Yakkha (Nepali याक्खा, Yākkhā) is an indigenous ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent, mainly in modern-day Nepal and present-day India (related to other Kirat groups, like the Limbu, Sunuwar, Rai, and more distantly all other Sino-Tibetan peoples). It is one of the descendants of Nepal's prehistoric Kirat dynasty. The Yakkha people are subsistence farmers who inhabit the lower Arun valley in eastern Nepal. They number only a few thousand and their language is nearly extinct.[4][5]
Scholars have different opinions regarding the origin of the word Yakkha. One school of thought claims that the ethnonym Yakkha as per the Aryan Sanskrit grammar had been spelled in the Aryan-Hindu mythologies as Yaksa-sh (like Bhisu-shu for an ascetic Bhikchu of the Buddhist holy scripts). Although the legendary Yaksa-sh, by the corrupt name of Yakkha, is mentioned in religious Hindu texts, the Vedas and ancient Sanskrit literature, Yakkha has historically been consistent in the use of its own endonyms. Yakkhawa or Yakkhaba is used to denote the male person and Yakkhama to denote the female person.[6]
Exonymsedit
The Yakkhas are also known by the exonyms Majhiya, Jimdar and Dewan, titles they accepted after the conquest of the Kirat land by the Gorkhas under Prithvi Narayan Shah. The Yakkhas were not only given ownership of the land but were also given the responsibility of collecting taxes from the lands utilised by Yakkhas as well as non-Yakkhas living in the area. In Darjeeling district, Kalimpong district and Sikkim of India, Dewan is commonly used as a synonym of Yakkha, and as Dewans they are placed in the Other Backward Class category.[7]
Yakkha Land (Yākkhālen)edit
Today, the Yakkha Motherland is considered a patch among the historic Kirat region (i.e., east of the Kathmandu valley). During the National Unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the traditional bases of the Kirat Lands were merged. The Far Kirat (Pallo Kirat) of the Limbuwan area to the east of the Arun River was divided into seventeen Thums. Among these Seventeen Thums, the Panch (5) Khapan, Panch (5) Majhiya and Das (10) Majhiya; Tin Thum Yakkhalen are regarded as the traditional area of the Yakkhas. This Yakkha area is the Southern part of Sankhuwasabha district bordering the Terhathum District and Taplejung District in the East; Dhankuta District in the South; and Bhojpur District in the West; of the Eastern Nepal. Sibhuwa, Syabun, Wana, Dadagau, Swachi, Yangsijong are the names of 5 Khapan; Madi Mulkharka, Tamafok, Mamgling, Ankhibhuin, Chanuwa, Dandagaun, etc. are the names of the 10 Majhiyas and Hattisudhe, Kingring, Chapabhuin, etc. are the name of 5 Majhiyas.[8]
Religion, language and cultureedit
The Yakkhas have a distinct language, culture and tradition. The Yakkha language is a Tibeto-Burman language. The onset of modernism and influence from external factors have caused a rapid disappearance of the Yakkha language.[9] The Yakkhas practice the Kirati religion of nature worship. There are 32 family names (Thar) in the Yakkhas. Each Thar also has a sub-group called the Sameychong. Marriages do not occur between families sharing the same Sameychong.
Populationedit
As per the National Population and Housing Census 2021 of Nepal, the population of Yakkhas in Nepal was 17,460 (0.06% of the total population of Nepal).[1] As per the 2011 Nepal census of Nepal, the population of Yakkhas in Nepal was 24,336 (0.1% of the total population of Nepal).[10] As per the population census of Nepal 2001, there were 17,003 Yakkhas in Nepal. A few thousand Yakkhas live in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, Sikkim, North-Eastern states and other parts of India.
As per the 2021 Nepal census, the population of Yakkha people by province is as follows:[1]
As per the 2021 Nepal census, the population of Yakkha people by district is as follows:[1]
Taplejung: 235
Sankhuwasabha: 5752
Dhankuta: 4344
Terhathum: 180
Panchthar: 471
Ilam: 1308
Jhapa: 672
Morang: 1698
Sunsari: 1730
Udayapur: 47
Saptari: 12
Bara: 77
Nuwakot: 10
Kathmandu: 367
Bhaktapur: 29
Lalitpur: 229
Kavrepalanchok: 12
Chitawan: 12
Gorkha: 11
Kaski: 11
Nawalparasi (West): 88
Rupandehi: 90
Notesedit
^ abcd"National Population and Housing Census 2021". Central Bureau of Statistics, Government of Nepal.
^"Linguistic and Religious Minorities under SSP Led Government" (PDF).
^"Caste ethnicity and religion of Nepal Ministry of Health" (PDF).
^K. David Harrison When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the ... Page 172 2007 "The Yakkha people are subsistence farmers who number only a few thousand and inhabit the lower Arun valley in eastern Nepal."
