{"id":3185,"date":"2025-10-10T05:36:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T05:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=3185"},"modified":"2025-10-10T05:37:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T05:37:01","slug":"history-rewritten-heritage-erased-in-arakan-about-rohigya-muslims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2025\/10\/10\/history-rewritten-heritage-erased-in-arakan-about-rohigya-muslims\/","title":{"rendered":"History Rewritten, Heritage Erased in Arakan about Rohigya Muslims"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

History Rewritten, Heritage Erased<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sebastian Manrique\u2019s testimony stands as one of the earliest foreign records confirming that Muslims were deeply rooted in Arakan\u2019s royal, intellectual, and spiritual life<\/strong> nearly four centuries ago. His reluctant acknowledgment\u2014written despite his own bias\u2014proves that Islam had flourished there long before the modern era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, what Manrique witnessed with his own eyes\u2014the mosques, scholars, and Muslim officials of Mrauk-U\u2014has now been systematically erased. The destruction of centuries-old mosques and the conversion of their remains into pagodas are not mere acts of ignorance; they are deliberate attempts to rewrite the identity of a land once known for its cultural diversity and coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such actions echo a wider pattern in today\u2019s Myanmar\u2014where erasing evidence of Muslim existence<\/strong> has become part of a nationalist narrative that denies history itself. But even when stone and structure are destroyed, the written word remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The testimony of a Portuguese friar, preserved in a 17th-century travelogue, now speaks louder than those who try to silence truth.
No matter how many mosques are demolished or renamed, the past cannot be undone, and truth cannot be buried.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credit Nay Zin<\/a>‘s (via U Aung Tin), post translated into English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When King Min Yae Kyaw Swa<\/strong> led the Burmese invasion of Arakan, the Arakanese initially resisted fiercely but were unable to withstand the prolonged siege. The Burmese captured Laungkyet<\/strong>, and King Min Saw Mon<\/strong> fled with his queen and family into western Bengal, seeking refuge under the Sultan of Bengal, Sulayman Shah of Gaur<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the time of his flight until around A.D. 1430<\/strong>, Min Saw Mon<\/strong>, also known as Naramitlha<\/strong>, remained in political exile for 26 years<\/strong> under the protection of the Sultan of Bengal.
(Reference: \u201cBasic Political History of Burma,\u201d Vol. 1, Yangon, 1987, pp. 112\u2013118.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In A.D. 1430<\/strong>, with the military support of the Muslim Sultan of Gaur<\/strong>, Naramitlha (Min Saw Mon) successfully recaptured the Kingdom of Arakan<\/strong> from Burmese control.
(Reference: U Hla Tun Phyu, Rakhine Tansong Magazine, English Section, Vol. 21, p. 148.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to U Tun Myint (Mann Aung)<\/strong>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn A.D. 1430, King Min Saw Mon, who had taken refuge in western Bengal, returned with the help of the Bengal army. The Burmese forces stationed in Innwa were defeated and forced to retreat, and Min Saw Mon regained the throne of Laungkyet. This marked the first arrival of Muslim (Kula) soldiers in Arakan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter regaining power, Naramitlha founded the new city of Mrauk-U (Myo Haung)<\/strong>. He allowed the Bengal military commander General Sindhi Khan<\/strong> and other officers who had accompanied him to settle near the new city. A great mosque (Sindhi Khan Vali) was also constructed.\u201d
(Reference: Prof. D.G.E. Hall, A History of South-East Asia, London: Macmillan, 1958, p. 328.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, King Naramitlha (Min Saw Mon) adopted an Islamic title, \u201cSulaiman Shah,\u201d<\/strong> upon ascending the throne. During the next hundred years of the First Mrauk-U Dynasty<\/strong>, all eleven successive Arakanese kings<\/strong> adopted similar Muslim honorific titles<\/strong>.
(Reference: \u201cBasic Political History of Burma,\u201d Vol. 1, p. 387.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This raises an interesting question:
If the Arakanese kings were Buddhists, why did they take Muslim titles?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It becomes evident that during the First Mrauk-U Period, the Arakanese Kingdom existed under the suzerainty of the Sultanate of Bengal<\/strong>. Therefore, referring to Arakan as a vassal state (auza-khan)<\/strong> of the Bengal Sultanate of Gaur<\/strong> is historically justified. However, Rakhine chronicles never mention this relationship<\/strong>. Instead, they highlight the campaigns in which Arakan allegedly conquered the twelve towns of Bengal<\/strong>, thereby downplaying their earlier subordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us review the supporting evidence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Bengal\u2019s Muslim influence in Mrauk-U<\/strong> cannot be denied. The presence of Sindhi Khan<\/strong>, Wali Khan<\/strong>, and other Bengali Muslim military personnel who settled there led to a steady influx of Muslims from Bengal. Their presence brought with it the cultural and political influence of the Gaur Sultanate and Islamic civilization<\/strong>.
