A Taxonomy of Bantawa Rai Clans & Sub-Clans

The Khambu Rai tribe lists approximately around thirty-one distinct sub-tribes, each defined by its own language, regional dialects, and localized rituals and traditions, though all of them are bound by a single fundamental cosmological philosophy. Usually grouped under the primary term ‘Thar’, these sub-tribes demarcate the primary ethno-linguistic and other traditional divisions within the Kirati community.

Beneath this macro-level division, however, lies the intricate mechanics of daily social and ritual life. For sub-tribes like the Bantawa, identity is further classified into an internal hierarchy of Pacha (clans) and Upa-Pacha (sub-clans).

The clan system forms the structural backbone of Khambu Rai socio-cultural and political organization, and provides the blueprint through which all social relations are governed. Its influence permeates every layer of community life, like dictating matrimonial alliances and organizing ceremonial duties. Additionally, they form a crucial factor in defining collective cultural identity. Operating under a strict model of patrilineal descent, the Khambu tradition passes lineage and clan identity exclusively down the male line.

Etymologically, the term Pacha translates to “father and child,” and serves as the fundamental pillar of continuous patrilineal identity. Derived from the synthesis of ‘Pa’ (father) and ‘Cha’ (offspring/child), Pacha explicitly denotes the unbroken transmission of ancestral lineage from father to son. Consequently, within the Kirati social chain, invoking one’s Pacha immediately establishes a shared patrilineal bloodline and common ancestry.

The emergence of the Upa-Pacha (sub-clan) within the Bantawa Rai structure represents a necessary social and cosmological adaptation as lineages expanded over time. While the Pachha establishes the primary exogamous boundary of shared patrilineal blood, centuries of demographic growth and geographical dispersal or migrations made a single clan umbrella insufficient for managing daily kinship rules. As branch families migrated to new hillsides and established localized domestic shrines (Suptulung), the Upa-Pacha evolved to track immediate ancestral lines and maintain strict adherence to marriage taboos. It effectively allowed a localized family network to maintain its practical identity and governance without severing its connection to the overarching macro-clan.

However, this structural division never dissolved the deeper metaphysical anchors that bind the Bantawa people to their primal origins. While an Upa-Pacha identifies a localized branch, a family’s ultimate root stays tied to its ancestral territory through the concepts of Bobbi and Sohon. Whereas Bobbi signifies the sacred land and physical settlement of original creation, Sohon names the specific water sources and rivers flowing through those sacred grounds of origin. Together with the recitation of Same/Samet during rituals, Bobbi and Sohon ascertain that no matter how many Upa-Pachas branch off over generations, every Bantawa lineage retains the exact map of the soil and waters from which their ancestors first emerged.

Current ethnographic documentation identifies around twenty-eight main Pachas (clans), which further divide into numerous Upa-Pachas (sub-clans). Most community members identify directly with their sub-clan rather than their broader primary clan—a habit that highlights how essential Upa-Pacha affiliation is in Bantawa social life.

Bantawa Main Clans (Pacha) – in alphabetical order.

The list below outlines the associated Upa-Pachas or sub-clans in alphabetical order.

Given the vast geographical dispersal of the Bantawa people, this list captures the primary clans and their widely recorded sub-clans, though some localized Upa-Pachas may inevitably be absent.