Mythologies of the Mru (Murong) Tribe

 

The Mru (Mru: 𖩃𖩓𖩑; Burmese: မရူစာ; Bengali: মুরং), also known as the Mro, Murong, Taung Mro, Mrung, and Mrucha, refer to the tribes who live in the border regions between Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh, and India. The Mru are a sub-group of the Chin people, a few of whom live in western Myanmar. They are also found in the northern Rakhine State. In Bangladesh, they reside in the Chittagong Hills in southeast Bangladesh, primarily in Bandarban District and Rangamati Hill District. In India, they reside in West Bengal. The Mru people are divided into five distinct linguistic and cultural sub-groups: the Anok, Tshüngma, Dömrong, Dopteng, and Rümma. The Mru of Bangladesh and Myanmar are known as the Mro, Mrucha and Taung-Mro, respectively. The Mru claim that their ancestors lived at the source of the Kaladan River, but are unsure about when their people migrated to the region. They have no division of different exogamous clans or groups of clans, nor do they have a chieftain class or a ruling class. The origin of the Mru (Mrucha) people cannot be fully depicted without including the Khami (Khumi) people. Due to frequent invasions by the Shandu and subsequent colonization by the British, the Khumi left their homeland. They emigrated to the hilly regions of the Kaladan River headwaters, and to the Pi Chaung and the Mi Chaung streams in the Arakan Hill Tracts where another group of Khami (Khumi), the Mru and Khumi, lived. According to legend, the hilly region was once ruled by Nga Maung Kadon, who built the barriers which form the waterfalls in all the streams and tributaries connected to the Kalapanzin River. He did this to prevent the escape of a crocodile that had kidnapped his wife.

The solitary, independent and peace-loving Mru people have lived in the Hill Tract of southeastern Bangladesh and western Burma for centuries – their small population being split almost in half by the border. Many scholars believe them to be the original inhabitants of the region. Mru prefer to live on the remote hilltops; even away from other hill tribes. Their villages are easily distinguished by sacred bamboo totems, presided over by guardian spirits. The Mru people are also known as the as Mro or Murong. The Mru people introduce themselves as Mro-cha. The word ‘Mro’ means ‘man’ and ‘cha’ stands for ‘being’. They have Mongoloid features but are tall and strong with dark complexions. They are peaceful and timid. Physically, they closely resemble the Semang of Malaysia. Mru are very egalitarian and have no castes and few hereditary positions. They are extremely non-confrontational and take pride in being patient and peaceful. Each household has an equal voice in all village affairs. They are one of the few indigenous peoples who have staunchly retained their own unique culture, rituals and beliefs. With no functional leadership or hierarchies, this lack of higher-level social organization makes it difficult from them to avail of, or cooperate in joint efforts for ‘development’ or cultural preservation. Thus, they are one of the least ‘modern’ of all the hill tribes, consciously preserving their distinct lifestyle. Mru are especially known for their mystical music, ascetic dress, exotic appearance and long, flower-adorned hair kept in topknots. Curiously, mru have no sense of being ‘tribal’ as do other indigenous peoples. They consider themselves just ordinary floks. Mru value their independence above all else, just desiring to pursue a traditional lifestyle free from domination or exploitation.

The Mru (also known as the Murung, Murang, Mro, Murong, Taung Mro, Mrung, and Mrucha) refer to the tribes who live in the border regions between Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India. A a sub-group of the Chin people, they reside in the Chittagong Hills in southeast Bangladesh, primarily in Bandarban District and Rangamati Hill District. In India, they live in West Bengal. A few live in western Myanmar and northern Rakhine State in Myanmar. The Mru are divided into five distinct linguistic and cultural sub-groups: the Anok, Tshüngma, Dömrong, Dopteng, and Rümma. There are about 22,000 Mru, making them fourth largest hill tribe group in the Hill Tracts. The Mru rarely mix with other hill tribes and they have a long running feud with the Chakmas. The Mru have traditionally lived in the jungles, bamboo forests and deforested hills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Unlike other hill tribes that have been assimilated somewhat into Bangladeshi society, many Mru have refused to change their primitive way of life. The Mru, considered the original inhabitants of the Chittagong Hills, have traditionally lived on hilltops and often fortified their villages. They had no written language of their own, but some could read Burmese and Bangla scripts. Most of them claim to be Buddhists, but their religious practices are largely animistic. The Mru claim their religious texts were written on banana leaves that were eaten by a crow. The Mru fear that the Bengalis will drive them off of their land. Mru land has already been deforested by Bengalis timber companies and swallowed up by dams and reservoirs built by the government. "We wish to live in peace in our mountains, according to our customs," one Mru tribe member told National Geographic.

