People of Nepal

Regarded as a foundational text of Nepalese anthropology, People of Nepal offers a comprehensive and pioneering survey of the complex cultural mosaic that defines the Himalayan nation. Authored by Dor Bahadur Bista, often acknowledged as the father of modern anthropology in Nepal, the book represents one of the first systematic attempts by a native scholar to document his country's immense ethnic and linguistic diversity.The work is organized geographically across Nepal's three main ecological zones: the high Himalayan regions in the north, the temperate Middle Hills, and the southern plains of the Terai. Bista provides detailed examinations of numerous ethnic groups and castes—including the Sherpa, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tharu, and Hindu caste groups like Brahmans and Chhetris. He describes their social structures, economic practices (ranging from agriculture to trans-Himalayan trade), marriage traditions, and complex religious systems that blend Hinduism, Buddhism, and animistic shamanism.Originally published in the 1960s, the book serves today as an invaluable historical record, capturing a snapshot of Nepalese society at a pivotal moment, just before modernization and globalization began to rapidly transform these traditional ways of life. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the roots of contemporary Nepal's social diversity.