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History tells us that the original inhabitants of the Himalayas were the Kinnars, Kilinds, and Kiratas. Our Hindu epics and Puranas give reference of their existence in the Himalayan regions. History also mentions the names of Khasas and the Darads. But today only three different ethnic groups form the Himalayan population. They are the Negroids, Mongoloids and the Aryans. The population, settlement in the Himalayan region is greatly influenced by the topography, economic pattern and the climatic condition. The climate condition is one of the main factors for the population settlements since extreme climatic condition imposes a restriction on the living conditions and tends to restrict movement and communication. But the ethnic groups living in remote valleys of the Himalayan region have generally conserved their traditional cultural identities even with these extremities.
The Hindus of the Indian origin mainly dominate the Sub Himalayan and the Middle Himalayan valleys. In places like eastern Kashmir to Nepal it is mostly Hindu population. While in the Great Himalayan region in the north it is mainly the Tibetan Buddhists who are seen from Ladakh to northeast India. In central Nepal, both Indian and Tibetan cultures have blend together, producing a mixed culture of Indian and Tibetan traits. While in the eastern Himalayas in India and nearby areas of eastern Bhutan people practice religion and culture similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China. Muslims are mostly seen in western Kashmir and their culture is similar to the population of Iran and Afghanistan. The people of Sikkim mainly belong to three ethnic groups. They are the Nepalese, the Bhutias and the Lepchas. The Lepchas are now a minority class but they are the original inhabitants. Only in Arunachal Pradesh itself there are over 80 tribes and sub-tribes of Indo - Mongoloid origin.
People living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities. However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly cell phones and satellite television programs from all over the world are bringing access from the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting traditional social and cultural structure. Stretching over the Himalayan region tribes are settled in place of international borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Nepal and Tibet. Each tribe has there own Physical features, History of origin and development, Social life, Rites and rituals etc. Given below is brief account of some of the tribes predominant in this region of North East India and the adjacent area of Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, parts of West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (North East India) etc.
But improvements in communication and transportation system have improved the lifestyle of the people living in those regions. The modernization is affecting the traditional cultural and social system of the areas. The population in the Himalayan region is nearly about 40 million. The Hindus of the Indian origin mainly dominate the Sub Himalayan and the Middle Himalayan valleys. In places like eastern Kashmir to Nepal it is mostly Hindu population. While in the Great Himalayan region in the north it is mainly the Tibetan Buddhists who are seen from Ladakh to northeast India. In central Nepal, both Indian and Tibetan cultures have blend together, producing a mixed culture of Indian and Tibetan traits. While in the eastern Himalayas in India and nearby areas of eastern Bhutan people practice religion and culture similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China. Muslims are mostly seen in western Kashmir and their culture is similar to the population of Iran and Afghanistan. The people of Sikkim mainly belong to three ethnic groups. They are the Nepalese, the Bhutias and the Lepchas. The Lepchas are now a minority class but they are the original inhabitants. The main occupation of the people in the Himalayan region is agriculture and animal husbandry. But recently trade and commerce had played a vital role in the lives of the people living in the frontier villages in Himachal, Ladakh, Kumaon and Garhwal.
The People - The Himalayas, due to their huge size and expanse, it has been a natural barrier to the movement of people for thousands of years. This has prevented intermingling of people from the Indian subcontinent with people from China and Mongolia, causing significant differences in languages and customs. The Himalayas have also hindered trade routes and prevented military expeditions. The population, settlement, and economic patterns within the Himalayas have been greatly influenced by the variations in topography and climate, which impose harsh living conditions and tend to restrict movement and communication.
People living in remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities. However, improvements in transportation and communication, particularly satellite television programs from Europe and the United States are bringing access from the outside world to remote valleys. These outside influences are affecting traditional social and cultural structure.
In central Nepal, in an area between about 1830 and 2440 m (between about 6000 and 8000 ft), the Indian and Tibetan cultures have intermingled, producing a combination of Indian and Tibetan traits.
The eastern Himalayas in India and nearby areas of eastern Bhutan are inhabited by animistic people whose culture is similar to those living in northern Myanmar and Yunnan province in China. People of western Kashmir are Muslims and have a culture similar to the inhabitants of Afghanistan and Iran.
The economy of the Himalayas as a whole is poor with low per capita income. Much of the Himalayas area is characterized by a very low economic growth rate combined with a high rate of population growth, which contributes to stagnation in the already low level of per capita gross national product. Most of the population is dependent on agriculture, primarily subsistence agriculture; modern industries are lacking.
Mineral resources are limited. The Himalayas has major hydroelectric potential, but the development of hydroelectric resources requires outside capital investment. The skilled labor needed to organize and manage development of natural resources is also limited due to low literacy rates. Most of the Himalayan communities face malnutrition, a shortage of safe drinking water, and poor health services and education systems.
Agricultural land is concentrated in the Tarai plain and in the valleys of the Middle Himalayas. Patches of agricultural land have also been carved out in the mountainous forested areas. Rice is the principal crop in eastern Tarai and the well-watered valleys. Corn is also an important rain-fed crop on the hillsides. Other cereal crops are wheat, millet, barley, and buckwheat. Sugarcane, tea, oilseeds, and potatoes are other major crops. Food production in the Himalayas has not kept up with the population growth.
The major industries include processing food grains, making vegetable oil, refining sugar, and brewing beer. Fruit processing is also important. A wide variety of fruits are grown in each of the major zones of the Himalayas, and making fruit juices is a major industry in Nepal, Bhutan, and in the Indian Himalayas. Since 1950 tourism has emerged as a major growth industry in the Himalayas. Nearly 1 million visitors come to the Himalayas each year for mountain trekking, wildlife viewing, and pilgrimages to major Hindu and Buddhist sacred places.
The number of foreign visitors has increased in recent years, as organized treks to the icy summits of the Great Himalayas have become popular. While tourism is important to the local economy, it has had an adverse impact on regions where tourist numbers exceed the capacity of recreational areas.
Historically, all transport in the Himalayas has been by porters and pack animals. Porters and pack animals are still important, but the construction of major roads and the development of air routes have changed the traditional transportation pattern. Major urban centers such as Kathmandu, Simla, and Srinagar, as well as important tourist destinations, are served by airlines. Railways link Simla and Darjeeling, but in most of the Himalayas there are no railroads.
The bulk of goods from the Himalayas, as well as goods destined for places within the Himalayas, generally come to Indian railheads, located in the Tarai, by road. The pack animals and porters transport goods from road heads to the interior and back.
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 Tags: History of People of Himalaya, Origin of People of Himalaya, Tribes of Himalaya, Himalayam Tribal People, Himalayas Tribes, Community of Himalaya, Himalayan Communities, Aboriginal People of Bhutan, Bhupalis, Bhutia, Chhetri, Gurung, Kheng, Layap, Lepchas, Lhotshampa Lhotsampa, Limbu, Monpa, Newars, Ngalop, Rai, Sharchop, Tamang, Toto Community of Himalaya, economy of the Himalaya, Mineral resources of himalaya, Agriculture of Himalaya, Industry of Himalaya, transport of Himalaya
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Introduction :
