NEPAL: A LITTLE-KNOWN KINGDOM 



249 



Drawn by A. H. Bumstead 



MAP SHOWING THE GEOGRAPHICAL RELATION OF NEPAL TO INDIA, BURMA, 



AND TIBET 



The kingdom of Nepal has an area comparable to the combined areas of New York and 



Connecticut. 



The inhabitants of Nepal are collect- 

 ively known as "Paharias," or "Dwellers 

 in the Hills," and are divided into in- 

 numerable castes, of which the principal 

 among the Gurkhas, now the dominant 

 race, are as follows in the order of social 

 precedence : 



The following are known as high caste : 



i. Brahmans, who eat rice cooked only 



by members of their own caste. They 



drink water from the hands of members 



of castes Nos. 2 to 19. 



2. Surmgasi, who eat rice cooked by 

 Brahmans, Thakuris, and Khas only. 

 They drink water from the hands of all 

 castes up to No. 19. 



3. Thakuri, who eat rice cooked by 

 Brahmans only. They drink water from 

 hands of all members of all castes up 

 to 19. 



4. Khas or Chitsi, who eat rice cooked 

 by Brahmans and Thakuris only and 

 drink water from hands of all members 

 of castes Nos. 2 to 19. 



The intermediate castes run from 5 to 



19, inclusive, and the lower castes from 

 20 to 24, inclusive. 



The five castes from 20 to 24 do not 

 have Brahmans as priests. Their priests 

 are members of their own castes. They 

 have no dealings of any kind with castes 

 1 to 20. They must leave the road on 

 the approach of a member of castes Nos. 

 1 to 19 and call out to give warning of 

 their approach. They may not enter the 

 courtyards of temples. 



The Bantor, Danuar, and Drai tribes 

 belong to the plains, and no one knows 

 how to classify them in respect to social 

 precedence. 



RECRUITING FOR ARMY IS RESTRICTED TO 

 CERTAIN CLASSES 



Recruiting for the British and Nepalese 

 armies is carried on only from certain of 

 these castes. In addition to these, there 

 are among the Newars, or conquered 

 people, 41 castes and subcastes. 



Then all trades are subdivided into 

 castes — masons, carpenters, potters, etc. 



It can be imagined that, with such a 



