① 論文全体・概要の発表：
A summary of your thesis or dissertation as a whole
1）論文タイトル、
The title
An Analysis of British Source Materials for a History of the Magars of Nepal
2）研究の対象・目的・意義、
The subject matter of your research
Historical Works from the 18th and 19th Century British colonial era as it connects with Magar History
Purpose
To put the study of Magar history on a firmer foundation
Significance
-The first written mention of the Magar people in history dates back to around 1100 AD.
-The Magars, as other minority ethnic groups of Nepal.
-Do not yet have a written history of themselves in spite of having over a thousand years.
-This research will help create a paradigm shift for the Magar people.
-The Magars are one of the indigenous ethnic nationalities of Nepal, representing 10% of the total population.
-Their ancestral homeland extends from the Western and the Southern edges of the Himalayas.
-The Magars ruled an area of ancient Nepal called the Barha Magarat (the 12 Magar kingdoms) and the Athara Magarat (the 18 Magar kingdoms).
-The first king of a united Nepal used that of “King of the Magars” and the foot soldiers consisted largely of Magars.
-The Magar people have their own mother tongue and their own culture.
-3 million Magars are in Nepal and nearly 788,530 Magar language speaks as mother tongue.
-Recent government statistics show that Magar language speakers make up about 2.5% percent of the total population of Nepal.
-In the mid-18th century with the unification of Nepal they lost their kingdoms.
-They were the most important component of the early Nepalese regular army and many also fought for the British in the Indian army under the name of Gurkha.
3）先行研究、
Previous research
-The literature that deals in one way or another with the Magar history is not non-existent.
-The Magars must, therefore, begin with two books.
- An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul by William Kirkpatrick of 1811.
- An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal by Francis Buchanan Hamilton of 1819.
-The relevant passage is:
“...the tribes by whom it is chiefly occupied, area of the Brahminieal, and Chetree orders; and as these last constituted the principal strength of Purthi Nerain’s government, and continue to form the main support of the present one, they rank very high among its subjects, no description of whom possesses such considerable credit and authority as their leaders enjoy. They consist, for the most part, of the Khus and Mangur tribes of the Chetree class (p. 123).”
-Interestingly, Moreover, Kirkpatrick goes on to state that:
“...their chieftains are known by the appellation of Thurgur (or one inhabiting a nest) among whom, ... are to be found by far the greatest part of those who conduct the affairs of this state. Their number, strictly speaking, is limited to thirty-six, … Nor are all these of equal consideration, there being three gradations of this order, of whom the pre-eminent one is denominated Chutter, on account of its consisting of six chiefs. It is from the Chutters that the Kajees or Dewans are usually selected, which does not, however, prevent the other two inferior classes from being likewise eligible to this office (pp. 123-124).”
-This would indicate that, as late as the end of the 18th century:
“I can only add to what has been said concerning it, that the leading members of this body, whether actually employed or not, appear to possess such a high authority in the state, as renders it nearly impossible for the executive government, in whatever hands that may be, to pursue any measures of an important nature, in opposition to their advice (p. 124).”
- Nepalese speaking Brahman and Chetri castes, many of whom would find it hard to accept the possibility that Nepal had ever been ruled by someone of Magar:
4） 本論文の独自性、
The originality of this research
-Mythical stories on the origins of the Magars exist, according to tradition, come from the north.
-At any rate, genetically and physically, the Magar people are Mongoloid.
-Chief priest of the royal family had written a history of the royal family which was based on original research of court records.
-The assumption to be made is that, either the former King or his sister took it into safe keeping rather than risk the monarchy being endangered by what the chief priest had uncovered.
-The DNA results show that, for myself, I have the same male line ancestry that many Japanese men do.
-My total DNA close to 60% is northeast Asian, more that 20% is southeast Asian, 15% is Indian and, interestingly, 1% American Indian.
