining good relations among the villagers. An important responsibility of every village among the Tharu is to maintain law and order. Most of the problems of the village, either disputes or fights, are settled by the Khel. The punishment pronounced by the Khel is to as fine. The Tharu community has been led by the selected leader of the households. Mahatau is the village head who is elected by the Gardhuriyan. Gardhuriya means the household head, the eldest male member, and Khel means the assembly or gathering of the Gardhuriyan. This is done according to social approval. The administration of the village is carried out by the Mahatau.

Khel

The word Khel or Khyala denotes ‘game’, but in the context of the Tharu community, the term ‘Khel’ is an indigenous organization. It is a social system that ties together all the members of the village. Moreover, it is the traditional form of a democratic system that takes place in the public forum. Traditionally, Tharus live in a joint family. Each household has a Gardhuriya. Tharu village is centred around a Mahatau (village chief). Different words for Mahatau have been used in different districts, for instance, in Dang, he is called Mahatau, in Deukhuri Kakandaar, in Bardiya Barghar, in Kailali Bhalmansa. The Mahatau conducts the village affairs and his responsibility is to organize the villagers in the construction and maintenance of the canal. Mahatau is elected by the Gardhuriyan (household chiefs). The assembly of the Gardhuriyan can remove the unsuccessful Mahatau. In the Khel, all the Gardhuriyan of the village participate. The role of the Mahatau in the Khel is like a chairperson or judge who gives the final communal decision. When the Mahatau wants to call the Khel, he informs all the Gardhuriyan some days earlier or a few hours ago, depending on the task.

Village Chaukidaar (watchman and messenger) delivers the message to the Gardhuriyan. All the Gardhuriyan assemble in the existing Mahatau’s house or in an open space. The annual assembly is known as Maagh Dewani. During this meeting, the leadership of the Mahatau is reviewed, and a new leader is selected. The Gardhuriyan propose the name of would-be Mahatau, there is discussion concerning the proposed name, and the proposed person is selected unanimously as their new Mahatau. If the villagers are pleased with their Mahatau, he could remain in this position for many years. The Mahatau helps to manage the roofing and rebuilding the house, plantation, and harvesting the crops, and settles disputes relating to elopement, distribution of property, conjugal disharmony, etc. Chirikya is the assistant of Guruwa, who worships in the Maruwa.

Mahatau, Guruwa (Debandhiya and Ghar), and Gardhuriya have been playing a significant role in running the Tharu community. At present, their roles have been too confined due to various policies imposed by the state. The importance of Khel has also dwindled with the intervention of the state mechanism.

Linguistic and cultural preservation

Before 1990, Nepal’s state policy was “one nation one language”. Apart from this, the government policy towards language is that Nepali should be used in administration, the medium of instruction at all levels of education, courts of justice, information, and media. However, some ancient Tharu legends and songs written in the Devanagari script are preserved by some individuals. Currently, more is being written and published in the Tharu language i.e. newspaper, magazines, and books that include songs, stories, poetry, and current events. Radio news bulletins and cultural programmes are now being broadcast in various minority languages, including Tharu. For a Dangaura native speaker, the pronunciation of dental sounds is quite unnatural. It needs to be standardized.

During the past few years, Tharus have shown a growing interest in preserving their language and culture, using social media as a means of language activism, or organizing writing workshops. To preserve the language, Tharu should be taught in their language at school. It is also essential to make a standard Tharu dictionary and textbook of grammar. The new constitution now guarantees each minority-language group the right to education in their own mother tongue. The future of the language depends on its actual use. It is, therefore, important to use the mother tongue in the in-group domains of home, family, and village. It is sad to say that in administrative work, the Tharu language does not have any role.

Although several studies have been done on various anthropological/cultural aspects of the Tharu groups, very little has been written about the Tharu language, its dialects or sociolinguistic factors related to it. It is important that the language situation in Nepal should be analyzed to facilitate linguistic studies and language planning. Language development is a matter of serious concern to which linguists, language planners, language activists, and policy makers must turn their attention to language use as the direct measures.

