Nepal
NEPAL
Table of contents:
1. Nepal at a glance
2. History
a. geological b) non-geological
1. Religions
2. Peoples
1.
Basic Facts:
Official Name:
Kingdom of Nepal
Area: 145,391 square kilometres, 885 kilometres
from east to west, 160 kilometres from north to
south
Terrain:
heavily mountainous, 14% of Nepal is cultivated,
13% is pasture, 32% is forested
Highest point: 8.848 m Mount Everest,
Sagarmatha, Chomolungma
Lowest point: 69 m
Topographical Regions:
High mountains of the Himalaya - 27% of total
land area
Mid- Hills - 56%
Low- land Terai - 17%
Climate:
ranging from subtropical (south, Terai) to cool, dry
and alpine (north, Himalayan region)
highly influenced by the monsoon
Population:
about 21.5 million growing at 2.4 percent
annually, 50% under the age of 21
Life expectancy: 53 years
Occupations:
93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry
Government:
Multy-party parliament demogracy headed by
King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
Date of constitution: 9. Nov. 1990
Capital:
Kathmandu (population ~500.
000) situated in
Katmandu Valley (population ~1.000.000)
Peoples:
Tribal groups include: Newar, Gurung, Limbu,
Magar, Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, Tharu
Major hindu caste groups are Brahman and
Chhetri
Other groups: Indians, Tibetians, Muslims
Languages:
official language: Nepali, 58% spoken
Newari 3%, Tibetian languages 19%, Indian
languages 20%
total amount of languages: ~30 + dozens of
dialects
Religion:
Officially: 90% Hindu, 8% Buddhist, 2% Islamic
Reality: 25 % Buddhist
In Nepal Hinduism and Buddhism overlap mostly.
Curreny:
"Rupees" - ~4.5 Rs equals 1 S
2. History:
a.
Geological History:
As Nepal is highly embossed by the gigantic
mountains of the Himalaya (eng.: Abode od
Snow), also the country itself came into being
during the origin of the massif, 130 million years
ago. The Indian continental plate, that had broken
off the huge continent Gondwanaland, drifted
against the Eurasial plate. The enourmous pressure
that resulted from this movement towered up the
material in between the two plates an created the
Himalaya. This process is still in progress (nice
rhyme).
The Terai, he southern part of Nepal, is already on
the Indian plate and thus very low and plane.
b. The Kingdom's History:
The Legend:
says that there was a mysterious lake, set deep in the
mountains. On a small island on this lake grew a blue
lotus, containing the eternal flame of the Primordial
Buddha. Manjushri, a manifestation of the Buddha
came to worship here and, to make the access easier for
pilgrims, he cut a passage through the hills, which
limited the lake, and so drained it.
A fertile valley was revealed, people settled here to
farm and build villages and this became Nepal. The
first settlers were the Newars which were very skilled
at crafts and trade.
The island itself is now a religious centre called
Swayambunath with a Buddhist place of worship - a
stupa.
Early Kingdoms:
The first kingdoms of Nepal were strictly confined to
the Kathmandu Valley. They were organized in
dynasties. The first great one was the Licchavi dynasty,
which lasted from 400-700 A.D..
Other centres of
civilisation only developed in the Terai at Lumbini,
where 543. B.C. a prince of a local ruler was born, who
later achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha
(see Buddhism).
Already Nepal had built up profitable trading links
with its powerful neighbours to the north an south.
Situated in between this two cultural extremes, Nepal
developed a distinctive individual culture.
After a transitional kingdom in Kathmandu Valley, the
upcoming Malla-dynasty brought Nepal's economy
and culture to a golden age (~1200 A.D.). The Valley
was devided among 3 Malla brothers and one sister.
Each of them built up a sort of city-state, which soon
found themselves in a dynamic competition. Rivalty
between them led to a attempt of outdoing each other
in splendour.
So Kathmandu Valley grew into one of the world's
richest region of art and architecture.
Disputes among the 4 Malla kings caused other rules to
gain power in their region. Especially the Muslim
Shahs established a stronghold near Kathmandu after
they had defeated a part of the Malla's Gorkha (Nepali
soldiers) army. This made it possible to gradually
extend their power over the hill-tribes, which represent
a mighty group of people in the surrounding area of
Kathmandu Valley. With their help and supported by
their own Gorkha troops, they invaded the Valley and
expelled the ruling Mallas after 10 years of campaign
in ~1770 A.D.
Thus the Shahs became the new rulers of Nepal and the
Shah-dynasty began.
