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 The
three main ethnic groups live geographically
separated with the dominant political group;
the Ngalop
in the west, the Sharchops
in the east and the southern Bhutanese of Nepali
origin (also known as Lhotshampas)
in the south.
The
Sharchops
dominate the eastern areas namely: Mongar, Tashigang,
Bumthang, Mangde, Kheng, Kurtoe, Dungsum and
Yangtse. Northern regions of Bhutan are inhabited
largely by Brokpas and Bjops. They are predominant
in the regions of Merek and Sakten and in the
northern regions of Bumthang, Lunganak, Gasa,
Lingshi, Paro and Haa. Ngalongs come from the
western region of Bhutan, which include (Wangdi),
Punakha, Dagana, Thimphu, Chukha, Paro, Haa
and Gasa. Lhotshampas
are of Nepali origin and live in the south,
primarily in the districts of Chukha, Dagana
and Samdrup Jonkhar districts. There are other
smaller ethnic groups like the Santhals, Rajbansis,
Doyas etc.
Bhutan's
society is made up of four broad but not necessarily
exclusive groups: the Ngalop,
the Sharchop,
several aboriginal people, and Nepalese. The
Ngalop
(a term thought to mean the earliest risen or
first converted) are people of Tibetan origin
who migrated to Bhutan as early as the ninth
century. For this reason, they are often referred
to in foreign literature as Bhote (people of
Bhotia or Tibet). The Ngalop
are concentrated in western and northern districts.
They introduced Tibetan
culture and Buddhism
to Bhutan and comprised the dominant political
and cultural element in modern Bhutan.
The
Sharchop
(the word means easterner), an Indo-Mongoloid
people who are thought to have migrated from
Assam or possibly Burma during the past millennium,
comprise most of the population of eastern
Bhutan. Although long the biggest ethnic group
in Bhutan, the Sharchop
have been largely assimilated into the Tibetan-Ngalop
culture. Because of their proximity to India,
some speak Assamese or Hindi. They practice
slash-and-burn and tsheri agriculture, planting
dry rice crops for three or four years until
the soil is exhausted and then moving on.
The
third group consists of small aboriginal or
indigenous tribal peoples living in scattered
villages throughout Bhutan. Culturally and linguistically
part of the populations of West Bengal or Assam,
they embrace the Hindu system of endogamous
groups ranked by hierarchy and practice wet-rice
and dry-rice agriculture. They include the Drokpa,
Lepcha, and Doya tribes as well as the descendants
of slaves who were brought to Bhutan from similar
tribal areas in India. The ex-slave communities
tended to be near traditional population centers
because it was there that they had been pressed
into service to the state. Together, the Ngalop,
Sharchop,
and tribal groups were thought to constitute
up to 72 percent of the population in the late
1980s.
The
remaining 28 percent of the population were
of Nepalese origin. Officially, the government
stated that 28 percent of the national population
was Nepalese in the late 1980s, but unofficial
estimates ran as high as 30 to 40 percent,
and Nepalese were estimated to constitute
a majority in southern Bhutan. The number
of legal permanent Nepalese residents in the
late 1980s may have been as few as 15 percent
of the total population, however.
The
first small groups of Nepalese, the most recent
major groups to arrive in Bhutan, emigrated
primarily from eastern Nepal under Indian
auspices in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. Mostly Hindus, the Nepalese
settled in the southern foothills and are
sometimes referred to as southern Bhutanese.
Traditionally, they have been involved mostly
in sedentary agriculture, although some have
cleared forest cover and conducted tsheri
agriculture. The most divisive issue in Bhutan
in the 1980s and early 1990s was the accommodation
of the Nepalese Hindu minority. The government
traditionally attempted to limit immigration
and restrict residence and employment of Nepalese
to the southern region. Liberalization measures
in the 1970s and 1980s encouraged intermarriage
and provided increasing opportunities for
public service. More in-country migration
by Nepalese seeking better education and business
opportunities was allowed.
