Bengali Buddhists ( bn, বাঙালি বৌদ্ধ) are a religious subgroup of the

Bengalis Bengalis (singular Bengali bn, বাঙ্গালী/বাঙালি ), also rendered as Bangalee or the Bengali people, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the Bengal region of ...

who adhere to or practice the religion of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. Bengali Buddhist people mainly live in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and Indian states

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...

and

Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...

has a rich ancient heritage in the Bengal. The region was a bastion of the ancient Buddhist

Mauryan The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

and Palan empires, when the

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...

and

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

schools flourished. South-Eastern Bengal was ruled by the medieval

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Kingdom of Mrauk U The Kingdom of Mrauk-U ( Arakanese: မြောက်ဦး နေပြည်တော်,) was a kingdom that existed on the Arakan littoral from 1429 to 1785. Based out of the capital Mrauk-U, near the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, ...

during the 16th and 17th centuries. The

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

influenced the emergence of modern community. Today, Bengali Buddhists are followers of

Theravāda Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

History

Ancient Bengal was a center of Buddhist learning and art. Buddhist artifacts have been excavated throughout the region, particularly in Wari-Bateshwar,

Chandraketugarh Chandraketugarh is a 2,500 years old archaeological site located near the Bidyadhari river, about north-east of Kolkata, India, in the district of North 24 parganas, near the township of Berachampa and the Harua Road railhead. Once it was ...

, Paharpur,

Mahasthangarh Mahasthangarh ( bn, মহাস্থানগড়, ''Môhasthangôṛ'') is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj upazila of Bogra District contains the remain ...

and

Mainamati Moinamoti (''Môynamoti'') is an isolated low, dimpled range of hills, dotted with more than 50 ancient Buddhist settlements dating between the 8th and 12th century CE. It was part of the ancient Tripura division of Bengal. It extends through the ...

. The Mauryan Empire led by

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

extended its suzerainty to the region in the 2nd century BCE. Ashoka played an important role in propagating Buddhism in his own empire and the wider ancient world. Mauryan rule was succeeded by the Buddhist

Samatata Samataṭa (Brahmi script: ''sa-ma-ta-ṭa'') was an ancient geopolitical division of Bengal in the eastern Indian subcontinent. The Greco-Roman account of ''Sounagoura'' is linked to the kingdom of Samatata. Its territory corresponded to much ...

maritime kingdom in Bengal. Successive Buddhist powers tussled for dominance with

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

kings in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. The Bengali Buddhist

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire (r. 750-1161 CE) was an imperial power during the post-classical period in the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. It is named after its ruling dynasty, whose rulers bore names ending with the suffi ...

arose during the 8th century. Founded by the election of Buddhist chieftain Gopala circa 750 CE, the empire grew into one of the largest imperial powers in classical Asia. The Palas promoted

and Tantric Buddhism. They patronized the creation of many outstanding temples, monasteries and works of art. The Palas enjoyed strong relations with the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

, the

Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (, ; ) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of imperial expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. The empire further expanded under the 3 ...

and the Srivijaya Empire. The empire reached its peak under

Dharmapala A ''dharmapāla'' (, , ja, 達磨波羅, 護法善神, 護法神, 諸天善神, 諸天鬼神, 諸天善神諸大眷屬) is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "'' dharma'' protector" in Sanskrit, and the ''dharmapālas'' are a ...

and Devapala. They reigned for four centuries until being replaced by the resurgent Hindu

Sena dynasty The Sena dynasty was a Hindu dynasty during the early medieval period on the Indian subcontinent, that ruled from Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. The empire at its peak covered much of the north-eastern region of the Indian subcont ...

. According to Muhammad Ghulam Rasul,

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

persecution played a key role in the

decline of Buddhism in India Buddhism, which originated in India, gradually dwindled and was replaced by approximately the 12th century. According to Lars Fogelin, this was "not a singular event, with a singular cause; it was a centuries-long process." The decline of Budd ...

; followed by later Muslim conquest. Shalban Bihar Temple Ruins 003

Remnants of Buddhist communities continued to flourish in southeastern Bengal. The Buddhist

ruled the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. By the late 18th century, the region was ceded to the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. During this period, a revival movement developed that led to the development of two orders of Theravada monks, the Sangharaj Nikaya and the Mahasthabir Nikaya.

