The Thakali: A Himalayan Ethnography

This monograph presents a comprehensive ethnography of the Thakali with particular reference to the Thak Khola valley of Mustang District, Nepal the homeland of the Thakali. Based on several years of fieldwork since 1972, it provides a wealth of hitherto unrecorded detail and much insight on Thakali history, culture and society. Following an introduction to the valley and its peoples, the author describes how he lived among the Thakali. Much attention is then devoted to a history of the valley, thus providing a long-term perspective on its society and culture. How the Thakali make a living  the subsistence economy and their need and sources for cash is recounted. Thakali kinship terminologies are analysed and the use of kinship terms and traditional behaviour patterns between relative is examined. After an account of the form and function of Thakali patrilineal descent groups, the author examines the Thakali household, inheritance system, and residence patterns. Individual chapters then present the following subjects: social stratification; marriage; the life cycle of the individual; the political systems in Thak Khola; the Thakali world view and death ceremonies as an example of Thakali ritual; a description of the main festivals; the history of Thakali emigration and the life of Thakali living outside Thak Khola. The final chapter examines continuity and change, impression management, cohesion and conflict, and a developing identity crisis among the Thakali. The book ends with a discussion of the future of the Thakali. As a major contribution to the literature on the peoples of Nepal, this monumental study is of importance to ethnographers, anthropologists, historians and to all those interested in the Himalayas.