Bhutan
also had a sizable modern Tibetan refugee
population, which stood at 10,000 persons
in 1987. The major influx of 6,000 persons
came in 1959 in the wake of the Chinese army's
invasion and occupation of Tibet. The Tibetan
expatriates became only partially integrated
into Bhutanese society, however, and many
were unwilling to accept citizenship. Perceiving
a lack of allegiance to the state on the part
of Tibetans, the government decided in 1979
to expel to India those who refused citizenship.
India, after some reluctance, acceded to the
move and accepted more than 3,100 Tibetans
between 1980 and 1985. Another 4,200 Tibetans
requested and received Bhutanese citizenship.
Although Bhutan traditionally welcomed refugees
and still accepted a few new ones fleeing
the 1989 imposition of martial law in Tibet
government policy in the late 1980s was to
refuse more Tibetan refugees.
Bhutan does not have any indigenous group. It
is a nation of immigrants and a multi-religious,
multi-cultural and multi-linguistic society.
There are three main ethnic, religious and
linguistic groups and a dozen smaller groups.
The Ngalop
- often called Drukpas - are the ruling group
who control the monarchy and the government
and dominate the economy. King and all the high
government officials belong to this politically
and economically dominant ethnic group. They
live in the north-western region, speak Dzonkha
language and wear robe like dresses. They migrated
from Tibet. They are called Drukpas as they
follow the Drukpa Kargyupa school of Mahayana
Buddhism.
The second
ethnic group is called Sharchop,
who inhabit in eastern and central region and
practice Nyingmapa sect of Mahayana Buddhism
and belong to Tibeto-Burman ancestry. They speak
Tsangla, Kurteop, Kheng and Brokpa dialects.
They were supposedly migrated from North-east
India.
The third
ethnic group is called Lhotshampas
( meaning Southern Bhutanese) live in six southern
foothill districts, speak Nepali language, practice
mostly Hinduism and migrated from Nepal, Darjeeling
and Sikkim in India.
All three
ethnic groups migrated to Bhutan at different
points of time in history, but before the exodus
of British from India in 1947. There are other
minority ethnic groups having their own distinct
characteristics in terms of language, culture,
religious practices etc. They are Tibetans,
Doyas, Khengs, Adivashis, Brokpas Mangdepas
and Kurteopas. In terms of religion and faith,
Bhutanese people practise Hinduism, Christianity,
Drukpa
Kargyupa
and Nyingmapa sects of Buddhism
and Animism. Each ethnic group of Bhutan have
lived clustered together in separate regions.
For example, the Nepali-speaking Lhotshampas
lived in southern foothills, the Sharchops
lived in eastern region and the Ngalungs lived
in north-western regions. In Bhutan the census
record is maintained in the district of origin,
even though they are living in different parts
like capital Thimphu.
The government
of Bhutan does not disclose the exact number
of population. It has been a guarded secret.
In the eighties the government put the figure
at 1,165,800 and even increased to 1.4 million.
The reason and the need for this inflated figure
could not be ascertained. However, due to external
pressure and after the dissident groups published
the population figure at between 600,000 to
700,00, the king of Bhutan admitted in 1991
that the real number was just about 600,000.
In 1999,
Bhutan's population was 657,548 according to
the Planning Commission of the Royal Government
of Bhutan. There are 125,000 Bhutanese refugees
living in Nepal and India. Out of which around
105,000 are living in Nepal and another 20,000
in India.. Thus, the total population of Bhutan
was estimated at 782,548 ( 657,548 + 125,000).
The world Bank's population figure for the year
2000 was 782,000. Bhutan is administratively
divided into western, central, eastern and southern
regions.
Drukpa Kargyupa
Buddhism
is the state religion. Dzongkha is the national
language. The following unofficial demographic
statistics have been derived by a complex system
based on Government statistics, population figures
of 1980 and 2000, UN, World Bank and other international
sources. The following figures include the refugee
population, about 125,000 living in refugee
camps in Nepal, other parts of Nepal and India.
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