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Buddhism in Bangladesh

February 15, 2024

Buddhism is the third-largest religious affiliation and formed about 0.63% of the population of Bangladesh.[1][2] It is said that Buddha once in his life came to this region of East Bengal to spread his teachings and he was successful in converting the local people to Buddhism, specially in the Chittagong division and later on Pala empire propagate and patronized Buddhist religion throughout the Bengal territory.[3] About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism.[4] Over 65% of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine, Chakma, Marma, Tanchangya, other Jumma people and the Barua. The remaining 35% are Bengali Buddhists. Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh, particularly Chittagong and Dhaka.

The Somapura Mahavihara is the oldest Buddhist institution in Bangladesh.
Buddha Dhatu Zadi, a Buddhist temple in Bandarban

History edit

See also: Chandra dynasty, Pala Empire, and Khadga dynasty
 
The earliest statue of Buddha found in Mahasthangarh

Legend said that Gautama Buddha came to the region to spread Buddhism, and it was speculated that one or two individuals became monks to follow in his footsteps. However, Buddhism did not gain much support until the reign of Asoka when Buddhism gained a toehold. The Pala Empire that controlled the Indian subcontinent spread many Buddhist ideologies in modern Bangladesh and built many monasteries such as the Mahasthangarh and the Somapura Mahavihara. During the Pala Dynasty, a famous teacher named Atisha was born in the city of Bikrampur and spread Mahayana Buddhism.

Chandra Dynasty's Puranchandra and Subarnachandra adopted Buddhism, as did their successors Trailokyachandra and Srichandra who ruled Harikel and Chandradwip (Barisal).[5] The Khadga Dynasty was a Buddhist dynasty of kings that carried the surname Bhatt. They made several temples and monasteries. King Rajabhata was for example a very committed Mahayanist Buddhist.[6]

Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkic conquest in 1202.[7] The invading armies found numerous monasteries, which they destroyed. With the destruction of centres of Buddhist learning, such as Nalanda University, Buddhism rapidly disintegrated.[8] In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong, which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj (1858–1947). During the 19th century, a revival movement developed[9] that led to the development of two orders of Theravada monks, the Sangharaj Nikaya and the Mahasthabir Nikaya.

In the Chittagong Hills, Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population, and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal beliefs and Buddhist doctrines. According to the 1981 census, there were approximately 538,000 Buddhists in Bangladesh, representing less than 1 percent of the population.

Demographic overview edit

Historical Buddhist Population
YearPop.±%
1951 294,437—    
1961 355,634+20.8%
1974 428,871+20.6%
1981 522,722+21.9%
1991 637,893+22.0%
2001 862,063+35.1%
2011 898,634+4.2%
2022 1,007,468+12.1%
Source: Bangladesh government census authority[10][11]

Buddhism in Bangladesh by decades[10][12]

Year Percent Increase
1951 0.7% -
1961 0.7% -0%
1974 0.6% -0.1%
1981 0.6% -0%
1991 0.6% -0%
2001 0.7% +0.1%
2011 0.6% -0.1%
2022 0.63% +0.03%

As of 2014, followers of Buddhism are mainly people of Baruas living in Chittagong city, the business city of Bangladesh and indigenous Arakanese descent living in the sub-tropical Chittagong Hill Tracts. People who follow Buddhism in Bangladesh belong to the Barua people in majority with the percentage of 65% among the 0.07% population of Bangladesh, Chakma, Chak, Marma, Tanchangya and the Khyang, who had been since time immemorial have practiced Buddhism. Other tribes, notably those who practice Animism, have come under some Buddhist influence, and this is true in the case of the Khumi and the Mru, and to a lesser extent on the other tribes.

Buddhist population across Bangladesh[13]
Division Percentage (%) Buddhist population ( ) Total population
Barisal 0.18% 14,348 8,173,818
Chittagong 7.08% 1,719,759 24,290,384
Dhaka 0.39% 152,274 39,044,716
Khulna 0.68% 99,995 14,705,229
Rajshahi 0.36% 58,877 16,354,723
Rangpur 0.34% 47,080 13,847,150
Sylhet 0.02% 1,621 8,107,766
Mymensingh 0.62% 27,999 11,370,102

Buddhist sites edit

 
Somapura Buddhist Vihar dates back to the 8th century AD during the rule of the Pala empire
Main article: List of Buddhist viharas in Bangladesh

Culture edit

 
Atisha is one of the ancient priests from the Pala dynasty who is followed within the Bangladeshi Buddhist sects.

