Centuries ago, the most feared pirates and sailors in the Bay of Bengal terrorized communities along the seacoast and far up the river channels of what is now Bangladesh. People called them maghs, or pirates. This continues to be the popular name of this tribe, originally from the Arakan region of Myanmar.
The people themselves dislike the term "Magh" and prefer to be called Marmas, which means "Burmese." They are of Thai origin. They came through Arakan after their ancestors were driven out of China. They speak Arakanese, a Tibeto-Burman language, and regard Myanmar as the center of their cultural life. The Marma continue to write and dress in ways similar to Burmese culture.
Today, most live in the Chittagong Hills area of southeastern Bangladesh. There is a smaller group of them that borders that region in northeastern India.
Having left the seas long ago, the Marma are now valley farmers. Forced out of the plains and into the hills by more powerful groups, they have adopted the "slash and burn" method of agriculture. In their society, farmland is community property. After one year's use, the field must be left fallow for a sufficient time to let the land recover. After the fallow period, anyone and everyone can work in this field. No individual, family, or kinship group has prerogative rights to the land. Farming and other activities tie families to the community and the community to families.
According to their custom, marriages must be within the clan. Marma villages comprise 10 to 50 houses built on the banks of streams. The houses are flimsy structures constructed on bamboo piles. Often, a roofed platform at the end of the village street serves as a community house where men socialize, share stories and discuss village business.
They are folk Buddhists who believe in reincarnation, but also in spirits and ghosts who can make life miserable.
Although several religions are represented among the Marma, the most common religion is a blend of Buddhism and animism (belief that non-human objects have spirits). The theology of Buddhism alleges that man undergoes a cycle of separate existences and that all living things have individual souls. A devout Buddhist can progress toward his goal of nirvana—a state of eternal bliss—through the accumulation of merit-earning acts.
The animistic ingredient includes the worship and appeasement of local spirits, such as house spirits, village spirits, and territorial spirits, which rule over rice fields, forests, lakes, rivers, and other places. In order to avoid accidents, misfortune, and illnesses, one must try to manipulate and placate the spirits through rituals and offerings of food and flowers. Male and female mediums enter trances to communicate with the spirits so that they might discover future events.
The Marma people who live in northeastern India don't live far from vibrant believers. They need Christ followers to take the ways of the Savior to them. Perhaps someone who can help them get a higher yield for their crops can also reap a harvest among these Buddhists.
Pray that God will send culturally sensitive missionaries who will show them the way to the cross.
Pray for a Christ-ward movement to flourish among the Marma people in the 2020s.
Pray for the Marma people to be blessed with peace, joy and spiritual prosperity as they follow Jesus Christ.
Pray for their leaders to have dreams and visions that will open their hearts to Jesus Christ and his ambassadors.
Scripture Prayers for the Marma (Magh) in India.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Marma (Magh) |
People Name in Country | Marma (Magh) |
Pronunciation |
MAR-mah
|
Alternate Names | Mogh; Morma; Rakhine; मर्मा |
Population this Country | 55,000 |
Population all Countries | 300,000 |
Total Countries | 2 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | No |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 1 |
People ID | 17671 |
ROP3 Code | 113113 |
ROP25 Code | 305220 |
ROP25 Name | Marma |
Country | India | ||||||
Region | Asia, South | ||||||
Continent | Asia | ||||||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||||||
National Bible Society | Website | ||||||
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||||||
Total States on file | 5 | ||||||
Largest States |
|
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Districts | Interactive map, listing and data download | ||||||
Specialized Website | South Asia Peoples |
Country | India |
Region | Asia, South |
Continent | Asia |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 11 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Total States | 5 |
Tripura 45,000 | |
West Bengal 9,300 | |
Mizoram 700 | |
Assam 20 | |
Meghalaya 10 | |
Website | South Asia Peoples |
Primary Religion: | Buddhism |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent * |
---|---|
Buddhism |
87.33 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical Unknown) |
0.39 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
0.00 %
|
Hinduism |
11.78 %
|
Islam |
0.15 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.29 %
|
Unknown |
0.06 %
|
* From latest India census data. Current Christian values may substantially differ. |
Primary Language | Rakhine (32,000 speakers) | |||||||||||||||
Language Code | rki Ethnologue Listing | |||||||||||||||
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing | |||||||||||||||
Total Languages | 29 | |||||||||||||||
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) |
|
Primary Language | Rakhine (32,000 speakers) |
Language Code | rki Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 29 |
Secondary Languages (only 15 largest shown) | |
Bengali 12,000 | |
Kok Borok 1,300 | |
Hindi 200 | |
Nepali 100 | |
Sadri 70 | |
Assamese 40 | |
Santhali 40 | |
Garo 30 | |
Maithili 30 | |
Marma 20 | |
Dogri 10 | |
Punjabi, Eastern 10 | |
Wagdi 10 | |
Limbu 10 | |
Munda 10 | |
People Groups | Speaking Rakhine |
Primary Language: Rakhine
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (1914) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) | Online |
Possible Print Bibles | |
---|---|
Amazon | |
World Bibles | |
Forum Bible Agencies | |
National Bible Societies | |
World Bible Finder | |
Virtual Storehouse |
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
Audio Recordings | Audio Bible teaching | Global Recordings Network |
Audio Recordings | Story of Jesus audio | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | God's Story video | God's Story |
Film / Video | Indigitube.tv Video / Animation | Create International |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Rakhine | Jesus Film Project |
Film / Video | World Christian Videos | World Christian Videos |
General | Bible for Children | Bible for Children |
General | Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
General | YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | Android Bible app: Rakhine | YouVersion Bibles |
Mobile App | iOS Bible app: Rakhine | YouVersion Bibles |
Photo Source | Gerald Roberts |
Map Source | People Group data: Omid. Map geography: UNESCO / GMI. Map Design: Joshua Project |
Video Source | Asia Harvest |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |