Rohingyas are not British Era Settlers

From The Rohingyas of Arakan, A F K Jilani

 

 The following historical facts prove that the Rohingyas are indigenous people of Arakan. "Muslims arrived and settled since last 1000 to 1200 years in Burma” (The SLORC Publication ' Thasana Yongwa Htoonkazepo’ p.65). 

 

            “Many Arab ships wrecked near Rambree Island of Arakan coast during the reign of Mahataing Sanda (788-810) and the crews and the traders of those ships were Muslims and they were sent to the Arakan proper and settled in villages, where the married local women.            

According to history, Islam came through the sea borne Sufis and merchants. These were testified by the darghas (shrines) which are dotted at the long coast of Arakan and Burma (British-Burma Gazetteers of 1879 page 16.) “The superior morality of those devout Muslims attracted large number of people towards Islam who embraced it enmasse” (The essential History of Burma by U Kyi P.160). 

 

            “In 1430 A.D. Jalaluddin Mohammad Shah, the king of Bengal, sent Gen. Wali Khan at the head of 50,000 soldiers to conquer Arakan. Wali Khan drove the Burman and took control of power over Arakan for himself, introduced Persian as the court language of Arakan and appointed Muslim judges (Qazis)”, (Bangladesh District Gazetteers P.63). 

 

            “Jalaluddin sent a second army under Gen. Sandi Khan who overthrew Wali Khan and restored Sulayman Shah to the throne of Arakan in 1430 A.D. From 1430 to 1638 Arakan was a Muslim state with a modern civilisation which resulted in renaissance” (Journal of Burma Research Society (JBRS) No.2. P.493).

            “From 1430 A.D. Arakan was ruled by the Muslims” (“The Arrival of Islam in Burma” by Zaya Kyaw Tin U Ba Shin P.5). “Muslim kingdom of Arakan was independent in the 14th and 15th centuries” (“Time Atlas of the World History”, edited in 1979 by Geoffrey Barraclough P.33).

            It had been reported that all the children born to the Dutch of Arakanese mothers were being brought up as Muslims (JBRS No.2 P.86).

            “The Mohammadans of Arakan were mostly the descendants of the slaves captured by Burmans and Arakanese kings in wars and were settled in Kyauktaw and Mrohaung Townships” (RB Smarts P.87).

            “In addition to the Muslim prisoners and slaves brought to Arakan from Bengal and even from North India, many more came to serve as mercenaries in the Arakanese army usually as the king's body guards” (Siddiq Khan, op Cit: P.25). 

 

            Dr. Than Tun, the rector of Mandalay University and professor of history wrote that "The kings of Arakan had Muslim titles, The Muslim kings mentioned in the Kyaukza (stone plates or stones tablets inscriptions of 1442) might be Rohingyas from the Mayu valley of the eastern Naf River (and the western Kaladan River) who claimed their existence of over thousand years. Their existence might be from the time of 1202 C.E. when their co-religious Muslim conquered Bengal, that is 800 years. It was written in the Kyaukza of 1442 that there were some Muslim kings of Arakan who were very friendly with the kings of Ava”. (Dr. Luce G.H., "Kyan (Chun)" Mru and Kumi (N.Arakan)," phases of pre-Pagan Burma languages and history, Oxford, SOAS, 1985-76-97). (Dr. Than Tun -Kalya Magazine - P.27-28, 1994, August). 

 

            In 1660 A.C. the Mogul Prince Shah Shuja fled to Arakan. This important event brought a new wave of Muslim immigrants to the kingdom of Arakan. Shah Shuja, his family members and everyone found wearing beard had been beheaded by the king of Arakan for his lust for his daughter and his wish to molest the prince's riches. 

 

            From 1665 to 1710 the Muslims of Arakan became the king makers of Arakan. In 1666 the Mughal army captured Chittagong and Ramu from the rule of  Maghs. During their retreat to Mrohaung the Magh army units were attacked by the local Muslims. The Maghs migrated to Mrohaung side, east of the Kaladan, and the Muslims from the east of Kaladan migrated to the Mayu valley since 1710. Thus from the Kaladan to the Naf the whole Mayu valley became a purely Muslim area. 

 

            In 1785 when Burmese king Bodaw conquered Arakan many people crossed to Bengal. Captain Cox settled some of them in a place, which was later known as Cox's Bazaar. 

 

            At the time when British conquered Arakan in 1825, half of the population of Arakan was Muslims. Some of the people who migrated to Bengal 40 years ago due to political upheaval started to return to their former homes in Arakan. Hence, the population of Arakan increase rapidly and now Muslim constitute 90% of population in north Arakan