NepalSocial Classes and Stratification
Bridge crossing over the Arun River
Courtesy Linda Galantin
In terms of differences in wealth and access to
political
power, Nepalese society could be divided into a small
ruling elite;
a growing, intermediate-sized group of government
officials, large
landholders, and merchants; and the vast majority of the
population, consisting of a peasant base. These divisions
are
descriptive, functional class categories rather than
social class
entities based on the Marxian concept of the social
relations of
production. In a way, all three classes were a long
continuum in
Nepal's social structure because most members of the
ruling elite
and government functionaries had their direct roots in the
rural
landed class, which was one stratum of the farming
population.
Even though the agricultural sector as a whole faced
similar
economic and technological circumstances, it was diverse
and
contained several strata in landholding, relative economic
dependence, and independence
(see Rural Society and Kinship
, this
ch.). The numerically small intermediate stratum of the
farmers was
only slightly less diverse than the rest of the rural
population in
terms of members' ethnic and geographical backgrounds. The
relative
economic and educational advantages of this group and its
occupational activities, however, made its members
relatively
homogeneous in terms of shared interest. They generally
aspired to
achieve a middle- or elite-class status.
The smallest and least diverse of the three categories
was the
ruling elite, largely composed of high-caste, educated
Paharis,
namely different strata of Brahmans and Chhetris. At the
zenith of
this class was the monarch, whose authority was derived
from the
orthodox Hindu contention that the king was the
reincarnation of
Vishnu, whose assigned role in the Hindu trinity is
protection. The
monarch's authority was not based on electoral support.
The continued expansion of the bureaucracy was a direct
response to a consistent increase in the educated
population.
Because of the lack of development, a large number of
educated
people failed to find gainful employment upon graduation.
Because
they constituted the most potent revolutionary force, and
happened
to be geographically concentrated in urban centers, the
ruling
class was almost compelled to absorb them into an already
bloated
bureaucracy in order to neutralize any sociopolitical
disturbance
they might cause.
In the 1980s, a significant number of college- and
universityeducated people residing in Kathmandu Valley cities
discovered a
second employment outlet. Development consultant firms and
associated services have emerged throughout Kathmandu.
Because of
the growing pressure on foreign donors to hire Nepalese
consultants
for development feasibility and evaluation projects, these
firms
were able to tap into the large pool of foreign aid money
and have
generated a significant number of jobs. This opportunity
has
allowed many of the more educated to attain middle class
status.
Data as of September 1991
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