Bamar people

TheBamar people(Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး,ba. ma lu myui:IPA:[bə.màlùmjó]) (formerly known asBurmese peopleorBurmans) are aSino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native toMyanmar(formerly known as Burma).With an estimated population of around 35 million people, they are the largest ethnic group inMyanmar, accounting for 68.78% of the country's total population. The geographic homeland of the Bamar is theIrrawaddy River basin. The Bamar speak theBurmese languagewhich serves as thenational languageandlingua francaof Myanmar.
In theBurmese language,Bamar(ဗမာ, also transcribedBama) andMyanmar(မြန်မာ, also transliteratedMranmaand transcribedMyanma)have historically been interchangeableendonyms.Burmese is adiglossic language; "Bamar" is the diglossic low form of "Myanmar," which is the diglossic high equivalent.The term "Myanmar" is extant to the early 1100s, first appearing on a stone inscription, where it was used as a cultural identifier, and has continued to be used in this manner.From the onset ofBritish colonial ruleto theJapanese occupationof Burma, "Bamar" was used in Burmese to refer to both the country and its majority ethnic group.Since the country achievedindependence in 1948, "Myanmar" has been officially used to designate both the nation-state, its official language and majority ethnic group, but the ethnic group was renamed to "Bamar" in 1980 by the order of GeneralNe Win.In spoken usage, "Bamar" and "Myanmar" remain interchangeable, especially with respect to referencing the language and country.
In theEnglish language, the Bamar are known by a number of exonyms, includingBurmansandBurmese, both of which were interchangeably used by the British.In June 1989, in an attempt to indigenise both the country's place names and ethnonyms, themilitary governmentchanged the official English names of the country (from Burma to Myanmar), the language (from Burmese to Myanmar), and the country's majority ethnic group (from Burmans to Bamar).
The Bamar's northern origins are evidenced by the extant distribution ofBurmish languagesto the north of the country, and the fact thattaung(တောင်), the Burmese word for 'south' also means 'mountain,' which suggests that at one point ancestors of the Bamar lived north of the mountains.Until a thousand years ago, ancestors of the Bamar andYiwere much more widespread acrossYunnan,Guizhou,southern Sichuan, and northern Burma.During theHan dynastyinChina, Yunnan was ruled primarily by the Burmese-Yi speakingDianandYelangkingdoms. During theTang dynastyin China, Yunnan and northern Burma were ruled by the Burmese-Yi speakingNanzhaokingdom.
Between the 600s and 800s, the Bamar migrated into present-day Myanmar, establishing settlements along the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) and Salween (Thanlwin) Rivers and founding the outpost of Pagan (Bagan).The Bamar gradually settled in the fertile Irrawaddy and Salween river valleys that were home toPyu city-states, where they established thePagan Kingdom.Between the 1050s to 1060s, KingAnawrahtafounded thePagan Empire, for the first time unifying the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery under one polity. By the 1100s, theBurmese languageand culture had become dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing Pyu (formerly called Tircul) andPalinorms. ConventionalBurmese chroniclesstate that thePyuwere assimilated into the Bamar population.
By the 1200s, Bamar settlements were found as far south asMergui(Myeik) andTenasserim(Taninthayi), whose inhabitants continue to speak archaic Burmese dialects.Beginning in the 900s, Burmese speakers began migrating westward, crossing theArakan Mountainsand settling in what is nowRakhine State.By the 1100s, they had consolidated control of the region, becoming a tributary state of the Pagan Empire until the 13th century.Over time, these Bamar migrants formed a distinct cultural identity, becoming theRakhine people(also known as the Arakanese).
