Daingnet people
ဒိုင်းနက် | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 80,000 (est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Myanmar(Rakhine State) | |
| Languages | |
| Chakma·Burmese | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chakmas,Burmans,Rakhines,Tibetans |
TheDaingnet people(Burmese:ဒိုင်းနက်လူမျိုး), also known as theThetkama people(Burmese:သက္ကမ)[1]are anethnic groupindigenous to northernRakhine State,Myanmar.According to their own internal census in 1995 they numbered about 60,000. In 2011, the number is estimated to be around 80,000. From appearance they are indistinguishable from theRakhine people;however, the Daingnet people have a distinct language and culture. Ethnically, they are closely related to theChakma peopleof Bangladesh and Northeast India. The languages of the Daingnet and Chakma people are mutually intelligible. Daingnet people are one of 135 ethnic groups officially recognized by theMyanmar governmentas indigenous toMyanmar.Daingnets are one of the Tibeto-Burman tribes. Genetically they are closely related to theTibetans,BurmansandRakhines.
Etymology[edit]
Daingnets do not call themselvesDaingnet;instead they call themselvesThaikhmalike the nearbyChakma peopleofBangladeshandNortheast India.They have similar language with Tanchangya (Daingya Gosha - Sub group of Tanchangya). The term "Daingnet" is anexonymoriginally used byRakhine people.InRakhine language,Daingnet means "shield warriors" or "armored warriors". Centuries ago the Rakhine kings hired the Daingnets as soldiers and they showed their mastery with shield and sword. The Daingnets no longer fight with shield and sword, but the name Daingnet stuck.
History[edit]
Daingnets are indigenous to Rakhine State. They were among the first people who settled in northern Rakhine State. DuringBritish rule in Burma,the Daingnets were classified as Sak people.Sakis a generic term used by theBamarand Rakhine peoples to denote theChakma people.
In the spring of 1798, British explorer Francis Buchanan visitedChittagong Hill Tracts,he asked a Chakma man if they were the same asSakpeople in Rakhine State. The man replied, theSaksof Rakhine State wereMoishang Saks.[2]In the Rakhine languageMoishangmeans primary or superior. What the man meant was, the Saks of Rakhine State retained the original Chakma language. Though Francis Buchanan did not visit Rakhine State he was aware of theSakpeople from his earlier visit toCox's Bazar.He might have heard about them from theEast India Companyofficials or the Rakhine refugees who were pouring intoCox's Bazarto flee Burma-Rakhine conflict.
According to Burmese historianGordon Luce,theSaks(i.e. ancestors of the Daingnets) attained higher cultural level than any other minority peoples in Arakan. They were the smelters of iron, the distillers of spirits, the makers of earthen vessels, manufacturers of salt, builders of boats etc.[3]
Distribution[edit]
The Daingnet people are found in and aroundMaungdaw,Buthidaung,Kyauktaw,PaletwaandMrauk-U.Many Daingnets also live in theArakan Yomamountains, close to theChin stateandChittagong Hill Tracts.
Culture[edit]
The Daingnets are culturally similar to theChakmasandRakhinesinBangladeshandNortheast India.[4]Rice, fish and vegetables are their favorite foods. They prefer hot food. Daingnet people consider cow as a sacred animal and as such they do not eat beef. Men sportlungiand women sport sarong (Pinuin) like dressthami.Usually men do the agricultural work and women look after children and cook for the family. They usually like to settle near rivers. Some of them also live in mountains whose livelihood isslash and burncultivation. Daingnet people usually marry early, but never before the age of 17.
Their original language wasTibeto-Burman.[5]Due to prolonged interaction with theAssamese language,their language gradually became a mix ofIndo-AryanandTibeto-Burman.Majority of the Daingnets are multi-lingual. Apart from their ownChakma language,they can speakRakhine,Burmese.
Religion[edit]
Daingnets are followers ofTheravada Buddhismand for centuries the Daingnets have strictly adhered to its teachings.[6]Almost every village has a Buddhist temple. A Daingnet male at least once in his lifetime becomes a Buddhist monk. However most of them do not remain Buddhist monks for life. Wedding and funeral ceremonies are performed by Buddhist monks. Besides wedding and funeral, the Daingnet people flock to Buddhist temples on major Buddhist festivals which usually fall on full moon days.
Economy[edit]
Majority of the Daingnets are farmers. Some of them are traders. Their economy is highly dependent on agriculture and hence vulnerable to weather pattern. However, due to lack of economic development there is widespread poverty among the Daingnets.[7]Religious conviction ofBuddhismforbids them to work as fishermen or butchers. There are 2 kinds of farmers among the Daingnets, those who farm land on permanent basis and those who farm hills and mountains byslash and burnorshifting cultivationtechnique.
References[edit]
- ^"သက္ကမ (ဒိုင်းနက်) တိုင်ရင်းသားများ အမျိုးသားနေ့ ကျင်းပ".burmese.dvb.no(in Burmese).Retrieved20 September2018.
- ^Buchanan, Francis (1992).Francis Buchanan in Southeast Bengal.Dhaka University Press. p. 108.ISBN984-05-1192-0.
- ^Gutman, Pamela (1976).Ancient Arakan.Australian National University Press. p. 13.
- ^Talukdar, S. P. (2010).Genesis of Indigenous Chakma Buddhists and Their Pulverization Worldwide.Delhi India: Kalpaz Publications. p. 27.ISBN9788178357584.
- ^Kirkpatrick, Andy (2019).The Routledge International Handbook of Language Education Policy in Asia.Taylor & Francis. p. 25.ISBN9781317354505.
- ^Hattaway, Paul (2004).Peoples of the Buddhist World.United Kingdom: Authentic Media. p. 42.ISBN1-903689-90-2.
- ^Diran, Richard K. (1997).Vanishing Tribes of Burma.Amphoto Books-Random House.ISBN0-8174-5559-0.