In the proto-historic period of the eastern Himalayas, the term 'Kirata', frequently associated in ancient Sanskrit texts with the inhabitants of Sikkim, broadly denoted:

💡 Solution & Explanation

In classical Sanskrit literature, the term Kirata was used as a generic designation for the hill-dwelling tribes of Mongoloid extraction residing along the Himalayan belt, including the ancestors of the modern indigenous groups of Sikkim. They were distinguished from the agrarian populations of the Gangetic plains by their lifestyle, language, and physical features. Ancient texts frequently depict them as skilled archers and dwellers of high-altitude forests.