Arakan and Coins

 

Arakan is the historical geographical name of Rakhine State, Myanmar (formerly Burma). The region was called Arakan for centuries until the Burmese military junta changed its name in 1989. Arakan's first states can be traced to the 4th century. Due to evidence of Sanskrit inscriptions found in the region, it is believed that the first Arakanese state flourished between the 4th and 6th centuries.

                       

One Tankah, Thamaada Raza, 1783 AD, Kingdom of Arakan

                       

                          Bengal and Arakan in 1638.
  

Arakan is a coastal geographic region in Lower Burma. It comprises a long narrow strip of land along the eastern seaboard of the Bay of Bengal and stretches from the Naf River estuary on the border of Chittagong Hill area (in Bangladesh) in the north to the Gwa River in the South. It is about 640 km long and 145 km wide at its broadest. Arakan was inhabited by the Rakhine since 3000 BC.

                        

Arakan lies on the west coast of Burma facing Bay of Bengal.

The Burmese do not seem to have settled in Arakan until possibly as late as the 10th century AD.                

Arakan came under strong influence of the Ganges delta and was the first regions in Southeast Asia to adopt Dharmic religions. Buddhists from the Mauryan Empire travelled through Arakan to other parts of Southeast Asia. It was home to the sacred Mahamuni sculpture of Buddha, which was later transferred to Mandalay by the Burmese conquerors in the 18th century. For 356 years between 1428 and 1784, Arakan was ruled by the Kingdom of Mrauk U from the city of Mrauk U. The kingdom was founded as a vassal state of the Bengal Sultanate.

                         

                          17th century, Mraul U
 

It later asserted independence and adopted the customs of the Bengal Sultanate, including Muslim titles for its kings. Arakan became home to an ethnically and religiously diverse population, with Buddhists making up the majority and Muslims making up the second largest community. 

                         

   Arakan under the Bengal Sultanate in 15th century

                      

Arakan Division was part of British India and fell under British rule in Burma. The Burmese Empire ceded Arakan to the British East India Company in the 1826 Treaty of Yandabo. 

                         

The Mrauk Kingdom in the 17th century.

                        

The Burmese Empire in 1824 covering Arakan.

During World War II, several Arakan Campaigns were conducted by Allied forces against the Japanese as part of the Burma Campaign.

                           

Allied forces crossing a river during the Third Arakan Campaign in 1945.

After Burma became independent in 1948, Arakan saw a movement for autonomy. In 1974, a discriminatory citizenship law was enacted. In 1982, most Arakanese Muslims were stripped of citizenship. A segregated system of citizenship was introduced by Burma's military rulers. Both Arakanese Buddhists and Muslims experienced growing nationalism, including hopes for self-rule. After Burma's controversial citizenship law in 1974, the Buddhists became known as Rakhines and the Muslims became known as Rohingya. The region was the site of the Rohingya genocide in 2016 and 2017.  

Coins of Arakan

                         

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Thado, AH 1007, AD 1646, silver, weight 7.2 gm,

                          

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Sanda Thudhamma, AH 1014, AD 1653, silver, weight 10 gm,

                         

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Sanda Thudhamma, AH 1014, AD 1653, silver, weight 9.3 gm,                      

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Maha Thamada Raza, AH 1144, AD 1783, silver, weight 10 gm, 

                          

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Bodawpaya, AH 1146, AD 1784, silver, weight 10.5 gm, Obverse: 4-ine Arakanese legend, lettering 1146, Amarapura, Hsin Byu Mya,Shin Naing Ngan

                         

Arakan Kingdom, One Tankah, Thirudhamma Raja, 1634 AD, silver, weight 10.2 gm

                           

Arakan, Bengal, 486-475, Zinc, weight 11.6 gm, Dia 31.8 mm

                         

Arakan Rajas, Chittagong coinage, One Tanka, silver, in the name of Islam Shah, dated Buddhist Era 959, weight 10 gm, Obverse: Arakanese inscription in three lines, date on top, Reverse: Shahada in Arabic and Bengali, legend Sri Sri Ichalama Saha. 

Arakan

Coins of Arakan