5. 目次
Table of Contents
1. Historical Study of the Magars
1.1 Magar peoples in Nepal and other countries
1.2 Magar peoples` Languages
1.3 Magar Kingdoms
1.4 Research questions
2. Mathodology
2.1 History of the magar peoples Magar Ancestries
2.2 Shifting Roots of the magar people
2.3 Region where the Shifting took place
2.4 DNA testing on Magar peoples
3. Literature survey
3.1 An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul by William Kirkpatrick of 1811.
3.2 An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal by Francis Buchanan Hamilton of 1819.
3.3 Ethnic Politics in Nepal, Thapa Shyamu of 2015.
3.4 History and Culture of Kirat People by Chemjong, Iman Singh of 2003.
4. Relationship between Magar And other Mongolian peoples
4.1 Japanese
4.2 Chinese
4.3 Indian
4.4 Mongolian
4.5 Korean
4.6 Tibetans
4.7 Others
5. Magar Peoples Current Situation
5.1 Education conditions
5.2 Politice conditions
5.3 Economic conditions
6. Discussion
6.1 Questionnaire issues
6.2 Analysis of questionnaire results
6.3 Public survey
7. Conclusion
References
Chapter 3. Literature Survey
The literature that deals in one way or another with the Magar history is not non-existent but is highly dispersed, almost in hiding one should say, among other works, none of which take up matters of the Magar history as a main topic of discussion. The starting point for any historical work regarding the Magars must, therefore, begin with two books. They are An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul by William Kirkpatrick of 1811 and the similarly named An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal by Francis Buchanan Hamilton of 1819.
3.1 An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul by William Kirkpatrick of 1811
The first of these accounts, though published in 1811, was actually written in 1793. It states that Magars at that time were considered as Chetris, the second highest caste in the Hindu caste hierarchy of Nepal at that time. The relevant passage is:
“...the tribes by whom it is chiefly occupied, area of the Brahminieal, and Chetree orders; and as these last constituted the principal strength of Purthi Nerain’s government, and continue to form the main support of the present one, they rank very high among its subjects, no description of whom possesses such considerable credit and authority as their leaders enjoy. They consist, for the most part, of the Khus and Mangur tribes of the Chetree class (p. 123).”
Interestingly, within a hundred years their caste status had declined to that of being impure, yet touchable. Whether this reference to Chetri status was meant to apply to all Magars or to only those of the Hindu faith is not clear. Moreover, Kirkpatrick goes on to state that:
“...their chieftains are known by the appellation of Thurgur (or one inhabiting a nest) among whom, ... are to be found by far the greatest part of those who conduct the affairs of this state. Their number, strictly speaking, is limited to thirty-six, … Nor are all these of equal consideration, there being three gradations of this order, of whom the pre-eminent one is denominated Chutter, on account of its consisting of six chiefs. It is from the Chutters that the Kajees or Dewans are usually selected, which does not, however, prevent the other two inferior classes from being likewise eligible to this office (pp. 123-124).”
This would indicate that, as late as the end of the 18th century, Magars played a significant role in the government of Nepal, though this might not have necessarily included Magar-speaking individuals, merely individuals of Magar origin. The significance of at least some of them would appear in the next quote:
“I can only add to what has been said concerning it, that the leading members of this body, whether actually employed or not, appear to possess such a high authority in the state, as renders it nearly impossible for the executive government, in whatever hands that may be, to pursue any measures of an important nature, in opposition to their advice (p. 124).”
