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The Thangmi (in Nepali थामी) are an indigenous ethnic tribe of Eastern Himalayas. In Nepal, they reside mainly in Suspa, Kshamawati, Khopachagu, Alampu, Bigu, Kalinchok, Lapilang and Lakuri Danda villages of Dolakha district in East-Central Nepal. In India, they reside in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kerseong (West Bengal) and Sikkim (Shniderman, 2009, 2015). Many members of Thami clan are also living in Bhutan. They are locally known as Thangmi.

They speak the Thami language or Thangmi Wakhekham, which is a Tibeto-Burman language. The etymological meaning of the word 'Thami' consists of 'Tha' (border region) and 'Mi' (people). Therefore, the word Thami indicates to the people residing in the frontier territory of Nepal (Sheniderman, 2009, 2015; Turin, 1998, 2004)

According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are a total of 29,000 Thami of which some belong to the Kirat religion, and some belong to Hinduism and Buddhism. Thami ethnic tribe are nature worshipper and follows shamans in their religious-spiritual activities. They have their deities to whom they worship during Udhauli and Ubhauli Pudusa. They worship 'Bara-Dewa' (the twelve deities), 'Bhumya Dewa' (Mother Earth), 'Bisai Dewa', 'Gosai Dewa', 'Chirkun Dewa' and many others. However, with due course of time Thami indigenous tribe were highly influenced by the popular religion and as a consequence they tend to identify themselves mainly as Hindu and Buddhist. The process of acculturation has threatened their indigenous culture, tradition and belief system.

Thangmi are socio-economically and politically backward classes. One of the important causes is the exclusion of Thamis from autochthones tribe of Eastern Himalayas and lack of written documents to support the claim that they are aboriginals. Often, they are misrecognized and misrepresented as the sub-clan or caste of other communities and they are not even mentioned in 'Muluk Ain Code' National Code of Nepal in 1854 (See, Muluk Ain of 1854). They have always remained at the margin, and this forced them to depend on agriculture, hunting, carpentry, manual and unskilled works. This made them economically weak, and poverty became one of the important causes for not obtaining standard of living. Poverty is another reason that excluded them for obtaining basic education.

Geographical distribution

At present, the population of Thami in both India and Nepal are less as compared to all other Nepalese communities. The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Thami within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.^[1] At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 28,671 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Thami. The frequency of Thami by province was as follows:

The frequency of Thami was higher than national average (0.1%) in the following districts:^[2]

Dolakha (9.0%)
Sindhupalchowk (1.7%)
Ramechhap (1.0%)
Ilam (0.3%)
Sindhuli (0.3%)

References

Shneiderman, Sara (2009). Ethnic (P)reservations: Comparing Thangmi Ethnic Activism in Nepal and India. In Gellner David N., Ethnic Activism and Civil Societies in South Asia, 115-141. New Delhi: Sage Publication.
Shneiderman, Sara (2015). Rituals of Ethnicity: Thangmi Identities between Nepal And India. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.98
Shneiderman, Sara and Turin, Mark (2006). Revisiting Ethnography, Recognition A Forgotten People: The Thangmi of Nepal and India. Mandala Book Point Journal, 11 (1):54-58
Turin, Mark (1998). Newar Thangmi Lexicon Correspondences. In George Van Driem,Himalayan Linguistics. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.
Turin, Mark (1998). The Thangmi Verbal Agreement System and the Kiranti Connection.Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 61 (3):476-491.
Turin, Mark and Thami, Bir Bahadur (2004). Nepali- Thami- English Dictionary. Martin Chowthari and Samajik Wikas Kendra. Kathmandu: Nepal.
Remembering the Thami: A case study
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities
थामी जातिबारे जानौं: सपना थामी

^ Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [1]
^ 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report

[1] Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [1]

