Who Are the Limbu?
The Limbu (Yakthung) are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of far eastern Nepal (the Limbuwan region) and adjacent Sikkim and Darjeeling in India, numbering approximately 400,000-500,000 total. They speak Limbu, a Kiranti language with its own indigenous script (Kirat Sirijonga). The Limbu are part of the Kirant ethnic category along with the Rai. They inhabit the hills of Taplejung, Panchthar, Tehrathum, and Ilam districts. The Limbu possess their own script—rare among Himalayan peoples—and maintain strong ethnic identity. Like other Kirant groups, they have been recruited into Gurkha regiments.
The Sirijonga Script
The Limbu possess the Kirat Sirijonga script, a distinctive writing system used for the Limbu language. Legend attributes its creation to the 17th-century figure Te-ongsi Sirijonga, who was martyred for promoting Limbu identity. The script fell into disuse but was revived in the 20th century. Today, it is taught in schools in Limbu areas and used for religious and cultural texts. This indigenous script distinguishes the Limbu from neighboring groups who use Devanagari or Latin. The script serves as a powerful symbol of Limbu identity and has contributed to cultural revitalization movements.
Historical Autonomy
The Limbu maintained substantial autonomy within Nepal for centuries after the unification of Nepal. The "Limbuwan autonomy" agreement with King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1774) guaranteed Limbu land rights and self-governance in exchange for allegiance. This agreement preserved the kipat system of communal land tenure. However, subsequent governments gradually eroded Limbuwan autonomy; the kipat system was abolished in 1968. Memory of historical autonomy fuels contemporary Limbu political movements seeking recognition within Nepal's federal structure. Limbuwan identity remains a powerful mobilizing force.
Contemporary Limbu
Modern Limbu have become politically active, with movements demanding recognition of Limbuwan as a federal unit. The Limbu language is taught in schools; the Sirijonga script appears on signage and in publications. Traditional Limbu religion (Yuma Samyo, worship of the goddess Yuma/Tagera Ningwaphuma) has experienced revival alongside Hindu influences. Agriculture, military service, and labor migration characterize economic life. Cross-border connections with Limbu communities in India persist. How the Limbu leverage their script, historical autonomy, and ethnic organization to secure recognition in federal Nepal shapes this script-possessing Kirant people's future.
References
- Subba, T. B. (1999). Politics of Culture: A Study of Three Kirata Communities in the Eastern Himalayas
- Driem, G. van (1987). A Grammar of Limbu
- Caplan, L. (1970). Land and Social Change in East Nepal