Mro People History

The Mro People (Burmese: ၿမိဳလူမ်ိဳး) are one of the 135 ethnic groups recognized by the government of Myanmar. Mro is one of the ancient tribes .They are identified as a sub-group of Chin people. Also known as Awa Khami, Khami, Khumi Awa, Mro, Mro-Khimi, “Kwe Myi” in Myanmar.The live widely in some parts of northern Rakine state, Chin state, the townships of Matupi and Paletwa, and the regions of Samechaung and Michaung. They are Tibeto-Burman and have their own language, culture and customs which are still in existence. The word Mro was found as the earliest evidence in Ba Saw Pyu Min Thame Echin.

The word “Mro” was found as the earliest evidence in “Ba Saw Phyu Min Thame Echin’ [i] composed by the Rakhine Scholar Aduminnyo in 1458. It was also found in the Myanamr stone inscription of Sagaing Htupayon in Line (20) set up by King Narapati in 1442. Later, the word :Mro” was used in such Rakhine chronicles as Rakhine Maha Yazawuntawgyi, Dhanyawadi Yazawunthit, the explanation of Marayu and Bedar and other evidences. In spite of the word “Mro” the different spellings of “Mrun and “Mru” are no longer in existence in Rakhine state nowadays. The Indians of Kyauktaw,  Butheidaung and Maungtaw called them “Mrun Jar”[1][ii] ( Saging Htupayoh Pagoda inscription, Ovserve II 20.23.804/1442 AD. ) and “Mro” are still living as a tribe.
Therefore, the words “Mrun” and Mru” in the chronicles indicate that these different spellings referred to “Mro”. On the other hand, the pronounciation of “Mro” and Mru could be used by other tribes likes Rakhine people. They usually call themselves Khami, meaning Man.[2]

The people who live along the head water of Michaung and Thamechaung, and in hill side area are called Taung Mro and those at the mouth of these ricers are called Awa Mro. The word mro is used for them by Rakhine people.[3] As there are three groups of Mro their customs and traditions, costume styles and usages are slightly different but closely related.

It is the comprehensive word Mro for the whole tribe.

1. Mro ( Khami) :  Sometimes called Awakhami living in the trownships of Kyauktaw, Mrauk-u, Ponnagyun, Pauktaw and Butheidaung.
2. Mru ( Khami): Sometimes called Ahring )or) Aphyu Khami living in the townships of Paletwa and Matupi.
3. Tawung Mro  : called “Da” by Khami ( Mro) and Khami ( Mru), the word written in the texts of primary education before and after independence, living in the townships of Butheidaung and Maungtaw and Bengal province of Bangladesh.

Most of the later historians wrote about ancient Mro as a whole in spite of different three groups.

According to the oral history of the origin Mro, there had been an “Old World History.” Khawmu story. In this story, the “Khawmarun” and the woman “Khawmanri” who lived together in a dark cave or darkness before existence of the sun and the moon were named in the “ Mro” language as “Khawmu” meaning the people of darkness. And the children of Khawmari and Khawmarun were named “Khawmu Mro”, and also meaning production and creation. 

The descriptions about the word “Khami”

The Taung Mins ( King of Maintains) named their territories “Ku” and they ruled over the “Khami” the word “Mi” means living ones. Therefore, Mi people were called “ Ku-mi” or “Khami” beings living in the territory. The people who lived in Paletwa and Khanlon Taung which is situated at the border of Matupi and who went down the region were named “Awa-Khami”. But Rakhine people, on the other hand , called them “Mro” or “Ma-ro”.[4]

Long ago, “Khami” were ruled by Taung-Mins ( Khings of Mountains). The living creatures in “Ku” or the territory of Taung-min were called “Mi” and Ku mi, Khumi or Khami. In other words, this means living animal or human.[5]

These suggestions mentioned above are that “Ku-mi” people lived in Paletwa Township and Chin State and have attempted to describe the characteristics of their tribe. In fact, the pronunciation of the word “Khami” appears to “Khumi” themselves as the nearest pronunciation. And the tow alphabets are also similar and belong generally to the same sound group. However, some accounts say that there are two Mro words similar to every ten Khami words. To assess the word “Khami” is thus the job of the scholars of etymology.

The two different meanings of the words also need to be classified. The word Khami has its several extended meaning according to references to the context.

1. When they want to differentiate between human and animal, the word means human
2. When they want to differ from others the word means ‘they’
3. When they want to separate other nationalities from them especially Rakhine people, the word means “ Our people” or our tribe”    

The word “Mro” the following points should be taken into account:

1. Mro people living in the townships of Maungtaw, Butheidaung and Pannagyun called them as “Mro-Sa.” However, the meaning of Mro-Sa and its associated meanings cannot be traced.
2. The prince Khaw-Sa-Pati, the son of King Varadhammatu in Majjima, led his flowers numbering about ten thousand, and field into Assam where they lived for a long time,  with the consent of the King of Assam. While  living there, they made seven fences to protect themselves and prevent the attack of other tribes natural disasters and animal predators.

They continued to move out from Assam to the regions located on the mouth of Kalandan River ( Kissapanadi) and settled in the area called Ba Laing afterwards. The prince Khaw Sa Pati took the throne after he married the princess Hon – Low. After he became king, his followers also came out from their places to find new settlements. Though they lived in new- plances, they kept living within strong fence because of their old custom. Therefore, Mro people are accustomed to living with a strong fence, since they moved out from assam and settled in the regions of Kalandan River until Myanmar independence. Whenever they established villages and towns, they also built fences around them for security.

References

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[1] Interviews with U Anga Aung, Thapettapin  village, kyauktaw township, 12 march 2005

[2] Customs and Traditions of Myanmar nationalities ( Rakhine), Rangoon, Myanmar Socialist Programme Party, 1976, January, pp31-31. ( Hereafter cited as Traditional Customes ( rakhine)

[3] Customs and Traditions of Myanmar Nationalies ( Chin), Rangoon, Myanmar  Socialist Programme Party, 1968, February, p 6, Hereafter cited as Traditional Customs ( Chin)

[4] Traditional Custome ( Rakhine).pp  31-32

[5] Traditional Customs ( Chin) p. 62