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Marma people

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The Marma (Rakhine: မရမာ) are an ethnic group native to parts of south-eastern Bangladesh and southern Tripura in India. They are the second-largest ethnic community in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts, primarily residing in the Bandarban, Khagrachari and Rangamati Hill Districts. They belong to the same community as the Rakhine people. There are three endogamous groups within the Magh Community, known as (i) the Thongtha, Khyongtha, or Mrokpatha, (ii) the Marma, Mayamma, or Rakhaing Magh, (iii) the Maramagri, otherwise called the Barua Maghs.[5]

Marma
မာရမာ
Marma dancers
Total population
300,000+
Regions with significant populations
Chittagong Hill Tracts, India, Myanmar
 Bangladesh (Bandarban, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Patuakhali and Barguna Districts)224,261[1]
 India (Tripura)37,893[2][3]
Myanmar (Rakhine State)20,000[4]
Languages
Marma
Religion
Theravada Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Rakhine people, Bamar people, Chakma people, Barua people and Other Tibeto-Burman people
Map of Marma people in Bangladesh by upazila
Marma girls at the Water Festival during Sangrai (New year celebration.)

Ethnonyms

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In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rakhine began calling themselves Mranma (မြန်မာ) and its derivatives like Marama (မရမာ), as attested by texts like the Rakhine Minrazagri Ayedaw Sadan and the Dhanyawaddy Ayedawbon.[6][7] This endonym continues to be used by the Marma.[7] The term "Marma" is derived from "Myanmar," which was first used in the early 1100s.[8][9] In the Marma and Arakanese, Myanmar is pronounced Mranma ([mɹəmà]), not Myanma ([mjəmà]). In the Burmese language, the Marma are known as the Marama (မရမာ).

By 1585, European, Persian, and Bengali sources began referring to the Marma and other regional Buddhist communities, such as the Barua people, as Mugh or Magh—terms not used by the groups themselves.[10] The word's etymology is likely to derive from Magadha, the name of an ancient Buddhist kingdom.[11] The Marmas considered these names to be pejorative because of the word's association with piracy, and thus assumed the name Marma in the 1940s. Some Marmas in the Indian state of Tripura continue to self-identify as Marima, or as Mogs.[12]

History

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Group of Bandarban Marmas with Bohmong in centre, c. 1906

The ancestors of the Marma, the Rakhine, live in a coastal region between Chittagong and the Arakan Mountains, in what is now Rakhine State of Myanmar. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, the Rakhine and all the Buddhist groups in the region received a reputation for piracy in association with the Portuguese, due to endemic piracy in the Bay of Bengal.[13] According to Lucien Bernot (1967), many Marma clan names indicate connections with the royal court of Arakan. He also noted that the Marma themselves firmly believe that their ancestors originated from Arakan. In addition, Marma oral tradition maintains that, before settling in Arakan, their forebears lived in the region of Pegu and were therefore of Mon origin, although this claim remains largely unverified.[14][15]

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Marmas migrated from their homeland to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, coinciding with the Kingdom of Mrauk U's conquest of Chittagong.[14] According to David Bradley, the Marma people first migrated from Arakan to the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the early sixteenth century, with another wave of migration occurring after the Burmese conquest of Arakan in 1785.[14] Generally, the Rakhine people settled in the hill tracts during the Mrauk U invasion of Chittagong, gradually formed the Marma identity.[16] The Rakhines who migrated later to the coastal plains of Chittagong during the Burmese invasion of Arakan continued using the term "Rakhine."[17][18]

Records of the East India Company and others indicate that the Marmas migrated from the Kingdom of Mrauk U to Chittagong of Bangladesh in two phases of migrations during 14th to 17th centuries in the golden period of Mrauk U. In the first phase, during the Mrauk U Kingdom expanded to some parts of Chittagong Division. Secondly, Marma ancestors fled to Chittagong and settled down as the Arakanese kingdom was conquered and annexed by Burmese king Bodawpaya in 1785.

Marma girls, c. 1906.

In 1971, following the Bangladesh Liberation War in which Bangladesh achieved independence, the country's majority Bengali Muslims began settling in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which has displaced native inhabitants.[19]

Genetic studies

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A marma youth with Sangrai pang flowers

Genetic studies have indicated that the Marma populations share a high frequency of Indian and low frequency of East Asian specific maternal haplogroups, and have the highest haplotype diversity when compared with Tripura and Chakma populations, suggesting deep colonization of the region by Marmas.[20]

Marma in Bangladesh

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According to 2022 census, Marmas are the second largest ethnic group in Bandarban District (17.49%), third largest in Rangamati Hill District (7.93%) and fourth largest in Khagrachhari District (10.39%).