Acculturation and change

Change is a natural phenomenon of nature. Every community has a value system that helps to maintain its cultural consistency and continuity. The Tharu have their own culture, rituals, religion, tradition, and language. No living culture is static. Tharu's way of life has been transformed. Their traditional dresses, means of transport, and agricultural implements have all undergone fundamental changes. Culture changes through the process of diffusion and acculturation. The development of transportation and communication technologies has accelerated the speed of interaction among the people all over the world.

At present, Tharus are trying to keep their own socio-cultural values. Their traditional dances, festivals, and music are performed every year. Despite their complex system of beliefs and practices based on animistic traditions, they are bringing modifications in their traditional way of life. They have intimate relations and cultural contact with other neighbouring communities; therefore, their lifecycle ceremonies have been influenced by Hindu culture. Hindu values are replacing their traditional lifecycle rituals. The leadership pattern is gradually changing, and a leader is one who has a formal education. The role and power of Mahatau is less now than before. The joint family is going to form a nuclear family. It is the result of living together with the Pahadiya, who have the tradition of the nuclear family system. The urban family pattern is gradually emerging as a model for the educated and well-to-do families. A few of the wealthier families now employ the Hindu Brahman for marriages.

After the re-establishment of democracy, People’s War, education, communication (print, electronic FM radio, and online media, film), and transportation brought an increased political awareness and consciousness among the Tharu. Traditional sources of recreation are affected by other cultures. Fairs and festivals are the most important means of recreation. They observe festivals such as Teej, Dashain, Tihar, etc. in a similar way as Hindu communities do. Modernization and Sanskritization are forcing them to be assimilated into the mainstream of Nepali culture. There is a trend of reform among educated Tharus. The youth are attracted to new and modern lifestyles. They do not support early marriage, marriage with older women, leadership and dictatorship of old people, the joint family system, and traditional, typical dresses and occupations.

Tailors and blacksmiths have a traditional relationship with the Tharus. They are paid a certain amount of grain each year for their service. Tharus have to depend on blacksmiths for frequent repair of their agricultural tools. But these days, blacksmiths are paid cash instead of crops. Traditional Tharu furniture has been replaced by the modern or ready-made items such as plastic chair, cupboards, benches etc. The dominant or even equal status enjoyed by the Tharu women has been affected by non-tribal influence.

Despite the abolition of Kamaiya practice, Tharus are one of the marginalized, deprived, and exploited indigenous groups of Nepal. They have contributed a lot to make Terai arable and habitable. They still possess many of the features of a typical tribe. At present, Nepal is undergoing a rapid social, cultural, and political change. But Nepalese people have not yet been able to experience the changes in their day-to-day life as expected. Indigenous peoples have been marginalized in terms of language, culture, economic, and political opportunities. Many indigenous peoples and linguistic minorities in rural areas are not aware of their rights. The crisis lies not only in formulating policy, law, bills, acts, and amendments, but rather it needs a pragmatic roadmap for achieving goals. Today Tharus are actively redefining themselves as a single ethnic group in Nepal’s multiethnic polity. The recent political developments have given minority communities opportunities to reconsider what their cultural identity consists of.

Ethnic groups have a strong sense of their distinctiveness. The high trend of immigration from the hilly region has an impact on Tharu culture and also resulted in plotting and rapid urbanization. Tharus have their own language, culture, tradition, practices, and organizational institution that are very different from mainstream society of Nepal. However, the western and eastern Tharus have different cultures and social organizations. Before 1990, ethnic associations were forbidden as public entities in Nepal. It was only after the reestablishment of the democracy in 1991 in Nepal that the Tharus living in different areas from Mechi to Mahakali have become conscious of their single ethnicity. At present, Tharus are struggling for their rights and cultural protection. The new generation is less acquainted with their traditional values and cultural specialties. A wave of reform is taking place among the educated Tharus.