The Tamang (; Devanagari: तामाङ; ''tāmāṅ'') are an Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal. In Nepal Tamang/Moormi people constitute 5.6% of the Nepalese population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 as of the 2011 census. Tamang people are also found in significant numbers in the Indian state of Sikkim and districts of Darjeeling and

Kalimpong Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...

in West Bengal state of India and various districts in the southern foothills of the

Kingdom of Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...

. Such

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

include the Tsirang District, the Dagana District, the Samtse District, the Chukha District, the

Sarpang District Sarpang District (Dzongkha: གསར་སྤང་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie: ''Gsar-spang rdzong-khag''; also known as "Geylegphug") is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) comprising Bhutan. Sarpang covers a total area of 1,946 sq km and ...

and the Samdrup Jongkhar District. Emergent North-East : A Way Forward By H. C. Sadangi Tamang language is the fifth most-spoken language in Nepal.

Etymology

''Tamang'' may be derived from the word ''Tamang'', where ''Ta'' means "horse" and ''Mak'' means "warrior" in

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...

. However, there are no written documentations of Horse Riders. Some scientific research claims Tamangs having Prehistoric and Genetic roots. Tamang Girl Portrait

History

The Tamangs, who have lived in from hills outside the

Kathmandu Valley The Kathmandu Valley ( ne, काठमाडौं उपत्यका; also known as the Nepal Valley or Nepa Valley ( ne, नेपाः उपत्यका, Nepal Bhasa: 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑑅 𑐐𑐵𑑅, नेपाः गाः)), ...

to the southern slope of Langtang, Ganesh, Jugal himal and

Rolwaling Rolwāling Valley ( ne, रोल्वालिङ् भ्याली. ), knows as a (Gaurishankar) rural municipality, is a section of the Himalayas in east-central Nepal along the Tibet border. Rolwaling Himal includes Melungtse 7181m and M ...

probably since pre-historic time, have been mentioned in various Nepalese and colonial historical records under a variety of names, such as Bhote, Lama, Murmi, Sain some of which terms erroneously conflate the Tamangs with Uighurs. Meanwhile, the Tibetans called them ''Rongpa''. Various Gorkha rulers led campaigns against the Indigenous Tamangs, The Gorkha Vamsavali provides details of battles with the ''Bhotyas'' of a variety of principalities between 1806 and 1862. In 1739, a ruler named Ghale-Botya attacked Narabhupal Shah as he was marching towards Nuwakot, and Narabhupal Shah also fought several battles against Golma Ghale. In 1762, Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked the Tamangs in

Temal Temal is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Vau i Dejës. The population at the 2011 census was 1,562.Sunkoshi riverbank. for attacking on tamang forces. Afterwards, later at end of war Gorkhas washed their weapons in springs as Dapcha Kuwapani, and this is why to the modern day tamangs do not drink there. Similar stories appear in oral histories throughout the region. After the attacking of the Tamang region, their homeland traditional area, known as ''kipat'' to the Gorkhas, was granted to Gorkha generals or government officials who had pleased the king in some way, displacing the Tamangs from ''kipat'' lands. Previously Tamang landholdings had been divided up by clan. Tamangs also had various forced labour obligations, both in times of peace and war, that differed significantly from other regions of Nepal. One reason is the proximity of the Tamang homeland to the centre of royal administration at Kathmandu. Tamangs were also involved in the Sino-Nepalese War (

Nepali Nepali or Nepalese may refer to : Concerning Nepal * Anything of, from, or related to Nepal * Nepali people, citizens of Nepal * Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...

: नेपाल-चीन युद्ध), also known as the Sino-Gorkha war and in Chinese the campaign of Gorkha ( Chinese: 廓爾喀之役).The war was initially fought between Nepalese Gorkhas and Tibetan armies over a trade dispute related to a long-standing problem of low-quality coins manufactured by Nepal for Tibet. It is believed that Tibetans who travelled to Nepal for trade purposes had settled in and around Kathmandu valley.

Political participation

Some ethnographers have drawn a link between Tamang people and ancient Mongol populations who emigrated to the Himalayas.

Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal is a political party in Nepal affiliated with preserving the Tamang people's ancestral lands. The party was officially founded on February 4, 2008 but had been registered with the Election Commission of Nepal in October ...

