I ■เพ■■เ s CHR] F TEN RE f H E DES 'SODASXEN-INSTI ■ DER. 0NIVER^lSA<r HEIDELBERG f'iv' . I . ! • ’-■ ■ IIII HI ■ - 1 i M d S b l'E YEGAR If i A Study of a Minority Grouo SCHRIFTENREIHE DES St)DASIEN-INSTITUTS DER UNIVERSITAT HEIDELBERG Herausgegeben vom Siidasien-Institut der บทiversitat Heidelberg MOSHE YEGAR The Muslims of Burma A Study of a Minority Group 1972 OTTO HARRASSOWITZ - WIESBADEN THE MUSLIMS OF BURMA A Study of a Minority Group by MOSHE YEGAR 1972 OTTO HARR AS SO WITZ - WIESBADEN © Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1972 Alle Rechte vorbehalten Photographische und photomechanische Wiedergaben nur mit ausdriicklicher Genehmigung des Verlages Gesamtherstellung: Hessische Druckerei GmbH, Darmstadt Printed in Germany ISB N 3 447 01357 5 To Edna CONTENTS A bbreviations......................................................................................................................VIII In tro d u c tio n ...................................................................................................................... Acknowledgm ents............................................................................................................. ^ I. Muslims in Burma in the Days of the Kings The Beginnings of Muslim Settlement in the Irrawaddy V a lle y .......................1 Muslim Settlement in A r a k a n ..................................................................................... Why Burma Did Not Become Muslim ................................................................... II. Muslims in Burma During British Rule Immigration from In d ia ................................................................................................. 29 Organizations of Muslim Immigrants from I n d ia ..................................................4° Organizations of Burmese M uslims............................................................................ 57 The Burma Moslem S o ciety ..................................................................................... 57 The General Council of Burma Moslem Associations....................................65 The Renaissance M ov em ent..................................................................................... 65 The Japanese O ccu pation .............................................................................................. 68 III. Muslims in Burma Since Independence Structural Changes in the Muslim Community...................................................... 71 The General Council of Burman Moslem Associations....................................72 The Burma Muslim C o n g re s s .................................................................................75 The Burma Muslim Organization............................................................................ 82 The Indian Muslims after World War I I ...............................................................86 Religious A ctivities....................................................................................................... 89 The Arakanese M uslim s...................................................................................................95 IV. Conclusion Major Aspects of Muslim Community Life.......................................................... 107 Appendices A. How Many Muslims Are There in B urm a?......................................................115 B. Legislation on Islamic Subjects............................................................................ 122 C. Various Documents of the General Council of Burman Moslem A ssociations................................................................................................................ 129 D. Muslim Press ............................................................................................................ 130 E. Persons Interviewed .............................................................................................. 131 F. Burma Newspapers Consulted ........................................................................... 133 B ibliography.........................................................................................................................137 Indices Personal N a m e s............................................................................................................145 Geographical N am es....................................................................................................147 Institutions...................................................................................................................... 149 G r o u p s ...........................................................................................................................151 ABBREVIATIONS AFPFL Anti-Fascist Peoples' Freedom League BMC Burma Muslim Congress BMO Burma Muslim Organization BMS Burma Moslem Society GCBMA General Council of Burma Moslem Associations JBRS Journal oj the Burma Research Society MFA Mayu Frontier Administration NUF National United Front . RUMSA Rangoon University Muslim Students Association TUCB Trade Union Council of Burma VIII INTRODUCTION In June, I960, I was sent to Burma to serve as a Second Secretary at the Embassy of Israel in Rangoon. Permission was granted me by the Hebrew University, Jeru­ salem, to submit a thesis on the subject “Muslims in Burma” for my M. A. degree. The history of the Muslim community in Burma has not yet been properly studied. Nor has any member of that community yet bothered to collect the written material that does exist or to obtain oral, eye-witness reports from those who took part in the various activities of the community during the period of British rule and since Burma obtained her independence. The present study is an attempt to deal with the Muslim community in Burma from the eleventh century up until the year 1962. My main purpose was, first of all, to reconstruct the chronological history of the community and to follow the main trends that characterized that community. I was, however, handicapped by the scarcity of available sources. The major sources for the history of the Muslims in the days of the Burmese kings are the writings of European travelers, of emissaries to the court of Burma, and of missionaries, as well as several general history books on Burma, India and Southeast Asia, scattered throughout which were to be found facts and comments on the Muslim community. I also made use of a series of articles on the Arakan Muslims which appeared in the monthly Guardian published in Rangoon by a daily newspaper of the same name. Articles and studies on specific and detailed subjects relating to the period of the kings were found in the Journal oj the Burma Research Society and in publications of Muslim schools and associations in Burma. Particular significance is to be attributed to a two-part article by Siddiq Khan, pub­ lished in Islamic Culture, Hyderabad (see bibliography). His was the first attempt and as far as I know, the only one so far, to deal with the beginnings of the Muslim community in Burma. Important material is included also in several unpublished works, especially in the lecture which Col. Ba Shin delivered in Delhi in 1961. Other works are mentioned in the bibliography. The richest sources and the most varied ones are those dealing with British rule in Burma. In addition to reports of travelers and the memoirs and recollections of British administrative officials and newspapers, there is a mine of information in official publications of the British government: The Gazetteers of the districts of Burma, census reports, and the reports of the various enquiry committees that the British frequently sent to all their colonies. Various publications and documents - annual reports, magazines, unpublished letters, and other papers - in the possession of some individuals in Rangoon which were placed at my disposal made it possible for me to reconstruct the history and activities of Muslim organizations in the period between the two world wars and since the independence of Burma. I was unsuccessful in obtaining several original documents bearing upon the important Muslim organization that held the annual Education Conferences between the World Wars. I have tried to reconstruct the missing data from other sources and from oral reports. IX Introduction On developments within the Muslim community in the period following World War II, there are available several official government publications, many articles and informative newspaper articles, and especially the publications of the Muslim organizations and their institutions, their annual reports, yearbooks of educational institutions, and the like. Here, too, I filled in the missing links with personal com­ munications from Muslims and non-Muslims. WTierever possible, I verified the information gathered; some of the people interviewed supplemented their conver­ sations with memoranda prepared especially for me. In dealing with the postwar period I concentrated mainly on the political issues, not only because the availability of source material imposed it upon me but also because political issues were the main concern of the Muslim community at that time. In an attempt to become more clearly acquainted with my subject of research, I visited as frequently as possible Muslim mosques, schools, cemetaries, and the Muslim Hospital in Rangoon, and I participated in Muslim functions of all kinds both in Rangoon and up country in the area around Mandalay and the Shan states. I found hospitality and courtesy wherever I went. At times I draw