Nepal Mandala ( Nepali : नेपाल मण्डल ) is the ancient geographic division of Nepal into different regions. It was characterized by three major divisions: “ Purwanchal ” (Eastern Region), “ Madhyamanchal ” (Central Region), and “ Pashchimanchal ” (Western Region). These divisions were further subdivided into smaller areas known as “Mandals.” The concept of Nepal Mandal has historical significance, reflecting the administrative and cultural organization of the region in earlier times. It is marked by cultural, religious and political boundaries that lies in present-day central Nepal . It consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas. The rule of the indigenous Newars in Nepal Mandala ended with its conquest by the Gorkha Kingdom and the rise of the Shah dynasty in 1768.
42-580: The Dangol or Dongol ( Nepal Bhasa : डंगोल ) clan are ethnic people in Newar community from Kathmandu Valley, predominantly found in Kathmandu , Nepal . They belong to the Jyapu ( Nepal Bhasa : ज्यापू: ) subcaste within the Newar family and are highly urbanized. In the olden times, they were farmers known for the knowledge of the measurement of land and calculation. Also, they have some distinct cultures and customs
84-543: A bit different from other Newar traditions. In order to protect the girl from being a widow, who is looked down upon by the rest of Nepal. If the woman's husband dies, she is still technically married to the sun and can hence not be called a widow, a tradition hence defying Sati Pratha imposed by the new-comers, rulers of Vedic lineage. https://nepalfederalismdebate.wordpress.com/2018/06/24/master-list-of-all-nepali-surnames-clans/ https://www.indigenousvoice.com/en/why-jyapus-are-where-they-are.html Archived 2019-12-08 at
126-610: A local language. Newar is taught in schools of Sikkim. The exact placement of Newar within the Tibeto-Burman language family has been a source of controversies and confusion. Robert Shafer classified Newar as part of his Bodic division of Sino-Tibetan. George Van Driem classified Newar within the Mahakiranti grouping but he later retracted his hypothesis in 2003. Moreover, he proposed a new grouping called "Maha-Newari" which possibly includes Baram–Thangmi . T. R. Kansakar attributes
168-485: A name for the language was coined by Brian Hodgson in 1847 and since then used by most western scholars. The term "Newari" is considered by many Newars to be inappropriate as it is the Sanskritisation of "Newar". "Newar" is generally believed to be related to the word "Nepal", possibly derived by the replacement of the 'la' sound with a 'ra' sound, a common practice in historical documents from Nepal. Historically,
210-524: A neat classification. A classification (based on Glover's ) indicating a percentage of shared vocabulary within the labeled branch and an approximate time of split: Example: Karen etc Example: Sunwar Tamang , Manang , Gurung , Thakali , Kaike , Tibetan , Sherpa Examples: Limbu Chepang Baram–Thangmi Pahri or Pahari (unrelated to other "Pahari" languages of the region) Dolkha Newari Modern Nepal Bhasa ɫ "%" indicates lexical similarity/common vocabulary between Newar and
252-528: A stone inscription at Gyaneswar, Kathmandu dating from the eighth century during the reign of Licchavi king Jayadeva II . Legends also speak about the fact that old Kirati kings offered the throne of the Mandala to the Shakya clan, which is attributed to the origins of Buddhism . The term Nepal Mandala has been used through the centuries in stone and copper inscriptions and the colophons of manuscripts when mentioning
294-504: Is a blend of different cultures that came together in Nepal Mandala. According to sociologists, the people of Nepal gradually became known as Newar during the fifteenth century under the reign of Pratap Malla of Kathmandu . The Buddhist text Manjushrimula Kalpa mentions Manadeva (reigned 464-506 AD) as being the king of Nepal Mandala. The term Nepal Mandala also appears in the popular Buddhist text Swayambhu Purana . It occurs in
336-557: Is also used. Newar is spoken by over a million people in Nepal according to the 2001 census. With an increase in emigration, various bodies and societies of Newar-speaking people have emerged in countries such as the US, the UK, Australia, and Japan. Newar was Nepal Mandala 's (then only known as Nepal) administrative language from the 14th to the late 18th century. The continued official use of Newari into
378-831: Is an additional official language in Sikkim for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state. The official weekly publication Sikkim Herald has a Newar Edition. The Information & Public Relations Department also broadcasts news bulletin in Newar. Nepal Bhasa is included as elective mother tongue subject in schools by Curriculum Development Committee. Tribhuvan University offers Bachelors, Masters, Mphil and PhD degree in Nepal Bhasa. Expatriates can study Nepal Bhasa at Bishwa Bhasa Campus in Kathmandu. Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Kirtipur Municipality are teaching Nepal Bhasa as