Folk song by an elderly Marma person

They are the largest ethnic group in Rowangchhari Upazila (49.48%), Guimara Upazila (38.10%), Rajasthali Upazila (36.65%), Thanchi Upazila (31.37%) and Ruma Upazila (31.04%).

Upazila District Percentage of Marma[21]
Rowangchhari Upazila Bandarban District 49.48%
Guimara Upazila Khagrachhari District 38.10%
Rajasthali Upazila Rangamati Hill District 36.65%
Thanchi Upazila Bandarban District 31.37%
Ruma Upazila Bandarban District 31.04%
Kaptai Upazila Rangamati Hill District 28.59%
Kaukhali Upazila Rangamati Hill District 27.86%
Bandarban Sadar Upazila Bandarban District 23.97%
Lakshmichhari Upazila Khagrachhari District 21.82%
Manikchhari Upazila Khagrachhari District 18.73%
Mahalchhari Upazila Khagrachhari District 15.25%
Lama Upazila Bandarban District 11.32%
Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila Khagrachhari District 10.86%
Ramgarh Upazila Khagrachhari District 10.61%
Belaichhari Upazila Rangamati Hill District 8.97%
Naikhongchhari Upazila Bandarban District 6.15%
Alikadam Upazila Bandarban District 6.04%
Panchhari Upazila Khagrachhari District 3.12%
Matiranga Upazila Khagrachhari District 2.07%
Rangamati Sadar Upazila Rangamati Hill District 1.88%
Naniarchar Upazila Rangamati Hill District 1.73%
Others _ <1%%

Mogh in India

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According to 2011 census, Moghs are largely concentrated in South Tripura and Gomati districts of Tripura.

Block District Percentage of Mogh[22]
Rupaichari South Tripura 23.92%
Bokafa South Tripura 9.26%
Karbook Gomati 5.52%
Satchand South Tripura 2.98%

Persecution

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Due to persections in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, many Marma families began fleeing from Bandarban and Rangamati districts to Rakhine State, Myanmar, as early as 2012–2014. According to the Diplomat, the families alleged that Muslim settlers from the plains, supported by local Bangladeshi people, moved into their ancestral lands, burned paddy fields, and restricted their movements. Around 20,000 Marmas have settled in Myanmar.[4]

Culture

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The culture of the Marmas is similar to that of the Rakhine people, including their language, food, clothes, religion, dance, and funeral rites. Marma men wear a sarong called lungyi, while Marma women wear a sarong called thabein.[7]

Marmas mostly depend on agriculture, traditionally practicing slash-and-burn cultivation on the hills. Their belief in Theravada Buddhism is as deep as the Rakhine society's, with an emphasis on ritual practices in deities. Some Marmas also practice Animism, Christianity.[23]

Marmas follow the Burmese calendar. They celebrate the New Year, called Sangrai (သင်္ကြန်), which begins on the first day of Bohag.[24] They make sangraimu, which is a form of traditional cakes. They take part in Sangrain Relong Pwe (သင်္ကြန်ရေလောင်းပွဲ; water pouring), where young Marma men and women spray each other with water. Sangrai is celebrated over three days. On the 1st day, called Painchwai or Akro, homes are decorated with flowers. On the 2nd day, Sangrai Akya, Marmas participate in traditional sports, dances, cultural activities and hold meetings regarding community issues. They also go to monasteries to participate in the Buddha statue's bathing (cleansing) ritual on this day. On the 3rd day, called Sangrai Atada, they cook a vegetable dish made out of more than 100 ingredients, called hangbong (ဟင်းပေါင်း; pachan in Bangla).[25]

After death, Marma elders are cremated, while younger deceased Marmas are buried.

Festival

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Like other ethnic peoples, the Marma's celebrate a variety of traditional festivals such as birth, death, marriage and New Year. The main festivals of Marma's are: - Buddha Purnima, Kathina, Oyahgyai or Prabarana Purnima, Sangrai etc. The Marma New Year festival is called Sangrai. In addition to these festivals, other natural festivals are also celebrated, which are often similar to other indigenous ethnic groups in Bangladesh.

Buddha Punirma

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On this full moon day, Mahamati Gautam Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and attained Mahaparinirvana . It is a religious festival. Every year, the festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor.

Kathina

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One night, it's the color of cotton yarn from the Buddhist monks wear in their chibara.

Wagyoi or Prabarona

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Wagyai or Prabarona Purnima is a major religious festival of the Marmas. On this day, this festival is celebrated with great joy and happiness in every society of Marmas and Bihar. These days, delicious cakes are made at home. On this day at night, lanterns are blown to worship and dedicate the great hair of Gautam Buddha.

