The first Muslims in Myanmar date to early
Arab Muslim merchants in the
Bagan period. Early settlements and propagation of Islam is documented to the 9th century. The
First Mongol invasion of Burma in the 13th century and the relationship of the
Mrauk U Kingdom with the Bengal Sultanate are examples of prominent Muslim presence in Myanmar with Muslims ranging from traders and settlers to positions of status as royal advisors and port authorities. The Pathi and Panthay ethnic groups also form a historically significant group of precolonial Chinese Muslims in Myanmar. In addition,
British rule in Burma brought several Muslim diasaporic immigrants, including Indian Muslims who became a significant population in
Rangoon. The core of the Burmese Muslim community today are the descendants of Muslim peoples who settled and
intermarried with local
Burmese ethnic groups. Muslims arrived in Burma as
traders or
settlers, military personnel, and
prisoners of war, However, many early Muslims also as saying goes held positions of status as royal advisers, royal administrators,
port authorities,
mayors, and traditional medicine men. Muslim artillerymen, riflemen and royal bodyguards served regularly in Burmese army during the Konbaung dynasty. The colonial period saw substantial immigration of
Burmese Indians, many of them Muslim. Various riots and dissatisfaction with the socioeconomic conditions under
British rule in Burma led to increased anti-Muslim sentiment. Muslims sought representation and citizenship during independence, but faced significant opposition. In the 1960s, all Muslims were increasingly seen as foreign elements unwelcome in the country. During the
State Peace and Development Council junta rule, anti-Muslim riots became increasingly common. Anti-Muslim pamphlets were widely distributed and vengeful Buddhist mobs formed to reports of alleged Muslims raping Buddhist women in 1997, 2001, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Arab travellers visited the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal south of Burma. The first Muslims landed in Myanmar's
Irrawaddy delta and on the
Tanintharyi coast. By the 9th century, they were also present in
Arakan, prior to the establishment of
the first Burmese empire in 1055 AD by King
Anawrahta of
Bagan. The sea ports of Burma are rife with the legendary accounts of early shipwrecks in their vicinity, which are supported by archaeological remnants. However, long-term settlement by Muslim traders appear to date to later centuries following the
First Mongol invasion of Burma.
Deified Muslim figures In Burma's semi-historical traditional historical chronicle, the
Hmannan Yazawin, two
Kalar Muslim sailor brothers, Byat Wi and
Byat Ta, arrived near
Thaton in the 11th century.
Kalar today is an
ethnic slur for Indians and Arabs, but originally meant "dark-skinned" and is assumed to have meant that they were from India. According to the chronicle, they gained superhuman strength after eating the magic meat of a
mystic. The
king of Thaton became afraid of them and killed the elder brother. The younger brother, Byatta, escaped to
Bagan and took refuge with king
Anawratha. He met and married Me Wunna from
Mount Popa and had two sons- the Shwe Hpyin brothers. at Mount Popa The Shwe Hpyin brothers served the Bagan king as warriors. They became famous for infiltrating the Chinese King of Gandalaraj Utibua's bodyguards to draw three lines with
white lime on the king's body and write a threatening message on the wall, scaring the Chinese into peace. However, the brothers were eventually executed because they refused to contribute in the building of a pagoda in
Taungbyon, There was dissatisfaction with the decision and, according to legend, the two brothers' spirit manifested and demanded possession of Taungbyon. They were then
deified as two of the
37 Great Nats, the Burmese pantheon.
Traders in Lower Burma When King
Anawrahta attacked Martaban, the capital of the
Thaton Kingdom in the 12th century, their king
Manuha was recorded to have two Muslim officers who commanded the defence fiercely. Early Muslim settlements the
propagation of
Islam between the 9th and 14th century were documented by
Arab,
Persian, European and
Chinese travellers. the majority of these were trade colonies in
Lower Burma, with Muslim traders primarily referring to
Pegu as "Burma". Later, during the Bagan king
Kyansittha would take Indians captive during his invasions of Lower Burma, starting some of the first Muslims settlements in
Upper Burma. He was reinstated as King of Arakan with the military assistance of the Sultan. Narameikhla founded the new capital,
Mrauk U and the
Mrauk U Kingdom. The Muslim army who helped him retake the kingdom settled in Arakan and built the Sandi Khan mosque in the village of Kawalaung. According to the Arakanese
Rakhine Razawin Thit chronicle, Narameikhla had to surrender the twelve towns of Bhanga (Bengal) to the Sultan of Bengal and agree to be feudatory to Bengal in order to gain support. Arakan thus remained to be a subject state of Bengal for a century (1430–1530); Bengal Sultans conferred Muslim titles to nine kings of Arakan during this period. Coins bearing the
kalimah Islamic confession of faith and the name of the four khalifs of Islam in Arabic were discovered from this period of Arakan. Even after Mrauk U's independence from Bengal, many of its kings continued to style themselves as sultans. The son of
Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan, prince Shah Shuja, fled to Arakan in 1660 being granted asylum from his brother
Aurangzeb after a failed rebellion. His soldiers' descendants became the Muslim
Kamein people, forming the Royal Archers of the Guard. After the death of Arakanese king
Sanda Thudhamma in 1684, the Kamein became very powerful power brokers in the Arakan court, dominating it from 1684 to 1710.
