Bharatwiki Socrates: Created page with "{{Short description|Nepalese occupational caste}} {{other uses}} {{infobox ethnic group | group = Damai | native_name = दमाइँ | native_name_lang = ne | image = Playing Damaha.jpg | image_caption = Damai men playing traditional Damaha | region1 = {{flag|Nepal}} | pop1 = 565,932 (1.9% of Nepal's population) (2021){{cite report |date=2021 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2021, Cas..."

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Created page with "{{Short description|Nepalese occupational caste}} {{other uses}} {{infobox ethnic group | group = Damai | native_name = दमाइँ | native_name_lang = ne | image = Playing Damaha.jpg | image_caption = Damai men playing traditional Damaha | region1 = {{flag|Nepal}} | pop1 = 565,932 (1.9% of Nepal's population) (2021)<ref name="auto">{{cite report |date=2021 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2021, Cas..."

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{{Short description|Nepalese occupational caste}}
{{other uses}}
{{infobox ethnic group
| group = Damai
| native_name = दमाइँ
| native_name_lang = ne
| image = Playing Damaha.jpg
| image_caption = Damai men playing traditional [[Damaha]]
| region1 = {{flag|Nepal}}
| pop1 = 565,932 (1.9% of Nepal's population) (2021)<ref name="auto">{{cite report |date=2021 |title=National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report |author=National Statistics Office |work=Government of Nepal |url=https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/downloads/caste-ethnicity}}</ref>
| region2 = [[India]], [[Bhutan]] and [[Burma]]
| langs = [[Kalautya Rudika]] (Damai kura), [[Nepali language|Nepali]] (Khas kura)
| rels = [[Shamanism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism in Nepal|Hinduism]] 96.59% (2011), [[Christianity]] 3.22% (2011)<ref>{{cite report |date=2014 |title=Population monograph of Nepal |volume=II |author=Central Bureau of Statistics |publisher=Government of Nepal |url=https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf}}</ref>
| related = [[Khas people]], [[Kami (caste)|Kami]], [[Badi people|Badi]], [[Sarki (ethnic group)|Sarki]], [[Gandarbha|Gandarbha/Gaine]]
}}
The '''Damai''' ({{langx|ne|दमाइँ}} {{IPA|ne|dʌmaĩ|pron}}; [[IAST]]: ''Damāĩ'') is an occupational caste found among [[indigenous people ]] comprising 45 subgroups.{{sfn|Whelpton|2005|p=31}} Their surnames take after the subgroup they belong to.<ref name=":0" /> People belonging to this caste are traditionally tailors{{sfn|Whelpton|2005|p=31}} and musicians capable of using the [[Naumati baaja|Naumati baja]] - an ensemble of nine traditional musical instruments.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Splendour of Sikkim- Culture and Traditions of the Ethnic Communities of Sikkim|publisher=Cultural Affairs and Heritage Department, Government of India|year=2017|pages=81|language=English}}</ref> The term Damai is coined from the musical instrument [[Damaha]]. The 1854 Nepalese Muluki Ain (Legal Code) categorized Damai as a "Lower caste”.<ref>Gurung, Harka (2005) Social Exclusion and Maoist Insurgency. Paper presented at National Dialogue Conference at ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal peoples, Kathmandu, 19–20 January 2005.</ref>

The Government of [[kingdom of Nepal]] abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "[[untouchability]]" in 1963 under the rule of [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Nepal: Deadly caste-based attacks spur outcry over social discrimination {{!}} DW {{!}} 16.06.2020|url=https://www.dw.com/en/nepal-deadly-caste-based-attacks-spur-outcry-over-social-discrimination/a-53827719|access-date=2021-02-28|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref>

According to the [[2021 Nepal census]], Damai make up 1.94% of Nepal's population (or 565,932 people).<ref name="auto"/> Damai are categorized under "Hill [[Dalit]]" among the 9 broad social groups, along with [[Kami (caste)|Kami]], [[Badi people|Badi]], [[Sarki (ethnic group)|Sarki]] and [[Gandarbha|Gaine]] by the Government of Nepal.<ref name="cbs">{{Cite web|url=https://unstats.un.org/unsD/demographic/sources/census/wphc/Nepal/Nepal-Census-2011-Vol1.pdf|title=Nepal Census 2011}}</ref>