The Mru are primarily located in the region where the borders of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar intersect. Some live in one of the nearly two hundred villages located in the tropical forests of the Chittagong Hills in southeast Bangladesh. Most however, are concentrated in the plains and hills of western Myanmar's Arakan Yoma district, or in the Jalpaiguri district of northeastern India. The native language of the Mru is also called Mru. The Mru of Bangladesh believe that Torai ("the great spirit") gave all peoples-except the Mru-a written language and rules to guide their social lives. They believe that by some accident, they themselves were excluded. The tribal Mru are a very isolated people, mainly because of a national policy restricting visitors in the strategic border areas and prohibiting outsiders from obtaining land there. However, since last year, there have been reports in Bangladesh of armed Bengali farmers backed by a large army, who have moved into the surrounding hills. The Mru have taken up arms to fight against them. A majority of the Mru are farmers. Although they have been introduced to the irrigation methods of wet-rice farming, most of them continue to practice "slash and burn" agriculture on the hill sides. This makes them a semi-nomadic tribe since they must go to new fields every two years. Both the men and women share in the fieldwork. Rice is the dominant crop for the Mru who live in Myanmar. The Mru are a very poor people. Although they inhabit a region that is rich in lumber and hydroelectric potential, the villagers lack the technology and knowledge to improve their economic conditions. For this reason, they continue to live as poor farmers. The Mru excuse their poverty because they believe that Torai intended them to live this way. At the same time, they pride themselves in their self-sufficiency. Each household produces its own goods. They also travel to the lowlands to visit the weekly markets where they exchange cotton for items such as cloth, salt, knives, and pottery. The Mru typically live in houses made of timber or bamboo. The roofs are either made of thatch or tiles. Some of the homes are built on stilts to give protection from wild animals or floods. The farm animals live under the houses at night. In some small towns in Myanmar, a few Mru live in brick homes with concrete floors.

Mru, also known as Mrung (Murung), is a Sino-Tibetan language of Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is spoken by a community of Mrus (Mros) inhabiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh with a population of 22,000 according to the 1991 census, and in Rakhine State, Myanmar. The Mrus are the second-largest tribal group in Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A small group of Mros also live in Rangamati Hill District. Mru forms the Mruic language branch with Hkongso and Anu, which are spoken in Paletwa Township, Chin State, Myanmar. The position of Mruic with Sino-Tibetan is unclear. however, the language share similarities with Bodo-Garo languages. The Mros live in forest areas of Lama Upazila, Ruma Upazila, Alikadam Upazila, and Thanchi Upazila near Chimbuk Mountain of Bandarban District, Bangladesh (Rashel 2009). In Myanmar, they also live in Buthidaung Township and Ponnagyun Township in Sittwe District (Akiab), Rakhine State. Ethnologue (22nd edition) lists 3 main dialects as Anok, Dowpreng (Dopreng), and Sungma (Tshungma), as well as the 2 minor dialects of Domrong and Rumma.

Mro is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by about 22,000 people mainly in Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. It is also spoken in Sittwe (Akiab) in Rakhine State in Burma. Mro speakers live mainly in forest areas of Lama, Ruma, Alikaram and Thanchi near Chimbuk Mountain of Bandarban District. A small number also live in Rangamati Hill District. The language is also known as Mru, which means 'human', and the people who speak it called themselves Mro-cha ('human beings'). Other tribes in the areas where the Mro live call them Murong ('strangers'). The Mro alphabet was created during the 1980s by Menlay Murang, or Manley Mro, a Mro who believed the creation of the alphabet was a redemption for a catastrophe told in Mro legend. The legend talks of the god Turai writing down a script and religion for the Mro people in a book and giving it to a cow to deliver. Unfortunately the cow became hungry on the long journey to earth and ate the book. Thus knowledge of the script was lost. Around 80% of the Mro are thought to be literate in their own script, and it is taught in schools for the first 3 grades of primary education.

