Mahabharat Lekh
Encyclopedia
The Mahabharat Range -- also called the Lesser Himalaya -- is a major east-west mountain range [a series of east-west mountain ranges] with elevations 1,500 to 2,700 metres (5,000 to 9,000 feet) along the crest, paralleling the much higher Great Himalaya range from the Indus River
in Pakistan
across northern India
, Nepal
, Sikkim
and Bhutan
but then the two ranges become increasingly difficult to differentiate east of Bhutan as the ranges approach the Brahmaputra River
. The Mahabharat range also parallels the lower Siwalik or Churia Range (Outer Himalaya) to the south.
[According to Zurick and Karan in "Himalaya," the following statement in this article is not true - as they state on page 33 "The middle mountains throughout are densely populated by human settlements. Farming communities spread across the lower slopes and dot the river valleys.] Southern slopes of the Mahabharat Range are steep and nearly uninhabited due to a major fault system called the 'Main Boundary Thrust". [The brunt of the summer monsoon season rainfall also falls here, making the topsoil unstable for parts of the year, and run-off dramatic]. The crest and northern slopes slope gently enough to support upland pastures and terraced fields. Nepal's densely populated Middle Hills begin along the crest, extending north through lower valleys and other "hills" until population thins out above 2,000 metres and cereal
-based agriculture increasingly gives way to seasonal herding and cold-tolerant crops such as potato
es.
Most ethnic groups found along the Mahabharat Range and northward into the Middle Hills have Tibeto-Burman
affinities including Newar
, Magar, Gurung
, Tamang
, Rai
and Limbu
, however the most populous ethnic group is Indo-European Hindu
s called Pahari
s, mainly of the upper Brahman] [Bahun
and Kshatriya
or Chhetri
castes. Lower terrain south of the escarpment was historically malaria
l and inhabited by apparently aboriginal peoples with evolved immunity, notably the Tharu.
The Mahabharat Range is an important hydrographic barrier crossed by relatively few rivers. Drainage systems have evolved candelabra configurations with numerous tributaries flowing south from the Himalaya through the Middle Hills, gathering immediately north of the Mahabharat Range and cutting through in major gorges as the Karnali in the west, the Gandaki or Narayani in central Nepal, and the Kosi in the east. [In India the major drainages through the Middle Mountains of the Mahabharat Range are the Indus-Sutlej and Alaknanda-Bhagirathi systems to the west of Nepal; the Tistha in Sikkim; and the Brahmaputra to the east. In Bhutan the major drainages are the Sankosh and Manash river systems. (page 31, "Himalaya," David Zurick and P.P. Karan. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1999)
With temperatures persisting around forty degrees celsius in the plains of India from April until the onset of the summer monsoon in June, but ten to fifteen degrees cooler atop the Mahabharat Range, Hill Stations were developed as alternate capitals and resorts for the hot season by India's Mughal
and British rulers. There are no hill stations per se in Nepal, Sikkim or Bhutan since the capital cities are high enough to avoid extreme heat.
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
in Pakistan
Geography of Pakistan
The geography of Pakistan is a profound blend of landscapes varying from plains to deserts, forests, hills, and plateaus ranging from the coastal areas of the Arabian Sea in the south to the mountains of the Karakoram range in the north...
across northern India
Geography of India
The geography of India describes the physical features of India, a country in South Asia, that lies entirely on the Indian Plate in the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. The country lies to the north of the equator between 8°4' and 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' and 97°25' east...
, Nepal
Geography of Nepal
Nepal measures about along its himalayan axis by across. With it slightly outranks Bangladesh or the state of Arkansas. Nepal is landlocked by India on three sides and China's Xizang Autonomous Region to the north. West Bengal's narrow Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck separate Nepal and...
, Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
and Bhutan
Geography of Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a sovereign nation, located towards the eastern extreme of the Himalayas mountain range. It is fairly evenly sandwiched between the sovereign territory of two nations: first, the People's Republic of China on the north and northwest. There are approximately 470 kilometres...
but then the two ranges become increasingly difficult to differentiate east of Bhutan as the ranges approach the Brahmaputra River
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
. The Mahabharat range also parallels the lower Siwalik or Churia Range (Outer Himalaya) to the south.
