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| Madhesi | |
|---|---|
| Group | Madhesi |
| Population | Various estimates |
| Regions | Terai, Nepal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand |
| Languages | Maithili language, Bhojpuri language, Awadhi language, Hindi language, Urdu language |
| Religions | Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity |
| Related | Tharu people, Bahun, Chhetri, Newar, Awadhi people |
Madhesi Madhesi refers to a heterogeneous set of communities residing primarily in the Terai region of southern Nepal and adjacent areas of northern India. The population encompasses multiple ethno-linguistic groups, religious traditions, and cross-border ties with Indian states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Political mobilization and identity debates have featured prominently in negotiations over federalism, citizenship, and representation in Nepal's post-monarchy era.
The term derives from the Sanskrit root for "middle" or "southern plains" and was popularized in late 20th-century discourse around provincial demarcation and rights activism involving groups such as the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal. Academic treatments have appeared in works by scholars affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, and international centers like School of Oriental and African Studies and University of Oxford. Legal definitions were contested during deliberations around the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 and subsequent constitutional promulgation processes culminating in the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.
Historically, the plains now associated with these communities were integrated into polities including the Kingdom of Kathmandu-era networks, the Mughal Empire frontier systems, and the British Raj administration of Bihar and Orissa Province. The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship (India–Nepal) shaped cross-border mobility alongside migrations influenced by land reforms and the Koshi Project irrigation initiatives. Post-1990 democratic movements, including the 1990 Jana Andolan and the 2006 Loktantra Andolan, produced new configurations of regional politics that gave rise to leaders such as Upendra Yadav, Rajendra Mahato, Mohan Chandra Adhikari, and organizations like the United Democratic Madhesi Front.
Populations are concentrated in the Terai districts such as Bara District, Parsa District, Rautahat District, Sarlahi District, Sunsari District, and Saptari District, with diasporas in Kathmandu, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Doha. Census classifications by Central Bureau of Statistics (Nepal) and comparative data from Census of India reveal significant diversity, including speakers of Maithili language, Bhojpuri language, Awadhi language, Nepali language, and Urdu language. Religious affiliation maps intersect with institutions like Pashupatinath Temple, Gadhimai Temple, and local mosques and gurdwaras.
Linguistic traditions include Maithili language literature with figures such as Vidyapati, folk genres recorded by Satyajit Ray-era ethnographers, and oral forms paralleling Bhojpuri language ballads and Awadhi language poetry. Cultural practices interlink with festivals like Chhath, Holi, Diwali, and local pilgrimage circuits tied to Lumbini-adjacent sites. Performing arts draw on traditions documented in collections at Nepal Academy and regional archives, while media representation appears in publications such as The Kathmandu Post and broadcasters like Radio Nepal.
Political actors include parties and coalitions such as the Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, Sadbhavana Party, and national parties like the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). Key events include the 2007 Madhes movement, the 2015 Terai protests against the Constitution of Nepal, 2015, and prolonged blockades affecting ties with India. International responses involved the United Nations Mission in Nepal and diplomatic engagement by the Ministry of External Affairs (India) and foreign missions in Kathmandu. Debates have centered on provisions connected to citizenship law, proportional representation mechanisms in the Federal Parliament of Nepal, and provincial boundaries under the Commission for the Delimitation of Electoral Constituencies.
The economy of the plains involves agriculture on irrigated alluvial soils, with crops such as rice, sugarcane, wheat and lentils linked to markets in Birgunj, Janakpur, Nepalgunj, and Raxaul. Industrial and trading links extend to Biratnagar and cross-border commerce regulated through checkpoints like the Rasuwagadhi Border Crossing and customs at Birgunj Dry Port. Labor migration to the Gulf Cooperation Council states, Malaysia, India, and urban centers fuels remittance flows tracked by the World Bank and International Organization for Migration.
Social challenges include disputes over citizenship and statelessness adjudicated in courts such as the Supreme Court of Nepal, land tenure conflicts involving the Land Reform Commission (Nepal), and caste-based discrimination issues raised by advocacy groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Humanitarian responses to floods in the Koshi River basin and public health interventions by World Health Organization and Ministry of Health and Population (Nepal) address vulnerabilities, while civil society organizations like INSEC and Pro Public engage in monitoring elections, rights, and inclusive policy processes.
Category:Ethnic groups in Nepal