A 2014 DNA analysis found that the Bamar exhibited 'extraordinary' genetic diversity, with 80 different mitochondrial lineages and indications of recent demographic expansion.As the Bamar expanded their presence in the region following their arrival by the 800s, they likely incorporated olderhaplogroupsincluding those of the Pyu and Mon.Another genetic study ofG6PDmutations in Mon and Bamar men found that the two groups likely share a common ancestry, despite speaking languages that belong to different language families.Another 2022 study found thatCentral and Southern Thaishad a large proportion of Bamar-related ancestry (at 24% and 11% respectively), while Bamar ancestry was also detected among thePalaungandShangroups.
Modern-day Bamar identity remains permeable and dynamic and is generally distinguished by language and religion, i.e., the Burmese language and Theravada Buddhism.There is considerable variation among individuals who identify as Bamar, and members of other ethnic groups, particularly theMon,Shan,Karen, andSino-Burmese, self-identify as Bamar to various degrees, some to the extent of complete assimilation.To this day, the Burmese language does not have precise terminology that distinguishes the European concepts of race, ethnicity and religion; the termlu-myo(လူမျိုး,lit.'type of person') can reference all three.For instance, many Bamar self-identify as members of the 'Buddhistlu-myo'or the 'Myanmarlu-myo,' which has posed a significant challenge for census-takers.
In the pre-colonial era, ethnic identity was fluid and dynamic, marked by patron-client relationships, religion, and regional origins.Consequently, many non-Bamar assimilated and adopted a Bamar identity and norms for sociopolitical purposes.Between the 1500s and 1800s, the notion of Bamar identity expanded significantly, driven by intermarriage with other communities and voluntary changes in self-identification, especially in Mon and Shan-speaking regions.Bamar identity was also more inclusive in the precolonial era, especially during 1700s whenKonbaung kingsembarked on major territorial expansion campaigns, toManipur,Assam,Mrauk U, andPegu.These campaigns paralleled those in other Southeast Asian kingdoms, such as Vietnam's southward expansion (Nam tiến), which wrested control of theMekong deltafrom theChampaduring the same period.
During the early 1900s, a narrower strain of Bamar nationalism developed in response to British colonial rule, which failed to address Bamar grievances and actively marginalised the Bamar from entering public occupations such as educational and military ones.One of the primary Bamar grievances with British colonial rule was the widespread immigration of non-Bamar people from other parts of British India, which was perceived as transforming the Bamar people into a minority on their own homeland.In 1925, all Bamar military personnel serving in theBritish Indian Armywere discharged, and the colonial authorities adopted an exclusionary policy which stipulated that only the Chin, Kachin and Karen minorities would be targeted for military recruitment. By 1930, leading Burmese nationalist group theDobama Asiayonehad emerged, from which independence leaders likeU NuandAung Sanwould launch their political careers.For most of its colonial history, Burma was administered as aprovince of British India. It was not until 1937 that Burma was formally separated and became directly administered by theBritish Crown, after a long struggle for direct colonial representation.
The Burmese government officially classifies nine 'ethnic groups' under the Bamar 'national race.'Of these nine groups, the Bamar, Dawei (Tavoyan), Myeik or Beik (Merguese), Yaw, and Yabein, all speak dialects of the Burmese language.One group, theHpon, speak aBurmish languageclosely related to Burmese.Two groups, theKaduandGanan, speak more distantly related Sino-Tibetan languages. The last group, theMoken('Salon' in Burmese), speak an unrelatedAustronesian language.The Burmese-speakingDanuandInthaare classified under theShan'national race.'
The Bamar predominantly live at the confluence of theIrrawaddy, Salween, andSittaung Rivervalleys in the centre of the country, which roughly encompass the country'sseven administrative regions, namelySagaing,Magwe,MandalayinUpper Myanmar, as well asBago,Yangon,AyeyarwadyandTaninthayi RegionsinLower Myanmar. However, the Bamar, particularly labour migrants, are found throughout all 14 of Myanmar's regions and states.
