The Effect of Religious Conversion on the Preservation of Indigenous Knowledge System in Nepal

Abstract

Since there is a close relationship between religious belief and the indigenous knowledge system, religious conversion plays a significant role in minimizing the indigenous knowledge system (IKS) of Nepal. This study analyses the effects of religious conversion on the indigenous knowledge system. The Objectives of this study are to analyze the effects of religious conversion on preserving the indigenous knowledge system of indigenous people living in the study area. The study followed an interpretive paradigm of qualitative research. An in-depth interview was used as a tool for data collection from the field. Five individuals from four indigenous communities of Chitwan district were selected as participants. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select the participants for this study. Pseudonyms (P1–P5) have been given to ensure the secrecy of the participants. Thematic analysis was applied to interpret participants’ narratives. Conversion disrupts ritual obligations, reduces the authority of elders and ritual specialists, and shifts cultural learning spaces from households and communal gatherings to churches. The study brings awareness to the respected community about how conversion operates as both a spiritual and structural force affecting Indigenous knowledge systems.