Limbu Clans and Tribes
Encyclopedia
The Limbu
nation is made up of hundreds of clans. Each Limbu clans are classified under their Tribe or subnational entity or according to their place of origin. Some of the Tribes are Aakwajungo/Awajung, Phombo, Singthaba, Kurumbang, Kedem, Khajum, Nalbo, Huukpa, Samba etc. Almost all the Limbu clan names are unique, therefore it is not necessary to specify the Tribe or the place of origin every time the clan name is said. Although, some of the clan names may not be unique for example: Chongbang or Maden. They are divided by listing their tribe name before or after their clan. Chongbang can be Sering-Chongbang or Huuppa-Chongbang or Tilling-Chongbang, similarly Maden clan can be specifically Tilling-Maden or Tokleng-Maden or Tunglung-Maden. Listed Chaobisia, Mawakhola, Tambarkhola, Charkhola, Maiwakhola, Panthar, Tinkhola, Phedap and Yangrok are the names of the places where the respective clans belong to. Chaobisia refers to present day Dhankuta
and Morang districts, Tambarkhola area is in present day Taplejung
district, Mewakhola area refers to present day Taplejung
and Sankhuwasabha districts, Charkhola is a present day Ilam
and Jhapa districts, Maiwakhola area is in present day Taplejung district, Tinkhola is in Panchthar district, Panthar is Panchthar
district, Phedap is the north-central area of Terhathum district, Athraya is in northeastern Terhathum district, Chethar is in southern Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and eastern Dhankuta
district. Yangrok area is in present day Southeast Taplejung
, Northeast Panchthar
districts and west Sikkim
. All of these areas make up Limbuwan
.
with Gorkha
, the Term Limbu did not stand as Jaat or Varna of Hindu system, but Limbu
meant anyone living in the Limbuwan's domain. After the Unification of Limbuwan and Gorkha, the Gorkhali King and Khas-Brahmin immigrants classified all those living in Limbuwan as Limbus and ranked them as one of the "Namasine Matwali Jaat".
The term "Subba" is not a clan name of a Limbu nationality, Subba is a title given by the Shah Kings to Limbu village chiefs. Subba is not an indegenous Limbu terminology, but now Limbu and Subba are almost interchangeable terms.
The term "Yakthumba or Yakthungba" is also not a clan name. Limbus call themselves Yakthumba in their own language and thus its an endonym of term Limbu.
The clan names have terms attached to it as well, Libang means the Archer, Tilling means the Police, Menyangbo means the unsuccessful one, Samba means the priest, etc. However, clans also have meanings which evolved from sentences e.g. Hembya was according to legend, evolved from "Hey' nangh wa" which translates to "Over there also". However, on original verbal dialect, 'Hembya' would be pronounced as "Hem-phe". This name was previously used to identify Thebe's next clan who settled in a different territory.
, genealogy is very important before conducting marriages. Limbus don't marry within their own clan and not into their mother's clan or their grandmothers' clan. Some Traditional and cultural Limbus with strong background, avoid marriages into clans from which they derive their blood, up to seven generations in their father's line and up to five generations in their mother's line. That means Marriages into great-great-great grandmothers' clans are also avoided.
A person of Sering-Chongbang clan can marry a person of Phago-Chongbang or Kajum-Chongbang clan but not of Sering-Chongbang clan, this is because all the members of Sering-Chongbang are descended from the same male ancestor and considered related by bone and blood.
The following are the list of Limbu
clans.
Awajungo/Akwajungo/Awajung
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Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
nation is made up of hundreds of clans. Each Limbu clans are classified under their Tribe or subnational entity or according to their place of origin. Some of the Tribes are Aakwajungo/Awajung, Phombo, Singthaba, Kurumbang, Kedem, Khajum, Nalbo, Huukpa, Samba etc. Almost all the Limbu clan names are unique, therefore it is not necessary to specify the Tribe or the place of origin every time the clan name is said. Although, some of the clan names may not be unique for example: Chongbang or Maden. They are divided by listing their tribe name before or after their clan. Chongbang can be Sering-Chongbang or Huuppa-Chongbang or Tilling-Chongbang, similarly Maden clan can be specifically Tilling-Maden or Tokleng-Maden or Tunglung-Maden. Listed Chaobisia, Mawakhola, Tambarkhola, Charkhola, Maiwakhola, Panthar, Tinkhola, Phedap and Yangrok are the names of the places where the respective clans belong to. Chaobisia refers to present day Dhankuta
Dhankuta
Dhankuta is a hill town of Nepal located along the geographical coordinates- 26° 59' 0" N / 87° 20' 0" E, with about 20,000 inhabitants, located in the Dhankuta District in the eastern part of Nepal. Until about 1963 Dhankuta Bazaar was the administrative headquarters for the whole of...