^Mark-Anthony Falzon Multi-Sited Ethnography: Theory, Praxis, and Locality in ... Page 5 - 2009 "5 He proceeded to do multi-sited fieldwork with Yakkha people in Tamaphok, Nepal, and various migrant destinations in India and elsewhere."
Russell, Andrew (1992). The Yakha: Culture, Environment and Development in East Nepal. Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Ph.D. Thesis.
Russell, Andrew J. (1997). "Identity Management and Cultural Change: Religion and Politics Amongst the Yakha". In Gellner, David N.; Whelpton, John; Pfaff-Czarnecka, Joanna (eds.). Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom: The Politics of Culture in Contemporary Nepal. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers. pp. 325–350. ISBN90-5702-089-0. OCLC 468829815.
Russell, Andrew J. (Summer 2000). "The Missing and the Met: Routing Clifford amongst the Yakha in Nepal and NE India". Journeys. 1 (1): 86–113. doi:10.3167/146526000782488045.
Russell, Andrew J. (2004). "Traditions in Transition: Sanskritization and Yakkhafication in East Nepal". History and Anthropology. 15 (3): 251–261. doi:10.1080/0275720042000257458. OCLC 366675559. S2CID 144537750.
Russell, Andrew J. (September 2007). "Writing Traveling Cultures: Travel and Ethnography amongst the Yakkha of East Nepal". Ethnos: Journal of Anthropology. 72 (3): 361–382. doi:10.1080/00141840701576976. S2CID 146473574.
Subba, Tanka B. (1999). Politics of Culture: A Study of Three Kirata Communities in the Eastern Himalayas. Chennai: Orient Longman. ISBN81-250-1693-7. OCLC 44510406.
Yakkha, Durga Hang (2002). Kirat Yakkha Ko Itihas Ek Chhalphal (in Nepali). Discussion on the history of the Kirat Yakkha.
External linksedit
Yakkha Documentary
October 26, 2023
yakkha, people, this, article, about, ethnic, group, himalayas, mythological, creature, yaksha, confused, with, yaka, people, congo, yakkha, nepali, yākkhā, indigenous, ethnic, group, from, indian, subcontinent, mainly, modern, nepal, present, india, related, . This article is about the ethnic group of the Himalayas For the mythological creature see Yaksha Not to be confused with the Yaka people of Congo Yakkha Nepali य क ख Yakkha is an indigenous ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent mainly in modern day Nepal and present day India related to other Kirat groups like the Limbu Sunuwar Rai and more distantly all other Sino Tibetan peoples It is one of the descendants of Nepal s prehistoric Kirat dynasty The Yakkha people are subsistence farmers who inhabit the lower Arun valley in eastern Nepal They number only a few thousand and their language is nearly extinct 4 5 Yakkhaय क ख Yakkha women in traditional dressTotal population Nepal 17 460 2021 1 IndiaSikkim193 2006 2 LanguagesYakkha language NepaliReligionMajority Kiratism 81 Others Hinduism11 50 3 Related ethnic groupsLimbu and Rai Contents 1 Etymology 2 Exonyms 3 Yakkha Land Yakkhalen 4 Religion language and culture 5 Population 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEtymology editScholars have different opinions regarding the origin of the word Yakkha One school of thought claims that the ethnonym Yakkha as per the Aryan Sanskrit grammar had been spelled in the Aryan Hindu mythologies as Yaksa sh like Bhisu shu for an ascetic Bhikchu of the Buddhist holy scripts Although the legendary Yaksa sh by the corrupt name of Yakkha is mentioned in religious Hindu texts the Vedas and ancient Sanskrit literature Yakkha has historically been consistent in the use of its own endonyms Yakkhawa or Yakkhaba is used to denote the male person and Yakkhama to denote the female person 6 Exonyms editThe Yakkhas are also known by the exonyms Majhiya Jimdar and Dewan titles they accepted after the conquest of the Kirat land by the Gorkhas under Prithvi Narayan Shah The Yakkhas were not only given ownership of the land but were also given the responsibility of collecting taxes from the lands utilised by Yakkhas as well as non Yakkhas living in the area In Darjeeling district Kalimpong district and Sikkim of India Dewan is commonly used as a synonym of Yakkha and as Dewans they are placed in the Other Backward Class category 7 Yakkha Land Yakkhalen editToday the Yakkha Motherland is considered a patch among the historic Kirat region i e east of the Kathmandu valley During the National Unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah the traditional bases of the Kirat Lands were merged The Far Kirat Pallo Kirat of the Limbuwan area to the east of the Arun River was divided into seventeen Thums Among these Seventeen Thums the Panch 5 Khapan Panch 5 Majhiya and Das 10 Majhiya Tin Thum Yakkhalen are regarded as the traditional area of the Yakkhas This