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Barua people

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For the Assamese surname, see Baruah.

Barua Magh
বড়ুয়া মঘ
Traditional costume of Maramagyi
Total population
1.2 million[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
Bangladesh Bangladesh
Myanmar Myanmar
India India
Languages
Bengali
Religion
Theravada Buddhism
Buddhist temple on Maheshkhali Island

Barua (Bengali: বড়ুয়া, romanized: Boṛua; Rakhine: မရမာကြီး) are a Bengali-speaking Magh ethnic group[1] who live in Chittagong Division in Bangladesh, West Bengal in India, and Rakhine State in Myanmar, where they are known as the Maramagyi or Maramagri, or particularly the Magh Barua.[2] According to Arakanese chronology, the Barua Buddhists have lived in Myanmar for over five thousand years.[3] In Myanmar, Barua Maghs are classified as one of the seven ethnic groups that make up the Rakhine nation. In West Bengal (India), the Barua Magh Buddhist community is recognized as a Scheduled Tribe (ST).[4][a]

Etymology

The word 'Barua' is derived from Arakanese words: "Bo" (meaning Army Chief) and "Yoya" (meaning locality or village). Literally, Barua means "the place where an army chief resides." Over time, the people who lived in such a locality or village came to be known as Barua.[5]

History

In the ancient history of Rakhine Razawin, around the middle of the second century AD (146 AD), a vassal of the Magadh's Chandra Surya Kingdom established a territory in Arakan and Chittagong. He and his subjects, along with soldiers, established the capital in Dhanyawadi. These settlers played a key role in spreading Buddhism and its culture in Chittagong and Arakan. The settlers from Magadh (an ancient Indian kingdom in Southern Bihar), along with local inhabitants in Chittagong, embraced Buddhism and came to be known as ‘Mag’ or ‘Magh’.[6] By 1585, European, Persian, and Bengali accounts began describing all the Buddhist groups in the region as the Mugh or Maghs.

According to historical accounts, particularly the Maharazawan, the Baruas date their settlement in Chittagong to the period of political upheaval following the death of Sri Sudhamma, the king of Arakan. After his minister Narapati usurped the throne, several nobles and royal family members fled to Kantha in Chittagong. Approximately 50,000 of the 100,000 guards stationed in Mrauk U deserted and accompanied a priest, later settling in Kantha under Narapati. The Baruas claim descent from these immigrants. The governor of Kantha was subsequently referred to as the king of Maramagyi, a title the Arakanese continued to apply to the Barua Maghs. The term Maramagyi is believed to be a corruption of Brahmagri, combining Mrama (or Brahma, used by Aryan settlers to denote early inhabitants of Burma) and gri (great).[7][8]

Descriptions by European writers like Risley (1891),[1] Hunter and O’Malley (O’Malley 1908), and present-day discussions by Sukomal Chaudhuri (Chaudhuri 1982), Ram Chandra Barua (Barua 2010) reveal that 'Magh' and 'Buddhism' are synonymously treated in Chittagong.

Today, non-Buddhists in Chittagong often consider the terms ‘Magh’ and Buddhists to be synonymous. It is also agreed that those belonging to the ‘Magh’ community are divided into several groups:

  1. Thongtha, Thongcha, Jumia Mags
  2. Marma, Mayamma, Roang or Rakhaing Magh
  3. Maramagri, Maramagyi or otherwise called Barua Magh.

They belong to the second sub-tribe or group within the Magh community.[9]

Culture

Magh cooks

The British built railways to expand the tea and Burma teak trade, ferrying goods, passengers, British sahibs, and zamindars. Magh Baruas, who were inherently exceptional cooks, were able to understand European recipes and adapt them with a touch of their own. Since Maghs were Buddhists and had no qualms about preparing pork or beef, they were employed by the British on steamers. The delicacies made by Magh Barua cooks eventually found their way into the colonial clubs of Kolkata.[citation needed]

The Magh Baruas were appointed by the British and the affluent households of babus like the Shobhabazar Rajbari. Raja Nabakrishna Deb and his family often entertained British officials, and on such occasions, the Magh cooks were called in to prepare various European delicacies for the British.[10] Maghs also traditionally serve as cooks in temples. The Maghs thus found a steady source of income through their culinary expertise, with recipes being passed down for generations.

Marriage

The Barua traditional marriage customs are influenced by local Bengali practices. They recognize two main ceremonies: Cholanta Bivaha, held at the bride's home, and Tokemanta Bivaha, conducted at the groom's home, with the latter being more common.[11] Certain months, such as Caitra and Paus, are considered inauspicious for weddings, possibly due to agricultural activities. Pre-wedding rituals include Alankar-Chadini (engagement), Gaye Holud (turmeric ceremony), and offerings to household deities. The wedding involves a Barjatri procession, monastic blessings, and protective chants. Social marriages are preferred, while divorce is rare but permitted. Polygamy and child marriage are prohibited, and interfaith unions are uncommon.[12][11]

Festivals

The Baruas observe Buddha Purnima, Madhu Purnima, Prabarana Purnima, and Kathina Chivara Dana (offering robes to monks).

