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{{Short description|Ethnic group in Nepal}}
{{For|the ethnic group in Indonesia|Rana people}}
{{Ethnic group
|group = Rana Tharu
|native_name = राना थारू
|native_name_lang = ne
|image = Népal rana tharu1650a.jpg
|image_caption = Rana Tharu woman
|region1 = {{flag|Nepal}}
|pop1 = 83,308
|ref1 = <ref>{{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 = {{Flag|India}}
|pop2 = 91,342
|ref2 = <ref>{{Cite report |title=A-11 Individual Scheduled Tribe Primary Census Abstract Data and its Appendix |publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |author=General & Census Commissioner |year=2011 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html |work=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |access-date=2017-11-20}}</ref>
|languages = [[Rana Tharu language|Rana Tharu]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Hindi]]
|religions = [[Hinduism]]
|related_groups = {{hlist|[[Bhoksa people]]|[[Tharu people]]|}}
}}
[[File:Népal rana tharu1818a Crop.jpg|thumb|Two Rana Tharu women preparing to fish.]]
'''Rana Tharu''' is an ethnic group generally classified as part of the [[Tharu people]] of [[Nepal]] and [[India]]. They are living in [[Kailali District|Kailali]] and [[Kanchanpur District|Kanchanpur Districts]] of the far western Nepali [[Terai]] and also in India, in [[Udham Singh Nagar district]], [[Uttarakhand]] and [[Kheri district]] of [[Uttar Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Guneratne |first=A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T7FWQ6dzYZQC |title=Many tongues, one people: The making of Tharu identity in Nepal |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2002 |isbn=0801487285 |location=Ithaca, New York}}</ref> As of 2001, Rana Tharu people were the largest of five [[Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes|scheduled tribes]] in Uttarakhand, with a population of 256,129 accounting for 33.4% of all scheduled tribes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of the Registrar General |date=2001 |title=Uttaranchal. Data Highlights: The Scheduled Tribes. Census of India 2001 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_st_uttaranchal.pdf |access-date=2008-03-16}}</ref>

The Rana Tharu community of Kailali and Kanchanpur districts have long demanded an identity separate from other Tharus. The Nepal Charter dated 18 May 2020 lists Rana Tharus as a distinct ethnic group; this listing was celebrated by Rana Tharus across Kaliali and Kanchanpur.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rana |first=B. |date=2022 |title=Five misconceptions about Rana Tharus |website=The Record |url=https://www.recordnepal.com/five-misconceptions-about-rana-tharu-and-pan-tharu-identity |access-date=27 October 2023}}</ref>

== Origin ==
The Rana Tharus in western Nepal claim to be of [[Rajput]] origin and to have migrated from the [[Thar Desert]] in [[Rajasthan]] to Nepal's [[Far Western Region, Nepal|Far Western]] Terai region after the defeat of [[Maharana Pratap]] against a [[Mughal emperor]] in the 16th century.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shukla |first=P.K. |date=1994 |title=The Tharus of Bihar : A historical and anthropological study |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=55 |pages=646–654 |quote=All these scholars reject the claim of the Tharus as originally coming from the region of Thar desert in Rajasthan}}</ref> Most scholars refute this claim. The Rana Tharu version of the origin myth as that of Indian origin is long-standing and locally shared by all Tharus in Nepal’s far west, a version that has been reported by anthropologists and travelers from the time of the British [[East India Company]] up to the present.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Skar, H. O. |year=1995 |title=Myths of origin: the Janajati Movement, local traditions, nationalism and identities in Nepal |journal=Contributions to Nepalese Studies |volume=22 |issue=31–42 |url=http://lib.icimod.org/record/9900/files/6846.pdf}}</ref>

== Marriage system ==
Traditionally, Rana Tharus practice [[Arranged marriage|arranged marriages]], which parents often arrange already during the couple's childhood. The wedding ceremony is held when the bride and groom reach marriable age. The ceremony lasts several days, involving all the relatives of the two families.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kittelsen, T. C. |title=Nepal: Tharu and Tarai Neighbours |last2=Gurung, G. M. |publisher=Educational Enterprises |year=1999 |editor-last=Skar, H. O. |series=Bibliotheca Himalayica |volume=16 |location=Kathmandu |pages=205–222 |chapter=Symbols of tradition, signs of change: marriage customs among the Rana Tharu of Nepal |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> Among the Rana Tharus in [[Bardiya District]], it is also custom to arrange marriage of a daughter in exchange for getting a bride for a son or vice versa. Parents give particular attention to the working capacity of the groom and bride, rather than the economic situation of the in-law family. [[Polygamous]] marriages are also customary among Tharu people, with rich land holders marrying between two and five women.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pun, S. |title=Water, land, and law. Changing rights to land and water in Nepal. Proceedings of a workshop held in Kathmandu, March 1998 |publisher=Legal Research and Development Forum, Wageningen Agricultural University, Erasmus University Rotterdam |year=2000 |isbn=9993316008 |editor-last=Pradhan, R. |location=Kathmandu, Wageningen, Rotterdam |pages=195–216 |chapter=Gender, land and irrigation management in Rajapur |editor-last2=Benda-Beckmann, F. v. |editor-last3=Benda-Beckmann, K. v. |chapter-url=https://edepot.wur.nl/336541#page=201}}</ref>

== Language ==
The language of the recognized indigenous nationality of Rana Tharu is ‘[[Rana Tharu language|Rana Tharu]]’.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dhakal |first=Dubi Nanda |title=Notes on Rana Tharu language |url=https://www.academia.edu/43908543/Notes_on_Rana_Tharu_grammar}}</ref> Under the umbrella of the Nepal Rana Tharu Samaj, a protest was held demanding the Rana Tharu language be made one of the official languages of Sudurpaschim Pradesh. In Kanchanpur, mother-tongue education is provided in the Rana Tharu language up to grade three. The [[Language Commission (Nepal)|Language Commission of Nepal]] has recommended Rana Tharu as official language in Sudurpashchim Province. Rana Tharu is also spoken in specific areas of [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]] including the [[Lakhimpur Kheri district|Lakhimpur Kheri]] district, particularly in [[Palia Kalan]] and Chandan Chauki block, situated on the [[India–Nepal border]]. Additionally, it is spoken in the [[Udham Singh Nagar district|Udham Singh Nagar]] district of [[Uttarakhand]] state.

The language has linguistic distinctions with dialects in India and shows lexical similarities with [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]] as well.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rana Tharu language |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/thr/}}</ref> Additionally [[Buksa language]], is largely mutually intelligible with Rana Tharu.

Rana Tharu is used in various aspects of life, including at home, with friends, and in religious contexts. It is actively spoken outside the home such as in the workplace and education. The language is widely utilized by all members of the community and coexists with the use of [[Hindi]] and [[Nepali language|Nepali]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal]]
[[Category:Tharu culture]]
[[Category:Sudurpashchim Province]]

Rana Tharu people - Revision history

ShivaniSikri: created new data