At that time, I relied primarily on two important sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The Glass Palace Chronicle of the Kings of Burma<\/em>, translated by Pe Maung Tin and G. H. Luce.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Muslims of Burma: A Study of a Minority Group<\/em> by Moshe Yegar (1972).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
My critics argued that the Glass Palace Chronicle<\/em> was little more than a collection of legends and that Moshe Yegar’s book was obscure and difficult to access. As a result, they questioned my interpretation regarding a historical figure known as Nga Raman Kan<\/strong>, whom I identified as Rahman Khan<\/strong>, a Muslim associated with the Pagan Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The relevant section of the Glass Palace Chronicle<\/em> appears between pages 100 and 103. The chronicle refers to a figure named “Nga Ramankan” or “Nga Raman Kan.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Burmese usage, the prefix “Nga”<\/strong> was commonly attached to the names of non-royal male commoners. Therefore, “Nga Raman Kan” was not a royal title but the name of an individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My argument at the time was that “Raman” was simply a Burmese rendering of “Rahman,” a common Muslim name. This interpretation was supported by Moshe Yegar, an Israeli diplomat who served in Rangoon and later produced one of the earliest scholarly studies on Burmese Muslims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In The Muslims of Burma<\/em>, Yegar noted that King Sawlu was educated by a Muslim Arab and referred to Yaman Khan<\/strong> as Governor of Ussa (Pegu). He further explained that the Burmese language historically lacked the “r” sound in certain contexts, leading to variations such as Raman, Yaman, or Rahman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, this interpretation remained disputed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, however, additional evidence has emerged from a source that is difficult to dismiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Myanmar historian Dr. Toe Hla<\/strong>, former Vice-Chairman of the Myanmar Historical Commission, examined contemporary stone inscriptions rather than later royal chronicles. In his work Ancient Myanmar History Told by Inscriptions Above and Below Ground<\/em>, he wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
“Just as many Kula (foreign\/Indian) individuals appear in Pagan inscriptions, they continued to appear during the post-Pagan period as well. Names such as Nga Raman, Raman Kaung, Raman Nyo, Raman Htwe, and Raman Pwe refer to the Muslim name Raman (Rahman). These names demonstrate that, in addition to Hindus, Muslims were also present within Myanmar society during the post-Pagan period.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
This observation is significant for several reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, the evidence comes directly from contemporary inscriptions rather than later chronicles. Historians generally regard inscriptions as among the most reliable primary sources because they were created during the period they describe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, Dr. Toe Hla explicitly identifies the name “Raman”<\/strong> as a Burmese rendering of the Muslim name “Rahman.”<\/strong> This independently supports the interpretation that I had advanced years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, the inscriptions demonstrate that Muslims were not merely transient traders visiting Myanmar’s ports. They were sufficiently integrated into local society to appear in official records, land grants, witness lists, and other administrative documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The names cited by Dr. Toe Hla\u2014Nga Raman, Raman Kaung, Raman Nyo, Raman Htwe, and Raman Pwe\u2014provide direct epigraphic evidence that individuals bearing Muslim names lived within Myanmar’s social fabric during and after the Pagan era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This does not prove every detail of the later chronicles. However, it strongly supports the historical reality that Muslims were present in Myanmar centuries earlier than many modern narratives acknowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Historical truth should not depend on contemporary politics or communal prejudices. Whether one studies royal chronicles, foreign accounts, archaeological discoveries, or stone inscriptions, the evidence increasingly points toward the same conclusion: Muslims have been part of Myanmar’s history for many centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debate over Nga Raman Kan is therefore more than a question of one individual’s identity. It is part of a broader effort to understand Myanmar’s past as it actually was\u2014a diverse society shaped by interactions among Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, Mons, Shans, and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As historians continue to uncover new evidence, some interpretations once dismissed may deserve to be reconsidered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- The Muslims of Burma: A Study of a Minority Group<\/em> by Moshe Yegar (1972).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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