There are several active monasteries in the Chittagong, and in most Buddhist villages there is a school (kyong) where boys live and learn to read Bengali (national language) and some Pali (an ancient Buddhist scriptural language).[7] It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school. The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life.

Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and beliefs of the regions to which it has spread.[7] In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha, and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life. Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man, popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics.[7] The ancient monasteries at Paharpur (in Rajshahi Region) and Mainamati (in Comilla Region), dating from the seventh to ninth century A.D., are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state-protected monuments.

Persecution of Buddhists edit

See also: Freedom of religion in Bangladesh, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, and Human rights in Bangladesh

List of massacres targeted at Hindus and Buddhists minorities by radical Islamists and Razakar:

Prominent Bangladeshi Buddhists edit

See also: Category:Bangladeshi Buddhists
Historical figures
Bhikkhus (monks)
 
Dipankara Srijan, president of the Chittagong Buddhist Association, as leader of a delegation at the 6th Buddhist council in Rangoon.
Administration
Freedom fighters
  • UK Ching, Bir Bikram
  • Dharma Darshi Barua
Politics
Arts and literature
Education
Sports

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Census 2022: Bangladesh population now 165 million". 27 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Bangladesh Buddhists Live in the Shadows of Rohingya Fear - IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters". www.indepthnews.net. from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  4. ^ "Census 2022: Bangladesh population now 165 million". 27 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  5. ^ P. 22 European Trade and Colonial Conquest: Volume 1
  6. ^ P. 261 Early Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism: The Mahayana Context of the Gau?apadiya By Richard King
  7. ^ a b c d   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Bangladesh: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. Buddhism.
  8. ^ "Caryagiti". from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Jewel in the Crown: Bengal's Buddhist Revival in the 19th and 20th Centuries | Buddhistdoor". from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  10. ^ a b . Bangladeshgov.org. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Census 2022: Bangladesh population now 165 million". 27 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Census 2022: Bangladesh population now 165 million". 27 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Mymensingh District - Banglapedia". from the original on 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  14. ^ Jahangir, Apurba (6 March 2016). "A Free Spirit". The Daily Star. from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.

