| Rakhain, The a small tribe of
arakan
origin belonging to the Bhotbarmi community of the Mongoloids.
Many consider that Rakhains and their neighbours, marmas
are in fact, the same tribe. The skull of Rakhains is round, their nose
is flat, they have black hair, they are usually short in height, and their
complexion is light brown. A section of Rakhains started living in ramu
and its adjacent areas in chittagong
hill tracts in the fifteenth century.
In the eighteenth century, many Rakhain people migrated from
their homeland in Arakan because of political turmoil and they
gradually settled in different areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts
and patuakhali.
There were 4,049 Rakhains in the Patuakhali region in 1872. The
number increased to 16,394 in 1951, but reduced to 3,713 in 1979.
The census of 1991 recorded the number of Rakhain population in
Bangladesh at about 7,000. More than eighty per cent of them lived
in Ramu, cox's
bazar, Bandarban, Manikchhari and Teknaf.
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Rakhain women |
Though Buddhists by religious faith, Rakhains, like other
tribes and sub-tribes, believe in superstitions, magic
and supernatural powers. They lead very simple lives. The birth anniversary
of Gautam
buddha is one of their major religious ceremonies. They observe
the spring festival and the Baishakhi, maghi
purnima and prabarana
purnima. 'Sundrey' is their greatest community festival
and is observed for three days on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti. Everybody
takes part in this festival. Young boys and girls sing songs and perform
dances in groups.
The main profession of Rakhains is farming. They also
weave and make salt and molasses. Both males and females take part in
agricultural work. But women take the leading role in livestock rearing
and poultry. Some Rakhains are involved in business and a few of them
teach. Their diet includes rice, fish, pulses and vegetables. Pork and
dried fish are favourite foods. They serve decorated pithas
(cakes) and sweet rice porridge on ceremonial occasion.
The common dress of Rakhain men is the lungi and
fatua while the women wear embroidered lungis and blouses
and also various types of ornaments on their bodies and flowers on their
heads. Marriage is a religious and social obligation in Rakhain society.
Generally marriages are arranged by guardians, but nowadays, love marriages
are also recognised. dowry
is not accepted among Rakhains. Though the father is the formal head of
the family, both male and female members have equal rights. Sons and daughters
inherit parental property in equal proportion.
The language of Rakhains belongs to the Bhotbarmi group
of languages. Rakhain children start their education at Buddhist Patshalas
(primary school) or khyangs (monastery). They receive both
religious and linguistic education there. The rate of literacy in the
Rakhain community is very high and some of them are highly educated. Rakhains
burn the bodies after death and bury the remains. The shraddha
ceremony for the dead person is held after seven days from death. [Ahmed
Rafique]
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