Notes on the Bhotias of Almora and British Garhival. 



By C. A. Sherring, M.A., F.R.G.S., I.C.S. Communicated by R. Burn, I.C.S. 



[Read August 2nd, 1905.] 



[The term Bhotia outside the districts of Almora and Garhwal is applied generally to Tibetans, but in these 

 two districts it has a distinctive meaning of its own and is applied to a race of men who are not Tibetans 

 but come of Tibetan stock.] 



Contents. 



Page. 



I. Bhotias subdivided , 93 



II. Jethoras 95 



III. Tolchas and Marchas 95 



IV. Shokas or Rawats 96 



V. Bhotias of Pargana Darma 102 



VI. Dumras and others 117 



The accounts that we find about the Bhotias of Almora and British Garhwal in 

 Atkinson's Gazetteer, and the interesting articles written by Mr. Traill, Commissioner of 

 Kumaun, eighty years ago, are at the present time misleading, in that they do not accu- 

 rately describe the people as they are at this moment. The tact is that the Bhotias 

 have undoubtedly changed in many of their ways and customs, owing to the influences 

 of Hinduism, and that now we have more accurate information than was available 

 formerly. 



It is impossible to discuss the Bhotias, as a whole, on the supposition that as we give 

 these people the one name, we can review their habits and customs as if they belonged to 

 one more or less homogeneous tribe. The further our enquiries take us, the more clearly 

 we see that they must be subdivided into their different clans, and each clan must be 

 dealt with by itself, entirely apart from its supposed connection with any other clan. 

 And first of all we have to realize how entirely distinct are the usages and even language 

 in the different subdivisions. 



We find that although some of the Bhotias have forgotten the original dialect which 

 was, at one time, current amongst them and now speak the ordinary hill dialect common to 

 the neighbouring hillmen, yet there are five dialects which are still alive, and spoken to 

 some considerable extent. These all belong to the Tibetan branch of the Himalayan 

 group of the Tibeto-Burman family, and give us much assistance in subdividing the Bhotia 

 people. 



These five dialects, and the number of persons approximately who speak them, are 

 as follows : — 



1. Rankas or Shaukiya Khun (614). This dialect is spoken in Goriphat, Johar, and 

 four villages of Malla Danpur, Almora District. 



Mem. A.S.B. 22-1=06 



