KAMAN, A RACIAL GROUP OF MYANMAR

A COMMUNITY WELL-KNOWN IN THE HISTORY OF RAKHAING IS VERY LITTLE KNOWN EVEN IN MYANMAR NOT TO SPEAK OF IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES.
THE WESTERN COASTLINE OF THE UNION OF MYANMAR ( BURMA ) ON THE BAY OF BENGAL IS SITUATED THE RAKHAING STATE (ARAKAN) WHERE A COMMUNITY " KAMAN" ( MEANING A BOW IN PERSIAN) OR
" KAMANCHI" LIVES IN HARMONY AMONG THE VARIOUS RAKHAING RACES.
KING NARAMEIKHLA ( 1404 – 1434 ) STRUCK COINS BEARING THE ISLAMIC " KALIMAH" ON ONE SIDE AND HIS NAME IN BURMESE ON THE OTHER. HIS DESCENDANTS, FROM 1434 TO 1531, NINE RAKHAING KINGS HAD MUSLIM TITLES ( D.G.E.HALL, G.E. HARVEY ).
A RECENT BOOK IN BURMESE (MYANMAR) "KAMAN LUMYOZU" PUBLISHED BY A KAMAN ASSOCIATION IN YANGON TRACES THE HISTOUY OF KAMANS OR" ARCHERS" IN THE ARMIES OF RAKHAING ( ARAKANESE) KINGS OF YORE AND HOW THE RETINUE OF THE MOGHUL PRINCE SHAH SHUJA WHO ARRIVED MRAUK-U, THE CAPITAL OF ARAKAN, IN1660, WAS ABSORBED IN THE KAMAN UNITS.
ACCORDING TO A FRENCH PHYSICIST, FRANCOIS BERNIER, THE PRINCE ASKED FOR TEMPORARY ASYLUM FROM THE KING OF ARAKAN, SANDATHUDHAMA ( 1652 – 1687 ).
JOINT ARAKANESE – PORTUGUESE RAIDS IN NEIGHBOURING BENGAL HAVE ENRICHED THE ARAKANESE COURT , ACCORDING TO THE AUGUSTINE MONK TRAVELLER SEBASTIAN MANRIQUE WHO WROTE ABOUT MUSLIM SETTLEMENTS IN ARAKAN DURING THE PERIOD 1629 – 1637.
ACCORDING TO BRITISH HISTORIAN G.E. HARVEY , DUE TO THE SUCCESSION PROBLEM OF THE MOGHUL THRONE IN DELHI IN WHICH AURANGZEB SUCCEEDED, PRINCE SHUJA HAD TO FLEE FROM BENGAL TO THE NEIGHBOURING ARAKAN ( RAKHAING) KINGDOM. THENCE HE INTENDED TO PROCEED WITH HIS FAMILY ON PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY MAKKAH.
THE RAKHAING KING GAVE HIM SHELTER BUT WHEN HE ASKED FOR A DAUHGTER OF THE MOGHUL PRINCE, THEIR RELATIONSHIP TURNED INTO ENMITY. THIS INCIDENT IS RECORDED BY " DAGHREGISTER" OF THFE DUTCH EAST INDIA COMPANY IN BATAVIA (D.G.E.HALL).
ARAKANESE CHRONICLES STATE THAT SHAH SHUJA TRIED TO CONQUER ARAKAN WITH HIS OWN SOLDIERS ( AROUND 300), WITH THE HELP OF MUSLIM SOLDIERS IN THE RAKHAING ARMY AND OF THE LOCAL MUSLIM POPULATION.
SIR ARTHER P. PHAYRE IN HIS " HISTORY OF BURMA " EMPHASISED THAT THE FAILURE OF KING SANDATHUDHAMA TO PROVIDE SHIPS FOR THE PRINCE TO PROCEED TO HOLY MAKKAH AS PROMISED, AND THE DEMAND FOR A MOHGUL PRINCESS MUST HAVE PROMPTED SHAH SHUJA TO TAKE UP ARMS. MOSHE YEGAR IN " THE MUSLIMS OF BURMA " ( 1972- OTTO HARRASSOWITZ, WIESBADEN ) ENDORSED SIR PHAYRE'S VIEW.
ANYWAY, IT IS A WELL – KNOWN FACT THAT SHAH SHUJA AND HIS FAMILY WERE MARTYRED. HIS RETINUE WAS LATER ABSORBED INTO THE RAKHAING ARCHERS' UNITS. KNOWN AS KAMANS, SPEAK RAKHAING, THEY LIVE ON RAMREE ISLAND AND IN VARIOUS KAMAN VILLAGES AND SETTLEMENTS LIKE THINGANET, THAYAGON IN SITTWAY ( AKYAB) .
ACCORDING TO HARVEY , THE KAMANS WERE KING-MAKERS IN RAKHAING "SETTING UP KINGS AT WILL".

