Born in Jharuwarasi, Patan
Dor Bahadur Bista
डोर बहादुर बिष्ट
Also known as Dor Bahadur Bist, Father of Nepali Anthropology
Regarded as the father of Nepali anthropology, author of People of Nepal and Fatalism and Development; disappeared without a trace in 1995
About
Dor Bahadur Bista studied ethnography in London. Ethnography is the study and description of different cultures. He then returned to Nepal to help start the field of anthropology there. He helped set up the Central Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Tribhuvan University.
His books People of Nepal and Fatalism and Development became key texts on Nepali society and its struggles with modernisation. In the second book, he strongly criticised fatalistic attitudes, the belief that events are decided by fate and cannot be changed. He argued that these attitudes held back development in Nepal.
In January 1995, he was travelling in the remote Jumla District. He disappeared without a trace after he was last seen boarding a bus. Three decades later, this mystery remains unresolved.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1928-04-15
- Birthplace
- Jharuwarasi, Patan, Nepal
- Profession
- Anthropologist, Social scientist, Activist
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Alive
Previous roles
Co-founder
Central Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Tribhuvan University
Education
Tri-Chandra College
University of London
Indian Ethnography
Career & life timeline
- 1928
- 1967
Published People of Nepal
- 1970s
Helped establish the Central Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Tribhuvan University
- 1991
Published Fatalism and Development: Nepal's Struggle for Modernization
- 1995-01
Disappeared in Jumla District, last seen boarding a bus; his whereabouts remain unknown
Achievements
Regarded as the father of Nepali anthropology
Co-founded Tribhuvan University's Central Department of Anthropology and Sociology
Organizations & affiliations
- Tribhuvan University
Last updated: 2026-09-06