    The Mrauk-U period is often referred to as the Golden Age of Arakan<\/strong>. The eleven royal Islamic titles adopted by the Arakanese kings during this period were:
    Sulaiman Shah, Ali Shah, Kalima Shah, Mago Shah, Muhammad Shah, Nuri Shah, Sheikh Abdullah Shah, Illil Shah, Ilyas Shah, Jalal Shah, and Ali Shah.<\/strong>
    Each of these titles corresponded to one of the eleven monarchs of the First Mrauk-U Era, and later parts of this series will identify each king in detail.
    Even royal traditions and court rituals reflected strong Islamic influence<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Moreover, coins and currency issued by the Arakanese kingdom during this period bore Arabic inscriptions<\/strong> expressing Islamic belief, such as: \u201cLa ilaha illallah<\/strong>\u201d \u2014 There is no deity but Allah.<\/em>
    (Reference: M. Robinson, The Coins and Bank Notes of Burma, 1980, pp. 49\u201350.<\/em>) Persian Kufic script<\/strong> was also inscribed on some coins.
    (*Reference: Lt. Col. Ba Shin, The Coming of Islam to Burma Down to 1700 A.D.<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The Restoration of Laungkyet, the Role of Bengal Commanders, and the Early Spread of Islam in Arakan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Thus, the city of Laungkyet<\/strong>, which had originally been founded by King Alawmaphyu<\/strong> in the Myanmar Era 612 (A.D. 1250)<\/strong>, endured for 156 years<\/strong>, ruled successively by 16 kings<\/strong> and two ministers from different dynasties<\/strong>, making a total of 18 rulers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Later, Bengali military forces<\/strong>, led by generals and soldiers in great numbers, launched an invasion and attacked the Burmese garrison stationed in Laungkyet. Unable to withstand the assault, the Innwa (Ava) troops<\/strong> fled in disarray, and the city of Laungkyet fell<\/strong> to the invaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Although Laungkyet was thus recaptured, the Bengal Sultan\u2019s commander, Ulong Khan (also known as Wali Khan)<\/strong>, who had been sent to oversee the territory, betrayed King Min Saw Mon<\/strong>. He imprisoned and shackled him<\/strong>, ruling Laungkyet himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At that time, Prince Ali Khan Saw Mon<\/strong>, the king\u2019s brother who had taken refuge at the residence of a wealthy merchant at Kassapanadi shore, learned of his brother\u2019s imprisonment through his wife and her father, the same merchant. He then bribed the prison guards and wardens with large sums of gold and silver<\/strong> to secure Min Saw Mon\u2019s release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The two brothers fled to the court of the Bengal Sultan<\/strong>, where they were granted royal audience. The Sultan declared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cMin Saw Mon is like my own son.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    The Sultan ordered his commander Sindhi Khan<\/strong> and minister Rajamani<\/strong> to march with their troops, defeat the treacherous Wali Khan<\/strong>, and restore Min Saw Mon to the throne<\/strong> of Laungkyet. Wali Khan was executed for his disloyalty, and his skin was ordered to be flayed and stuffed<\/strong>, according to royal decree. The Sultan then dispatched a grand army of 300,000 soldiers<\/strong> to assist in reinstating Min Saw Mon to power.
    (Reference: Rakkhapura Bronze Inscription Chronicle, p. 101.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    From this account, it is clear that a Bengali ruler named Wali Khan (Ulong Khan)<\/strong> governed parts of Arakan for some time, though the exact duration remains uncertain. The text also makes it evident that the Sultan of Bengal treated Min Saw Mon as a royal son<\/strong>, sending Sindhi Khan to overthrow Wali Khan and enthrone Min Saw Mon. The army involved consisted not of Arakanese or Burmese troops but Bengali Muslim soldiers<\/strong>. These soldiers were later permitted to settle permanently near Mrauk-U<\/strong>, as confirmed in other historical records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The now-destroyed Sindhi Khan Mosque (Vali)<\/strong> was most likely built by King Min Saw Mon himself in gratitude for his restoration<\/strong>. Moreover, Min Saw Mon\u2019s adoption of an Islamic honorific title<\/strong> is well documented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Therefore, it is historically justified to describe the First Mrauk-U Kingdom founded by Naramitlha (Min Saw Mon)<\/strong> as being under the suzerainty of Bengal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In A.D. 1404<\/strong>, when King Minkhaung of Ava<\/strong> sent his 13-year-old son, Prince Min Yaza Kyaw Swa<\/strong>, to invade Arakan, King Naramitlha of Arakan<\/strong> fled westward to Gaur in Bengal<\/strong>, where he remained in political exile for 26 years<\/strong>. During that period, he became familiar with the religious, cultural, and administrative systems of the Islamic world in the East<\/strong>.