February 15, 2024
buddhism, bangladesh, buddhism, third, largest, religious, affiliation, formed, about, population, bangladesh, said, that, buddha, once, life, came, this, region, east, bengal, spread, teachings, successful, converting, local, people, buddhism, specially, chit. Buddhism is the third largest religious affiliation and formed about 0 63 of the population of Bangladesh 1 2 It is said that Buddha once in his life came to this region of East Bengal to spread his teachings and he was successful in converting the local people to Buddhism specially in the Chittagong division and later on Pala empire propagate and patronized Buddhist religion throughout the Bengal territory 3 About 1 million people in Bangladesh adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism 4 Over 65 of the Buddhist population is concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region where it is the predominant faith of the Rakhine Chakma Marma Tanchangya other Jumma people and the Barua The remaining 35 are Bengali Buddhists Buddhist communities are present in the urban centers of Bangladesh particularly Chittagong and Dhaka The Somapura Mahavihara is the oldest Buddhist institution in Bangladesh Buddha Dhatu Zadi a Buddhist temple in Bandarban Contents 1 History 2 Demographic overview 3 Buddhist sites 4 Culture 5 Persecution of Buddhists 6 Prominent Bangladeshi Buddhists 7 See also 8 ReferencesHistory editSee also Chandra dynasty Pala Empire and Khadga dynasty nbsp The earliest statue of Buddha found in MahasthangarhLegend said that Gautama Buddha came to the region to spread Buddhism and it was speculated that one or two individuals became monks to follow in his footsteps However Buddhism did not gain much support until the reign of Asoka when Buddhism gained a toehold The Pala Empire that controlled the Indian subcontinent spread many Buddhist ideologies in modern Bangladesh and built many monasteries such as the Mahasthangarh and the Somapura Mahavihara During the Pala Dynasty a famous teacher named Atisha was born in the city of Bikrampur and spread Mahayana Buddhism Chandra Dynasty s Puranchandra and Subarnachandra adopted Buddhism as did their successors Trailokyachandra and Srichandra who ruled Harikel and Chandradwip Barisal 5 The Khadga Dynasty was a Buddhist dynasty of kings that carried the surname Bhatt They made several temples and monasteries King Rajabhata was for example a very committed Mahayanist Buddhist 6 Buddhism in various forms appears to have been prevalent at the time of the Turkic conquest in 1202 7 The invading armies found numerous monasteries which they destroyed With the destruction of centres of Buddhist learning such as Nalanda University Buddhism rapidly disintegrated 8 In subsequent centuries and up through the 1980s nearly all the remaining Buddhists lived in the region around Chittagong which had not been entirely conquered until the time of the British Raj 1858 1947 During the 19th century a revival movement developed 9 that led to the development of two orders of Theravada monks the Sangharaj Nikaya and the Mahasthabir Nikaya In the Chittagong Hills Buddhist tribes formed the majority of the population and their religion appeared to be a mixture of tribal beliefs and Buddhist doctrines According to the 1981 census there were approximately 538 000 Buddhists in Bangladesh representing less than 1 percent of the population Demographic overview editHistorical Buddhist PopulationYearPop 1951294 437 1961355 634 20 8 1974428 871 20 6 1981522 722 21 9 1991637 893 22 0 2001862 063 35 1 2011898 634 4 2 20221 007 468 12 1 Source Bangladesh government census authority 10 11 Buddhism in Bangladesh by decades 10 12 Year Percent Increase1951 0 7 1961 0 7 0 1974 0 6 0 1 1981 0 6 0 1991 0 6 0 2001 0 7 0 1 2011 0 6 0 1 2022 0 63 0 03 As of 2014 followers of Buddhism are mainly people of Baruas living in Chittagong city the business city of Bangladesh and indigenous Arakanese descent living in the sub tropical Chittagong Hill Tracts People who follow Buddhism in Bangladesh belong to the Barua people in majority with the percentage of 65 among the 0 07 population of Bangladesh Chakma Chak Marma Tanchangya and the Khyang who had been since time immemorial have practiced Buddhism Other tribes notably those who practice Animism have come under some Buddhist influence and this is true in the case of the Khumi and the Mru and to a lesser extent on the other tribes Buddhist population across Bangladesh 13 Division Percentage Buddhist population nbsp Total populationBarisal 0 18 14 348 8 173 818Chittagong 7 08 1 719 759 24 290 384Dhaka 0 39 152 274 39 044 716Khulna 0 68 99 995 14 705 229Rajshahi 0 36 58 877 16 354 723Rangpur 0 34 47 080 13 847 150Sylhet 0 02 1 621 8 107 766Mymensingh 0 62 27 999 11 370 102Buddhist sites edit nbsp Somapura Buddhist Vihar dates back to the 8th century AD during the rule of the Pala empireMain article List of Buddhist viharas in Bangladesh Somapura Mahavihara in Naogaon Rajshahi Division was built during the Pala era and was part of a network of monasteries including Nalanda Vikramashila and Jaggadala It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Jagaddala Mahavihara in Naogaon Rajshahi was an 11th century Buddhist monastic establishment located in the historical Varendra region Was probably active till at least the 12th century Halud Vihara in Naogaon Rajshahi Agrapuri Vihara in Naogaon Rajshahi Vasu Vihara in Bogra Rajshahi Sitakot Vihara in Nawabganj Rangpur Division Bhitagarh in Panchagarh District Rangpur Division Pandit Vihara in Chittagong Bikrampur Vihara in Bikrampur Dhaka Division Shalban Vihara in Comilla Wari Bateshwar ruins in Narsingdi Dhaka Division Nateshwar Deul in Munshiganj Dhaka DivisionCulture edit nbsp Atisha is one of the ancient priests from the Pala dynasty who is followed within the Bangladeshi Buddhist sects There are several active monasteries in the Chittagong and in most Buddhist villages there is a school kyong where boys live and learn to read Bengali national language and some Pali an ancient Buddhist scriptural language 7 It is common for men who have finished their