3.2 An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal by Francis Buchanan Hamilton of 1819.
The second reference work by Hamilton was published very soon after the Anglo-Nepalese War and has much more ethnic history. The history of various ruling families, including the royal family of the Magar kingdom of Palpa and the Gorkha royal family which united Nepal into one nation is given in some detail. This is important because, of the Magar kingdoms that existed up to the time of the unification of Nepal, that of Palpa was the strongest from the 15th century to the mid-18th . In fact, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the creator of modern Nepal, was the son of a daughter of a king of Palpa. It suggests that he might have Magar blood, but, in and of itself, it does not prove this, as the kings of Palpa, though ruling a Magar kingdom, claimed to have been of Indian descent. A Nepalese Brahman source of Hamilton who had been a high official of the last king of Palpa is stated as having told Hamilton that the Gorkha dynasty which ruled Nepal were of Magar origin. The concerned passage is:
“The Magars, called Mungurs by Colonel Kirkpatrick, occupied a great proportion of the lower hills in the western parts, seem to have received the Rajput chiefs with much, and have now adopted a great part of the ferocious customs of these mountain Hindus. They eat copiously the flesh of hogs, goats, sheep, ducks, and fowls, but now abstain from beef. They are much addicted to intoxication, and are excessively cruel and treacherous; but they are men of great bodily vigour and mental activity. They have, in general, submitted to the guidance of the same Brahmans and Sannyasis that instruct the Rajputs; but formerly had priests of their own tribe called Damis, and seemed to have worshipped chiefly ghosts. They marry only one wife. The family of Gorkha which now governs Nepal, although it pretends to come from Chitaur, according to Sadu Ram, a good authority, is, in reality, of the Magar tribe; and, at any rate, these people are now firmly attached to its interests, by having largely shared in the sweets of conquest; and by far the greatest part of the regular troops of that family is composed of this nation (p. 25).”
In the context of Nepal, a statement of this nature still has the ability to shock, particularly those individuals belonging to the Nepalese speaking Brahman and Chetri castes, many of whom would find it hard to accept the possibility that Nepal had ever been ruled by someone of Magar descent in that Magars, according to the former legal code of Nepal, were only one step above untouchables. It is, however, something worthy of investigation, as the the chief temple of the royal family was always a Magar temple and the chief priest of the royal family a Magar. Like the rulers of Palpa, they themselves claimed to have been of Rajput origin and to have come from Northern India, something which also applied to the royal family of Palpa to whom the royal family of Gorkha was closely related.
Not only does Hamilton claim to have Nepalese Brahman sources of information regarding the royal family, he also goes on to make yet another claim of possible possibly Magar origin for Nepalese speaking Chetris bearing my family name, Thapa, he makes a more strongly stated claim that the Rana family. The concerned statement is:
“The Khas Ranas, there is no doubt, were originally Magars; but whether the Thapas, Karkis, Majhis, Basnats, Bishtakos, and Kharkas, all now considered as Hindus of the Khas tribe, were branches of the Magar race, or Jariyas, or Gurungs, I cannot take upon myself to say. I can only observe, that, in this vicinity, I heard of no tribes but the Magars, Jariyas, and Gurungs, that spoke languages different from the Khas, and that there is no reason to suppose the Thapas, etc. to have come from Chitaur; although, on adopting the religion and laws of that country, they have also adopted its language, but many of them still speak the Magar tongue (Hamilton, 28-29)”
3.3 Ethnic Politics in Nepal, Thapa Shyamu of 2015.
Shyamu Thapa Magar is a scholar of the Doctor Degree of Philosophy at the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan 2014. His entitled dissertation, “A study of Magars affiliated with the Nepal Magar Association: Transition from assimilation to identity construction” is the outcome Ph.D research that focused on indigenous ethnic group movement in Nepal. in general and Magars case in particular.
3.4 History and Culture of Kirat People by Chemjong, Iman Singh of 2003.
The first book "Kirat Itihas" written by late Mr. Iman Singh Chemjong, was published in 1948 A.D./2005 B. S. Then, after a gap of quite a number of years, " The History and Culture of Kirat People" written in English was published in 1966 A.D. which mainly dealt with history. In this connection, it can be mentioned that after 1966 a very valuable and significant historical book written in Nepali " Kiratkalin Bijaypur ko Itihas" was published in 1974 A.D./2031 B.S. This year, being the centenary birth anniversary of late Iman Singh Chemjong, "Kirat Yakthung Chumlung" the only Limbu Indigenous peoples' social organization which is dedicated for the promotion and preservation of the Limbu language, script, literature, culture, religion, history and the upliftment of the socio-economic and educational condition of limbus, the third edition of "The History And Culture of Kirat People”.
6）理論的枠組み・方法論
Theoretical outline and methodology
-This research is partly qualitative in nature and partly quantitation.
-Critically examines early British sources of Nepalese history, qualitative component by means of DNA testing and family network studies.
-Genetic testing is of importance in order to determine what a Magar is.