Mru tribe is mostly found in various areas of the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal state of India. The literal meaning of the term 'Mru' is 'man', valuing his freedom and independence more than anything else. The native language of this tribe is also called Mru. Basically, these Mru people are amiable and peace loving and avoid every possible occasion of confrontation and hassles. However, due to this nature they sometimes face tremendous exploitations from other clans and tribes who are residing in the nearby regions. Mainly residing on the hills, this Mru tribe lives in huge and cozy 'thatch-roofed' cottages. These are made up of bamboo rising on piles, with huge open decks. Salient features of the villages of Mru tribal communities include holy bamboo totems, presided over by guardian spirits. The occupation of the Mru tribe is mainly agriculture. They also practice 'jhoom (slash and burn)' cultivation. Both females and males take part in the cultivation. Apart from cultivation, these Mru males have the onus of building houses, going for hunting, basket weaving etc. Very recently, in order to meet the demands of the society, some of these Mru people took up other professions as well. These Mru people also engage themselves in making clothes, blankets, instruments and various household and cultural items. The women folk of this tribal community are engaged in some other occupations apart from their additional responsibilities of cooking, firewood gathering, taking care of the household and children. Most of the women groups of this community practice waist-loom weaving, embroidery, beadwork, making cotton thread etc. For carrying huge burdens, Mru people use the conventional forehead lashed 'back-baskets'. What is also interesting is that since women work harder than men, the usual practice is that the brides are little older than her grooms ensuring strong women for running houses.

Mru, an indigenous community. They have settlements in different areas of Bandarban district in Chittagong Hill Tracts. They live in Toyin, Mongu, Luloing, Uttarhangarh, Dakshinhangarh, Tankabati, Teker Panchhari, Renikhyang, Pantala, Thankhyang, Sowalok, Tindo, Alikhang and Bhariatali mouza of the district. According to the 1991 census, the Mru population total 222,167. They are also known as Mraw and Murong. Although they have a language of their own, they did not have any alphabets in the past. At present, text-books up to class three have been published in their own language and alphabets. The Mrus call themselves Marucha. In Mru language, the meaning of Maru is human. A few families give rise to a clan in the Mru society. The names of many Mru clans can be gathered at present. These include: Ngarua, Naichah, Tam-tu-chah, Yamrey, Ngaringchahu Tang, Kanbak, Prenju, Deng and Khau. Marriages between boys and girls belonging to the same clan are forbidden. The ancestral identity of the Mrus is patriarchal. The Mrus usually arrange marriage ceremonies in the dry season, which commensurate with their lifestyle. Cutting a hole in the ear is called Raiksharam in Mru language. Everybody irrespective of gender has to prick a hole in the ear. This is done amid a function and feast. The affluent Mru families organise Chhiachhat-ply festival after harvesting crops planted through the jhum cultivation. This festival usually takes place during December-February period. The Mru youths dance around the cow amid the tune of Plong flute by wearing traditional dresses. No priests attend this programme. The Mrus perform puja (idol worship) twice a year. Puja is called khang in Mru dialect. Cakes are baked with newly harvested crops in different neighbourhoods. This festival continues for three days. The three-day long Kerai/Kangnat puja is offered throughout the area in the months of Falgun and Ashar twice a year. Basumati puja is offered if there is any epidemic outbreak of disease. The Mru males wear Nengti (tiny piece of cloth covering private parts). It is passes through the middle of two legs and is bound around the waist. The women's cloth is known as Wanglai. The width of Wanglai from top to bottom is only six inches; it is embroidered in the middle. The Mru women bind their hair on the left side behind their head. For going to the bazaar, the males wear lungi and shirt while the females wear a piece of cloth on the upper portion of the body. The males keep long hairs and curl those over the forehead. They wear turban on the head. The Mrus like to decorate different parts of their body with colours. Both the boys and girls paint their lips. They like to colour their face, lips and forehead for dancing. The girls wear flowers on their head and ear with strings made of glass-beads around their neck, which is called Kong-ar in Mru dialect. The girls wear a special kind of ornament (Ramcheng) in the ear and bracelet made of metal on the wrist. Both men and women use ring in the ear. The musical instrument which they produce with bamboo pipe is called Plong.  During dances, the males wear red dresses as well as plumes and turbans decorated with glass-beads on the head; the females decorate themselves with flowers, glass-beads and coins.   

