Limbuwan

Limbuwan is an area of the Himalayan region historically made up of 10 Limbu kingdoms, now part of eastern Nepal. Limbuwan means "abode of the Limbus" or "Land of the Limbus". Limbuwan was incorporated into the Kingdom of Nepal by means of a collective Gorkha-Limbuwan Treaty with the kings of the ten Limbuwan kingdoms and their ministers.

The ten kingdoms formed after the great revolution of Limbuwan in the 6th century. It was collectively decided to name the land by the name of "Limbuwan." The current state of Limbu nation, culture, language and ethnicity is believed to have taken shape during this period. The northern boundary was fixed to be in Tibet, the southern boundary in JalalGarh in Bihar, the eastern boundary at the river Teesta and the western boundary at the Dudhkoshi River.

In modern times, the boundaries of Limbuwan came to rest at the Arun river in the west and Kanchenjunga mountain and the Mechi river in the east. This area covers nine districts : Jhapa, Ilam, Panthar, Taplejung, Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Terhthum and Sankhuwashava. From the time of King Sirijunga Hang to King Mahendra of Nepal, Limbuwan enjoyed the Kipat system of land and semi or full autonomy.

A political movement in Nepal has developed which claims to territorial authority for a Limbuwan federal state in Nepal’s eastern borderland. Eastern Nepal and the dominant ethnic groups of that region are indigenously called Kirat. The land was sub-divided into three regions, namely, the Wallo, Majh and Pallo Kirat. Limbuwan is also called Pallo-kirat 'Further Kirat'.