National Cultural Policy, 2067 (Nepal)

National Cultural Policy, 2067 1. Introduction 1.1 Meaning of Culture Human culture is the lifestyle that emerges from the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities by intelligent human beings to create or construct various creations. The creations that humans create or construct are of two types: physical and non-physical. Both types of creations are referred to as culture. Followers of a particular philosophy or thought often refer to the creations and practices associated with that philosophy or thought as culture. Examples include Hindu culture, Buddhist culture, Islamic culture, and so on. The culture of a human community or community living in a particular geographical area is often identified by the name of that area. For example, the culture of human communities living in the western part of the Earth is called Western or Occidental culture. In contrast, the culture of human communities living in the eastern part of the Earth is called Eastern culture. Similarly, the culture of human communities living in the Karnali Province of Nepal is called Karnali culture, the culture of the people of Doti Province is called Doti culture, the culture of the Mithila region is called Mithila culture, and so on. Likewise, the culture or cultures of human communities living within the political boundaries of a country or state are also referred to by the name of that country, such as Nepali culture, Indian culture, Chinese culture, French culture, and so on. The culture of a particular caste or community is known as the culture of that caste or community. Examples include Newar culture, Gurung culture, Khas culture, Chepang culture, Tharu culture, Dhimal culture, Rai culture, Limbu culture, and so on. The cultures created and adopted by humans in different periods of the development of human culture are also addressed based on those eras and periods. The culture of the era when people created and used stone tools is called Stone Age culture. There is also a practice of classifying cultures based on different periods of historical time. In the context of Nepal, there are terms like Kirat-era culture, Lichchhavi-era culture, Malla-era culture, ancient culture, medieval culture, and so on. 1.2 History of Human Settlement and Cultural Development in Nepal It is believed that the early human communities first settled in Nepal about 250,000 years ago. This claim is supported by the discovery of early Paleolithic tools in the Dang Valley. Later, around 8-9 thousand years ago, modern human communities also settled in the same region, as evidenced by the discovery of Middle Paleolithic tools in the Dangdeukhuri Valley. Archaeological excavations in the Kapilvastu region and the discovery of a copper human figure in Kailali suggest that human settlements existed in these areas as early as the beginning of the first millennium BC. Similarly, evidence of human habitation around the 8th century BC has been found in certain caves in Mustang.