Taungoo period When
Tabinshwehti, the first Taungoo king (1530–1550 AD) attacked
Hanthawaddy, Muslim soldiers were recorded as helping the
Mons with artillery. When
Tabinshwehti attacked Martaban in 1541 AD, many Muslims resisted strongly. When
Bayinnaung successfully conquered
Ayutthaya a decade later, he used Muslim artillerymen. In the chronicles of
Malaysia, during the first
Malacca Empire of
Parameswara in the early 15th century, it was recorded that when Burmese traders and sailors traded in Malacca. Muslims workers regularly travelled to Burma. From the fifteenth to seventeenth Centuries, Muslim traders faced strict regulations by Burmese kings and, mostly, by local governors. However the ports thrived as an important point for sea communication, supplies and repairs for Muslim trading fleets. Muslim traders would marry and settle with local women. Despite strict trade regulations, Burmese governors occasionally encouraged this intermarriage while barring Muslims from taking their local wives or children back when they left to boost population numbers. They were shrines to the "God of the Flood" in memory of Badral-Din Awliya, who was worshipped as a
nat by the Buddhists, a minor god by Hindus and Chinese and a saint by the Muslims. Buddermokans were They are found in
Akyab,
Sandoway and on a small island off Mergui. In the 17th century, Muslims tried to control business and to become powerful. They were appointed, variously, governors of Mergui, viceroys of the provinces in
Tenasserim and as port authorities. In 1617 AD, even after the English East India Company had established its factory at
Masulipatnam, the Muslim merchants engaged themselves in trade between the Coromandel Coast and Pegu in Lower Burma. When the Burmese King
Anaukpetlun reconquered
Syriam in 1613 and
Bago in 1617, the Muslim Moores in Masulipatan rejoiced greatly hoping to get the trade of Pegu into their hands again and prepared to send there two ships in the following September. Anaukpetlun also enslaved Indian mercenaries and battle ships from Syriam, resettling them in
Shwebo., Successive kings, up to the reign of
Thalun continued to resettle Muslim prisoners of war, particular in
Myedu a village near Shwebo, as well as in Sagaing, Yamethin and Kyaukse.
Sanay Min In 1707, the Taungoo king
Sanay Min brought Muslim prisoners of war from
Sandoway and settled them in Myedu. Three thousand Muslims from the weakening
Kingdom of Mrauk U took refuge under his rule from 1698 to 1714. These refugees were divided and settled in
Taungoo,
Yamethin, Nyaung Yan, Yin Daw,
Meiktila, Pin Dale, Tabet Swe', Bhodhii, Syi Tha, Siputtara, Myae du and Depayin. Another record from 1783 mentions these three thousand Muslims were relieve of military service in 1709 and settled instead. Sanay Min also had two flotillas, named
Elahee and
Selamat, both Arabic Islamic names. These ships were recorded to have called at Forte St. George. The
Elahee was used to send for missionaries exchanged between the
Mughal Empire and the Burmese kingdom, being captained by an Arab. The diplomatic relations between the Court of Ava and Muslim Court of the Moghul began in 1706 AD, with an exchange of gifts recorded by the English factory in Madras.
Konbaung Dynasty in Amarapura during the Konbaung dynasty (coloured by AI) During
Alaungpaya's conquests to create the
Konbaung Dynasty, Muslims soldiers fought against him in
Pyay and Muslim rich men were recorded to have surrendered expensive presents and warships to him in
Yangon. He captured many Muslim artillery men during his conquest of
Syriam and later let them serve in his army. After his capture of
Bago, a parade was held in which Pathi Muslim soldiers were allowed to march in their traditional uniforms. His campaign against
Assam and
Manipur of India brought more Muslims to settle in Burma.
