Brief History
From Rakhine 's WebsiteA brief history of Arakan (Rakhine) State
There have been four dynastic eras in the history of Arakan: Dhanyawaddy, Vesali, Laymro and Mrauk-U. The four dynastic eras spanned over 5,000 years and Arakan
existed as an independent state until it was conquered by the Burmans
in 1784. Forty years later, in 1824, it was annexed by the British and
administered as a state of British India by the East India Trading
Company. Following a three year occupation by a Japanese fascist regime
(1942-45), the region of Arakan State became a part of
the Union of Burma (Myanmar) by the post-World War II British
government. Since Burma was granted independence in 1948, Arakan
has been under the central rule of successive Burmese regimes, all of
which have ignored and actively suppressed Arakanese calls for
meaningful political participation in the spirit of self-determination
Dhanyawaddy
According to ancient Arakanese chronicles, the first Arakanese kings
were Indo-Aryans from the Ganges Valley. The first of these kings is
believed to have been King Marayu, who founded the first Dhanyawaddy
City in 3325 BC. In 1483 BC, King Kan Raza Gree founded the second
Dhanyawaddy City, which served as the royal capital until 580 BC. The
third Dhanyawaddy City, located about 80 km north of Arakan State’s current capital, Sitetway (Sittwe), dates to the period between 580 BC- 326 AD, making it one of the centres of Southeast Asia’s earliest civilizations.
It is believed that Gautama Buddha visited the Dhanyawaddy kingdom himself and initiated the practice of Buddhism in Arakan State; it remains the region’s main religion today. It was also during this period (around 150 AD) that the famous Maha Muni Buddha image was cast.
Vesali
Vesali is one of the oldest ancient cities in all of Burma, dating
from AD 327 to AD 1018. It was founded by Dvan Chandra who, according
to an Anandacandra Inscription from 729 AD, was believed to have been a
descendant of the Hindu god Shiva.
Vesali is noted for being the first Arakanese kingdom to use
currency, almost a millennium before it was introduced by other
civilizations in Burma. Gold and silver coins, inscribed with the
Chandra dynasty emblem and the word “king” in Sanskrit
have been found and dated back to the Vesali era. The Vesali kingdom
had a far-reaching trade network, exporting goods to the Arab and
Persian kingdoms and beyond.
Laymro Era
From 794 AD – 1413 AD several Arakanese capitals were founded along
the Laymro River. The first, Sambuwauk, was founded by King Nga Tone
Marm, who was the son of the last king of Vesali, Sula Chandra. In 818
AD his second cousin Khattathun seized the throne and moved the capital
to Pyinsa, where it stayed for 285 years.
Over the next 148 years, the capital was re-located five times to
different spots along the Laymro River. In 1406 the second Laungkrauk
city, the capital at the time, was invaded by the Burmans and King Marm
Saw Mon reportedly fled to Bengal, where he was given refuge. In 1429,
with the Sultan of Bengal’s assistance, Marm Saw Mon led an army back
into Arakan and restored its independence. This
version of events has been disputed due to the lack of evidence of a
strong link between the Arakan and Bengal kingdoms of the time. What is certain is that shortly after Marm Saw Mon returned to Arakan, the capital was moved to Mrauk- U and arguably the most prosperous era in Arakanese history followed.
Mrauk- U
The period 1430–1530 AD is known as the first golden
Mrauk- U era. Marm Saw Mon’s brother, Naranu, came to power in 1433
and shortly thereafter concluded a bilateral agreement with the King of
Burman, Min Khaung, which recognized the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of both nations as independent states. The treaty established
a border that lasted even through the British colonial era, separating
the countries along the crest line of the Arakan Roma
mountain range, down to the Ngawan River, the Bassein River and to the
Martaban Sea. Haigree Island, Pagoda Point and Cape Nagris were also
recognized as Arakanese territory.
The second golden Mrauk- U era lasted from 1530 to 1620 AD. In the early 16th Century, around the time of King Henry VIII’s coronation in England, King Marm Bun of Arakan ruled a thriving empire. Arakan
was renowned for its modern army and advanced trade network, which
covered the known world and extended as far as Portugal and the
Netherlands. Mrauk- U during this period enjoyed
similarly far-reaching diplomatic relations, notably with India, Ceylon
(Sri Lanka), the Burman, the Mon, Siam (Thailand), Indonesia, Java,
Japan and several western countries. Much closer links with the Muslim
states and peoples to the west appear to have been made during this period,
although it is unclear exactly why this occurred. Some historians have
suggested that a debt was owed to the Sultan of Bengal for supporting
Marm Saw Mon’s return to power. At this time, many Arakanese kings
adopted Islamic names, coins were inscribed with Parsi as well as
Arakanese, and hundreds of Muslims from Bengal migrated to the area in
and around Mrauk-U.
During this era, many areas of modern Bangladesh and West Bengal were fought over by the kings of Arakan,
Mughal emperors, Afghan kings and various Bengali Sultans. A city of
particular importance was the booming commercial centre of Chittagong.
Few details of these conflicts have survived, but it is known that
during the reign of Marm Bun (1531 – 1553) Arakan
forged close ties with the Portuguese, whose presence (and influence) in
the region was quickly expanding. These ties helped the Arakanese to
develop a superior military and navy, which helped them defeat several
rival kingdoms in the region, and capture Chittagong.
According to various Arakanese scholars, by 1532 the Arakanese
frontier extended up to Calcutta in West Bengal, India, encompassing the
whole of modern day Bangladesh. By the 17th century, the
Arakanese kingdom was struggling to preserve its vast empire. During
the early part of the century, border tensions between the Arakan
and Mughal empires escalated and developed into full-blown conflict.
Most of East Bengal came firmly under the authority of the Mughal king;
around the same time the Kingdom of Ava rose to power and Arakan lost its grip on Pegu and much of lower Burma.
Its huge, modern navy helped Arakan hold power in Eastern Bengal throughout the first half of the 17th century; during this period
thousands of Bengali slaves were taken by the Arakanese and many were
sold to the Dutch to work on nearby plantations. In the late 17th century,
the Mughal Empire forged closer relations with the Dutch and was able
to significantly modernize its military. In 1660, the Mughals took
Dhaka and then in 1666 they annexed Chittagong after almost a
century-long struggle, depriving the Arakanese Kingdom of a key source
of income. The Mughal Emperor subsequently allowed the expanding British
East India Company to establish a diwan, or de facto
governmental body, in the area; in 1772, the Company established a
capital at Calcutta and took control of the majority of what had been
Western Arakan.
In the 1730’s a number of internal disputes in the Mrauk-U
administration led to a breakdown of national unity and significant
political instability. Then, in mid-November 1784 a Burman army led by
King U Wine invaded Mrauk- U without declaring war. By the end of that
year, the Burman had occupied the whole country.
In 1824, Arakan was taken by the British and
administered as an annexed state of India by the East India Trading
Company. In 1826, the first official order was drawn up stretching from
the mountainous region of Paletwa down to Cape Nagris in the Irrawaddy
Delta, giving Arakan a total area of over 20,000 square miles. This was later decreased when the British separated the southern Bessein region.
Following a three year period under the rule of the Japanese fascist regime (1942-45), Arakan
became a part of the Union of Burma, largely by default, and has since
been under the rule of successive Burmese regimes, none of which have
granted the Arakanese even the slightest autonomy. During the first
democratic government of Burma in 1952, Paletwa Township became part of
Chin State, decreasing Arakan to its current size of 14,200 square miles. However, the majority of Paletwa’s population are still Arakanese.
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