Caste system in Nepal: from the Muluki Ain of 1854 to today
In 1854 the Muluki Ain, a legal code introduced at the initiative of Jung Bahadur Rana, set out rules for contact between castes and penalties for breaking them. The caste system in Nepal was no longer just custom; it was part of state law. How did this system work, when was it formally abolished and what remains of it in daily life? This guide examines its history and continuing effects.
Caste system in Nepal history and the Muluki Ain 1854
The 1854 code was based on traditional Hindu law. It brought rules governing relations between castes and penalties for breaking them into a single document. It marks a clear point in the history of Nepal's caste system, when the hierarchy was written into law, and provides a reference for understanding later changes.
The Muluki Ain 1854 also banned marriage between lower and higher castes. The code governed not only public affairs but also private decisions, including the choice of a spouse. It extended caste rules into family life as well as relations between communities.
What is the hierarchy of castes in Nepal under the code
The code divided the population into broad categories. First came the Tagadhari, wearers of the sacred thread. Next were the Namasinya Matwali, groups that drank alcohol and could not be enslaved, followed by the Masinya Matwali, groups that drank alcohol and could legally be enslaved. The Matwali categories included many ethnic groups outside the Hindu caste order, extending the code's reach beyond Hindu communities.
The lowest category comprised people from whom water was not accepted and whose touch was considered polluting. The code described them with the phrase pani nachalne chhoichhito haalnu parne. This category included the Kami, Sarki, Damai and Badi castes, among others. Older texts called them "untouchable", a word used here as a historical term.
Caste system in Nepal vs India
Caste in Nepal and India has roots in a shared Hindu tradition. The key difference lies in how the system was recorded. In Nepal it was codified in a single nationwide code in 1854, which ranked the whole population, including groups outside Hinduism.
From 1963 to the 2015 Constitution
The turning point came in 1963, under King Mahendra. A new Muluki Ain formally ended caste discrimination and required equal treatment before the law, a major departure from the principles of the 1854 code.
The word Dalit took hold in Nepal in the 1960s as a shared identity for groups previously classified as "untouchable". Another major step was the Constitution of Nepal of 2015, whose Article 24 bans untouchability and caste discrimination.
Caste system in Nepal today
Does Nepal still have a caste system? Legal bans have not removed the hierarchy from daily life. Many academic and press sources describe how caste divisions still affect access to water, temples and housing, as well as the choice of a spouse.
Some of these matters, such as accepting water and choosing whom to marry, were already regulated by the 1854 code. The gap between law and practice reflects the slow pace of social change: laws can change quickly, while family and community practices change more slowly. Although caste discrimination is legally prohibited, caste continues to shape social relations in Nepal.
Read more about the 2011 law against caste discrimination.