An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of GorkhaHamilton, Francis
History
An Account of The Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Dominion by the House of Gorkha
Hamilton, Francis
Nepal -- Description and travel; Nepal -- History
In all these hill tribes the women were weavers, and seem to have enjoyed
great privileges; but the plurality of husbands had not been introduced
with the religion of Thibet. Until the arrival of the Rajputs, they seem
all to have eaten every kind of animal food, and still do so whenever
they are at liberty to indulge their inclinations. They still continue
to drink spirituous liquors. Each tribe appears originally to have had a
priesthood and deities peculiar to itself, although the worship of Bhim
Sen, the son of Pandu, seems to be very general, and to have been that
which preceded the doctrine of the Buddhas; but first the Lamas, or,
perhaps, rather the Zogis, and then the Brahmans, have made
encroachments, and at the same time introduced many new customs. They
have not yet introduced the custom of inoculation for the small-pox, and
those who are seized are put into a separate hut, to which the friends
daily convey water and food, but do not enter; and the sick is allowed to
take his chance. They are all very slovenly and dirty.
The tribes, which, on the arrival of the colonies from Hindustan,
occupied the country east from the Kali river, (for those to the west
have been extirpated or abolished,) were chiefly Magars, Gurungs,
Jariyas, Newars, Murmis, Kirats, Limbus, Lapchas, and Bhotiyas. Colonel
Kirkpatrick {25} mentions also people called Nuggerkoties and Hawoos, of
whom I have not heard. All these tribes he calls Hindus of the meanest
cast; but on what foundation, unless that they are Pagans, and neither
Christians nor Muhammedans, I do not know.
The Magars, called Mungurs by Colonel Kirkpatrick, occupied a great
proportion of the lower hills in the western parts, seem to have received
the Rajput chiefs with much cordiality, and have now adopted a great part
of the ferocious customs of these mountain Hindus. They eat copiously
the flesh of hogs, goats, sheep, ducks, and fowls, but now abstain from
beef. They are much addicted to intoxication, and are excessively cruel
and treacherous; but they are men of great bodily vigour and mental
activity. They have, in general, submitted to the guidance of the same
Brahmans and Sannyasis that instruct the Rajputs; but formerly had
priests of their own tribe called Damis, and seemed to have worshipped
chiefly ghosts. They marry only one wife.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account