Sangrai

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The name of the Marma New Year festival is 'Sangrai'. This is one of their main traditional ceremonies. They organize this festival on the Bengali new year occasion of month Boishakh. On the occasion of the New Year, they organize various interesting events in Sangrai. Water festival is one of these events. On that day, the Marma youths rejoiced by sprinkling water on each other. By sprinkling water, they wash away the dirt and ink of the past year. Apart from that, they also find the person of their choice through water sports. In addition to water sports, they celebrate the Sangrai festival by performing other rituals such as pangchowai (flower sangrai), sangrai ji, candle lighting and buddhasnan. They enjoy their festivals by speaking on their mother tongue.

Notable people

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Bangladeshi

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Indian

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Table 1.4 Ethnic Population by Group and Sex" (PDF) (in Bengali). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2021. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "ST-15: Scheduled tribe by mother tongue (for each tribe separately) (State/UT level), Arunachal Pradesh - 2011". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. ↑ ORGI. "Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India". censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Ethnic Groups Are Fleeing Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts in Search of Safety in Myanmar". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Risley, H.H (1891). The Tribes and Castes of Bengal Volume 2. Bengal Secretariat Press. pp. 28–30.
  6. ↑ Charney, Michael (November 2005). "Theories and Historiography of the Religious Basis of Ethnonyms in Rakhaing (Arakan), Myanmar (Burma)" (PDF). The Forgotten Kingdom of Arakan: A Public Seminar on the People of Present Day Arakan State of Myanmar. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Kyaw Minn Htin (December 2015). "The Marma from Bangladesh: A 'de-Arakanized' Community in Chittagong Hill Tracts" (PDF). Suvannabhumi. 7 (2): 133–153. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Aung-Thwin, Michael (June 2008). "Mranma Pran: When context encounters notion". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 39 (2): 193–217. doi:10.1017/S0022463408000179. ISSN 1474-0680. S2CID 154992861. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "Marma". Voice of Jummaland. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Charney, Michael (November 2005). "Theories and Historiography of the Religious Basis of Ethnonyms in Rakhaing (Arakan), Myanmar (Burma)" (PDF). The Forgotten Kingdom of Arakan: A Public Seminar on the People of Present Day Arakan State of Myanmar. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  11. ↑ Kyaw Minn Htin (December 2015). "The Marma from Bangladesh: A 'de-Arakanized' Community in Chittagong Hill Tracts" (PDF). Suvannabhumi. 7 (2): 133–153. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  12. ↑ I, Fonkem Achankeng (28 September 2015). Nationalism and Intra-State Conflicts in the Postcolonial World. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-4985-0026-5.
  13. ↑ Hasan, Md. Mahmudul (2 November 2022). "Panchayat and colonialism in Humayun Kabir's Men and Rivers". Journal of Postcolonial Writing. 58 (6): 744–757. doi:10.1080/17449855.2022.2087318. ISSN 1744-9855.
  14. 1 2 3 Pain, Frederic (9 August 2017). "Towards a Panchronic Perspective on a Diachronic Issue: The Rhyme <-uiw> in Old Burmese" (PDF). Australian Journal of Linguistics. 37 (4): 424–464. doi:10.1080/07268602.2017.1350129. ISSN 0726-8602. S2CID 55078797. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  15. ↑ "Rakhine, Marma and Mog Are Of the Same Arakanese Heritage". Global Arakan Network. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Marma in Bangladesh | PDF | Myanmar | Bangladesh". Scribd. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "No indigenous people in BD, say documents -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  18. ↑ Htin, Kyaw Minn (1 December 2015). "The Marma from Bangladesh: A 'de-Arakanized' Community in Chittagong Hill Tracts". Suvannabhumi. 7 (2): 133–153. doi:10.22801/svn.2015.7.2.133. ISSN 2799-7839.
  19. ↑ "Ethnic violence in Bangladesh: assault on minority peoples continues - Asian Studies Association of Australia". Asian Studies Association of Australia. 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  20. ↑ Gazi, Nurun Nahar; Tamang, Rakesh; Singh, Vipin Kumar; Ferdous, Ahmed; Pathak, Ajai Kumar; Singh, Mugdha; Anugula, Sharath; Veeraiah, Pandichelvam; Kadarkaraisamy, Subburaj (9 October 2013). "Genetic Structure of Tibeto-Burman Populations of Bangladesh: Evaluating the Gene Flow along the Sides of Bay-of-Bengal". PLOS ONE. 8 (10) e75064. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...875064G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075064. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3794028. PMID 24130682.
  21. ↑ "বাংলাদেশ পরিসংখ্যান ব্যুরো".
  22. ↑ "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Tripura". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  23. ↑ Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities. New York: Routledge. p. 181. ISBN 1-57958-468-3.
  24. ↑ Barua, Sanjoy; Khan, Tamanna (13 April 2015). "Blaze of 'Boisabi' colour". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Hill districts wear a festive look as Boisabi nears". The Daily Star. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "Member of Legislative Assembly". tripura.gov.in. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
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