Mid. History:
The Shahs heavily maintained their expansion policy
and stretched the borders to what is the present day
Kingdom of Nepal. One of the desired territories was a
fertile plane in the south, which just had become vacant
from the power of the decaying Mogul empire. Not
only the Shahs were interested in this region, but also
the British East India Company, that was expanding
too, to fill the political vacuum. After diplomacy had
failed, both parties went to war in 1814 A.
D.. Two
years of conflict followed and at last the British won.
Both signed a peace treaty that introduced a close
friendship among Britain and Nepal. The Shahs could
secure their borders and the B. East India Company
was allowed to set up a British Resident in Kathmandu,
which spoiled Nepal's "holy" independence a little.
Nepali never had appreciated any foreigners or
strangers in their country so the British did not feel
well in the hostile environment of Kathmandu Valley.
This desired isolation from the outside world was
intensified when, in 1846, an army officer from the
Rana familyclan infiltrated the ruling staff of Nepal by
taking advantage of a crisis. The Shah monarch was
deprived of his political power but stayed in his
position as a King whereas the intruder took over the
rule of Nepal as its Prime Minister and Commander in
Chief. Moreover he ensured that after his death, both
posts would be carried on by a member of his own
family. Thus the Shahs remained as deprived kings and
the Ranas controlled the country.
To prevent anybody else from taking over the power,
they totaly isolated Nepal from the outside world for
the next century.
In 1928 only 120 English and 10
other Europeans had entered Kathmandu Valley and
none of them had been permitted to step on the
surrounding hills and areas except for entering or
leaving Nepal. Only some privileged ones were
allowed to join taditional huntings in the Terai.
Building roads was forbidden, so nearly no trade
relations were established.
Tribal groups like the Sherpas near the Tibetan border
were the only ones who could cultivate trading links to
Nepal's northern neighbour.
The Exploration of the Himalaya:
James Renell, a great geographer and map-maker,
realized that the high peaks of the Himalaya could be
seen from the Indian plains at a distance of 240
kilometres. He speculated that some of them might be
higher than 8000m but there was disbelief until a very
striking peak in west Nepal was calculated from India
to be 8167m high, in 1811 A.
D.. This was the famous
Dhaulagiri massif, the world's seventh highest
mountain.
Forty years later only 2 more massifs had been
accurately surveyed. With vague methods Peak XV
was found which was thought to be 8840m high and
thus the highest mountain of the world. Since nobody
knew the mountain's local name it was named after the
former Surveyor-General of India, Sir George Everest.
Years later it was found out, that the Tibetan name for
Mt. Everest is Chomolungma, which was translated as
"The Mountain So High, That No Bird Can Fly Over
It". The Nepalese name for Peak XV is Sagarmatha,
which honors King Sagar, a divinity of the Hindu
legend. Besides, its true altitude is 8848m.
The Time of Espionage:
Related to Nepal's entire isolation, the curiosity of the
Survey of India in the country increased. In 1863 they
used Himalayan traders as their surveyors to get to
know forbidden territories in Nepal.
Those men,
known as Pundits entered disguised and without
permission and went for 2 years across the most distant
and secret areas.
Then several men and expeditions followed
unauthorized and dedicated themselves to the
extravagant mountains of the region. Lots of forbidden
information was gathered.
The Opening of Nepal:
Due to the considerable amount of means and soldiers,
Nepal had placed at Britain's and India's disposal
during both World Wars, the Ranas began to relax their
grip on their country. The effect was, that in 1951 the
Shahs managed to start a revolution, that overthrew the
Ranas and reestablished their rule. Moreover they
abandoned all parties but the Nepalese Congress Party
soon forced them to do an election which they won
instantly.
This set up of modern methods allowed
Nepal to bring the period of seperation to an end.
Needed development programs were started to build up
the basis for an infrastructure. Visitors were gradually
allowed to move around without any restrictions inside
the country.
In 1950 the first 8000m peak was climbed by an
French expedition and three years later, after several
attempts the Mt. Everest was "beaten" by two men
named Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
How to rule?
The current king died and his son King Mahendra
introduced the so-called Panchayat system, a very strict
traditional Hindu policy without any parties, for the
reason, that Westernstyle parliament demogracy could
not work in Nepal.
By his death in 1972 his son, the present day, Westernoriented
King Birendra ascended the throne. He
improved the constitution and extended the Panchayat
with a new single party system. Since the demogracy
movement pushed through a multy-party system in
1990, King Birendra is only the decoration of a multyparty
parliamentary demogracy.
1. Economy:
General:
Nepal is among the poorest and least developed
countries in the world with about 60% of the
population living below the poverty line.
