Bhutias came from Bhutan and settled down in higher altitudes of
Sikkim, after driving away the
Lepchas. Bhutias converted the remaining Lepchas to their religious faith, and established matrimonial relations with them. The Sherpas are considered to have descended from the Bhutia-Lepcha cross stock.
Bhutia's social structure is patriarchal and they follow Buddhist principles and practices. They are mostly traders and herdsman, but now-a-days most of them engage in cultivation. Polyandry was prevalent among the Bhutias in earlier times. Bhutias live in joint family and there is no caste distinction among them. The language spoken by Bhutias is a dialect of the Tibetan language.
Bhutia women enjoy a great deal of independence and are treated equal to men. Both Bhutia man and woman can seek a divorce, by referring the case to the village elder or by approaching the court of law.