and Morang districts, Tambarkhola area is in present day Taplejung
Taplejung
Taplejung is the headquarters of Taplejung District in the Mechi Zone of Nepal. It is located at 27°21'0N 87°40'0E with an altitude of 1441 metres ....
district, Mewakhola area refers to present day Taplejung
Taplejung
Taplejung is the headquarters of Taplejung District in the Mechi Zone of Nepal. It is located at 27°21'0N 87°40'0E with an altitude of 1441 metres ....
and Sankhuwasabha districts, Charkhola is a present day Ilam
Ilam District
Ilam district of 282,806. It is about 600 km from Kathmandu. The highest point is Sandakpur with an elevation of 3000m. Ilam attracts many researchers who come to study rare birds and the Red Panda...
and Jhapa districts, Maiwakhola area is in present day Taplejung district, Tinkhola is in Panchthar district, Panthar is Panchthar
Panchthar
Panchthar is the headquarters of Panchthar District in the Mechi Zone of northern Nepal....
district, Phedap is the north-central area of Terhathum district, Athraya is in northeastern Terhathum district, Chethar is in southern Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and eastern Dhankuta
Dhankuta
Dhankuta is a hill town of Nepal located along the geographical coordinates- 26° 59' 0" N / 87° 20' 0" E, with about 20,000 inhabitants, located in the Dhankuta District in the eastern part of Nepal. Until about 1963 Dhankuta Bazaar was the administrative headquarters for the whole of...
district. Yangrok area is in present day Southeast Taplejung
Taplejung
Taplejung is the headquarters of Taplejung District in the Mechi Zone of Nepal. It is located at 27°21'0N 87°40'0E with an altitude of 1441 metres ....
, Northeast Panchthar
Panchthar
Panchthar is the headquarters of Panchthar District in the Mechi Zone of northern Nepal....
districts and west Sikkim
West Sikkim
West Sikkim is a district of theIndian state of Sikkim. Its capital is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Jorethang.-History:...
. All of these areas make up Limbuwan
Limbuwan
Limbuwan is an area of the Himalaya historically made up of 10 Limbu kingdoms, all now part of Nepal. Limbuwan means "abode of the Limbus" or "Land of the Limbus". Limbus themselves call Limbuwan "Yakthung Laaje" or "the country of the Yakthungs"...
.
Nationality and the name
Before the unification of LimbuwanLimbuwan
Limbuwan is an area of the Himalaya historically made up of 10 Limbu kingdoms, all now part of Nepal. Limbuwan means "abode of the Limbus" or "Land of the Limbus". Limbus themselves call Limbuwan "Yakthung Laaje" or "the country of the Yakthungs"...
with Gorkha
Gorkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the 8th century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath.Gurkha, Ghurkha, or Gorkha may also refer to:-People:...
, the Term Limbu did not stand as Jaat or Varna of Hindu system, but Limbu
Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
meant anyone living in the Limbuwan's domain. After the Unification of Limbuwan and Gorkha, the Gorkhali King and Khas-Brahmin immigrants classified all those living in Limbuwan as Limbus and ranked them as one of the "Namasine Matwali Jaat".
The term "Subba" is not a clan name of a Limbu nationality, Subba is a title given by the Shah Kings to Limbu village chiefs. Subba is not an indegenous Limbu terminology, but now Limbu and Subba are almost interchangeable terms.
The term "Yakthumba or Yakthungba" is also not a clan name. Limbus call themselves Yakthumba in their own language and thus its an endonym of term Limbu.
The clan names have terms attached to it as well, Libang means the Archer, Tilling means the Police, Menyangbo means the unsuccessful one, Samba means the priest, etc. However, clans also have meanings which evolved from sentences e.g. Hembya was according to legend, evolved from "Hey' nangh wa" which translates to "Over there also". However, on original verbal dialect, 'Hembya' would be pronounced as "Hem-phe". This name was previously used to identify Thebe's next clan who settled in a different territory.
Clans and Marriages
To LimbusLimbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
, genealogy is very important before conducting marriages. Limbus don't marry within their own clan and not into their mother's clan or their grandmothers' clan. Some Traditional and cultural Limbus with strong background, avoid marriages into clans from which they derive their blood, up to seven generations in their father's line and up to five generations in their mother's line. That means Marriages into great-great-great grandmothers' clans are also avoided.
A person of Sering-Chongbang clan can marry a person of Phago-Chongbang or Kajum-Chongbang clan but not of Sering-Chongbang clan, this is because all the members of Sering-Chongbang are descended from the same male ancestor and considered related by bone and blood.
The following are the list of Limbu
Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
clans.
