Acknowledgements

The research in Nepal was conducted in association with the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS) at Kirtipur under the Bilateral Agreement for Academic Cooperation between Tribhuvan University (TU) and Leiden University with the assistance and collaboration of the Ministry of Local Development of the Government of Nepal. The research team received the organisational support and enthusiastic assistance of many grass-roots community service organisations and from the many informed volunteers of indigenous language communities who took an active interest in the research and discussed with interest the ramifications of genetic investigations for the enhanced understanding of our shared prehistorical past.

Special gratitude is due the Arjun Limbū, Yogrāj Limbū and the Kirāt Yākthuṅ Cumluṅ headquartered at Mahālakṣmīsthān in Lalitpur; the Prajā Samudāyik Vikāś Kāryakram (Praja Capacity Development Programme) at Śaktikhor in Citvān district; to Ajay Prajā, Santa Bahādur Prajā and Ḍambar Bahādur Cepāṅ and the Nepāl Cepāṅ (Prajā) Saṅgh at Kathmandu; to our many Thāru friends at Saurāhā; to Bāl Gopāl Śreṣṭha of Sānkhu and the Newar community organisation ‘Friends of Sānkhu’; to Bharat Rāī of the National Youth Service Trust, our dear friend Aśok Rāī and the Danuwar Rai community; to Dilendra Subbā and the Limbu Literary Development Association; to the Kirāt Yākkhā Cumā headquartered at Mahālakṣmīsthān in Lalitpur; to Śrī Maṇi Cand Chantyāl and the Nepāl Chantyāl Samāj headquartered in Sāmākhuśī in Kathmandu; to Buddhimān Durā, Lt. Col. John P. Cross, Ṛtu Kumār Durā and the Durā Sevā Samāj Sampark Kāryālaya at Rām Bajār in Pokharā; to Kiśor Durā, Siṃha Rāj Durā and the Durā Sevā Samāj Samiti at Vasundharā in Kathmandu; to the Kṣetriya Kāryālaya of the Thakāli Sevā Samiti at Nadipur in Pokharā; to Daśrath Rāī and the Kendrīya Kāryālaya of the Kirāt Rāī Yāyokkhā at Kathmandu; to Avināth Rāī and Gaṇeś Rāī of the Vāmbule Rāī Samāj Nepāl; to Lile Thangmi, Kavi Rāj Thangmi of Lāpilāṅg and the Nepāl Thāmi Samāj; to our many kind Barām friends of Gorkhā district, for whom we are still completing a grammatical description of the language; to our wonderful friend Tembā Bhoṭe and the Buddhist half of the Lhomi (Shingsaba, Bhoṭe) community; to Lt. Col. Michael Roe, Capt. Simon Garside and those troops of the British Gurkhas at Pokharā who came forward to volunteer blood; to our old friend Viśva ‘Bishow’ Bhaṭṭa of Gorkhā; to Ṭek Bahādur Kumāl and the Kumāl Service Organisation at Ceveṭār in Gorkhā district; to the kind director and staff of the Youth Awareness Environmental Forum and the Environmental Library at Bāḍegāũ at Godāvarī; to Jagat Guruṅg of the Ādivāsī Janjāti Utthān Rāṣṭrīya Pratiṣṭhān (National Foundation for the Development of Indigenous Nationalities, NFDIN) under the Sthānīya Vikās Mantrālaya (Ministry of Local Development) of the Government of Nepal, to Nirmal Mān Tulādhar, Professor of Linguistics at the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS) of Tribhuvan University (TU) in Kirtipur, and to Stephen Watters and David Watters for their assistance in Kathmandu. Gratitude is also due to the Nepāl Janjāti Mahāsaṅgh at Anāmnagar for their scholarly interest and kind advice. Last but not least, we thank our old and dear friends Nārāyaṇ Prasād ‘Yangsarumba’ Paŋyaŋgu Subbā and Grām Bahādur ‘Sarumba’ Paŋyaŋgu Subbā of Tamphulā in Tehrathum district and our dear friends Surendra Rāj Ḍhakāl of Gorkhā and Ivo van Asperen of Amersfoort.

The research in the Kingdom of Bhutan was conducted as part of the long-standing bilateral cooperation between the Royal Government of Bhutan and Leiden University. The field campaign was carried out in accordance with the Memoranda of Understanding concluded between the Dzongkha Development Authority (DDA) and Leiden University.

Much gratitude is due to the Chairmen of the Dzongkha Development Authority, Their Excellencies ’Lönpo Sangay Ngedup and ’Lönpo Thinley Gyamtsho, as well as to the Home Minister, His Excellency ’Lönpo Jigmi Yoezer Thinley, for encouraging and facilitating the research in every way. Logistics and preparations at district and village level were coordinated in a timely and thorough fashion by Dr’âsho Sangye Dorji, the Honourable Secretary of Dzongkha Development Authority, and by Tshewang Dorji, the Chief Research Officer. Much gratitude is due to all the village headmen and district officers who assisted the research team on site. Particular gratitude is due to our friends ‘Adap Dôji and Seta of the Lhokpu language community at Loto Kucu, Karma Chen and Dhani Ram Toto at Phüntsho’ling, Tandri and friends at Riti in the Black Mountains, ’Ap Drakpa of Phajong Pam and friends in the Gongduk language community. Special thanks are due to our old friend Karma Tshering of Gaselô, who really made the work happen. Karma involved himself and made himself indispensable at every level, anticipated and prevented all possible difficulties, and facilitated every aspect of the research programme with unparalleled perspicacity.