Agriculture is the foundation of its economy,
providing a livelihood for 93% of the entire
polulation and representing 40% of the gross
national product.
Industry is still at an early stage
of development and mainly involving the
processing of agricultural products like jute,
sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
The production of textiles and carpets has
expanded recently. Hydropower is supplying the
major part of electricity-consuming households.
Nevertheless the greatest portion of the population
remains without any access to that form of energy.
Other important source of funds is tourism that has
developed comparatively recent.
The System:
The basis for Nepals economy is the liberal market
system, that has been introduced in the mid fifties.
Many other reform programms followed and this
is the current result of the governments effort:
Private business is Nepals business foundation.
The government remains as a provider of
infrastructure facilities with a weak controlling
role. To make economy more competitive, tariff
rates and taxes are quite low and the Rupee is fully
convertible in all current currencies.
Quantitative restrictions concerning import or
export are abolished to have an investment
friendly economic environment to support
industrial development. Export procedures are
simplified and Joint Ventures are promoted.
Foreign investment in Nepal's most important
ecomomy branches like hydropower, tourism,
mining and other mineral industries and even in its
tiny stock market are welcomed.
Investments
come mainly from India, Japan, USA, China, S.
Korea, Germany, France, Hongkong, UK,
Switzerland, Thailand, Pakistan, Austria,
Singapore, Bermuda, Netherlands and Taiwan.
They are part of an exchange relation with Nepal.
Nepal gains technologic knowhow and funds to
work with and the foreign partner can use its rather
cheap workers.
However, this modern economic system looks
quite productive but difficulties prevent many
important projects. A big problem is that Nepal is
enormous mountainous and thus building up the
needed infrastructure goes along with many
troubles.
And without an infrastructure the thought
of a modern industry is quite hasty.
Tourism:
In 1994, more than 325,000 tourists visited Nepal,
compared with about 46,000 in 1970.
Mountaineers and trekkers come to experience the
majestic Himalayas, while other tourists enjoy the
thrill of observing rhinos and tigers in southern
wildlife reserves like Chitwan National Park. In
the Annapurna region and Sagarmatha (Mount
Everest), tourism increases the population of
hillside villages by four- to five-fold. Tourism
adds about US$70 million per year to the economy
and is the country's largest source of foreign
currency. The government plans to have 1 million
tourists visiting Nepal in 2000.
The other side of the coin is the cultural disbalance
the hords of tourists cause among the inhabitants.
Traditions get lost and producing quality crafts
changed to producing a great quantity of crafts for
selling to the strangers. Moreover sacred restricted
areas are now open for entry which bring about
religious anger among the faithful. Trekkers leave
tons of thrash on the beautiful peaks every year
that must be cleaned with effort which devours a
lot of money.
Therefore holidays in Nepal are made rather
expensive by the government.
The means are special tourist prices in shops or
restaurants that are about 4 times as high as the
prices for Nepalis.
For trekking many expensive
permitts are needed and entrance fees of museums
are high too.
2. Religions:
As Buddhists and Hinduists are both very spread
over Nepal, they are related in a peaceful
coexistence. Rituals and divinities are overlapping
and places of worship are used by both in very
similar ways.
Moreover they include the concept of Karma.
Karma is somehow a marker for aktions the person
set, the Karma belongs to.
Leading a good life
results in a positive Karma and on the other hand
bad action makes it worse. The better the Karma is
at the end of ones life, the more honourable the
next life will be. The overall aim is not to
reincarnate but to pass to Nirvana, a sort of
paradise respectively heaven.
Tantrism is another interesting part of them. It is a
mighty force that surrounds all things and every
action on the world. Gurus for example can use
this power to seek enlightenment and to perform
unbelieveable actions like flying or dying and then
rising from the dead.
How far that is true, is
unknown.
The Muslims represent a too small part of society
to have a significant impact on the "landscape" of
religions.
Buddhism:
Nepal is the home of Buddhism. In 563 B.C.
Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born as a son of a
local ruler in Lumbini, a small village in the Terai.
His mother died right after his birth. A holy
clairvoyant prophesied his future and his father
isolated him in a palace to turn him towards
religion. Siddhartha grew into a unspoilt,
intelligent, athletic man and as he dared to leave
the palace unallowed and saw the poor, filthy
world outside, he began to question the life itself.
Inspirated by an ascetic, he left his home forever
on a quest for enlightenment.
He studied with great teachers and increased his
intellectual potential but he didn't gain
satisfaction. By leaving all material goods behind
him and by facing extreme suffering in total
solitude he tried to find his answers.