A
- Ajibungia
- Angbuhang
- Angbe
- Angbo
- Angbung
- Anchangbo
- Angdembe
- Angdemba - Papo
- Angdemba - Phendua
- Angdemba - Nembang
- Angla - Tokleng
- Anglabang
- Anglabang - Khewa
- Angthumba
- Anchangbong
Awajungo/Akwajungo/Awajung
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B
- Bokkhim - Yyorong
- Bokkhim - Kangva
- Bokkhim - Maa
- Bokkhim - Laksam
- Banta
- Baphu
- Baragahri - Sangwa
- Baragahri - Khajum
- Begha - Tunglung
- Begha - Panthar
- Bengtak
- Bhotangwa
- Burra
- Burumba
C
- Chambang
- Charkhele
- Chebegu
- Chekphong
- Chengsui
- Chenwaphu
- Chermali
- Chethare
- Chilikchan
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- ChemjongChemjongChemjong is a Limbu surname. Origin and History of the Name Chemjong comes from the era of Lasahang Dynasty of Limbuwan.. It is most common in Limbuwan, East Nepal and Sikkim.-People with the surname :* Iman Xin Chemjong, Limbu Historian...
- Mabho-hang - ChemjongChemjongChemjong is a Limbu surname. Origin and History of the Name Chemjong comes from the era of Lasahang Dynasty of Limbuwan.. It is most common in Limbuwan, East Nepal and Sikkim.-People with the surname :* Iman Xin Chemjong, Limbu Historian...
- Panthar - ChemjongChemjongChemjong is a Limbu surname. Origin and History of the Name Chemjong comes from the era of Lasahang Dynasty of Limbuwan.. It is most common in Limbuwan, East Nepal and Sikkim.-People with the surname :* Iman Xin Chemjong, Limbu Historian...
- Lad-ho - ChemjongChemjongChemjong is a Limbu surname. Origin and History of the Name Chemjong comes from the era of Lasahang Dynasty of Limbuwan.. It is most common in Limbuwan, East Nepal and Sikkim.-People with the surname :* Iman Xin Chemjong, Limbu Historian...
- Chikcho - Chilikehomba
- Chintung
- Chikcho - Kajum
- Chabeghu
- Chungsu
- Chongbang - Huukpa
- Chongbang - Khajum
- Chongbang - Khewa
- Chongbang - Nalbo
- Chongbang - Phago
- Chongbang - Samba
- Chongbang - Sering
- Chongbang - Tilling
- Chongbang - Tukyuma
- Chongbang - Tunglung
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H
- Hamphia
- Hangemba - Ijam
- Hangemba - Yangrok
- Hangemba - Yungwa
- Hangemba - Mawakhole
- Hanggam - Mawakhole
- Hanggam - Nalbo
- Hanggam - Sering
- Hangserung
- Hangun
- Hanserumba
- Hembya
- Hinah
- Hingo
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See also
- Limbu peopleLimbu peopleThe Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
- Limbu languageLimbu languageLimbu is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Kashmir and Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India, by the Limbu community. Virtually all Limbus are bilingual in Nepali....
- Limbu scriptLimbu scriptThe Limbu script is used to write the Limbu language. The Limbu script is an abugida derived from the Tibetan script.-History:According to traditional histories, the Limbu script was first invented in the late 9th century by King Sirijonga Haang, then fell out of use, to be reintroduced in the 18th...
- Limbuwan Gorkha War history
- Rambahadur LimbuRambahadur LimbuCaptain Rambahadur Limbu, VC, MVO is a Nepalese recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Rambahadur Limbu belongs to the Begha Clan of Limbu Nationality of Nepal. He retired with the honorary...
- LimbuwanLimbuwanLimbuwan is an area of the Himalaya historically made up of 10 Limbu kingdoms, all now part of Nepal. Limbuwan means "abode of the Limbus" or "Land of the Limbus". Limbus themselves call Limbuwan "Yakthung Laaje" or "the country of the Yakthungs"...
- SikkimSikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
- Limbuwan-Gorkha Treaty of 1774
- Limbuwan Autonomy
- Limbu Beverage TongbaTongbaTongba is a millet-based alcoholic beverage found in the far eastern mountainous region of Nepal and the neighbouring Darjeeling and Sikkim districts of India. It is the traditional and indigenous drink of the Limbu people of eastern Nepal....
- Limbu Clans and Tribes, List of
- Limbu Pantheon
- Limbu Religious Text, MundhumMundhumMundhum is the ancient religious scripture and folk literature of the Kirat people of Nepal, central to Kirat Mundhum, the ancient, indigenous religion of Nepal. Mundhum means "the power of great strength" in the Kiranti languages...
- Limbu Festivals , Chasok TangnamChasok TangnamChasok Tangnam is the most important of Kirat Limbu festivals. This festival falls on a full moon day of the month of Senchengla or the Mangsir month of Nepali calendar. "Tangnam" simply means festival in Limbu language. Along with the resurgence of Limbu identity, culture and nationalism, Limbus...