The cultural heartland of the Bamar is called Anya (အညာ,lit.'upstream', also spelt Anyar), which is the area adjoining the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River, and centred around Sagaing, Magwe, and Mandalay.The Anya region (အညာဒေသ) is often called the 'central dry zone' in English due to its paucity of rainfall and reliance on water irrigation.For 1,100 years, this region was home to a series ofBurmese royal capitals, until the British annexed Upper Burma (the last remaining part of theKonbaung Kingdom) in 1885.Bamar from this region are calledanyar thar(အညာသား) in Burmese.
In the 1500s, with the expansion of theToungoo Empire, the Bamar began populating the lower stretches of the Irrawaddy River valley, includingTaungooandProme(now Pyay), helping to disseminate the Burmese language and Bamar social customs.This influx of migration to historically Mon-speaking regions coincided with the rise of KingTabinshwehti.This pattern of migration intensified during the Konbaung dynasty, particularly among men specialised in wet rice cultivation, as women and children were generally prohibited from emigrating.Following the British annexation ofLower Burmain 1852, millions of Bamar from the Anya region resettled in the sparsely populatedIrrawaddy deltabetween 1858 and 1941.The Bamar were drawn to this 'rice frontier' by the British colonial authorities, who were eager to scale rice cultivation in the colony, and attract skilled Bamar farmers.By the 1890s, the British had established another centre of power and political economy in the Irrawaddy delta.
The Bamar have emigrated to neighbouring Asian countries as well as Western countries, mirroring the migration patterns of the broaderBurmese diaspora. Significant migration began at the start of World War II, and has continued through decades of military rule, economic decline and political instability. Many have settled in Europe, particularly in Great Britain. FollowingMyanmar's Independence (1948–1962), many Bamar have emigrated to Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan as well as to English-speaking countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Burmese, a member of theSino-Tibetan language family, is the native language of the Bamar,and the national language of Myanmar. Burmese is the most widely spokenTibeto-Burmanlanguage, and used as alingua francain Myanmar by 97% of the country's population.Burmese is adiglossic languagewith literary high and spoken low forms. The literary form of Burmese preserves many conservative classical forms and grammatical particles traced back toOld Burmesestone inscriptions, but are no longer used in spoken Burmese.
Pali, the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism, is the primary source of Burmese loanwords.British colonisation also introduced numerous English loanwords to the Burmese lexicon.As a lingua franca, Burmese has been the source and intermediary of loanwords to otherLolo-Burmese languagesand major regional languages, including Shan, Kachin, and Mon.
The Burmese language has a longstanding literary tradition and tradition of widespread literacy.Burmese is the fifth Sino-Tibetan language to develop a writing system, afterChinese,Tibetan,Pyu, andTangut. The oldest surviving written Burmese document is theMyazedi inscription, which is dated to 1113.TheBurmese scriptis anIndic writing system, and modern Burmese orthography retains features of Old Burmese spellings.The Shan, Ahom, Khamti, Karen, and Palaung scripts are descendants of the Burmese script.
Standard Burmese is based on the language spoken in the urban centres of Yangon and Mandalay, although more distinct Burmese dialects, includingYaw,Dawei(Tavoyan),Myeik,Palaw,Intha-Danu,Arakanese(Rakhine), andTaungyo, emerge in more peripheral and remote areas of the country.These dialects differ from Standard Burmese in pronunciation and lexical choice, not grammar.For instance, Arakanese retains the/ɹ/sound, which had merged into the/j/sound in standard Burmese between the 1700s and 1800s (although the former sound is still represented in modern Burmese orthography), while the Dawei and Intha dialects retain a medial/l/that had disappeared in standard Burmese orthography by the 1100s.The pronunciation distinction is reflected in the word for 'ground,' which is pronounced/mjè/in standard Burmese,/mɹì/in Arakanese (both speltမြေ), and/mlè/in Dawei (speltမ္လေ).
Bamar culture, including traditions, literature, cuisine, music, dance, and theatre, has been significantly influenced by Theravada Buddhism and by historical contact and exchange with neighbouring societies, and more recently shaped by Myanmar's colonial and post-colonial history.
