Rakhine State: Encyclopedia II - Rakhine State - Name

Rakhine State - Name

The term Rakhine (pronounced Ra Khaing) derives from the Pali word Rakkhapura (Sanskrit Raksapura), meaning “Land of Ogres”, possibly a pejorative referring to the original Negrito inhabitants. On the other hand, from pali word "Rakkhapura" > "Rakkhita" meaning the land of the people of Rakhasa (Rakhasa > Rakkha > Rakkhaing > Rakhaing)who were titled this name in honour of preservation on their national heritage and ethics or morality (Sila ). Rakhapura is now internationally known as Arakan but it is still called Rakhaingpray by its own peoples, Rakhaingthars. It can not be denied by anyone that Rakhapura had gone through its glorious past in various dynasties such as; Danyawady, Vesali, Laemro and Mrauk-U. All about magnificence of these Arakanese dynasties can be fully sought and found out in this website. The golden days of Mrauk-U, those of 16th and 17th centuries, were contemporary to the days of Tudor kings and the Moguls from India, the Ayudya kings of Thailand and Inwa, Taungoo and Hanthawaddy kings of Myanmar. Along with Arakanese, the 11 ethnic groups of Arakan add up to a population of more than 7 millions. With over 5000-years old language and rich culture, Arakan has no less great fame and good record as a genuine Buddhist Nation than the neighbouring Burma and India in its throughout history. "Arakan", commonly used in British colonial times,is a Bengali/Arab/Portuguese corruption of the word Rakhine and still popular as a gesture of political opposition to the current government.

Arakan was vaguely known to the Romans as Argyre (Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy) or Khruse (Periplus of the Erythraean Sea), which they only knew was somewhere near India.

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