[According to Zurick and Karan in "Himalaya," the following statement in this article is not true - as they state on page 33 "The middle mountains throughout are densely populated by human settlements. Farming communities spread across the lower slopes and dot the river valleys.] Southern slopes of the Mahabharat Range are steep and nearly uninhabited due to a major fault system called the 'Main Boundary Thrust". [The brunt of the summer monsoon season rainfall also falls here, making the topsoil unstable for parts of the year, and run-off dramatic]. The crest and northern slopes slope gently enough to support upland pastures and terraced fields. Nepal's densely populated Middle Hills begin along the crest, extending north through lower valleys and other "hills" until population thins out above 2,000 metres and cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
-based agriculture increasingly gives way to seasonal herding and cold-tolerant crops such as potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es.
Most ethnic groups found along the Mahabharat Range and northward into the Middle Hills have Tibeto-Burman
Tibeto-Burman languages
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
affinities including Newar
Newar
The Newa , Newār or Newāl) are the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley. The valley and surrounding territory have been known from ancient times as Nepal Mandala, its limits ever changing through history.Newas have lived in the Kathmandu...
, Magar, Gurung
Gurung
The Gurung people, also called Tamu, are an ethnic group that migrated from Mongolia in the 6th century to the central region of Nepal. Gurungs, like other east Asian featured peoples of Nepal such as Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Magar, Manaaggi, Mustaaggi, and Walunggi, are the indigenous people of...
, Tamang
Tamang
The Tamangs are the ancient and original inhabitants of the mountains and plains of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India. Their ancient capital being Yambu - modern day Kathmandu. They have their own distinct culture, language and religion. Their ancestral domain is popularly known as...
, Rai
Rai (ethnic group)
The Rai are one of Nepal's most ancient indigenous ethnolinguistic groups. They were Raya meaning king. Once someone was recognized as a ruler then Hindus awarded the title Raja, Rai, Raya, Malla etc. When the king Pritivi Narayan Shah couldn't defeat Kirant king , he somehow took them in...
and 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....
, however the most populous ethnic group is Indo-European Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s called Pahari
Pahari people
The Pahari people, ; also called Pahadi, Parbati, Khāsā, or Chhetri, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of the Himalaya living in Nepal, India, and Pakistan. In Nepal, the Pahari constituted the single largest ethnic group at about 20,000,000, or three-fifths of the Nepalese population through the 1990s...
s, mainly of the upper Brahman] [Bahun
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
and Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
or Chhetri
Chhettri
Chhetri or Chhettri , synonymous with Kshetri and Khatri are all derivatives of Kshatriya , the warrior and ruler caste group or varna of Hinduism. Chhetris speak Khasa Nepali, the national language, and are part of the dominant Khasa culture and the wider Pahari Indo-Nepali population...
castes. Lower terrain south of the escarpment was historically malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
l and inhabited by apparently aboriginal peoples with evolved immunity, notably the Tharu.
The Mahabharat Range is an important hydrographic barrier crossed by relatively few rivers. Drainage systems have evolved candelabra configurations with numerous tributaries flowing south from the Himalaya through the Middle Hills, gathering immediately north of the Mahabharat Range and cutting through in major gorges as the Karnali in the west, the Gandaki or Narayani in central Nepal, and the Kosi in the east. [In India the major drainages through the Middle Mountains of the Mahabharat Range are the Indus-Sutlej and Alaknanda-Bhagirathi systems to the west of Nepal; the Tistha in Sikkim; and the Brahmaputra to the east. In Bhutan the major drainages are the Sankosh and Manash river systems. (page 31, "Himalaya," David Zurick and P.P. Karan. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1999)
With temperatures persisting around forty degrees celsius in the plains of India from April until the onset of the summer monsoon in June, but ten to fifteen degrees cooler atop the Mahabharat Range, Hill Stations were developed as alternate capitals and resorts for the hot season by India's Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and British rulers. There are no hill stations per se in Nepal, Sikkim or Bhutan since the capital cities are high enough to avoid extreme heat.