So he had
experienced two extremes: sensual indulgence and
complete ascetism. He attempted to find the
meaning of life in between this two poles.
Meditating in North India, Mara, a sort of
Buddhist Satan appeared to tempt him but his
meditation was so intensive that he was aware of
him. Besides his view of the world around him and
of himself changed completely, he saw both as a
unity.
From now on he was "Buddha", the enlightened
one. He spent the next 45 years teaching in Nepal
and North India, causing hundrets of people
converting to his doctrines.
At the age of 80, he died and passed directly into
Nirvana, the ultimate heaven.
Afterwards Buddhism grew quite quickly when the
Indian emperor also converted to the new religion.
The main doctrine is based on the "Four Noble
Truths" and the "Eightfold Path". Mankind suffers
because of its attachment to people and things in a
non permanent world. The individual can get rid of
desire by leading his life with neverending
attention to right views, right intentions, right
speech, right conduct, right livelihood, reight
effort, right mindfulness and right meditation.
The "self" is nothing but an illusion, trapped in the
endless circle of rebirth and influenced by Karma.
By following these Buddist doctrines an escape
from this circle can be achieved and the "self" can
ascend to Nirvanva.
The Tibetian Buddhism, which has a great impact
on Nepalese Buddhism, has a spiritual leader - the
Dalai Lama. His position corresponds to the
position of the pope in Chrisianity.
Places of whorship of Buddhism are so-called
Stupas, which consist of a hemisphere on that a
cube with painted eyes and noses is placed. Those
represent the respective organs of Bhudda, looking
in all 4 directions and caring for the faithful.
Hinduism:
Hinduism has its origin with the first invaders,
who settled in the north of India about 1700 B.
C..
They recorded the Vedas, a collection o fover
1000 hymns defining a polytheistic religion.Out of
this grew the Brahmanism, a strict caste-conscious
faith, linking all men to the god-creator Brahma.
So the most honourable caste are the Brahmans,
the priest class, who were said to have come from
Brahma's mouth. The caste below them are the
Chhetris, the warrior class, who have their origin
in his arms; the Vaisyas, craftsmen and traders,
from his thights and the Sudras, who go about the
very low occupations, from his feet.
Thus the order
of the castes is:
*) Brahmans
*) Chhetris
*) Vaisyas
*) Sudras
Although the caste-system was abolished in 1963
its importance didn't decrease. Especially the circle
of rebirth and Karma, that is described not far
below, maintains the foundation of the, for
Europeans discriminating, social structure.
Everybody, from birth to death, has a particular
position, occupation and membership within this
hierarchy.
Changing one of this regulations is forbidden,
therefore intermarriage within Nepal's different
groups is unwanted. Particularly the Sudras are the
worst treated. As they have come from Brahma's
feet, which are in contact with the earth, the source
of all pollution, Hinduism placed severe restricions
on their rights.
They are not allowed in any uppercaste
homes in the village, priests won't officiate at
any of their religious rites, the entrance to many
shops is restricted and touching a member of a
higher group is prohibited.
As Brahmanism developed to modern Hinduism,
the people began to feel that the questions of
existence or reality were subjects, too vast to be
processed within a single set of beliefs. Therefore
the religion includes many different metaphysical
beliefs and viewpoints. So every individual can
choose the practice or system that suits him.
Hinduism has no fixed creed and no governing
organisation.
Only the Brahman priests serve as spiritual
advisers to upper-caste families and the sole
authority to the faithful are the Vedas texts.
The development of different sects within
Hinduism caused tendencies to different gods -
especially to Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the
preserver and Shiva the destroyer, whereas the last
two are the most important in Nepal. The gods are
worshipped at little shrines, which most houses of
Hindus consist of, and in great Pagodes, big
temples built in a characteristic way.
The faithful believe in a circle of life, death and
rebirth. All people us are striving to be released
from that circle. There is a cosmic ladder of
heaven, each rung is a symbol for another level of
existence. Everything from bugs and Sudras at the
bottom to Brahmins at the top.
The souls move up
and down this ladder with each rebirth they go
through, depending on the actions the person has
set during his or her life. Finally everybody tries to
climb up and off the ladder, to gain liberation from
existance and entrance into heaven.
Dharma is the set of principles for reaching and
maintaining social, ethical and spiritual harmony
in life. The merit earned by following Dharma
determines the form of birth in the next existence.
3. People:
Nepal is a mosaic of over thirty different ethnic groups
with their unique languages, cultures and religions who
have over the centuries settled the hills and the valleys
of Nepal, coming from all directions.