Amarapura period When King
Bodawpaya founded
Amarapura as his new capital in 1783, he issued a royal decree officially recognising his Muslim subjects. He appointed special minister Abid Shah Hussaini to give judgement regarding conflicts amongst Muslim subjects. During the rule of King
Bagyidaw (1819–37), his general
Maha Bandula conquered Assam and brought back 40,000 prisoners of war, half of whom were likely Muslims. During the
First Anglo-Burmese War, Maha Bandula captured 200 mixed Sepoy Indians, among other spoils, at the battles near Ramu. Muslims amongst them were relocated to the south of Amarapura. Among Maha Bandula's forces was Captain Nay Myo Gone Narrat Khan Sab Bo who led the 70 Cavalry Regiment. Khan Sab Bo's name was Abdul Karim Khan and was the father of the Captain Wali Khan, who also led a famous cavalry regiment during the reigns of successive kings. Khan Sab Bo was sent as an ambassador to
French Indochina by
Bagyidaw. he first mosque in Yangon was built in 1826 AD, at the end of first
Anglo-Burmese Wars. It was destroyed by fighting in 1852 during the Second Anglo-Burmese War. Burmese kings of the Konbaung Dynasty employed a lot of Muslims in their inner circle: Royal bodyguards, eunuchs, couriers, interpreters and advisers. During the reign of
Pagan Min, Muslims had significant roles in the administration. The governor of Amarapua was U Shwe Oh, a Burmese Muslim. A powerful clerk in Pagan Min's court,
U Bein, was also responsible for the notable
U Bein Bridge, a two-mile-long teakwood bridge. Sir
Henry Yule saw many Muslims serving as
eunuchs in the Burmese court while on a diplomatic mission there. He also noted that the previous governor of Bagan, who had been recently executed, had been a Muslim too. These Muslim eunuchs came from
Arakan. By 1855, Muslims in Amarapura numbered about 20,000 families, mostly
Sunni Muslims. Mindon showed favour to Muslims when he ascended the throne, giving several Muslims military and civil administrative ranks. In 1853, he ordered the preparation of
halal food for his 700 Muslim horse cavalry soldiers during a donation ceremony. Upon the founding of
Mandalay, several quarters with allocated spaces for mosques were granted to Muslims for settlement. The Burmese Muslim quarters granted in Mandalay were: • Sigaing dan • Kone Yoe dan • Taung Balu • Oh Bo • Setkyer Ngwezin • June Amoke Tan • Wali Khan Quarter • Taik Tan Qr • Koyandaw Qr (Royal Bodyguards' Qr) • Ah Choke Tan • Kala Pyo Qr • Panthay dan for the Burmese Chinese Muslims. Twenty mosques were allocated outside the Palace wall in those areas: That mosque was demolished by in order to construct a
polo playground. Mindon Min additionally donated to building a rest house in
Mecca for his Muslim subjects performing
Hajj. Nay Myo Gonna Khalifa U Pho Mya and Haji U Swe Baw were ordered to supervise the building. The king completed the donations needed for the building, which had started with the donations from the Burmese Muslims. This was recorded in the Myedu Mosque imam U Shwe Taung's poems. During
Thibaw Min's
Third Anglo-Burmese War, one of the three army groups of the Burmese Army was led by the Akhbat Horse Cavalry Chief, Maha Min Htin Yar Zar. He was previously called U Chone and was the chief clerk of the Kala Pyo Army. He helped save the chief queen back to safety during the Myin Kun Myin Khone Taing revolt and was rewarded with the mayorship of the town of
Pinle. Htin Yar Zar commanded 1,629 soldiers. Additionally, Captain Bo Min Htin Kyaw also commanded 350 Kindar Kala Pyo artillerymen, with four additional Muslim-led cannoneer regiments.
Muslim immigration to Colonial Burma Following the defeat of Thibaw Min by the British in 1885, Burmese Muslims formed many groups organisations for Burmese social welfare and religious affairs. On 28 November 1885, after the British took over, they included Kin Won Min Gyi, Tai Tar Min Gyi and Htin Yar Zar as representatives of the Parliament. The population of the Muslims increased during the
British rule in Burma because of new waves of
Indian Muslim immigration. Under British rule, economic discrimination marginalised native Burmese workers, who were often replaced by Indian labourers. This fuelled resentment toward both colonial authorities and
Indian immigrants. Anti-Indian sentiment peaked during the 1930 riots, intensifying racial tensions. Native Burmese sentiment turned against those whom they regarded as foreigners, including Muslims of all ethnic groups. Following this, the "Burma for Burmese" campaign inflamed
xenophobic tensions and an altercation with British Indian police lead to significant anti-Muslim riots in 1938, where hundreds of mosques and Muslim-owned shops were damaged and Muslism were hurt and killed. The population of Muslims in Myanmar would sharply decline in the years following 1941 as a result of the Indo-Burman Immigration agreement. The agreement itself was controversial in both India and Burma, but violent protests were cut short by the onset of the
Second World War. During the in
Japanese invasion of Burma, the Chinese Muslim border town of
Panglong, was entirely destroyed by the Japanese invaders.
Post-Independence Identity and Citizenship of Muslims , a leader of the Burma Muslim Congress and one of eight
Burmese martyrs After Burma's independence from the British in 1948, Indian immigration to Burma all but stopped. During the process of independence, various Burmese Muslim groups sought minority rights.
Burmese Indians in particular faced strong opposition. These groups coalesced into the
Burma Muslim Congress (BMC), which sought to establish themselves as a respectable community in Burma and opposed the
Pakistan movement. The BMC joined the incoming governing party—the
Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL)—in 1945 but were expelled in 1948 for being religious. They later rejoined after discontinuing their religious activity. The Muslim community became divided by this decision especially amongst those who disliked the idea of Burmese Muslims being treated as an ethnic minority. Ultimately, upon independence, Muslim minorities such as the Pathis, Kamein, Myedus and Arakanese Muslims were granted citizenship by the new constitution, but Indian Muslims were barred. ==Persecution==