Sunuwar people

{{short description|Ethnic group in South Asia}} {{Redirect|Sunuwar|the language|Sunuwar language|the script|Sunuwar alphabet}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Infobox ethnic group | group = Sunuwar, Sunwar, Koinch | native_name = सुनुवार, कोइँच | native_name_lang = ne | image = Kirat Sunuwar Group Kirat new year celebration 13 December 2018 Kent Uk.jpg | caption = Kirati Koinch Sunuwar | population = {{flag|Nepal}} 78,910 (2021)<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> | region3 = {{flag|India}} | region4 = {{flag|Sikkim}} | pop4 = 3,795(2006)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://14.139.211.59/bitstream/123456789/1543/9/09_chapter_03.pdf|title=LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES UNDER SSP LED GOVERNMENT}}</ref> | languages = Sunuwar, Nepali | religions = | rels = Predominantly: Kiratism • Hinduism 92.29% • Christianity 7.23% (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_groups = {{hlist|Rai|Limbu|Yakkha|Jirel|Hayu|Thami|}} }} The '''Sunuwar or Koinch''' are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group (Nepali:सुनुवार जाति|''Sunuwār Jāti''), a Kirati tribe native to Nepal, parts of India (West Bengal and Sikkim) and southern Bhutan. They speak the Sunuwar language. According to the 2001 census of Nepal, 17% of the tribe follow the Kirant religion and adopt the Mundhum (Kiranti) culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/Monograph/Chapter%2003%20%20Social%20Composition%20of%20the%20Population.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-04-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519235652/http://www.cbs.gov.np/Population/Monograph/Chapter%2003%20%20Social%20Composition%20of%20the%20Population.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-19 }}</ref>

The Kõinchs (Sunuwar) number 82,705 in total.<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><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://14.139.211.59/bitstream/123456789/1543/9/09_chapter_03.pdf|title=LINGUISTIC AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES UNDER SSP LED GOVERNMENT}}</ref> The term ‘Kõinchs’ is also the name of the mother tongue. Other terms like ''Mukhiya'' or ''Mukhia'' are exonyms of the tribe. Sunuwar have a distinct language, religion, culture and social customs.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYA7CpILphoC| title=A Grammar of Sunuwar | year=2008 |publisher=Dörte Borchers | isbn=978-9004167094 | access-date=27 August 2018}}</ref>

==Demographics== The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Sunuwar as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.<ref>[https://nepal.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Population%20Monograph%20V02.pdf Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II]</ref> At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 55,712 people (0.2% of the population of Nepal) were Sunuwar. The frequency of Sunuwar by province was as follows:

* Bagmati Province (0.5%) * Koshi Province (0.5%) * Madhesh Province (0.1%) * Gandaki Province (0.0%) * Lumbini Province (0.0%) * Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%) * Karnali Province (0.0%)

The frequency of Sunuwar was higher than the national average (0.2%) in the following districts:<ref>[https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf 2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report]</ref> * Ramechhap (4.2%) * Okhaldhunga (3.0%) * Sindhuli (2.7%) * Ilam (1.3%) * Taplejung (1.1%) * Dolakha (1.0%) * Panchthar (1.0%) * Udayapur (0.9%) * Jhapa (0.3%) * Khotang (0.3%) * Lalitpur (0.3%) * Solukhumbu (0.3%)

== See also == {{portal|Nepal}} * Phalate or Falate * Khijee or Khiji * Bhujee * Prette or Priti * Ragani

==References== * {{cite web|url=http://cbs.gov.np |title=Central Bureau of Statistics |website=Cbs.gov.np |access-date=2017-07-01}} * {{cite web|url=http://www.sunuwar.org |title=Sunuwar.org |website=Sunuwar.org |access-date=2017-07-01}} * [http://www.sunuwaruk.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922011757/http://sunuwaruk.org/|date=2013-09-22}} * {{cite web|url=http://sunuwarsamajhk.org |title=Sunuwar Samaj Hong Kong |website=Sunuwarsamajhk.org |date=2011-09-23 |access-date=2017-07-01}} * [http://sunuwar.org.np] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925185512/http://sunuwar.org.np/|date=2013-09-25}} * [http://durdaa.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908032735/http://www.durdaa.com/|date=2013-09-08}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/sunuwar.dress |title=Sunuwar Dress - Home |publisher=Facebook |access-date=2017-07-01}} * {{cite web|url=http://sunuwardurga.blogspot.com/2014/08/sunuwar.html |title=Sunuwar: Sunuwar |website=Sunuwardurga.blogspot.com |access-date=2017-07-01}} {{Reflist}}

Category:Indigenous peoples of Nepal Category:Social groups of West Bengal Category:Ethnic groups in Northeast India Category:Social groups of Sikkim Category:Ethnic groups in Myanmar