Hindu-Muslim Syncretism in Nepal (original) (raw)
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Inter-religious Harmony between Hindu Muslim Groups in Nepal
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Religious harmony is very important to maintain peace and stability in a country like Nepal where people are multi-religious. Failure to address religious harmony it could take the society into conflict. Though Nepal is a Hindu dominant secular country the Muslims are an important and inseparable part of Nepalese community. They have been living in Nepal since last 500 years with religious harmony. During this period there were negligible religious riots between Hindu and Muslims. Social acceptance and recognition given to the Nepali Muslims, they were integrated in such a way, became inseparable part of the society. But in recent years they have tried to differentiate themselves religiously challenging centuries old harmony and peace. In the process they have undergone a process of political Islamization and have emerged as a distinctive ethnic community. It has shown a danger of deadly encounter between Hindu-Muslim religion groups. This paper tries to discuss the fundamental fact...
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As Nepal lies between Indian and Tibetan culture, the religious culture of Nepal comprises of three major components: a clear Tibetan component in the Himalayas, a rather modern Indian component in the plains, and a tribal animistic shamanistic component in the mid-hills well mingled with the mediaeval Indian or Tibetan component. Finally the syncretic component in the Kathmandu Valley could be regarded as the fourth; here Mahayana Buddhism harmonises with the archaic as well as mediaeval forms of Hinduism. In fact, Nepalese religious culture is characterised by an ongoing mutual interaction of Hinduism, Buddhism, animism and shamanism. Such an interaction is diversely affected by an introduction of a new component or shift in the state policy caused by political change. Here I elaborate this phenomenon briefly, with a focus on Hindu-Buddhist relation.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Though Nepal occupies very small portion of physical landscape, 0.3% of Asia and 0.03% of the world, this beautiful Himalayan country, in contrast to its physical size, has broader and unique cultural diversity. That is why, diverse ethnicity, multi-religiosity and multilingual characteristics are found here. Different castes groups, more than 100 identified ethnic groups and their diverged cultural practices help enrich Nepal's cultural heritage. May it be the polyandry system of Sherpas of the north or the hierarchical caste system guided by the Hindu Varna Vyawastha, ranging from high Himalayas to the plains of Terai, this small country observes the castes, cultural, religious, lingual and other diversification. That's why; Nepal is the syncretism of all these diversities (Regmi, 2003). Different cultural groups adhere on their own religions. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, Jains, Animists and others inhabit here with religious harmony (Siddika, 1992). Nepal's cultural process has been characterized by synthesis, flexibility and eclecticism. Nepali religious tradition has evolved along syncretic and symbiotic lines. The intricate texture of Nepali religious culture is woven from the main strands of Hinduism, Buddhism, Tantricism and Bon animism. The influences of these various religions are harmoniously blended in Nepali life and culture (Siddika, 1992). Before we come to know about the Muslims of Nepal, it is essential to identify who the 'Muslims' are. Muslims are the followers of the sacred path of the Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam in the seventh century. A Muslim is 'a person whose religion is Islam'(Oxford Dictionary). The word 'Islam' is commonly understood by Muslims and others to mean surrender; i. e. of the believer to the God (Lewis, 1976). So, Muslims are the performers of the act of surrender to the God. Guided by the belief system of Monotheistic principles, Muslims repose their faith on oneness of Allah. They believe that "all faiths have, in essence, one common message: the existence of a Supreme Being, the one and only God, whose Sovereignty is to be countries. Muslim culture, too, was under the crisis. Muslims couldn't transform themselves in the changing situation. The rejection of modern education and their attempts for preserving Muslim culture and religion separated them from the rest world. Nepali Muslims also felt the circumstances (Fadzakir, 2001). The political asylum of Indian Muslims in Nepal during the Indian Mutiny created a sense of refugeeness in Nepali Muslims. So, Nepali Muslims were gradually separated from the mainstream Nepali political scenario. Besides that, they were in a minority position by population, whose political issues were never heard (ibid). We can find examples of the dominant religious groups' oppression towards the other groups in the history. After the death of King Narendra Dev, in the Lichchhavi Dynasty, Shankaracharya from India came to Nepal, who burnt about 84 thousands Buddhist religious books and forced monks and nuns to marry and start domestic life. His attack was against the minority religious group of Kathmandu Valley. As Lowdin Per (1998), mentions, "According to legend, Shankaracharya, the Hindu reformer, is said to have visited the valley and defeated the Vajrayana priests who were responsible for the worship of Pashupati, whereafter he drove them out of the temple and substituted Brahmans. This legend reflects a Hindu revival and corresponds to a similar development on the Gangetic plains, where Buddhism declined during this period. It is still said that the Buddhists had defiled the God by throwing their refuse over him; they had reversed the sacrificial order, taking the offerings first themselves and then throwing the refuse onto the God." (Per, 1998) Islam, itself is considered as a strict religion by non-Muslims. So, the followers of Islam are looked distinctly by them. Muslims are physically similar to Teraians (Madheshi) or Indians. Majority of the Nepali peoples are Hill peoples, who generally treat Muslims as outsiders. Scattered in different parts of the country among other non-Muslims, Muslims are in the minority position by population too. Similarly, due to the Hindu based hierarchical castes system, Muslim community in Nepal was always in a minority position. Muslims were ranked as impure but touchable caste (pani na chalne tara chhoi chhito halnu na parne jaat).
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Despite geographically being a small country with multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural people, Nepal is known to the world as a land blessed with religious and cultural syncretism. Embracing the principle of harmony, people of Nepal have been living together contributing equally to the birth of the nation as well as assimilating into the national strategy. Giving continuity to this very feature has become the cornerstone of the Nepalese people. Like the people living in any parts of the world, with their own faith in religion, sect or beliefs, people of Nepal are no exception. But, throughout its history, Nepal has never witnessed any forms of conflicts in the name of religion or culture. From the country's rulers to its people, this syncretism has been acknowledged as the country's core identity which nevertheless has remained the basis of the country's main laws.Context: Prior to the Popular Movement of 2062/63 BS, during its greater, divided and unification periods, Nepal has remained a monarchial kingdom for a much longer period of time. During these periods, the kings or the rulers who followed Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions have been ruling this country. Since that time, religious harmony has been respectfully maintained here. Whatever sects or religions the kings belonged to, they always paid homage and intermingled with the religions practiced by the people without expressing any kinds of reluctance. People also paid reverence to the kings by providing special space to maintain harmony as per their religious beliefs and practices. The very basis of syncretism has been reflected and expressed in the present time after Nepal has become a Republic State. In the present modern age, the practitioners of different religions of the world who have also embraced and adopted this harmony consider Nepal a model state. 1
An Exploration of Ethnic Dynamics in Nepal
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This article explores manifold dynamics of demographic presence in Nepal. The polities at large are distinct in terms of culture, class and caste. The study focuses on ethnic differences in the context of the recent political development of Nepal. Demographic changes have profound effects on the society, economy, and people of a political institution. Nepal is a multi-ethnic country with a history of ethnic discrimination over the centuries because of racial differences imbibed in political and social affairs of the Nepalese. Demographic changes in Nepal have occurred under unique circumstances within a both a historical context and a contemporary and comparative perspective against other countries have encountered. The article encompasses the factors such as cultural harmony, integrity, and equity to analyze cultural differences and racial realities in the scenario of the postmodern era. The paper unfolds the pages of underrepresentation of the marginalized communities and overrepr...
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