Mro People(Part 1)

Origin The Mru of Bangladesh and Myanmar are known as the Mro, Mrucha and Taung-Mro, respectively. The Mru claim that their ancestors lived at the source of the Kaladan River, but are unsure about when their people migrated to the region. They have no division of different exogamous clans or groups of clans, nor do they have a chieftain class or a ruling class. The origin of the Mru (Mrucha) people cannot be fully depicted without including the Khami (Khumi) people. Due to frequent invasions by the Shandu and subsequent colonization by the British, the Khumi left their homeland. They emigrated to the hilly regions of the Kaladan River headwaters, and to the Pi Chaung and the Mi Chaung streams in the Arakan Hill Tracts where another group of Khami (Khumi), the Mru and Khumi, lived. According to legend, the hilly region was once ruled by Nga Maung Kadon, who built the barriers which form the waterfalls in all the streams and tributaries connected to the Kalapanzin River. He did this to prevent the escape of a crocodile that had kidnapped his wife. History The Khumi tribe defeated the Mrus and ousted them from Arakan. They moved to the Chittagong Hill Tracts some times between the 17th and 18th centuries. Many however believe that this happened in the 14th century. Mrus living in the district of Khagrachari are in fact a clan of the Tripura. There is a linguistic affinity between the two groups of people. In the Indian state of Tripura, the counterparts of Mrus are known as Riangs. However, on many occasions, Mrus are contemptuously called Mro-Dang or Myawktong, meaning lower type of animal being. But Mrus introduce themselves as Mro-cha. The word Mru means man and cha stands for being. Geography Geographic distribution of Mru People within Bangladesh The two main streams that flow through Saingdin are Re Chaung in the east and Sit Chaung in the west. Both streams originate from the northern part of the region which forms the boundary between Buthidaung Township and the Arakan Hill Tracts. The two streams meander between cliffs for 48 km (30 mi) before they finally join near Tharaungchaung village. The two streams flood during the monsoon season and normally subside after the rains. Water transportation is difficult due to large rocks obstructing the streams. Canoes and bamboo rafts are the only means of transportation to the interior area of the region.[7] On the sloping banks of the two streams, the Mru grow tobacco in the alluvial deposits after clearing naturally grown kaing grass. They also grow cotton, cane, and bamboo to sell in a weekly bazaar near the waterfall.[7] Demographics As of 1931, the Saingdin area consists of 90 hamlets and each hamlet contains between two and twenty bamboo houses. The population, according to the 1931 Census is 3,390, of which 1,779 are males. Currently, about 70,000 Mru live on the border of Myanmar with India and Bangladesh. The majority of Mru people, approximately 12,000, live in Myanmar within the Yoma District and the Arakan Mountains in western Myanmar. These figures are, however, just rough estimates as the last census was conducted in 1931 when the country was under the colonial rule. At that time, the total number of Mru people was estimated around 13,766. Around 200 more villages making up of between 20,000 and 25,000 people are located in the Chittaung Hills of southern Bangladesh. Another 2,000 Mrus inhabit the districts of West Bengal, India. It is estimated that the population will grow to 85,700 by 2020. Language and script Main article: Mru language The Mru people primary speak the Mru language, a Mruic language of the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan family. Dialects of Mru include Anok, Downpreng and Sungma. The language is considered "Severely endangered" by UNESCO. Traditionally, the Mru have had no written script for their spoken language though some Mru can read and write Burmese or Bangla.[10] The Mru language is written in both Latin and the Mro alphabet, created in the 1980s by Man Ley Mru. An estimated 80% of Mru are literate in the Mro alphabet. Religion Buddhism The majority of the Mru follow Theravada Buddhism, however many self-reported Mru Buddhists also practice Animism. Several scholars also observe that many of the religious practices and rituals of the Mru often lack explicit Buddhist characteristics. Krama religion In 1984 Manlay Mro (also known as Manlay Mru/Murong) established the "krama" faith. Krama is currently the second most followed religion among the Mru.The central text of the faith, known as the Reyung Khiti ("Good Ethics"), builds on the teachings of the Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist faiths. At age twelve, Krama boys and girls participate in a coming-of-age ceremony. Christianity Despite the efforts of European missionaries to convert the Mru people, only a small fraction of the Mru have converted, the rest remaining Buddhists.[17] Christianization efforts have been hindered by ongoing political turmoil within the region.[18] Islam A small number of people from this community in Bangladesh have adopted Islam as their faith.[19] Cosmology A traditional Mru village in Chin State, Myanmar. The Mru people hold a number of traditional beliefs regarding cosmology. Among the Mru, the sun is associated with femininity and the moon is associated with masculinity. Mru folklore holds that the earth is carried upon the shoulders of a Nāga; earthquakes are brought about by the Naga's tremors testing whether humans remain on the earth. Other traditional beliefs hold that rainbows are bridges by which Nats descend upon the earth and eclipses are caused by the divine imprisonment of the sun and moon. Taungya The Mru, like other ethnic groups from the hilly regions of Southeast Asia, practice taungya cultivation. They cultivate on the hillsides after cutting down the trees, which usually takes a month. This process usually occurs in January or February. Around March, they burn the trees that are taken down for taungya paddy cultivation and they start sowing in April. When they sow the seeds separately in pits, they use spades, which are made with a long handle from an old taungya-cutting-dah (knife) that is no longer usable. Traditional rites and rituals Birth After the birth of a child, four short bamboos are placed on the bank of the stream. A chicken is then killed in the honor of the nats and its blood poured over the bamboos that are put close together. A prayer is then made for the well-being of the child. The chicken is then dumped. New Taungya Cutting Before the start of a new taungya cultivation, the villagers collectively buy two goats, and two fowls are gathered from each household. One of the goats is put in front of the hut closest to the stream and the other near the second hut. The fowls are then placed in between the two huts. After the villagers pray for good health and the abundance of crops for the coming taungya cultivation, both the goats and fowls are slaughtered one after another starting from the goat nearest to the stream. The blood of the animals is then sprayed over the small huts and the flowing water. The villagers then cook the goats and the fowls are reclaimed by their respective owners. With the meat and khaung, they make an offering to the nat before they begin the feast. Meanwhile, the village is shut down for three days and the villagers fix up bamboo arches over the village path. If anyone enters the village during this time period, a compensation has to be paid to cover all the expenses incurred. This ceremony is celebrated once a year and after the ceremony, they can start their taungya cultivation for the year.