, and the more broadly representative

Mongol National Organisation The Mongol National Organisation is a political party in Nepal. In contrast to different '' Mulbaasi'' movements, MNO emphasizes racial identity rather than ethnicity. MNO rejects the term 'janajati'. The party was denied registration in 1990. Al ...

(MNO), support

self-determination The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...

for Tamangs and campaign on an discrimination platform. The MNO opposes conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism. It currently holds no official parliamentary vote. The

Federal Limbuwan State Council Federal Limbuwan State Council (FLSC) is an active federal supported political party of eastern Nepal led by Kumar Lingden, advocating an ethnic autonomous region for the Limbu people. It is a merger of 5 former political parties: among them Sang ...

(FLSC) also works towards similar goals for self-determination for the Kirati peoples, who co-mingle with Tamangs, citing a reneged treaty with Kathmandu for autonomy. The associated Sanghiya Limbuwan Party has participated in calling a

banda Banda may refer to: People *Banda (surname) *Banda Prakash (born 1954), Indian politician *Banda Kanakalingeshwara Rao (1907–1968), Indian actor *Banda Karthika Reddy (born 1977), Indian politician *Banda Singh Bahadur (1670–1716), Sikh warr ...

during the

2015 Nepal blockade : The 2015 Nepal blockade, which began on 23 September 2015 and lasted about six months, was an economic and humanitarian crisis which severely affected Nepal and its economy. Nepal has accused India of imposing an undeclared blockade trigger ...

in an attempt to draw attention to their demands. In the 1980s, a militant Gorkhaland movement within India led by the prominent

Subhas Ghising Subash Ghisingh was an Indian politician who was the leader of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), which he founded in 1980. He was the chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in West Bengal, India from 1988 to 2008. He spearheaded ...

was viewed as a security threat due to its activities in and around the strategically significant Siliguri Corridor. Madan Tamang, a Tamang-Indian politician and proponent for Gorkhaland statehood, was assassinated in 2010, with the West Bengal government placing blame on another Gorkhaland political party. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was created as a compromise to Ghorkaland statehood in India. In Nepal, ethnic tensions between indigenous groups and khas peoples remains an issue. In 2017

Binay Tamang Binay Tamang (also spelled Binoy, born 28 December 1965) is an Indian Politician and a former leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha political party. He joined All India Trinamool Congress in 2021 and Left party in 2022. Early life Tamang live ...

was appointed as the Chairperson of GTA.

Culture

Tamang tradition and culture includes a distinct language, culture, dress and social structure. They have over 100 sub-clans. About 90% of the Tamang are Buddhist. Their language, Tamang, comes from the Tamangic branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family and is closely related to Gurung. They follow the Chinese lunar calendar of the 12-year cycle. Colorful printed Buddhist mantra cloths are put up in various places in villages and towns. Their typical song and dance style is known as Tamang Selo, and includes songs representing humor, satire, joy and sorrow. It has a brisk movement and rhythmic beat specific to the Tamangs. A distinctive musical instrument is the damphu, a small, round drum covered with goatskin. Traditional Tamang songs are known as Hwai. Sung by Tamang genealogists called Tamba, Hwai songs are ritualistic and hold tremendous importance in Tamang rituals. Tamang Sonam Lochhar 2018 DC (39632023534)

Tamang Sonam Lochhar 2018 DC (39632023534)

Festivals

Sonam Lhosar is the main festival of the Tamangs and is celebrated in the month of Magh (February–March). It is celebrated to welcome the Tamang new year. Also significant is

Buddha Jayanti Buddha's Birthday (also known as Buddha Jayanti, also known as his day of enlightenment – Buddha Purnima, Buddha Pournami) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of East Asia and South Asia commemorating the birth of the Prince ...

, a religious festival based on birthday of Gautam Buddha.

Trekking and tourism

Tamang villages are often visited on Nepal's numerous trekking routes, one being labelled ''Tamang Heritage Trail''.

Notable Tamang people

* Madan Tamang - Indian politician and the president of

Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League ( ABGL) (also called All India Gorkha League (AIGL/IGL)) is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking Gorkha population in Darjeeling District and Kalimpong District of West Bengal, India. The party was ...