Cultural practices are linked to these festivals, such as Fanus (lantern releases), Sadang (village fairs), Anno Prason (child rice-feeding ceremonies), and Hulu Dhani (a women’s event).[13]

Religion

Buddhis monastery in Moheshkhali

The Baruas used to follow Mahayana Buddhism and adhered to some Hindu customs until the mid-19th century when Saṅgharaj Sāramedha Mahāthera (1801–82) of Arakan, returning from Bodh Gaya, was invited to Chittagong in 1856.[14]

In the mid-19th century, the Baruas came into contact with other Theravada Buddhists from Burma and Ceylon. The Baruas were among the first groups, alongside the Chakmas, to convert to Buddhism during Buddha's time.[15]

The first Pāli school in modern times was established in Pahartali, Chittagong by Ācarya Punnācāra, with financial support from a zamindar, Haragobinda Mutsuddi, in 1885.[16] The Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha Buddhist religious organization was founded by Venerable Kripasaran Mahasthavir in Calcutta on 5 October 1892.[17] Kripasharan Mahasthavir was its first president, and Surendralal Mutsuddi was its secretary. The journal of the Dharmankur Sabha, *Jagajjyoti*, edited by Gunalangkar Sthavir and Shraman Punnananda Swami, was first published in 1908. It was later edited by Benimadhab Barua.[citation needed]

Benimadhab (1888–1948) was born in the village of Mahamuni under Raozan Thana, Chittagong. He was the son of Kaviraj Rajchandra Talukder. Benimadhab assumed the title of "Barua." In 1913, he obtained an MA degree in Pali from University of Calcutta. He also studied law at Calcutta City College and Calcutta Law College.[citation needed]

He became one of the pioneers of the revitalization of Buddhism in the Barua Community. Benimadhab joined the Mahāmuni Anglo-Pāli Institution as headmaster in 1912. From 1913 to 1914, he worked as a lecturer in the Pāli department of the University of Calcutta. He went to England on a government scholarship in 1914, earning an MA in Greek and Modern European Philosophy from the University of London. In 1917, he was awarded a D.Litt. by the University of London, becoming the first Asian to do so.[18] After returning to India in 1918, Benimadhab rejoined Calcutta University and was promoted to professorship. He improvised the syllabus of the MA course in Pali, as well as his work in the departments of Ancient Indian History and Culture (1919–48) and Sanskrit (1927–48) at the same university.[19]

Anagarika Dharmapala visited Chittagong in 1917, where he influenced a 9-year-old boy, who later became the well-known Pali scholar Prof. Dwijendra Lal Barua.[20]

Dipa Ma, a prominent Buddhist master in Asia of Barua descent.
Religious Barua Magh Buddhist Scriptures

Notable Barua

See also

Notes

  1. ^ They are not classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Tripura, nor are they entitled to the benefits of reservation in Bangladesh.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Risley, H.H (1892). The Tribes and Castes of Bengal Volume 2. Bengal Secretariat Press. pp. 28–36.
  2. ^ Hattaway, Paul (2004). Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer Diary. William Carey Library. ISBN 9780878083619.
  3. ^ "Buddhist Studies: Theravada Buddhism, Bangladesh".
  4. ^ a b Chatterjee, Aparna (2020). "Following the Migration Trajectory: Exploring the Ambivalent Origin of Theravadi Buddhists of North Bengal" (PDF). South Asian Anthropologist. 20 (1): 62–3.
  5. ^ Chaudhuri, Sukomal (1982). Contemporary Buddhism in Bangladesh. University of Virginia: Atisha Memorial Publishing Society. pp. 47–48.
  6. ^ Chaudhuri, Sukomal (1982). Contemporary Buddhism in Bangladesh. Atisha Memorial Publishing Society. pp. 47–48.
  7. ^ "East Bengal district gazetteers – Chittagong By L. S. S. O'MALLEY". The Bengal Secretariat Book: 67–68.
  8. ^ "Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers – Chittagong" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Historical Settings and Physical Configuration of the Community".
  10. ^ "The legacy of food, Magh Cooks".
  11. ^ a b "From Bangladesh To India: A Study On Syncretism And Distinctiveness Through The Present Marriage System Of Theravadi Buddhists Of North Bengal" (PDF). Associated Asia Research Foundation.
  12. ^ "Marriage Ceremony of Barua Buddhist in Bangladesh". Society for the Study of Pali and Buddhist Culture.
  13. ^ "Skybound Lights: The Buddhist Festival of Prabāraṇā Pūrnīmā in Bangladesh". Buddhistdoor Global. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  14. ^ South Asian Buddhism: A Survey, Stephen C. Berkwitz, Routledge, 2012, p. 184
  15. ^ Young East, 1979, Volumes 5–7, pp. 25–26
  16. ^ Buddhist Education in Bangladesh: Challenges and Possibilities, Sajal Barua, Feb. 27, 2015
  17. ^ Mahasthavir, Kripasharan, 5 May 2014
  18. ^ "Remembering Dr. B. M. Barua – A Distinguished Scholar of Indology – 1st Indian to Get a D.Lit From University of London". The Darjeeling Chronicle. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  19. ^ Dr. B.M. Barua Birth Centenary Commemoration Volume, 1989, Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha, 1989
  20. ^ Sugat Barua, *The Maha Bodhi*, 1891–1991, Volumes 98–99; Maha-Bodhi Society, p. 307
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