A pivotal Bamar societal value is the concept ofanade, which is manifested by very strong inhibitions (e.g., hesitation, reluctance, restraint, or avoidance) against asserting oneself in human relations based on the fear that it will offend someone or cause someone tolose face, or become embarrassed, or be of inconvenience.Charity and almsgiving are also central to Bamar society, best exemplified by Myanmar's consistent presence among the world's most generous countries according to theWorld Giving Index, since rankings were first introduced in 2013.
The Bamar customarily recogniseTwelve Auspicious Rites, which are a series ofrites of passage. Among these rites, the naming of the child, first feeding, ear-boring for girls, Buddhist ordination (shinbyu) for boys, andweddingrites are the most widely practiced today.
The traditionalBurmese calendaris a lunisolar calendar that was widely adopted throughout mainland Southeast Asia, including Siam andLan Xang, until the late 19th century. Similar to neighbouring Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia,Thingyan, which is held during the month of April, marks the beginning of the Burmese New Year.Several Buddhist full moon days, including the full moon days ofTabaung(forMagha Puja),Kason(forVesak),Waso(start of theBuddhist lent), Thadingyut (end of the Buddhist lent), andTazaungmon(start ofKathina), arenational holidays. Full moon days also tend to coincide with numerouspagoda festivals, which typically commemorate events in a pagoda's history.
White riceis the staple of the Bamar diet, reflecting a millennium of continuous rice cultivation in Burmese-speaking areas.Burmese curries, which are made with a curry paste of onions, garlic, ginger, paprika, and turmeric, alongsideBurmese salads, soup, cooked vegetables, andngapi(fermented shrimp or fish paste) traditionally accompany rice for meals. Noodles andIndian breadsare also eaten.Bamar cuisine is regional due to differences in availability of local ingredients. Anya or Upper Burmese cuisine is typified by greater use of land meats (like pork and chicken), beans and pulses, while Lower Burmese cuisine generally incorporates more seafood and fish products like ngapi.
The Bamar traditionally drinkgreen tea, and also eat pickled tea leaves, calledlahpet, which plays an important role in ritual culture.Burmese cuisine is also known for its variety ofmont, a profuse variety of sweet desserts and savory snacks, includingBurmese fritters. The best-known dish of Bamar origin ismohinga, rice noodles in a fish broth. It is available in most parts of the region, also considered as the national dish ofMyanmar.
Burmese cuisine has been significantly enriched by contact and trade with neighboring kingdoms and countries well into modern times. TheColumbian exchangein the 15th and 16th centuries introduced key ingredients into the Burmese culinary repertoire, includingtomatoes,chili peppers,peanuts, andpotatoes.While record-keeping of pre-colonial culinary traditions is scant, food was and remains deeply intertwined with Bamar religious life, exemplified in the giving of food alms (dāna), and communal feasts calledsatudithaandahlu pwe(အလှူပွဲ).
Burmese literature has a longstanding history, spanning religious and secular genres.Burmese chroniclesand historical memoirs calledayedawboncomprise the basis of the Bamar's pre-colonial historical writing traditions.
Traditional Bamar music is subdivided into folk and classical traditions. Folk music is typically accompanied by thehsaing waing, a musical ensemble featuring a variety of gongs, drums and other instruments, including a drum circle calledpat waing, which is the ensemble's centrepiece.Classical music descends from Burmese royal court traditions. TheMahāgītaconstitutes the entire corpus of Burmese classical music, which is often accompanied by a smallchamber musicensemble that features a distinct set of instruments, such as a harp calledsaung gauk, bell and clapper, and a xylophone calledpattala.
The Bamar traditionally wearsarongscalledlongyi, an ankle-length cylindrical skirt that is wrapped at the waist.The modern form of thelongyi(လုံချည်) was popularised during the British colonial period, and replaced the much lengthierpaso(ပုဆိုး) andhtamein(ထဘီ) of the pre-colonial era. The indigenousacheiksilk textile, known for its colorful wave-like patterns, is closely associated with the Bamar.