(ABGL) * Subhash Ghisingh - founding leader of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) * Prem Singh Tamang- 6th and current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Sikkim * Parijat (Bishnu Kumari Waiba) - Indian-born Nepali writer *

Nim Dorjee Tamang Nim Dorjee Tamang (born 30 October 1995) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Hyderabad. Career Born in Melli, Sikkim, Tamang started playing football with the Namchi Sports Hostel befor ...

- Indian footballer *

Nagen Tamang Nagen Tamang (born 19 February 1989 in Kurseong) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward. Career Rangdajied United Tamang made his professional debut for Rangdajied in the I-League on 4 October 2013 against Dempo at the Ja ...

- Indian footballer from Kurseong *

- Indian footballer *

Hira Devi Waiba Hira Devi Waiba (9 September 1940 – 19 January 2011) was an Indian folk singer in the Nepali-language and is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs. Her song "Chura ta Hoina Astura Tamang Selo ( Nepali: तामाङ सेलो) ...

- Nepali Tamang Selo singer * Aruna Lama - singer, also known as 'Nightingale of the Hills'. *

Navneet Aditya Waiba Navneet Aditya Waiba is an Indian Nepali-language folk singer and the daughter of the late Hira Devi Waiba, the pioneer of Nepali folk music. Navneet and younger brother Satya Aditya Waiba (producer/manager) are the only artists in the Nepali ...

- singer *

Gopal Yonjan Gopal Yonzan, also spelled Yonjan, (26 August 1943 – 20 May 1997) was a Nepali lyricist, singer, and composer. He was known for his patriotic Nepali songs. His voice range allowed him to sing songs of every genre of Nepalese music. He belongs ...

- musician, music producer, and composer * Raju Lama- singer, lead vocalist of Mongolian Heart band. *

Karma Yonzon Karma Yonzon is an Indian composer of Nepali music based in Darjeeling. He is the brother of musician Gopal Yonzon. He has composed music for numerous singers like Narayan Gopal, Aruna Lama Aruna Lama (9 September 19454 February 1998) was ...

- singer, musician, music producer, and composer *

Buddha Lama Buddha Lama (born November 23, 1997) is Nepalese singer, actor, dancer and model who rose to fame after winning the title and becoming the first winner of Nepalese TV series ''Nepal Idol''. Since winning ''Nepal Idol'', he has become a teen idol. ...

- first Nepal Idol winner, singer, musician, Composer *

Nima Rumba Nima Rumba is a singer, lyricist, musician, and actor from Nepal. Some of his popular songs are ''Block Hill'', ''Huri Bataas'', ''Samjhera Ti din Haru'', ''Aau Aauna'', and ''Preeti Basyo''. Personal life Nima was born in Subarnapur, Parsa ...

- singer, musician, composer, and actor * Prashant Tamang- third Indian Idol winner, singer, actor * VTEN (Samir Ghising) - rapper * Robin Tamang - rock musician and actor *

Kul Man Ghising Kulman Ghising ( ne, कुलमान घिसिङ, ) is the current managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). He is known for solving the load-shedding (power cut) problem, whereby, for decades, the country had power outages ...

- engineer, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority *

Bhim Bahadur Tamang Bhim Bahadur Tamang (Nepali:भीमबहादुर तामाङ) (1933 – December 1, 2012)Parijat (Bishnu Kumari Waiba), Nepali writer and poet File:Prashant Tamang 03.jpg, alt=Prashant Tamang, Indian singer and winner of Indian Idol., Prashant Tamang, Indian singer and winner of Indian Idol. File:Prem Singh Tamang.jpg, alt=Prem Singh Tamang, 6th CM of Sikkim,, Prem Singh Tamang, 6th CM of Sikkim, File:Navneet Aditya Waiba.jpg, alt=Navneet Aditya Waiba Tamang/Nepali folk singer.,

Tamang/Nepali folk singer. File:Tamang Sonam Lochhar 2018 DC (39446275955) (1) cropped.jpg, alt=A couple performing Tamang selo dance, A couple performing Tamang Selo dance

References

External links

* {{Authority control Buddhist communities of India Buddhist communities of Nepal Sino-Tibetan-speaking people Ethnic groups in Nepal Ethnic groups in Northeast India Ethnic groups in South Asia