From Buddhist East Bengal to Islamic Bangladesh

[Maira La]

wait, what ? even brahmins converted to Islam in Pakistan ?

In Pakistan, a large number of upper caste Hindus converted for various reasons, including political status that came with conversion. Numerous high caste Hindu converts and their progeny held high posts in the Muslim Empires and Sultanates.

But here in BD it was mostly the Buddhists (long persecuted by Hindu elites) and lower castes - i.e. indigenous Indic people.

 

[Kambojaric]

wait, what ? even brahmins converted to Islam in Pakistan ?

Butt is a way of spelling Bhat, a Kashmiri Brahmin caste originally but also widely found throughout Pakistani Punjab. Salman Butt is one example from Lahore. Ijaz Butt is another old cricketing legend from Sialkot. Many of the Sarawast Brahmins adopted the title of Sheikh upon converting to Islam. Allama Iqbal grandfather was a Brahmin.

 

[Saiful Islam]

Butt is a way of spelling Bhat, a Kashmiri Brahmin caste originally but also widely found throughout Pakistani Punjab. Salman Butt is one example from Lahore. Ijaz Butt is another old cricketing legend from Sialkot. Many of the Sarawast Brahmins adopted the title of Sheikh upon converting to Islam. Allama Iqbal grandfather was a Brahmin.

Same thing in BD. Many Brahmins converted to Islam and then later adopted the title Shiekh or Taluqdar.

 

[Md Akmal]

In Pakistan, a large number of upper caste Hindus converted for various reasons, including political status that came with conversion. Numerous high caste Hindu converts and their progeny held high posts in the Muslim Empires and Sultanates.

But here in BD it was mostly the Buddhists (long persecuted by Hindu elites) and lower castes - i.e. indigenous Indic people.

@ "Are Bhai", since long I had been arguing that the most people of Bengal converted from Buddhist and not from Hindus.

@ The main problem was in Hinduism no convertee were allowed. If I am a Muslim and now I want to convert to Hindu, which is not allowed in Hindu Religion similar like the Jews. So, what happened once the "Sen Dynasty" conquered they started killing the religious teachers of Buddha Religion. Many of the "Biharees: were destroy and burned. Finding no other way some of these people fled to Tibet through Urunachal, some fled to Sri Lanka and some fled to Far East through Burma. The common Budda people remained but had no religion.

@ Now, these Senas started bringing all stout and young Brahman from Deccan and placing them in newly constructed "Mondir" which they named it as " Shara-en Mondir ". Now, the main job of these young Brahman was to preach the new religion. In the mean time order was given that all young girls/ women to do "seba" to all these Brahmans. Soon, most of them became pregnant and now new rule came that these offspring were legal and can inherit property. Soon they were given a status of "Khuttra". In this way the Senas started increasing the Hindu religion. This was mainly prevailing in and around Bogra of Bengal. This I learnt once I visited the Tom of "Shah Sultan Borkhi Mahi Sawar" at Mahastan Gar.

@ Once this was the situation in greater Bengal many "Pir, Fakirs and Mashek" came Arakan and Delhi and preach Islam. Soon , bulk of the local Buddhists converted to Muslims. " Aur Hindu Senas dekhte hi rey gai ". Soon, many muslms migrated from Central Asia due to fear of Changez Khan and Halaku Khan and settled in Bengal. Many came during the civil war between Umayya Dynasty and Abbasia Dynasty. Many Arabs came and settled in Chittagong and Noakhali.Bulk of the Muslims of Mardha, Murshidabad, Chapai NawabGanj, Rajshahi came from Afganistan. Many believe that they are the descendant of Sher Shah Suri. Many of the people of greater Sylhet came from Turkey and so on-----.

 

[LaBong]

In Pakistan, a large number of upper caste Hindus converted for various reasons, including political status that came with conversion. Numerous high caste Hindu converts and their progeny held high posts in the Muslim Empires and Sultanates.

But here in BD it was mostly the Buddhists (long persecuted by Hindu elites) and lower castes - i.e. indigenous Indic people.

Same thing in BD. Many Brahmins converted to Islam and then later adopted the title Shiekh or Taluqdar.

Why do you guys so fixated about Brahmins converting to Islam. Do you believe Brahmin converts are racially superior than lower caste converts! It looks like you do!

It's highly unlikely that Brahmins converted in any large scale in Bengal, there was no political or social benefit for them to convert. Most of the jamindars were Hindu Brahmin/Kaystha and socially they enjoyed the top spot and would have been shunned if converted.

Also it looks like somehow in your mind it's cooler to be converted from Budhhism than Hinduism! Budhhism is cool religion, right right?

In all probability most people in East Bengal hinterland prayed to folk indigenous gods like Manasa, Oladevi, Ghetu etc. They are infarct still revered by some Muslims.

 

[Nilgiri]

Why do you guys so fixated about Brahmins converting to Islam. Do you believe Brahmin converts are racially superior than lower caste converts! It looks like you do!

It's highly unlikely that Brahmins converted in any large scale in Bengal, there was no political or social benefit for them to convert. Most of the jamindars were Hindu Brahmin/Kaystha and socially they enjoyed the top spot and would have been shunned if converted.

Also it looks like somehow in your mind it's cooler to be converted from Budhhism than Hinduism! Budhhism is cool religion, right right?

In all probability most people in East Bengal hinterland prayed to folk indigenous gods like Manasa etc.

It is their inferiority complex. Nothing can be done about it.