Demographics

Bangladesh is home to the predominant section of the Bengali Buddhist community. They usually enjoy a high literacy rate and are found in the Bangladeshi

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

, particularly in the port city of Chittagong. Many members of the community reside in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

, Cox's Bazar and

Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

. The eastern Indian state capitals of Agartala and

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

also have significant Bengali Buddhist communities. Bengali Buddhists constitute 0.59% of the population in

. According to the 2011 India census, Bengali Buddhists constitute 0.3% or 282,898 of the population in

. Buddhists constitute 3.41% or 125,182 of the population in

Culture

Art

Buddhist art flourished under the Pala rulers. The art for their period is termed Pala art. It influenced art outside of India as well. The artistic tradition continued under the Sena rulers, and thus the term "Pala-Sena" is sometimes used.

Festivals

Buddha's Birthday Buddha's Birthday (also known as Buddha Jayanti, also known as his day of enlightenment – Buddha Purnima, Buddha Pournami) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of East Asia and South Asia commemorating the birth of the Prince ...

is a

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...

in Bangladesh & state government holiday in West Bengal. Bengali Buddhists also celebrate the festival of

Madhu Purnima Modhu Purnima ( bn, মধু পূর্ণিমা, lit=honey full-moon) also known as Honey Full Moon Festival or Honey-offering Festival is a Buddhist festival celebrated in Bangladesh by the Barua (Bangladesh), Barua and Chakma people of C ...

.\ Kathin civar dana(Holy robe offering ceremony)is celebrated month long in October-November by Bengali Buddhists.

Literature

Bipradash Barua is a Bangladeshi author and novelist.

Music

Partha Barua Partha Barua (born 3 May) is a Bangladeshi singer and actor. He is a member of the rock band Souls. Early life Barua was born and raised in Chittagong to Bimal Kanti Barua & Ava Barua. His mother was a teacher of Bagmoniram S.K City Corporatio ...

is one of the pioneers of Bangladeshi rock.

Notable Bengali Buddhists

Indians

Shraddha Das Shraddha Das (born 4 March 1987) is an Indian actress and model who predominantly appears in Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, and Kannada language films. She made her acting debut in the 2008 Telugu film Siddu from Sikakulam, and since then h ...

Pre-partition Indians * Atisa - 10th century Buddhist monk who played a prominent role in the spread of Buddhism to

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

. Also an abbot at

Vikramashila Vikramashila (Sanskrit: विक्रमशिला, IAST: , Bengali:- বিক্রমশিলা, Romanisation:- Bikrômôśilā ) was one of the three most important Buddhist monasteries in India during the Pala Empire, along wit ...

monastery. *

Chandragomin Chandragomin (Skt. Candragomin) was an Indian Buddhist lay scholar and poet from the Varendra region of Eastern Bengal. The Tibetan tradition believes challenged Chandrakirti. According to the Nepalese tradition, Chandragomin's student was Rat ...

- 7th century Buddhist lay practitioner and poet from the

Varendra Varendra ( bn, বরেন্দ্র), also known as Barind ( bn, বারিন্দ, link=no), was a region of North Bengal, now mostly in Bangladesh and a little portion in the Indian state of West Bengal. It formed part of the Pundrav ...

region *

Traillokyachandra Traillokyachandra (reigned c. 900 - 930) was the first ruler of the Chandra dynasty in the kingdom of Harikela in eastern Bengal. His father, Subarnachandra, was a vassal to the earlier rulers of the Harikela Kingdom. Traillokyachandra established ...

- 10th century King of the

Chandra dynasty The Chandra kingdom was a Buddhist kingdom, originating from the Indian subcontinent, which ruled the Samatata region of Bengal, as well as northern Arakan. Later it was a neighbor to the Pala Empire to the north. Rulers of Chandra kingdom were ...

who converted to

Buddhism Bangladeshis Bhikkhus (monks) Dipankara Srijan-Thera PresBuddhAss-EastPakistan 1954

* Karmayogi Kripasaran Mahathero * Ven. Jyotipal Mahathero *

Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera Rajguru Aggavamsa Mahathera was one of the delegates from Bangladesh) in the Sixth Buddhist council held in Yangon, Burma in 1956. Boyhood Most venerable Ashin Aggavamsa Sayadaw, Sanghãraja, Aggamahãsaddhammajotikãdhaja, President, and f ...