The Mru (Bengalii: মুরং ; Burmese: မရူစာ)  are thought to have arrived in the Hill Tracts in the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly from what was then Burma. Some scholars date that arrival back to the 14th century. Given their remote geographic context, the tribal Mru are a very isolated people, exacerbated because of a national policy restricting visitors in the strategic border areas and prohibiting outsiders from obtaining land there. Since the founding of Bangladesh 50 years ago, the Mru have suffered from the national government’s refusal to grant full citizen status to non-Bengalis. This resulted in a period of virtual civil war in the region, with the military siding mainly with the settlers. Despite the ceasefire in 1997, the Hill Tracts remain off limits to journalists and human rights workers. Regular massacres, rapes, murders and destruction of villages have been documented, and substantial numbers of Mru have fled across the borders into Myanmar and India. Despite their long existence as a separate ethnic group and their cultural uniqueness, the Constitution of Bangladesh has not recognised them as ‘indigenous peoples’. Rather, the 15th amendment to the constitution, adopted in 2011, has referred to them as “tribes, minor races, ethnic sects and communities”. Mru culture is distinctive even from other tribes in the same region for a number of reasons. Take for example the birth and death rituals. After the birth of a child, four short bamboos are placed on the bank of the stream. A chicken is then killed in honour of the deities and its blood poured over bamboos tied together. A prayer is then said for the well-being of the child. By contrast, on the death of a Mru individual, their body is put in a coffin made of split coloured bamboos and in some cases rugs and blankets. The body is then cremated, and the remaining unburnt pieces of bones are collected; after being stored in the village for 2–3 months they are stored in a small hut constructed above the location at which the body was cremated.

The Mru have lived in the southeastern hill tracts of Bangladesh, as well as western Burma, for many centuries, with a number of scholars being of the opinion that the Mru were the first humans to inhabit the region. Although there are other tribes living in the hills, the Mru prefer to live as isolated units in the highest regions. Their villages are easily identified by the sacred bamboo totems which are a dominant feature. They live in spacious thatched-roofed houses, built on stilts and nestled among the trees, and it is into these charming dwellings that the Mru graciously welcome their guests with warm hospitality. Farming is the primary occupation of both males and females in the community. Both genders take responsibility for the raising of the children and harsh discipline is unheard of. In addition to these duties the Mru women take care of the cooking and gathering of firewood, which they carry in back-baskets supported by a strap across their foreheads in the same way as their ancestors have for centuries. The women are skilled in a number of traditional crafts such as making cotton thread, weaving, embroidery and beadwork. The men take care of home building, home maintenance and hunting, as well as making a variety of traditional handicraft items such as woven baskets and musical instruments. Guests will have the opportunity of joining in these daily activities and in the process they may even discover some hidden talents as they are taught ancient traditional crafts. The Mru have a deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural environment that surrounds them and are keen to share this with others who show a similar appreciation. Music plays an important role in their lives, and in addition to playing musical instruments during leisure time, they sing as they go about their daily chores – often with the lyrics focusing on love, life and the beauty of nature, being improvised as they go along. Singing also plays an important role in courtship, with a young suitor wooing the object of his affection with conversation in the form of song, and the young lady responding in the same manner. Certainly, the Mru are a very distinctive and unique people and those who take time to get to know them when visiting Bangladesh, will find it to be an exceptionally rewarding experience.

Murongs are one of the famous tribes of aborigines of Arakan and two Murong Kings ruled Arakan in the tenth century AD. Murong or Muren refers to an ethnic Xianbei tribe who are a Mongolic people attested from the time of Tanshihuai. Different strands of evidence exist linking the Murong to the Mongols. Murong is also a Chinese surname. The Former Yan, Western Yan, Later Yan dynasties as well as Tuyuhun were all founded by the Murong. The chieftain Murong was the first ancestor of the Murong tribe, which was named after him. He was a chieftain noble of the Middle Section during the rule of Tanshihuai. Murongs live in Lama, Ruma, Alikadam and Thanchi upazilas near Chimbuk Mountain of Bandarban district. In 1991, the Murong population in Bangladesh was 22,178 and constituted the fourth largest tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Murongs are patriarchal. Sons inherit the property. They have different clans and many sub-clans. Murongs do not marry within the same clan or sub-clan. Their boys and girls are also not allowed to marry within two different clans involved in war even after they enter into a truce or peace agreement and become friends. Murongs have many different ways of performing the marriage ceremony but the ceremony is usually very short. Once a couple is ready for marriage, a cock is slaughtered in the presence of the couple. When the blood gushes from the veins, someone dips the middle finger and anoints the forehead of the bride and groom. Then follow the declaration that the two are husband and wife. After this brief ceremony, the bride and groom eat together and the invitees and guests sprinkle water and rice to bless the couple. 

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