Date:March 9(Tues.) , 2010 15:00- 17:00
Venue:Room no:330 on the third floor of Inamori Foundation Memorial Building
Speaker: Dr. Myint Thein, CSEAS Visiting Research Fellow from Historical
Research Center, National Museum, Myanmar
Title: “Arakan-Bengal Relation: Special Emphasis on mid-Mrauk-U Period (1531-1638)”
Abstract:
In this paper the central purpose is to explore the relation between
Arakan (Rakhine) and Bengal in the mid-Mrauk-U Period. The struggle for
the control of the Bengal was the principle historical force at that
time. In the period of strong king, Rakhine expand their kingdom in the
east and west of neighboring countries. During the 16th century, while
the Rakhine was concentrating its best efforts on Bengal they played the
prominent role in the region. It was due to the existence of seaports in
Bengal, Rakhine was able to make control the trade. The strong kings
tried to obtain fresh supplies of manpower as slave labours from Bengal.
Yet the greater the demands for rice in Southeast Asia, the more eager
people tried to get slaves from market for extending their rice
cultivation. It is one of the basic factors of why the Rakhine kings
expand to Bengal. This paper is in a brief span of hundred years
(1531-1638); I would try to analyses of the political relation between
the two and bearing on the Rakhine kingdom. To form a judgment on the
determining factors in the Arakan-Bengal relation, I carefully assess
the relative weight of the specific functions, the aims of power
struggle, and the local conditions. Emphasis will be laid political
relation on the two powers. And finally, an attempt will be made the
different angle through the Rakhine historical point of view.