* U Pannya Jota Mahathera, Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera * Ven. Prajnananda Mahathera * Suddhananda Mahathero *

Bishuddhananda Mahathera Bishuddhananda Mahathera was a Bangladeshi Buddhist monk and scholar. Early life Mahathera was born on 23 February 1909 in Hoarapara, Raozan Upazila, Chittagong District, East Bengal, British India. He studied at Noapara High School and Mahamuni A ...

;Administration *Barrister

Devasish Roy Devasish Roy (also spelled Debashish Roy; born 9 April 1959) is a Bangladeshi politician and lawyer. He is the titular Raja of the Chakma Circle, Bangladesh's largest indigenous community, and was a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on ...

, 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 Fighters * UK Ching, Bir Bikram ;Politics * Dilip Barua (

Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) (Barua) The Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) ( bn, বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী দল (মার্কসবাদী-লেনিনবাদী)) is a political party in Bangladesh. The party's general se ...

). Former Minister of Industries. * Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma *

Manabendra Narayan Larma Manabendra Narayan Larma (September 15, 1939 - November 10, 1983), also known as M.N. Larma, was a Jumma Chakma politician and Member of Parliament of Bangladesh. A leading proponent of the rights of the people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, he ...

Charu Bikash Chakma Charu Bikash Chakma is a Bangladeshi Chakma politician who was one of the senior leaders of the political movement of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and co-founder of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti. He was an Awami League candidate in t ...

* Kalparanjan Chakma * Ma Mya Ching *

Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury (1 August 1914 – 8 August 2012) was a Bangladeshi from Bandarban belonging to Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was the 15th King of Bohmong Circle. Biography Chowdhury was born on 1 August 1914. He was elected as a me ...

* Sacing Prue Jerry * Maa Ma Ching Marma ;Arts and literature *

Benimadhab Barua Benimadhab Barua (31 December 1888 – 23 March 1948) was an Indian scholar of ancient Indian languages, Buddhism and law. He was a prominent educationist and writer. Early life Barua was born on 31 December 1888 in Chittagong. Among the sch ...

* Kanak Chanpa Chakma, artist * Bipradash Barua, author *

, singer, lead vocal and guitarist of Souls Band *

Sukumar Barua Sukumar Barua (born 5 January 1938) is a Bangladeshi rhymester. He was awarded Ekushey Padak by the Government of Bangladesh in 2017. Career Barua worked at Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Dhaka. Awards * Janakantha ...

* Subrata Barua * Ratan Talukder, Actor and martial artist ;Education * Bikiran Prasad Barua * Sukomal Barua *

Amit Chakma Amit Chakma (born 25 April 1959) is a university administrator who was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Western Australia in July 2020. Previously he served as the 10th president and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Onta ...

* Aye Thein Rakhaine, Academic and Politician ;Sports * Debabrata Barua, cricket * Debashish Barua, cricket *

Sumon Barua Sumon Barua is a first-class and List A cricketer from Bangladesh. A right-handed batsman and right arm medium fast bowler, he played for Chittagong Division in 2001/02. His only first-class match was not a success but in five limited overs gam ...

, cricket *

Monika Chakma Monika Chakma ( Chakma: 𑄟𑄧𑄚𑄨𑄇 𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦 ; Bengali: মনিকা চাকমা) (born 15 September 2003) is a Bangladesh Women's National Football Team midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position ...

, football * Rupna Chakma, football * Anai Mogini, football *

Anuching Mogini Anuching Mogini ( bn, আনুচিং মগিনি; born 1 March 2003) is a Bangladeshi women's football forward. She currently plays at the Bangladesh women's national under-17 football team. She was a member of the AFC U-14 Girls' Regi ...

, football * Maria Manda, football *

Ritu Porna Chakma Ritu Porna Chakma (born 30 December 2003; Chakma: 𑄢𑄨𑄖𑄪 𑄛𑄧𑄢𑄴𑄚 𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦, Bangla: ঋতু পর্ণা চাকমা) is a Bangladeshi footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Bangladesh nat ...

, football *Sura Krishna Chakma, professional boxer * Aungmraching Marma, football * Champa Chakma, cricket

References

{{Asia in topic, Buddhism in * Indian Buddhists Demographics of Bangladesh Demographics of India Buddhist communities of Bangladesh Buddhist communities of India