The population consists of Mongoloid tribes who have immigrated from the Tibetan border, and of Aryan refugees from the plains of India. West of the Kali river, almost all the inhabitants claim a descent from Hindu colonists. They accordingly consist principally of Brahmans and Kshatriyas, with their various subdivisions. East of the Kali, the Magar occupied the lower hills in the western parts, and are at present enlisted by the Gurkha sovereigns, composing a great majority of their troops ; the Gurung, a pastoral tribe ; the Jariyas ; the Newars, an industrious people, following agriculture and commerce, and more advanced in the mechanical arts than the other mountain tribes ; the Dhenwars and Mhanjis, the husbandmen and fishers of the western districts ; the Bhutias ; the Bhanras, which branched off from the Newars ; and to time eastward, some districts of the Nepal dominions are inhabited by the Limbuas and Nacarkuti tribes.
Mr. Hunter gives the Nepal races as under :— Nepal, East to West.—Serpa, Sunwar, Gurung, Murmi, Magar, Khaksya, Pakhya, Newar, Limbu. The language of the Magar, Gurung, and Newar is chiefly Tibetan.
Kiranti Group, East Nepal.—Kiranti, Rodong, Rungchenbung, Chhingtang.rya, Nach-hereng, Wa ling, Yakua, Chourasya, Kulungya, Thulungya, Babingya, Lohorong, Limbichbong, Balali, Sang pang, Dumi, Khaliug, Dungmali.
Broken tribes of Nepal.—llarhi, Dhenwar, Pahri, Chepang, Brahma, Vayu, Kuswar, Kusunda, Tbaroo.
The martial classes are the Kimas, Magar, and Gurung, each comprising a very numerous clan or race variously subdivided.
Khas, Kilns, or Kmts is the usual title of the dominant race, and Salt or Salmi, the tribal title of the royal family. They are descendants of immigrant Hindu Rajputs with Nepal women. The Khas possess a pre - eminently masculine energy of character and love of enterprise, and have a free, sometimes a noble carriage. The Khas form one of tho martial classes, and hold jaghir lands on military tenure. This and other two tribes take the name of Gurkha, which the Chinese pronounce Ku-ru Kali. It is derived from the eponymous deity of the royal family, Gorakhshanath or Gorkhanath, whom Brahmans claim to be a form of Siva. Gorkha town, the original seat of the Khas, is 60 miles W.N.W. of Khatmandu. They have 13 divisions, and 116 clans.
In the west of Nepal dwell the Gummy and Magni- tribes, small, with features of an extreme Mongolian type, full of martial ardour and energy. In feature and figure, the true Gurkha are always remarkable, from their broad Chinese or Tartar like physiognomy, the small eyes, flat nose, and meagre whiskers, as well as the stout, square make and sturdy limbs. The Magar have peopled the lower Gogra valley. The men are of great bodily and mental vigour. The Gurung are an energetic and pastoral race. It has been calculated that there are in Nepal no less than 30,000 Dakhriah, or soldiers off the roll by rotation, belonging to the Khas, Magar, and Gurung tribes. Their energy of character, love of enterprise, and freedom from the shackles of caste, are con spicuous, and, in the opinion of competent judges, they are by far the best soldiers of India. The
Government of British India since 1840 has been employing them in their native army.
The Newer belong to the Indo-Tibetan stock, and profess Buddhism. They are confined almost to the valley of Nepal. They are divided into several orders, according to trades and occupations. They are peaceable agriculturists, and skilful workers in iron, copper, brass, and bell-metal ; the chief seats of industry being Lalita Patan and Bhatgaon. Their copper, brass, and bell metal vessels are exported to Tibet. Newar women, as well as the men of the hill tribe of Magars, weave two sorts of cotton cloth, partly for home use and partly for exportation. Those who are not very poor wear woollen blankets, which are manufactured by the Bhutias, who wear nothing else.
The Bhame are a sort of separatists from the Newar, supposed to amount to 5000. They shave their heads like the Bhutia, observe many of the religious rites as well as civil customs of the latter, in a dialect of whose language they are said to preserve their sacred writings. The lauds of Nepal proper are cultivated almost without exception by Newars. The Parbatya tribe, called Dherwara, cultivates the western lands at Nur kale, etc. The Dherwar and Margi are the hus bandmen of the western districts. Parbatya is a general name given in India to the mountain Hindus of Nepal, and to their language.
The Elthariah are the descendants, more or less pure, of Rajputs and other Kshatriyas of the plains, who sought refuge in these mountains from the Muslim, or merely military service, as adventurers. The Elthariah speak only the Khas language.
The Illurnii or Tamar are a very numerous tribe of Tibetan origin, dwelling in all parts of the Nepal mountains, from the Gandak river, 20 miles W. of Khatmandu, to the Mechi river. When in smaller numbers they are to be met with in the Sikkim country as far east as the Tista. The great bulk of the tribe, however, is to be found between the valley of Nepal and the Dood Kosi. Murmi are taller, coarser in their feature, and more Tibetan in their temperament, than the remaining tribes, and appear to be Tibetan, or more Tibetan than Gangetic. Mr. Hodgsoli thinks that they do not notably exceed the Gangetic stature. Of all the tribes on the S. side of Himalaya, they have least changed in habits. Tliey settle on the moun \ tains at elevations of 4000 o 6000 feet, living in cottages made of stone and thatched with grass. They are altogether a pasto al and agricultural people, rearing flocks of sheep and goats near the snows, arid cultivating Indian corn and murwa (Elcusine coracana) at the greatest elevations capable of producing them. They are Buddhists 1 of the Bhutia and Lepcha Lama sect. Their 1 priests are not restricted to celibacy. They have several families or clans. They bury their dead on the tops of mountains, and raise tombs of earth and stones, covered by a slab of stone, on which the name is engraved.