-It would also provide a more scientifically objective means than has previously been available to determine the true origins of the royal family of Nepal.
-In addition, field trips to Magar villages.
-Village elders and representatives of locally prominent families will be met to determine the past history of human relations networks among the Magar community of Nepal.
-Nepalese government records, the Indian government in New Dehli, records of the British East India Company held at the British Library in London will be examined.
-All published English, Nepalese, and Magar language works dealing with Magar affairs that have not already been purchased.
-Will be purchased as funds to do so become available.
-Close to a 100 have been purchased already.
7）調査・探究（仮説・分析・実験と その結果）
Matters of investigation / inquiry (hypothesis, analysis, your experiment and its results)
It will be assumed that all historical records exhibit, in some way or other, the biases of the people that produced them, whether British or Nepalese. In the British case, it may often be assumed that whatever bias might appear is due to a relative ignorance of cultural context. For Nepalese sources, bias would be due to over-familiarity combined with a desire of the Nepalese government in earlier ages to destroy a perception of possessing a history among the Magar people in order to enhance the stability of the political status quo.
8) 課題・問題・現状の分析
Analysis of issues / problems / current situation
There are certain issues that have to be faced. One is the fragmentary nature of the available material. Another issue which must be faced is that many people in Nepal still do not want a Magar history to be written, being either afraid of what it might reveal. Nevertheless, the current situation has never been better for writing a history of the Magar people.
9）結論の見通し、等について発表する。
Explanation of prospects for conclusion, etc.
Due to the complicated nature of the work that still has to be done, my research will be probably take another two years to produce a dissertation which aims to flesh the last 400 years of Magar history in Nepal.
References
● Chemjong, Iman Singh (2003). History and Culture of Kirat People. Kathmandu,
Nepal: Kirat Yakthung Chumlung Central Office
● Hamilton, Francis Buchnan (1819). An Account Of The Kingdom Of Nepal. Edinburgh:
Archibald Constable And Company
● Hitchcock, John T (1966). The Magars Of Banyan Hill. USA: Holt, Rinehart And
Winston, Inc.
● Jayaswal, K.P. (2016). Chronolgy And History Of Nepal. Delhi, India: Facsimile
Publisher, 12 Pragari Market, Ashok Vihar, Ph-2 Delhi- 110052
● Kirkpatrick, Willim J. (1811).An Account Of The Kingdom Of Nepaul. London:
William Miller
● Thapa, Shyamu (2015). Ethnic Politics in Nepal. Lalitpur, Nepal: National Foundation
for Development of Indigenous Nationalities
● Sinjali, Bishnu Kumar & Budha, Karna Bahadur (2014). Magar kham/Pang la ro ra.
Kathmandu, Nepal： Magar Woman Association Ktm
● Budha, Karna Bahadur (2008). Bahu Bhashiya Nepali-Magar Shabdasuchi.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal Magar Student Union, center
● Thapa, Hirasinghaw (2009). Magar (Dhut) -Khas-English Dictionary. Kathmandu,
Nepal: Nepal Magar Sangh
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● Ale, Beg Bahadur (Namkhan) (2008). Mikdiyang Forjhoch Rikma. Kathmandu, Nepal:
Adibasi Janajati Utthan Pratisthan
● Shiris-Thapa, Dharma Prasad (2014). Magar Sanskriti. Kathmandu, Magar Prangik
Samuha
● Baral, Keshar Jangh (2011). Palpa, Tanahun Ra Syangja Magarharuko Sanskriti.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Asmita Book Publication & Distribution P.L.
● Budha, Bhojbikram (2016). Magar Jatiko Rajnitik Itihas. Kathmandu, Nepal: Magar
Prangik Samuha
● Poon, Yam Bahadur & Gharti, Jhakendra (2014). Magar Jati. Kathmandu, Nepal:
Magar Prangik Samuha
● Sinjali, Bishnu Kumar (2014). Adibasi Magarka Bibidh Paksyaharu. Kathmandu,
Nepal: Magar Addhyan Kendra
● Hagen, Toni (2008). The Kingdom in the Himalaya.
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