    (*Reference: \u201cLost Footprints,\u201d Than Myint U, trans. Myo Nann Si.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the time of the Mrauk-U period<\/strong>, conversions to Islam had become increasingly common.
    According to Arakanese historians and writers, many people embraced Islam<\/strong>, and mosques (valli)<\/strong> were built across the kingdom.
    (Reference: U Aung Tha U, History of Arakan, p. 132.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the reign of King Min Saw Mon\u2019s ninth successor<\/strong>, Muslim preachers from Delhi<\/strong> \u2014 namely Qadir, Musa, and Honumia<\/strong> \u2014 arrived and established mosques throughout the country. Entire groups of locals converted to Islam<\/strong>. However, during the later reign of King Min Bar (Min Ba Gyi)<\/strong>, a prominent Buddhist monk named Sayadaw Myaw Wa (Maraw)<\/strong> opposed<\/strong> these Islamic proselytization efforts, resulting in the suspension of missionary activities.
    (Reference: Pandi\u1e6da U Tha Htun Aung, Rakhine Yazawin Gyi (Great Chronicle of Arakan), p. 74.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Similarly, the distinguished Buddhist monk Sayadaw U Nyanaka of Danyawadi<\/strong> recorded in his New Danyawadi Chronicle<\/em> that many people converted to Islam during the reign of King Min Ba Gyi<\/strong>. Eminent political writer U Hla Tun Phyu<\/strong> later confirmed the accuracy of this account.
    (Reference: U Hla Tun Phyu, Ethnic Groups of Rakhine State, p. 36.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Regarding this issue, historian Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt<\/strong> also observed that due to Arab religious preaching<\/strong>, Islam took root not only in Arakan but throughout the eastern coastal regions. He further noted that among the Bengalis captured by the Portuguese<\/strong>, there were highly educated and cultured individuals<\/strong>, who were later sold into Arab, Hindu, and Arakanese families<\/strong> within Arakan. Many of these captives were also employed in royal agricultural projects<\/strong>.
    (Reference: Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt, \u201cMyanmar\u2013Portuguese Relations,\u201d Silver Jubilee Magazine, University of Rangoon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Portuguese Missionary Sebastian Manrique and His Records on Arakan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI have failed to convert the Muslims to Christianity\u2026\u201d
    This confession was written by the Portuguese friar Sebastian Manrique<\/strong>, who visited Mrauk-U (Arakan)<\/strong> as a Portuguese envoy in the 17th century.
    He recorded this in his own travel account titled Travels of Fray Sebastian Manrique (1629\u20131643)<\/em>.
    (Exact source: Sebastian Manrique, Travels of Fray 1629\u20131643, Vol. 1, Arakan<\/em>, Oxford: Hakluyt Society, 1927, pp. 101\u2013102)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Manrique was known for his hatred and intolerance towards Islam and Muslims<\/strong>, yet in his writings he could not conceal the strong presence and influence of Muslim officials, scholars, and elites in the Arakan royal court<\/strong>.
    When he himself entered the palace to meet King Thiri Thudhamma<\/strong>, he noted that the Muslim officials greeted him with the Islamic salutation \u201cSalaam\u201d six times<\/strong>.
    He also observed that, in his time, many Muslims in the Arakan kingdom had already performed the Hajj pilgrimage<\/strong>, signifying their deep Islamic faith.
    (See Sebastian Manrique, Travels of Fray<\/em>, pp. 335, 379, 388)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Two Grand Mosques of Mrauk-U<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In his writings, Manrique also drew and described two large mosques<\/strong> he personally saw in Mrauk-U, complete with maps and sketches.
    Later, historian Charles D. Sheffield<\/strong> included in his research pictures of the Sindi Khan Grand Mosque<\/strong>, as well as photographs showing its later destruction and ruins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Today, due to the actions of extremist Rakhine nationalists<\/strong>, those once-famous historic mosques have completely disappeared<\/strong>.
    Some Rakhine nationalists claim that \u201cthere are stone inscriptions proving the Muslim presence in Arakan,\u201d yet when even grand mosques that could hold hundreds of worshippers<\/strong> were erased without a trace, it becomes absurd to boast about a few surviving stone slabs<\/strong> as proof of tolerance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Moreover, there are documented photographs showing how some extremists transformed surviving mosque structures into Buddhist pagodas<\/strong>, as if rewriting history through religious vandalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The truth can be buried under ruins, but history itself cannot be erased.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n