The Thakali household and inheritance system

This article describes and analyses the household among the Thakalis. It examines firstly the economics of the household and the inheritance system. Next the frequency of different household types is analysed in relation to residence pattern and the developmental cycle of the household. The ideal norm among Hindus is the joint family household. One of the aims of this article is to show that there is in Nepal, which according to her constitution is a Hindu state, groups such as the Thakalis, where the ideal norm is not the joint family household, but the nuclear family household. Another aim is to show that the traditional preference among the Thakalis for the nuclear family household is primarily a product of social considerations rather than a function of ecological and economic considerations.