420-405: Is considered to be the first woman to publish literature in Nepal as her poems are the earliest dated literature in Nepal authored by a woman. An example of the language used during this period is provided by the following lines from a poem written by Briddhi Lakshmi . dukha hāṅā hāṅā parabata jina lhvaneṅa maphuta, madata vipatiyā udhāra I can no longer bear the mountain of grief; there
462-542: Is currently known as Sajha Prakashan . On 7 September 1995, the cabinet of ministers decided to use "Nepala Bhasa" instead of "Newari". On 13 November 1998, the Minister of Information and Communication issued another directive to use the name Nepal Bhasa instead of Newari. However, the Central Bureau of Statistics has not been doing so. A colloquial term is Newa Bhaay ( Devanāgarī : नेवा: भाय्, IAST : Nevāḥ Bhāy)
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#1732858979359504-597: Is during this period that the earliest dated document written entirely in Newar was written, a palm-leaf manuscript preserved in Uku Bāhā, a Buddhist monastery in Lalitpur , which dates from 1114. Following is a line from the document which mostly deals with business transaction. bivu mikhā tivu maduguna chu sāta duguna valhe replace for what is lost, with a remaining object or gift rightly sold out, give some clothes. The first inscription written entirely in Newar set up by
546-494: Is known officially in Nepal as Nepal Bhasa, a name that has been historically used for the language. The term " Newari " is also used to refer to the language, although the Indic -i suffix is considered inappropriate by some Newar speakers. The language served as the official language of Nepal during the Malla dynasty since the 14th century till the end of dynasty in 1769 during which
588-595: Is no salvation for the grieved Newar began to be sidelined after the Gorkha conquest of Nepal and the ouster of the Malla dynasty by the Shah dynasty in the late 18th century. Since then, its history has been one of constant suppression and struggle against official disapproval. Following the advent of the Shahs, the Gorkhali language became the court language, and Newar was replaced as
630-573: Is ubiquitous in sources from the Malla dynasty to refer to the language. The earliest occurrences of the name Nepālabhāṣā ( Devanāgarī : नेपालभाषा) or Nepālavāc ( Devanāgarī : नेपालवाच) used to refer to the language, can be found in the manuscripts of a commentary to the Nāradasaṃhitā , dated 1380, and a commentary to the Amarkośa , dated 1386. Some inscriptions from the Malla Dynasty refer to
672-602: The Licchavi period (approximately 400–750) contains frequent use of Sino-Tibetan words especially for proper nouns. Almost 80 percent of the names of places, taxes and merchandise used in the inscriptions are Tibeto-Burman in origin. It suggests that Newar existed as a vernacular language since at least the Lichhavi Dynasty . According to the Gopal Raj Vamshavali , a 14th century Newar language history book, before
714-523: The Licchavis of Vaishali conquered Nepal , it was ruled by the Kirata and the language they spoke, which is referred by historians such as Shrestha as Kiranti, is believed to be the old form of the Newar language. For instance, in an inscription from 594 located in present day Bhaktapur , the area is referred as khopṛiṅa which closely resmbles the classical and modern Newar name for the city , khopa. It
756-675: The Malla period is generally known as Nepal Mandala. According to the Outline History of Nepal, Nepal Mandala was situated between the Khas and Simraungarh kingdoms. The Khas kingdom extended from Garhwal in the west to the Trishuli River in the east, and from Lake Manasarovar in the north to the Terai in the south. Karnata, also called Simraungarh, was situated in the Terai. Western travelers in
798-496: The Shah dynasty is shown by the 1775 treaty with Tibet , which was written in the language, but it was gradually replaced in official use by Gorkhali. From the early 20th century until democratization , Newar suffered from official suppression. During this period, the use of the language for business and literary purposes was declared illegal, and Newar authors were fined or imprisoned. The Language Commission of Nepal recommended Bagmati Province to provide Nepal Bhasa (Newar)
840-631: The Wayback Machine http://ecs.com.np/features/preservers-of-newar-culture-jyapus-of-the-valley Nepal Bhasa Nepal Historical : Gorkha Kingdom Newar ( English: / n ə ˈ w ɑː r / ; 𑐣𑐾𑐥𑐵𑐮 𑐨𑐵𑐲𑐵 , nepāla bhāṣā ) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Newar people , the indigenous inhabitants of Nepal Mandala , which consists of the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding regions in Nepal . The language
882-439: The 14th century, Newar was given the status of national language by Jayasthiti Malla . Since then, most of royal decrees, official proclamations and public notices set up by the monarchs appeared in Newar. Jayasthiti Malla himself commissioned many works in Newar like the Gopal Raj Vamshavali , a manuscript about the history of Nepal dating to 1389. From the 14th century onwards, an overwhelming number of stone inscriptions in
