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The inhabitants of Kinnaur
district are known as Kinnauras, Kinara, Kanawara, Kannaura or Kinnaurese.
The Word Kinner originated from the two Sanskrit words; Kim + Nara, means,
"what kind of strange persons are they?" There are references
about Kinners in 'MAHABHARATA' and in the
immortal
epics of Kalidas. It is believed that the 131st descendant of this dynasty
is Raja Veerbhadra Singh, former Chief Minster of Himachal
Pradesh. Presently, the Kinner population is confined to
Kinnaur district only.
The people of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh have
traditionally been referred to as Kinners. The term Kinnauras is also
widely used. They live under very harsh conditions, created by the
inclement weather and climatic conditions
LANGUAGE
The Kinners speak the Kinnauri dialect, which, according to G. A.
Grierson comes under the Himalayan group of Tibeto-Burman family of
languages. At present, the Kinnauras have Hindi as the second language.
Besides, Bhoti is also spoken in upper Kinnaur. With the spread of modern
education, English is also understood and spoken by educated Kinners.
ABOUT KINNERS
The Kinners consist of the Rajputs or Khosias and the Berus. The Khosias
include Hindus and Buddhists. The formers are dominant in Nichar, Sangla
and Kalpa areas while the latter dominate the tracts adjoining Tibet and
Spiti. The Berus are made up of four artist castes -- the Lohar, the
Badhi, the Koli and the Nangalu.
TRADITION AND CULTURE 
The
inhabitants of Kinnaur have a fair complexion and are well built, tough
and muscular. The extended family system is still prevalent in the Kinnaur
region. Polyandry prevails in the villages but is rapidly losing ground to
monogamy. The Himachalis practise fraternal polyandry and the patriarchal
system of inheritance.
All the brothers of the bridegroom are considered automatically the
husbands of the bride. Polyandry helps the people of Kinnaur to perpetuate
the name of their family and safeguard the family property from
fragmentation. The polyandrous tribes of the Himalayas can be compared
with the Pandavas of the ancient Indian epic of Mahabharata, who are
believed to have had a polygamous system. However, such marriages are on
the decline.
The women of Kinnaur are famous for their beauty and there are many
references to it in books of olden times. According to the old scriptures,
the Kinner 'Kanyas' (girls) were famous for their beauty and were used as
'Vish Kanyas' (poison girls) by the kings and royal families to overcome
their enemies through their seductive "talents".