[2] 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{More citations needed|date=June 2014}}
 [[File:Jhamke Bulaki.JPG|thumb|right|A Thami woman in [[Ilam District]] wearing Jhamke Bulaki, a typical Nepali ornament on her nose]]
-The '''Thangmi''''''Thami''' (in Nepali [[:ne:थामी|थामी]]) are an indigenous tribe of the hills east of the Nepalese capital [[Kathmandu]]. They mainly live in Suspa, Kshamawati, Khopachagu, Alampu, Bigu, Kalinchok, Lapilang and Lakuri Danda villages of [[Dolakha District|Dolakha district]] in East-Central [[Nepal]]. They are locally known as Thangmi.The Thami were originally a nomadic tribe that settled just to the east of Katmandu, Nepal's capital. Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami tribes are their descendants.
+The '''Thangmi''' (in Nepali [[:ne:थामी|थामी]]) are an indigenous ethnic tribe of Eastern Himalayas. In Nepal, they reside mainly in Suspa, Kshamawati, Khopachagu, Alampu, Bigu, Kalinchok, Lapilang and Lakuri Danda villages of [[Dolakha District|Dolakha district]] in East-Central [[Nepal]]. In India, they reside in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kerseong (West Bengal) and Sikkim (Shniderman, 2009, 2015). Many members of Thami clan are also living in Bhutan.
+They are locally known as Thangmi.
-The physical characteristics and overall customs of the Thami lead many to believe that they are of Mongolian descent. Their native language, Thangmi, is a Tibeto-Burman language. Thangmi is usually spoken at home, but Nepali is used in outside communication. They have no written script.
-Most of the Thami people live either in India or Nepal, but a smaller number are in China. In Nepal they live in the districts of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk.<ref>{{Cite web
-| last = Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
-| author-link = Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
-| title = Nationalities of Nepal
-| work = Nepal Democracy, Gateway to Nepali Politics and Civil Society
-| access-date = 2014-06-09
-| url = http://www.nepaldemocracy.org/ethnicity/nationalities_of_nepal.htm
-}}</ref>
+They speak the [[Thangmi language|Thami language]] or Thangmi Wakhekham, which is a Tibeto-Burman language. The etymological meaning of the word 'Thami' consists of 'Tha' (border region) and 'Mi' (people). Therefore, the word Thami indicates to the people residing in the frontier territory of Nepal (Sheniderman, 2009, 2015; Turin, 1998, 2004)
-The social structure of the Thami comprise a bilineal clan system. Apart from the male clans, there are distinct female lineages that are passed down from mother to daughter.<ref name=":0" />
+According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are a total of 29,000 Thami of which some belong to the Kirat religion, and some belong to Hinduism and Buddhism. Thami ethnic tribe are nature worshipper and follows shamans in their religious-spiritual activities. They have their deities to whom they worship during Udhauli and Ubhauli Pudusa. They worship 'Bara-Dewa' (the twelve deities), 'Bhumya Dewa' (Mother Earth), 'Bisai Dewa', 'Gosai Dewa', 'Chirkun Dewa' and many others. However, with due course of time Thami indigenous tribe were highly influenced by the popular religion and as a consequence they tend to identify themselves mainly as Hindu and Buddhist. The process of acculturation has threatened their indigenous culture, tradition and belief system.
-They speak the [[Thangmi language|Thami language]], which is related to [[Newar language|Nepal Bhasha]].<ref name = "ethnologue">{{e17|thf}}</ref> They do not have a written script; however, inscriptions on monuments built over graves lay claim to one.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Splendour of Sikkim- Cultures and Traditions of the Ethnic Communities of Sikkim|publisher=Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Government of Sikkim|year=2017|pages=232|language=English}}</ref>
-According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are a total of 29,000 Thami of which some belong to the Kirant religion and some belong to Buddhism.<ref>{{Cite book
- |last        = Dahal
- |first       = Dilli Ram
- |title     = Chapter 3. Social composition of the population: caste/ethnicity and religion in Nepal
- |access-date  = 2023-05-05
- |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20111121113352/http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/Monograph/Chapter%2003%20%20Social%20Composition%20of%20the%20Population.pdf
- |archive-date = 2011-11-21
- |url         = http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/Monograph/Chapter%2003%20%20Social%20Composition%20of%20the%20Population.pdf
-}}</ref><ref>[https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf 2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables]</ref> Legend says that the first Thami couple had seven sons and seven daughters. When the parents could not find suitable marriage partners for their children, they allowed them to intermarry. The Thami people are their descendants.
-The Thami men originally engaged in shifting agriculture besides hunting and foraging.<ref name=":0" /> They now earn a meagre living through the stone quarrying business and by joining the military forces. To escape this extreme hardship, many have fled to [[India]] to find better jobs. Many upper class members of Thami clan are living in Bhutan. They go to Nepal in search of employment, and to do business.
-The Thami are shamanists, though they have come under strong [[Buddhist]] influence from the [[Tamang people|Tamang]]. [[Hindu]] influence can be also seen in their marriage rituals, which is a festival to them. Although they are poor they must make a chautara in the name of their deceased relatives. Recently many people of the Thami clan are joining Christianity.
+Thangmi are socio-economically and politically backward classes. One of the important causes is the exclusion of Thamis from autochthones tribe of Eastern Himalayas and lack of written documents to support the claim that they are aboriginals. Often, they are misrecognized and misrepresented as the sub-clan or caste of other communities and they are not even mentioned in 'Muluk Ain Code' National Code of Nepal in 1854 (See, Muluk Ain of 1854). They have always remained at the margin, and this forced them to depend on agriculture, hunting, carpentry, manual and unskilled works. This made them economically weak, and poverty became one of the important causes for not obtaining standard of living. Poverty is another reason that excluded them for obtaining basic education.
 ==Geographical distribution==
-The [[2011 Nepal census]] classifies the Thami within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.<ref> Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf]</ref> At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 28,671 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Thami. The frequency of Thami by province was as follows:
+At present, the population of Thami in both India and Nepal are less as compared to all other Nepalese communities. The [[2011 Nepal census]] classifies the Thami within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.<ref> Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf]</ref> At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 28,671 people (0.1% of the population of Nepal) were Thami. The frequency of Thami by province was as follows:
 * [[Bagmati Province]] (0.5%)
 * [[Gandaki Province]] (0.0%)
@@ Line 49: / Line 29: @@
 ==References==
+*Shneiderman, Sara (2009). Ethnic (P)reservations: Comparing Thangmi Ethnic Activism in Nepal and India. In Gellner David N., Ethnic Activism and Civil Societies in South Asia, 115-141. New Delhi: Sage Publication.
+*Shneiderman, Sara (2015). Rituals of Ethnicity: Thangmi Identities between Nepal And India. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.98
+*Shneiderman, Sara and Turin, Mark (2006). Revisiting Ethnography, Recognition A Forgotten People: The Thangmi of Nepal and India. Mandala Book Point Journal, 11 (1):54-58
+*Turin, Mark (1998). Newar Thangmi Lexicon Correspondences. In George Van Driem,Himalayan Linguistics. Berlin: Mouton De Gruyter.
+*Turin, Mark (1998). The Thangmi Verbal Agreement System and the Kiranti Connection.Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 61 (3):476-491.
+*Turin, Mark and Thami, Bir Bahadur (2004). Nepali- Thami- English Dictionary. Martin Chowthari and Samajik Wikas Kendra. Kathmandu: Nepal.
 * [http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/ss364/downloads/remember.pdf Remembering the Thami: A case study]
 *[http://www.nefin.org.np/ Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities]
@@ Line 55: / Line 40: @@
 {{Reflist}}
+[[Category:Tribes of Asia]]
 [[Category:Indigenous peoples of Nepal]]