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#1732858979359924-922: The Kathmandu Valley , where they are a ubiquitous element at heritage sites, are in Newar. The period from 1428 to 1769 is considered a Golden Age for Newar Literature . Many monarchs of the Malla dynasty themselves started composing hymns and dramas in Newar. Noted royal writers include Mahindra Malla , Siddhi Narsingh Malla , and Ranajit Malla . Still, there are numerous works of literature from this period with anonymous authors. Some non royal authors include Keshav Udās, Brisabhānanda and Biladātāsingha. Some notable women who wrote literature in Newar during this period include, Jagatakeshari from Banepa , Briddhi Lakshmi (queen consort of Bhaktapur ), Riddhi Lakshmi (mother of Bhupalendra Malla ), Jaya Lakshmi (queen consort of Yoga Narendra Malla ). Among them, Riddhi Lakshmi
966-399: The Kathmandu Valley leading to the indigenous Newars becoming a minority. During the period 1952 to 1991, the percentage of the valley population speaking Newar dropped from 74.95% to 43.93%. The Nepal Bhasa movement arose as an effort to save the language. Newars have been fighting to save their language in the face of opposition from the government and hostile neighbours from the time of
1008-542: The Kingdom Of Nepal published in 1819 that four pilgrimage spots marked the boundaries of Nepal Proper: Nilkantha (an eight-day journey north from Kathmandu), Nateswar (three days to the south), Kaleswar (two days to the west), and Bhimeswar (four days to the east). The term mandala also means country, and it has been used to represent traditional political formations such as federations of kingdoms. The area comprising Kathmandu, Lalitpur , Bhaktapur and Dolakha during
1050-568: The Linguist Glover, Newar and Chepang language must have diverged around 2200 BC. It is estimated that Newar shares 28% of its vocabulary with Chepang. At the same time, a very large and significant proportion of Newari vocabulary is Indo-European in origin, by one estimate more than 50%, indicating an influence of at least 1,600 years from Indo-European languages, first from Sanskrit, Maithili, Persian, and Urdu and today from Hindi, Nepali and English. The Sanskrit language stone inscriptions of
1092-449: The difficulty about the placement of Newar to the inability of scholars to connect it with the migration patterns of the Tibeto-Burman speakers. Since Newar separated from rest of the family very early in history, it is difficult or at least arbitrary to reconstruct the basic stratum that contributed to present day Newar speech. He underscored the point that the language evolved from mixed racial/linguistic influences that do not lend easily to
1134-468: The first town in the kingdom of "Necbal" (Nepal), and arrived in "Cadmendu" (Kathmandu), the capital of "Necbal". From "Cadmendu", a journey of five days brings one to "Hedouda", a market town in the kingdom of "Maranga". The town of Hedouda is known as Hetauda today. The oldest inhabitants of Nepal Mandala are the Newars who are of multiple racial strains that have combined over millennia. Newar civilization
1176-412: The language as deśabhāṣā ( Pracalit Script : 𑐡𑐾𑐱𑐨𑐵𑐲𑐵 , lit. ' language of the country ' ) and svadeśabhāṣā ( Pracalit Script : 𑐳𑑂𑐰𑐡𑐾𑐱𑐨𑐵𑐲𑐵 , lit. ' language of one's own country ' ). Similarly, Father Cassiano da Macerata, a Capuchin missionary who visited Nepal in the 1740s referred to the language as Nepalese. The term "Newari" as
1218-465: The language of administration. However, Newar continued to remain in official use for a time as shown by the 1775 treaty with Tibet which was written in it. A few of the new rulers cultivated the language. Kings Prithvi Narayan Shah , Rana Bahadur and Rajendra Bikram Shah composed poetry and wrote plays in it. Newar suffered heavily under the repressive policy of the Rana dynasty (1846–1951 AD) when
1260-496: The language was referred as "Nepal Bhasa", a term which literally means "Nepalese Language". However, the language is not the same as Nepali , an Indo-Aryan language and the current official language of Nepal , which only got the name Nepali in the 1930s. Literature in Newar is one of the oldest in Nepal, dating back to at least 600 years ago. From the start of the Rana dynasty in the 1840s until democratisation , Newar suffered from official suppression. From 1952 to 1991,
1302-457: The language, Nepal Bhasa , which literally means Nepal Language , originates from Nepal . Historically, Nepal was only used to refer to the Kathmandu Valley and its surroundings, where the language was native to. A larger region surrounding the valley is known as Nepal Mandala . Therefore, the language spoken in Nepal Mandala became known as Nepal Bhasa. The name "Nepal Bhasa"
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1344-484: The late 18th century have written that Nepal's borders extended to Tibet in the north, the nation of the Kirata in the east, the kingdom of Makwanpur in the south and the Trishuli River in the west which separated it from the kingdom of Gorkha. In 1661, Jesuit Fathers Johann Grueber and Albert d'Orville travelled from Tibet to India through Nepal. They mentioned in their report that they passed through "Cuthi",