==Geographical distribution==
At the time of the [[2011 Nepal census]], the frequency of Damai by province was as follows:
* [[Karnali Province]] (4.0%)
* [[Gandaki Province]] (3.9%)
* [[Sudurpashchim Province]] (2.6%)
* [[Lumbini Province]] (1.9%)
* [[Koshi Province]] (1.8%)
* [[Bagmati Province]] (1.4%)
* [[Madhesh Province]] (0.2%)

The frequency of Damai was higher than national average (1.8%) in the following districts:<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |title=2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report |access-date=2023-03-20 |archive-date=2023-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314170005/https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Parbat District|Parbat]] (7.5%)
* [[Myagdi District|Myagdi]] (5.8%)
* [[Kalikot District|Kalikot]] (5.1%)
* [[Dailekh District|Dailekh]] (5.0%)
* [[Baglung District|Baglung]] (4.7%)
* [[Doti District|Doti]] (4.6%)
* [[Surkhet District|Surkhet]] (4.6%)
* [[Mustang District|Mustang]] (4.4%)
* [[Bajura District|Bajura]] (4.2%)
* [[Jajarkot District|Jajarkot]] (4.0%)
* [[Lamjung District|Lamjung]] (3.9%)
* [[Dadeldhura District|Dadeldhura]] (3.8%)
* [[Gulmi District|Gulmi]] (3.7%)
* [[Kaski District|Kaski]] (3.7%)
* [[Syangja District|Syangja]] (3.7%)
* [[Western Rukum District|Western Rukum]] (3.7%)
* [[Rolpa District|Rolpa]] (3.6%)
* [[Humla District|Humla]] (3.5%)
* [[Tanahun District|Tanahun]] (3.4%)
* [[Okhaldhunga District|Okhaldhunga]] (3.3%)
* [[Arghakhanchi District|Arghakhanchi]] (3.2%)
* [[Eastern Rukum District|Eastern Rukum]] (3.2%)
* [[Mugu District|Mugu]] (3.2%)
* [[Pyuthan District|Pyuthan]] (3.2%)
* [[Achham District|Achham]] (3.1%)
* [[Sindhuli District|Sindhuli]] (3.1%)
* [[Tehrathum District|Tehrathum]] (3.1%)
* [[Gorkha District|Gorkha]] (3.0%)
* [[Salyan District, Nepal|Salyan]] (3.0%)
* [[Udayapur District|Udayapur]] (2.8%)
* [[Dang District, Nepal|Dang]] (2.7%)
* [[Khotang District|Khotang]] (2.7%)
* [[Bhojpur District, Nepal|Bhojpur]] (2.6%)
* [[Dhading District|Dhading]] (2.5%)
* [[Jumla District|Jumla]] (2.5%)
* [[Nawalpur District|Nawalpur]] (2.5%)
* [[Kanchanpur District|Kanchanpur]] (2.3%)
* [[Ramechhap District|Ramechhap]] (2.3%)
* [[Dolakha District|Dolakha]] (2.2%)
* [[Kailali District|Kailali]] (2.2%)
* [[Panchthar District|Panchthar]] (2.2%)
* [[Sankhuwasabha District|Sankhuwasabha]] (2.2%)
* [[Baitadi District|Baitadi]] (2.1%)
* [[Chitwan District|Chitwan]] (2.1%)
* [[Dhankuta District|Dhankuta]] (2.1%)
* [[Jhapa District|Jhapa]] (1.9%)
* [[Palpa District|Palpa]] (1.9%)
* [[Sindhupalchowk District|Sindhupalchowk]] (1.9%)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book| title = A History of Nepal| last1 = Whelpton | first1 = John| year = 2005 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | isbn = 978-0521804707 |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=WSo6PgAACAAJ}}

[[Category:Caste system in Nepal]]
[[Category:Dalit communities]]

Damai - Revision history