Sherpa is one of the scheduled tribe of Sikkim as according to the scheduled tribes order 1978 but it is considered as one of the sub-tribes of Bhutia. It is not in 1978 that Sherpa community considered one of Bhutia sub-tribes, but there are evidence like census of 1891, which records population of Sikkim as Bhutia including Sherpas, Lepchas and Paharias.
Since, Sherpas comes as sub-tribes of Bhutia, there is no separate enumeration of data regarding Sherpa’s demographic, socio-economic conditions, and there are no demographic details available. But as according to Subba (2007; 281) the Sherpa community comprised 25,808 persons constituting 4.45 percent of the state’s population on the basis of voter’s list of 2004. The Sherpa household numbered 5,174 consisting 4.63 percent of the total household in the state.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
Today, Sherpas are known as highlanders, people living in high range mountains, with harsh and challenging life on rugged topography. They are of Tibetan origin with faith in nyingmapa school of Mahayana Buddhism and language of their own with Sambota Script. There is a consensus among the historians, researchers, Sherpas and other communities that Sherpas original homeland is the kham region of Tibet. But the matter of why and how they migrated to different parts of the present homeland is diverse and full of different opinions. Here is one such explanation based on oral history and legends that presents how and why they migrated to present homelands.
As Sherpa, L.N., (2008; 3) writes that Kham is a rugged region in eastern Tibet dissected by many rivers including the headwaters of the Mekong, Yangtze, and Salween, the area was also known as the “Chhu Shi Gang Druk”, the four rivers and six ridges region. A particular ridgeline called Salmo Gang in the Kham Minyag area is thought to be one place where Sherpa originated. It was in around 1480s, Sherpa ancestors were driven out of the ancestral homeland of kham, probably because of sectarian conflict within Mahayana Buddhism. After leaving kham, they travelled through U and Tsang, settling there temporarily before crossing over the Himalayas to reach their current homeland of eastern Himalayas. After Chinese takeover in 1950s, kham split into different administration of TAR (china) such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Qinghai provinces.
The connection of Sherpa and Sikkim has its link to the journey of Guru Padmasambhava in 8th century when he purified the land and later considered it as Sangrila. Sherpa ancestors were Nyingmapa followers popularly known as the ‘Red Hat Sect’ particularly the group that believed in the hidden treasures including the tradition of Beyul (hidden valleys). Tsongkhapa is believed to be the one who initiated the Gelug sect in 1409 in order to reform and strengthen Buddhism. Gelug means rule of virtues, this sect is known as ‘Yellow Hat Sect’ which they consider themselves superior and was rigid form of Mahayana Buddhism.
In the mean time, Mongols captured much of Asia and Europe, in fact in 1543; Mongol leaders adopted the Gelug sect as their religion. Therefore, the tradition of the title “Dalai Lama” evolved. In 1575, the head of the Gelug sect Sonam Gyatso was given the title of 3rd Dalai Lama. In 1643, at the time of 5th Dalai Lama, Gushri Khan then leader of a Mongol tribe was asked by the Gelugpa to help suppress rival religious schools and empower the Dalai Lamas. As a result, the Gelugpa became extremely powerful and pressured other schools to convert to their beliefs (Sherpa, 2008; 6). Moreover Sherpa (2008; 6) writes that there are stories of violent religious conflict among the different sect during the 16th century. Many Nyingma monasteries were converted to Gelugpa Institution; resulting into the difficult situation for nyingma spiritual leaders to continue their traditional way of practicing Buddhism. At the mean time, there were groups within Nyingma School who had a spiritual belief in terma (sacred hidden treasures), later terton (treasure revealers) discovered these treasures, it is believed that keys to the beyul or hidden valleys are one such treasures.
Beyul are hidden valleys that are blessed by Guru Padmasambhava as refuge for his followers at times of great difficulty. A key to a beyul will be found at a specific time and by treasure revealers. All life within a beyul is considered sacred and protected. As such, Sikkim as initially known as beyul demazong was one of the beyul along with Himalayan region of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, China and Pakistan. Lama (2004; 257) writes that Sherpa legend however indicates their original place as Shera-Ta in the kham province of Tibet. Following their tantric leader, named Shyr-Toong-Gyl, the Sherpas migrated to the regions of Solu-khumbu in Nepal and some of them advanced further towards the hilly areas of Darjeeling, Bhutan and Sikkim.