1386-513: The other languages in the branch. The date indicates an approximate time when the language diverged. ɞ Van Driem labelled this branch as "Parakiranti" and included it together with Kiranti branch to form Maha Kiranti group. However, he would later drop this hypothesis. ʌ All languages within this branch have extensive Indo-Aryan vocabulary. It is hypothesised that either ancient IndoAryan admixture happened before Newar-Thangmi-Baram split or that Thangmi-Baram borrowed through Newari. According to
1428-469: The percentage of Newar speakers in the Kathmandu Valley dropped from 75% to 44% and today Newar culture and language are under threat. The language has been listed as " Definitely endangered " by UNESCO . On 6 May 2024, Newar, along with Tamang and Nepali was declared as the official language of Bagmati Province . Similarly, Newar is given official status in several city governments of Nepal including Kathmandu . The official and historical name of
1470-424: The regime attempted to wipe it out. In 1906, legal documents written in Newar were declared unenforceable, and any evidence in the language was declared null and void. The rulers forbade literature in Newar, and writers were sent to jail. In 1944, Buddhist monks who wrote in the language were expelled from the country. Moreover, hostility towards the language from neighbours grew following massive migration into
1512-512: The repressive Rana regime till today. The movement arose against the suppression of the language that began with the rise of the Shah dynasty in 1768 AD, and intensified during the Rana regime (1846–1951) and Panchayat system (1960–1990). Nepal Mandala According to the Outline History of Nepal, Nepal consisted of three kingdoms during the early medieval period: Khas in the west, Karnatak in
1554-474: The royal family also dates from this period; a stone inscription from Bajrayogini Temple of Rudra Malla from 1127 ( NS 293). The Newar language of the Medieval era (879 to 1769 CE) is referred as Classical Newar . It is further classified into Early Classical Newar, used from 879 to 1482, when the period of three kingdom started and Late Classical Newar, from 1482 to 1769, when the Malla dynasty ended . In
1596-466: The south and Nepal Mandala in the center. Bhaktapur was the capital of Nepal Mandala until the 15th century when three capitals, including Kathmandu and Lalitpur , were established. The extent of Nepal Mandala has traditionally been defined by the locations of 64 Hindu and 24 Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The Hindu shrines consist of 64 Shiva lingas scattered from Brahmeswar in Nuwakot district in
1638-919: The status of official language, alongside Tamang . The commission also recommends Nepal Bhasa (Newar) for official status in specific areas and purposes in Province No. 1 and Gandaki Province . At local levels, Nepal Bhasa (Newar) has official status in Kathmandu Metropolitan City , Lalitpur Metropolitan City and Kirtipur Municipality Chandragiri Municipality , Shankharapur Municipality, Tarkeshwor Municipality of Kathmandu district; Banepa Municipality , Dhulikhel Municipality of Kavre district; Godavari Municipality of Lalitpur district; and Bhaktapur Municipality , Madhyapur Thimi Municipality of Bhaktapur district have recognized Nepal Bhasa in some ways. Similarly, Bhimeshor Municipality has recognized and made policy-level decisions for Dolakha Nepal Bhasa. Newar
1680-572: The term nevārabhāṣā ("newar language") to refer to the language. In the 1920s, the language known as Khas Kura, Gorkhali or Parbatiya was renamed to Nepali . Conversely, the term Gorkhali in the former national anthem entitled "Shreeman Gambhir" was changed to Nepali in 1951. Gorkha Bhasa Prakashini Samiti (Gorkha Language Publishing Committee), a government institution established in 1913 (B.S. 1970) for advancement of Gorkha Bhasa, renamed itself as Nepali Bhasa Prakashini Samiti (Nepali Language Publishing Committee) in 1933 (B.S. 1990), which
1722-565: The term "Newar" itself was rarely used, only finding use in the travelogue of some of the Capuchin missionaries who visited Nepal during the Malla dynasty . Only two sources from the Malla dynasty use the term "Newar" to refer to the language or its script; the multilingual stone inscription of Pratap Malla uses " nevāra ākhara " ("newar alphabet") to refer to the Pracalit script and another stone inscription set up by Pratap Malla in 1652 uses
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1764-600: The west to Bhimeswar in Dolakha District in the east. The 24 Buddhist pilgrimage sites are spread from the Trishuli River in the west to Dolalghat in the east. When seen as an ordered pattern, they form the mandala of Chakrasamvara , the principal deity of Vajrayana Buddhism. The Nepal Mandala was conceived on the basis of the Chakrasamvara Mandala. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton has written in An Account of
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