Kamein

The Kaman (Burmese: ကမံလူမျိုး), also known as the Kaman (ကမန်), are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group indigenous to Rakhine State, Myanmar where they primarily reside in. The name Kaman comes from Persian, meaning "bow."[2] The Kaman are formally recognized by the Burmese government and classified as one of the 7 ethnic groups comprising the Rakhine national race.[3] The Kaman are considered indigenous and are widely acknowledged as Burmese citizens who hold national identity cards.[4][5][6]

Kaman
ကမန်
Regions with significant populations
 Myanmar50,000[1]
Languages
Arakanese
Religion
Islam

The Kaman have been disproportionately affected by riots in Rakhine State in 2012.[7][6]

The Kaman people are religiously less conservative than the Rohingya people. Most, but not all Kaman women do not wear a hijab, as many of them work in agriculture.

History

In 1660, a Mughal prince, Shah Shuja, escaped to Arakan (now Rakhine State), after unsuccessfully failing to succeed the Mughal throne.[8][9] The prince, along with his family and followers, relocated to Mrohaung, with the understanding that the king of Arakan would shelter him and provide ships for the prince to undergo pilgrimages to Mecca.[2] His escape was followed by a wave of Muslim immigrants from the Mughal Empire to Arakan.[8]

The king of Arakan, Sanda Thudhamma, first warmly received the prince, but relations soon deteriorated.[8] The prince, along with 200 followers and local Muslims, decided to overthrow the king of Arakan, who had reneged on his earlier promises.[10] In February 1661, Shah Shuja and some members of his entourage were killed by Arakanese soldiers.[8] In 1663, Shah Suja's children, including daughters who were taken into the Arakanese king's harem, were also killed.[8] Shah Shuja's surviving soldiers were inducted into the Arakanese special palace guard, in a special archer's unit called Kaman (کمان, Persian "bow").[8][11]

These Kaman units, alongside Afghan mercenaries from Northern India, became influential in the political machinations of the Arakan kingdom, until 1710, when King Sanda Wizaya I was able to suppress their power and exiled most of the Kaman to Ramree Island (Yanbye Island).[8] The descendants of these Kaman units still live in Ramree and in villages near Akyab.[8]

There were 2,686 Kamans in Arakan in 1931.[8]

In October 2013, Kamein Muslims were targeted by Rakhine Buddhists following two young Rakhine Buddhists girls aged five and six were found murdered on 17 and 18 November in separate incidents. Kameins were attacked, leaving seven deaths, and had to flee from the region.[12][13]

Notes
  1. Newly arrived Kaman Muslims in Yangon defy govt pressure to return to Rakhine State
  2. Harvey 1925, p. 148.
  3. Than Tun Win.
  4. The Economist 2013.
  5. Narinjara 2011.
  6. Schearf 2011.
  7. Human Rights Watch 2013.
  8. Yegar 2002, p. 24.
  9. Harvey 1925, p. 146.
  10. Harvey 1925, p. 146-147.
  11. Thant Myint-U 2011.
  12. Nyein Nyein (15 October 2013). "Six Suspects Confess to Thandwe Murders: Home Affairs Ministry". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013.
  13. "Thandwe Death Toll Rises to 7 With Discovery of Two More Bodies". The Irrawaddy. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
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References
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