Kumauni people

Kumauni or Kumaoni are people from Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. In colloquial language, people of Kumaon are also referred to as "Pahari" though that is not a specific reference.

They include all those who speak the Kumaoni language or any of its numerous dialects, living in the Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, districts of Uttarakhand, India.

Significant populations of Kumauni people exist in Uttar Pradesh especially in Lucknow, Allahabad, Bijnor, Kanpur, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra, the Punjab, and some regions of Himachal Pradesh like Solan and Nahan. Pahari Rajput/Kumauni people are also in Nepal and North eastern India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Manipur).

History

Traditional social structure

Traditional Kumaoni society consisted of three estates -

Pahari Rajputs or Kumaoni Rajputs were mostly the administrative, military and land owning estates. They held land in lieu of military service. Brahmins were the clergy and Shilpkars the artists, businessmen and artisans.