Though a small country, Nepal has more than a hundred ethnic
groups. However, it has always been ruled by the Bahun-Chettri
(Brahmin-Kshatriya) hill elite which, together with other hill upper castes,
accounts for less than 30 per cent of the population. The leadership of the
three major political parties, as well as that of the smaller pro-monarchy
groups, belongs to this group. On the other hand, the Janajatis (hill tribes),
Tharus (plains tribes), Dalits and Madhesis have traditionally been the
oppressed groups.