Formal attire for men includes a longyi accompanied by a jacket calledtaikpon(တိုက်ပုံ), which similar to the Manchumagua, and a cloth turban calledgaung baung(ခေါင်းပေါင်း).Velvet sandals calledgadiba phanat(ကတ္တီပါဖိနပ်‌, also calledMandalay phanat), are worn as formal footwear by both men and women.
Bamar people of both sexes and all ages also applythanakha, a paste ground from the fragrant wood of select tree species, on their skin, especially on their faces.In modern times, the practice is now largely confined to women, children, and young, unmarried men. The use ofthanakhais not unique to by the Bamar; many other Burmese ethnic groups also utilize this cosmetic. Western makeup and cosmetics have long enjoyed a popularity in urban areas.
The Bamar possess a single personal name, and do not have family names or surnames.Burmese names typically incorporate a mix of native and Pali words that symbolise positive virtues, with female names tending to signify beauty, flora, and family values, and male names connoting strength, bravery, and success.Personal names are prefixed with honorifics based on one's relative gender, age, and social status.For instance, a Bamar male will advance from the honorific of "Maung" to "Ko" as he approaches middle adulthood, and from "Ko" to "U' as he approachesold age.
A common Bamar naming scheme uses a child's day of birth to assign the first letter of their name, reflecting the importance of one's day of birth inBurmese astrology.The traditionalBurmese calendarincludesYahu, which is Wednesday afternoon.
The Bamar predominantly embrace a syncretic blend ofTheravada Buddhismand indigenousBurmese folk religion, the latter of which involves the recognition and veneration of spirits callednat, and pre-dates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism. These two faiths play an important role in Bamar cultural life.
Theravada Buddhism is closely intertwined with Bamar identity, having been the predominant faith among Burmese speakers since the 11th century, during thePagan dynasty. Modern-day Bamar Buddhism is typified by the observance of basicfive preceptsand the practice ofdāna(charity),sīla (Buddhist ethics) andbhavana(meditation). Village life is centred at Buddhist monasteries calledkyaung, which serve as community centres and address the community's spiritual needs.Buddhist Sabbath days calledUposatha, which follow the moon's phases (i.e., new, waxing, full, waning), are observed by more devout Buddhists.
Vestiges of Mahayana Buddhism remain popular among the Bamar, including the veneration ofShin Upagutta,Shin Thiwali, and Lawkanat (the Burmese name forAvalokiteśvara), while the influence of Hinduism can be in the widespread veneration of Hindu deities like Thuyathadi (the Burmese name forSaraswati) and practice ofyadayarituals. Smaller communities practice more esoteric forms of Buddhism, includingweizzapractices.
The Bamar also profess a belief in guardiannats,particularly the veneration ofMahagiri, the household guardiannat.Bamar households traditionally maintain a shrine, which holds a long-stemmed coconut calledon-daw(အုန်းတော်), symbolic of Mahagiri.The shrine is traditionally placed at the home's main southwest pillar (calledyotaingor ရိုးတိုင်). The expression of Burmese folk religion is very localised; the Bamar in Upper Myanmar and urban areas tend to propitiate the Thirty-Seven Min, a pantheon ofnatswho are intimately linked to the pre-colonial royal court.Meanwhile, the Bamar in Lower Myanmar tend to propitiate other local or guardiannatslikeBago MedawandU Shin Gyi.Spirit housescallednat ein(နတ်အိမ်‌) ornat sin(နတ်စင်‌) are commonly found in Bamar areas.
A minority of Bamar practice other religions, including Islam and Christianity. Among them,Bamar Muslims(previously known as Zerbadees or Pati), are the descendants of interracial marriages between Indian Muslim fathers and Bamar Buddhist mothers, and self-identify as Bamar.