THE ORIGIN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROHINGYAS IN ARAKAN

   THE ORIGIN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROHINGYAS IN ARAKAN

By Dr. Mohammad Mohibullah Siddiquee , Ph.D. Professor and Former Chairman, Department of Islamic History and Culture, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh.

The Rohingyas are the Muslims inhabitants of Arakan. Now it is a part of the Union of Mayanmar. Who are the Rohingyas? This is a vital question to the intellectuals of the modern times. Why does this question arise among the scholars or intellectuals? Obviously, there are some historical and geo-political causes behind this question. As a result, to discuss the origin of the Rohingyas in Arakan it is better for us that we gradually analyse the origin of the words Arakan, Rohang and Rohingyas; introduction to the land and the people of Arakan along with its early history. To relalise the development of Rohingyas in Arakan, this discussion is followed by Muslim settlement in Arakan in five distinct phases.

The origin of the words Arakan, Rohang and Rohingyas are controversial, interesting, traditional, legendary and also historical. All the three words had long enlightened historical background. Master Amanullah, an Arakanese school teacher of history wrote an article on this subject, which was attested by another modern Arakanese scholar like Muhammad Ashraf Alam. They say: “The word Arakan is definitely of Arabic or Persian origin having the same meaning in both these languages. It is the corruption of the word Arkan plural of the word Al-Rukun. There exists some controversy about the origin of the name of ‘Arakan’ on which traditional and legendary sources differ. In fact, the name of Arakan is of much antiquity. In Ptolemy’s Geografia (150 A.D.) it was named ‘Argyre’. Early Buddhist missionaries called Arakan as ‘Rekkha Pura’. In the Ananda Chandra stone pillar of Chandra dynasty (8th Century) at Shitthaung Pagoda in Mrauk-U the name of Arakan was engraved as ‘Arakades’s’. In a Latin Geography (1597 A.D.) by Peta Vino, the country was referred to as ‘Aracan’. Friar Manrique (1628-43 A.D.) mentions the country as Aracan.

In the work of Arab geographer Rashiduddin (1310 A.D.) it appears as ‘Rahan or Raham’. The British traveller Relph Fitch (1586 A.D.) referred the name of Arakan as ‘Rocon’. In the Rennell’s map (1771 A.D.), it is ‘Rassawn’. Tripura Chronicle ‘Rajmala’ mentions the name of Arakan as Roshang. In the medieval works of the poets of Arakan and Chittagong, like Quazi Daulat, Mardan, Shamser Ali, Quraishi Magan, Alaol, Ainuddin, Abdul Ghani and others, they frequently referred to Arakan as ‘Roshang’, ‘Roshanga’, ‘Roshango Shar’, and ‘Roshango Des’. Famous European traveller Francis Buchanan (1762-1829 A.D.) in his accounts mentioned Arakan as “Reng, Roung, Rossawn, Russawn, Rung”. In one of his accounts, “A Comparative Vocabulary of some of the languages spoken in the Burman Empire” it was stated that, “the native Mugs of Arakan called themselves ‘Yakin’, which name is also commonly given to them by the Burmese. The people of Pegu are named ‘Taling’. By the Bengal Hindus, at least by such of them as have been settled in Arakan, the country is called ‘Rossawn’. The Mahammedans who have long settled at Arakan call the country ‘Rohingaw’ and called themselves Rohinga or native of Arakan. The Persians called it Rkon.” The Chakmas and Saks of 18th century called it Roang. Today the Muslims of Arakan call the country ‘Rohang’ or ‘Arakan’ and call themselves ‘Rohingya’ or native of Rohang. The Maghs call themselves ‘Rakhine’ and call the country ‘Rakhine Pye’ or country of Rakhine.”

After summerising the unpublished Thesis of A.S. Bahar entitled “The Arakani Rohingyas in Barmese Society”, at the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, M.A. Alam codify the origin of the Rohingyas as follows: “Rohang, the old name of Arakan, was very familiar region for the Arab seafarers even during the pre-Islamic days. Tides of people like the Arabs, Moors, Turks, Pathans, Moghuls, Central Asians, Bengalees came mostly as traders, warriors, preachers and captives overland or through the sea route. Many settled in Arakan, and mixing with the local people, developed the present stock of people known as ethnic Rohingya. Hence, the Rohingya Muslims, whose settlements in Arakan date back to 7th century A.D. are not an ethnic group which developed from one tribal group affiliation or single racial stock. They are an ethnic group developed from different stocks of people. The ethnic Rohingya is Muslim by religion with distinct culture and civilization of their own. They trace their ancestry to Arabs, Moors, Pathans, Moghuls, Central Asians, Bengalis and some Indo-Mongoloid people.