 

[extra terrestrial]

Was it exclusively the low caste though that converted in Bengal? You will often hear some Indians gloating about how Pakistanis are low caste people who converted to Islam, but Rajput tribes like Janjua, Bhati, Samma, Soomro or Bhrahmin tribes like Butt, Sheikhs (Allama Iqbals grandfather was a Kashmiri Pandit), were anything but low caste. I am sure Bengal too must have had high caste conversions to Islam.

Well, Brahmins have surely converted to Islam but their number is negligible because Hindus in Bengal mostly belong to the lower castes, Shudras and Dalits (about 90% of the total Bengali Hindu population). During the British period, a large number of Bengali Hindus succeeded to elevate themselves socially by adopting the British education system and getting govt. jobs. Many of them changed their surnames and elevated themselves from lower castes to upper castes after changing their professions which was also supported by the British government. Some of them even formed a new denomination called 'Brahmoism' led by some reformist intellectuals.

Caste system in Bengal is relatively a newer phenomenon than the rest of India. It was introduced in as late as 10th century by the Sen rulers, originally from Karnataka in the Southern India, where the Kannada ruling elite, priests and North Indian military personnel belonged to the upper castes while the local Hindus in Bengal were classified to the lower castes.

 

[Kambojaric]

Well, Brahmins have surely converted to Islam but their number is negligible because Hindus in Bengal mostly belong to the lower castes, Shudras and Dalits (about 90% of the total Bengali Hindu population). During the British period, a large number of Bengali Hindus succeeded to elevate themselves socially by adopting the British education system and getting govt. jobs. Many of them changed their surnames and elevated themselves from lower castes to upper castes after changing their professions which was also supported by the British government. Some of them even formed a new denomination called 'Brahmoism' led by some reformist intellectuals.

Caste system in Bengal is relatively a newer phenomenon than the rest of India. It was introduced in as late as 10th century by the Sen rulers, originally from Karnataka in the Southern India, where the Kannada ruling elite, priests and North Indian military personnel belonged to the upper castes while the local Hindus in Bengal were classified to the lower castes.

Thanks. Informative post

 

[LaBong]

Many of them changed their surnames and elevated themselves from lower castes to upper castes after changing their professions which was also supported by the British government. Some of them even formed a new denomination called 'Brahmoism' led by some reformist intellectuals.

You have no idea of Hindu society do you? If caste system was that fluid then we wouldn't have so problem related to it!

Caste system in Bengal is relatively a newer phenomenon than the rest of India. It was introduced in as late as 10th century by the Sen rulers, originally from Karnataka in the Southern India, where the Kannada ruling elite, priests and North Indian military personnel belonged to the upper castes while the local Hindus in Bengal were classified to the lower castes.

Bengali Brahmins are considered Panchya Gauda, ie, Brahmins who are originally from north of Vindhyas, not that rest of the post is any factual.

 

[TopCat]

You have no idea of Hindu society do you? If caste system was that fluid then we wouldn't have so problem related to it!

One of my friend's surname is Biswas and considers himself a high cast. When I pointed him that biswas is a title introduced by brits, he got puzzled. He could not even recall his original cast which clearly indicate that they lost them intentionally.

 

[bongbang]

Also it looks like somehow in your mind it's cooler to be converted from Budhhism than Hinduism! Budhhism is cool religion, right right?

Our ultimate target to set the course of history that one portion of Bengali Buddhists converted to Islam and lower caste due to Hindu oppression and remained in Bengal area. Another portion didnt convert to anything and left for Sinhala.

 

[LaBong]

One of my friend's surname is Biswas and considers himself a high cast. When I pointed him that biswas is a title introduced by brits, he got puzzled. He could not even recall his original cast which clearly indicate that they lost them intentionally.

These are bestowed title, I'm not talking about Biswas, Chowdhury, Majumdar, Halder etc. There are Hindu lower caste Majumdars there are Muslim Majumdars and then there are Brahmin Majumdars.

However one couldn't just change his surname to Mukherjee or Ganguly or Sen one fine day in 18th century Bengal, people would have known and he would have been shunned.

Our ultimate target to set the course of history that one portion of Bengali Buddhists converted to Islam and lower caste due to Hindu oppression and remained in Bengal area. Another portion didnt convert to anything and left for Sinhala.

I didn't really understand your post.

By the way, backward classes comprise 68 percent of West Bengal’s population: SC 23 percent, ST six and OBC 39. Muslims constitute 21.5 percent of OBC, while 17.5 percent are non-Muslims. So forward caste population is 32 percent, which is double compared to rest of India.

 

[sovcomflot]

Bengal buddhist converted at sword point ,mostly. low caste hindus converted on their will. Many animist tribals converted to islam on basis of economic incentives.

 

[TopCat]

These are bestowed title, I'm not talking about Biswas, Chowdhury, Majumdar, Halder etc. There are Hindu lower caste Majumdars there are Muslim Majumdars and then there are Brahmin Majumdars.

However one couldn't just change his surname to Mukherjee or Ganguly or Sen one fine day in 18th century Bengal, people would have known and he would have been shunned.

Yet they could successfully change the social status by giving away the low cast surname and promoting themselves with completely non cast surname.

 

[LaBong]

Yet they could successfully change the social status by giving away the low cast surname and promoting themselves with completely non cast surname.

They changed their economic status not the social status. A Halder Brahmin still wouldn't consider a lower caste Halder in the same social strata with respect to Hindu caste system. And Halder Brahmin would know and wouldn't forget to let you know that he/she is actually a Banerjee but uses conferred title!

Although with more education, people in Bengal have awakened upto the fact that it's very embarrassing to show any caste based superiority if you can't match it with education and wealth as well.