Despite this great
variety, Nepal has a tradition of harmony rather than
conflict. Society has always been open for new ideas,
values and new people. Each cultural group has
maintained their own traditions due to the avoidance of
intermarriage, especially among caste Hindus.
50% of the entire population lives below the poverty
line, 88% of women and 61% of men are illiterates.
The Newars:
The oldest group of people in Nepal are the Newars.
They were a fusion of Tibetian and Indian immigrants
and were the first who settled in Kathmandu Valley.
Their genius in arts, crafts can be seen in the temples,
palaces that constitute the environment of the Valley.
The Ghorka invasion of 1768 brought somehow a
nationhood to this milieu. Newars are living in huge
family-complexes with 30 or more members. From an
early age, the individual learns how to fit within the
social nucleus and how to relate to the clan, caste and
religion. Newars are Hindu.
The Tamang:
Outside the Valley rim live the Tamangs.
Their name is
derived form "horse soldiers" in the Tibetian language
and it is supposed that they descended from the
Tibetian cavalry. Today they are mostly small farmers.
Some work as porters and craftsmen. Tamangs are
Buddhists, as the most upper Himalayan peoples are.
They worship in gompas (monesteries) that are located
in nearly every village. In every day life, they orientate
themselves at Tibetian customs and lifestyle.
Even
polygamy is still practiced, although it has been
forbidden by the government.
The Sherpas:
The best known of the high-mountain peoples are the
Sherpas. They live in high Himalayan settlements
where life is consisting of hard work and religion only.
The Tibetian language and their looks show up their
ancient origin. Although the name "Sherpa" has
become synonymous with "mountain guide", it's only
those in the Everest region who have acieved relative
prosperity through guiding expeditions and escorting
trekking groups or providing small lodges on busy
tracks.
The Thakalis:
In former times this group was quite prosperous from
their monopoly on salt.
They mined the material in
their own, dry valley and sold it on high prices. Due to
the poorness of their land, they now have to look for a
new income. They see their chance in tourism which is
growing rather fast in Nepal. So a major part of Nepal's
hotels are owned by Thakalis, now famous for their
hospitality and quality.
Their society is composed of four clans and their
religion is a mixture of all that they have been
confronted with: Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon-po (a pre-
Buddhist religion).
The People of the Middle Hills:
The various peoples living in the temperate zone of
Nepal's middle hills are sometimes by mistake called as
Gurkhas.
The British and Indian armies have famed
Gurkha regiments, named after the soldiers from the
former Kingdom of Ghorka. But there is no single
ethnic group today referred as Gurkhas. By tradition,
most of them come from the Gurung, Magar, Rai and
Limbu peoples.
The Gurungs are self-sufficient farmers and herders,
living in central and western Nepal.
Magars are quite predominant numerically. They
gained reputation for martial services inside and
outside of Nepal.
They live mostly from farming in
nearly every typical region of the country. From the
high valleys to the plains of the Terai, the Magars have
adopted themselves to the respective conditions. Rai
and Limbus favour military work to all other
professions, mainly because soldiers return home with
added prestige and income.
All groups are nominally Hindu, although some have
introduced some Buddhist practices in their religion.
Brahmans and Chhetris:
are somehow ethic groups of their own within Nepal.
They have traditionally played an important role in
society.
From west Nepal, they spread over all parts of
the Terai and especially over the middle hills. As
orthodox Hindus, they believe in a hierarchical caste
structure, which is a rather big advantage for them as
they are at the top of it. Nevertheless "Caste", a word
originally brought to Nepal and India by the Portugese,
is easily misunderstood by outsiders. It was first
introduced for social balance by the Malla rulers to
protect their regime.
Most societies in the world maintain hierarchical
systems too. They are all based on birth, wealth and
education.
In their minds, Hinduism merely sets or
fixes this natural concept.
Brahmans and Chhetris are predominantly subsistence
farmers. However their rather good education and
priest traditions has made it possible for many to take
important roles in modern Nepalese government and
business.
Moreover this two peoples have provided the lingua
franca, Nepali, and the main cultural foundation for
Nepals national identity.
Peoples of the Terai:
The Terai Hindus, especially the high caste peoples,
are more orthodox and conservative than the Hill
People. Although the caste system has lost its legal
basis, the higher castes still control most of the region's
wealth and have considerable political power.
Other ethic groups are Moslems. They can be found
along the central and western sections of the Terai. The
main income in the zone is agriculture as in most of the
other regions in Nepal.
+: Umfassende Landeskunde, deckt alle wichtigen
Bereiche ab.
-: Keine Literaturangaben, Gliederung etwas
unverständlich.
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