TODAY, WITH MODERN EDUCATION MANY OF THEM HOLD IMPORTANT GOVERNMENTAL POSTS. ALTHOUGH FEW IN NUMBERS THEY ARE RESPECTED FOR THEIR INTEGRITY AND SELF – CONFIDENCE. THEY SPEAK RAKHAING & BURMESE, AND DRESS LIKE RAKHAING & BURMESE.

OUTSIDE RAKHAING STATE , THE DESCENDANTS OF KAMANS ARE FOUND IN TOUNGOO, YANGON, AND MANDALAY AND MANY OTHER PARTS OF MYA NMAR. THEY SPEAK MYANMAR AND DRESS LIKE MYANMAR .

U SHWE HMAING , CHIEF OF TOUNGOO, LED THE " THEINGYI
( THEINBYU) TAT" BATTALION OF ABOUT 500 RAKHAING KAMANS DURING THE REIGN OF BURMESE KING BAGYIDAW WHEN THE BRITISH LANDED IN YANGON AND INVADED BURMA (1824 -1826). IN THE SECOND ANGLO- BURMESE WAR
( 1852) , HIS SON BO KARIM COMMANDED THE " THEINGYI TAT" WHICH FOUGHT THE BRITISH COLONIALISTS.

THE PRESENT " TACHANPE MOSQUE" NEAR AUNG SAN STADIUM, YANGON (WHICH IS TABLIGH JAMAAT MARKAZ, AND HAS WOMEN'S APARTMENT FOR FRIDAY CONGREGATIONS) IS BUILT ON LAND DONATED BY KING BAGYIDAW IN 1826.

THE DESCENDANTS OF TOUNGOO KAMANS IN YANGON BUILT OKKYUKKON MOSQUE ON 130 STREET, TAWAJJAH ( SUFI ORDER) MOSQUE IN THE OLD MUSLIM CEMETERY ( KANDAWGLAY) AND MUSTAFA MOSQUE, BOTAHTAUNG.

SPEAKING BURMESE, INTERMARRIAGES AMONG FELLOW MUSLIMS
ARE COMMON AND THE "MIXED" KAMANS TODAY ARE JUST " MYANMAR MUSLIMS".

THE RECENT BOOK ON KAMANS HIGHLIGHTS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION, MILITARY AND CIVIL SERVICES, TRADE, SPORTS, ETC WITH PHOTOGRAPHS OF EMINENT KAMAN MEN AND WOMEN. DUE TO THE ASSIMILATION PROCESS, THE IDENTITY OF THE HISTORIC KAMAN RACE SHOULD NOT DISAPPEAR; THIS IS THE THEME OF "KAMAN LUMYOZU".

MARCH 8,, 2008
( MALAYSIA – 12 TH GENERAL ELECTION DAY)
MAUNG-KO GHAFFARI
CHIEF EDITOR,
" ISLAM ALIN"( THE LIGHT OF ISLAM)
NO 58, 130 STREET, KANDAWGLAY, YANGON , MYANMAR ( BURMA )