schooling to return at regular intervals for periods of residence in the school The local Buddhist shrine is often an important center of village life Buddhism outside the monastic retreats has absorbed and adapted indigenous popular creeds and beliefs of the regions to which it has spread 7 In most areas religious ritual focuses on the image of the Buddha and the major festivals observed by Buddhists in Bangladesh commemorate the important events of his life Although doctrinal Buddhism rejects the worship of gods and preserves the memory of the Buddha as an enlightened man popular Buddhism contains a pantheon of gods and lesser deities headed by the Buddha The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides assistance for the maintenance of Buddhist places of worship and relics 7 The ancient monasteries at Paharpur in Rajshahi Region and Mainamati in Comilla Region dating from the seventh to ninth century A D are considered unique for their size and setting and are maintained as state protected monuments Persecution of Buddhists editSee also Freedom of religion in Bangladesh Indo Pakistani War of 1971 Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and Human rights in Bangladesh List of massacres targeted at Hindus and Buddhists minorities by radical Islamists and Razakar 1962 Rajshahi massacres 1964 East Pakistan riots 1971 Bangladesh genocide 2012 Ramu violence Riots against indigenous Buddhist minorities Persecution of Buddhists in BangladeshProminent Bangladeshi Buddhists editSee also Category Bangladeshi Buddhists Historical figuresAtisa 10th century Buddhist monk who played a prominent role in the spread of Buddhism to Tibet Also an abbot at Vikramashila monastery Chandragomin 7th century Buddhist lay practitioner and poet from the Varendra region Traillokyachandra 10th century King of the Chandra dynasty who converted to Vajrayana Buddhism Vanaratna 1384 1468 CE who is considered the last Indian Buddhist Pandit in Tibet Bhikkhus monks nbsp Dipankara Srijan president of the Chittagong Buddhist Association as leader of a delegation at the 6th Buddhist council in Rangoon Karmayogi Kripasaran Mahathero Ven Jyotipal Mahathero Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera Rajguru Priyo Ratana Mahathera U Pannya Jota Mahathera Ven U Pannya Jota Mahathera Ven Prajnananda Mahathera Suddhananda Mahathero Bishuddhananda MahatheraAdministrationBarrister Devasish Roy Chakma Raja Chakma Circle Chief Bijoy Giri 15th Chakma Raja of Chakma Circle Benita Roy aristocrat litterateur diplomat minister and Rani of Chakma Circle Raja Nalinaksha Roy 49th Raja Of Chakma Circle Mong Prue Sain King of Mong Circle Freedom fightersUK Ching Bir Bikram Dharma Darshi BaruaPoliticsDilip Barua Communist Party of Bangladesh Marxist Leninist Barua Former Minister of Industries Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma Manabendra Narayan Larma Charu Bikash Chakma Kalparanjan Chakma Ma Mya Ching Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury Sacing Prue Jerry Maa Ma Ching MarmaArts and literatureBenimadhab Barua Kanak Chanpa Chakma artist 14 Mina Barua Folk Singer Bipradash Barua author Partha Barua singer lead vocal and guitarist of Souls Band setu Barua Subrata Barua Ratan Talukder Actor and martial artistEducationBikiran Prasad Barua Sukomal Barua Amit Chakma Aye Thein Rakhaine Academic and PoliticianSportsDebabrata Barua cricket Debashish Barua cricket Sumon Barua cricket Monika Chakma football Rupna Chakma football Anai Mogini football Anuching Mogini football Maria Manda football Ritu Porna Chakma football Suro Krishna Chakma professional boxer Aungmraching Marma football Champa Chakma cricketSee also editEarly Buddhist Texts Early Buddhist schools Pali Canon Mangala Sutta Metta Sutta Ratana Sutta Madhu Purnima Bengali Buddhists Barua Bangladesh Chakma people Marma people Rakhine people Jumma people Buddha Dhatu Jadi Kamalapur Dharmarajika Bauddha Vihara Barua Buddhist Institutes in India and Bangladesh Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha Chittagong Pali College Bangladesh Sanskrit and Pali Education BoardReferences edit Census 2022 Bangladesh population now 165 million 27 July 2022 Archived from the original on 27 July 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2022 Bangladesh AT A GLANCE Archived from the original on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 27 February 2015 Bangladesh Buddhists Live in the Shadows of Rohingya Fear IDN InDepthNews Analysis That Matters www indepthnews net Archived from the original on 2020 11 17 Retrieved 2020 12 09 Census 2022 Bangladesh population now 165 million 27 July 2022 Archived from the original on 27 July 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2022 P 22 European Trade and Colonial Conquest Volume 1 P 261 Early Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism The Mahayana Context of the Gau apadiya By Richard King a b c d nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Bangladesh A Country Study Federal Research Division Buddhism Caryagiti Archived from the original on 9 March 2015 Retrieved 27 February 2015 Jewel in the Crown Bengal s Buddhist Revival in the 19th and 20th Centuries Buddhistdoor Archived from the original on 2016 06 10 Retrieved 2016 06 03 a b Bangladesh Population census 1991 Religious Composition 1901 1991 Bangladeshgov org 2 August 2016 Archived from the original on 18 August 2016 Retrieved 13 May 2021 Census 2022 Bangladesh population now 165 million 27 July 2022 Archived from the original on 27 July 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2022 Census 2022 Bangladesh population now 165 million 27 July 2022 Archived from the original on 27 July 2022 Retrieved 29 July 2022 Mymensingh District Banglapedia Archived from the original on 2021 05 02 Retrieved 2021 04 25 Jahangir Apurba 6 March 2016 A Free Spirit The Daily Star Archived from the original on 29 September 2015 Retrieved 25 January 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Buddhism in Bangladesh amp oldid 1173252173, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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