Yakkha area is the Southern part of Sankhuwasabha district bordering the Terhathum District and Taplejung District in the East Dhankuta District in the South and Bhojpur District in the West of the Eastern Nepal Sibhuwa Syabun Wana Dadagau Swachi Yangsijong are the names of 5 Khapan Madi Mulkharka Tamafok Mamgling Ankhibhuin Chanuwa Dandagaun etc are the names of the 10 Majhiyas and Hattisudhe Kingring Chapabhuin etc are the name of 5 Majhiyas 8 Religion language and culture editThe Yakkhas have a distinct language culture and tradition The Yakkha language is a Tibeto Burman language The onset of modernism and influence from external factors have caused a rapid disappearance of the Yakkha language 9 The Yakkhas practice the Kirati religion of nature worship There are 32 family names Thar in the Yakkhas Each Thar also has a sub group called the Sameychong Marriages do not occur between families sharing the same Sameychong Population editAs per the National Population and Housing Census 2021 of Nepal the population of Yakkhas in Nepal was 17 460 0 06 of the total population of Nepal 1 As per the 2011 Nepal census of Nepal the population of Yakkhas in Nepal was 24 336 0 1 of the total population of Nepal 10 As per the population census of Nepal 2001 there were 17 003 Yakkhas in Nepal A few thousand Yakkhas live in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts Sikkim North Eastern states and other parts of India As per the 2021 Nepal census the population of Yakkha people by province is as follows 1 Koshi Province 16 451 Madhesh Province 90 Bagmati Province 682 Gandaki Province 39 Lumbini Province 182 Karnali Province 0 Sudurpashchim Province 10As per the 2021 Nepal census the population of Yakkha people by district is as follows 1 Taplejung 235 Sankhuwasabha 5752 Dhankuta 4344 Terhathum 180 Panchthar 471 Ilam 1308 Jhapa 672 Morang 1698 Sunsari 1730 Udayapur 47Saptari 12 Bara 77Nuwakot 10 Kathmandu 367 Bhaktapur 29 Lalitpur 229 Kavrepalanchok 12 Chitawan 12Gorkha 11 Kaski 11Nawalparasi West 88 Rupandehi 90Notes edit a b c d National Population and Housing Census 2021 Central Bureau of Statistics Government of Nepal Linguistic and Religious Minorities under SSP Led Government PDF Caste ethnicity and religion of Nepal Ministry of Health PDF K David Harrison When Languages Die The Extinction of the World s Languages and the Page 172 2007 The Yakkha people are subsistence farmers who number only a few thousand and inhabit the lower Arun valley in eastern Nepal Mark Anthony Falzon Multi Sited Ethnography Theory Praxis and Locality in Page 5 2009 5 He proceeded to do multi sited fieldwork with Yakkha people in Tamaphok Nepal and various migrant destinations in India and elsewhere Kirat Yakkha Chhumma UK Kiratyakkhachhumma co uk Retrieved 2015 12 23 List of Other Backward Classes in West Bengal West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Kirat Yakkha Chhumma KYC UK Retrieved 2018 05 04 Yakkha Himalayan Languages Retrieved 2015 12 23 National Population and Housing Census 2011 PDF Central Bureau of Statistics Government of Nepal Retrieved 2017 10 26 References editLewis M Paul ed 2009 Ethnologue Languages of the World 16th ed Dallas Texas SIL International Russell Andrew 1992 The Yakha Culture Environment and Development in East Nepal Wolfson College University of Oxford Ph D Thesis Russell Andrew J 1997 Identity Management and Cultural Change Religion and Politics Amongst the Yakha In Gellner David N Whelpton John Pfaff Czarnecka Joanna eds Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom The Politics of Culture in Contemporary Nepal Amsterdam Harwood Academic Publishers pp 325 350 ISBN 90 5702 089 0 OCLC 468829815 Russell Andrew J Summer 2000 The Missing and the Met Routing Clifford amongst the Yakha in Nepal and NE India Journeys 1 1 86 113 doi 10 3167 146526000782488045 Russell Andrew J 2004 Traditions in Transition Sanskritization and Yakkhafication in East Nepal History and Anthropology 15 3 251 261 doi 10 1080 0275720042000257458 OCLC 366675559 S2CID 144537750 Russell Andrew J September 2007 Writing Traveling Cultures Travel and Ethnography amongst the Yakkha of East Nepal Ethnos Journal of Anthropology 72 3 361 382 doi 10 1080 00141840701576976 S2CID 146473574 Subba Tanka B 1999 Politics of Culture A Study of Three Kirata Communities in the Eastern Himalayas Chennai Orient Longman ISBN 81 250 1693 7 OCLC 44510406 Yakkha Durga Hang 2002 Kirat Yakkha Ko Itihas Ek Chhalphal in Nepali Discussion on the history of the Kirat Yakkha External links editYakkha Documentary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yakkha people amp oldid 1161394736, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
