Antropoloji Bölümü

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Bangladesh: A Potential Prehistoric Corridor between South and Southeast Asia
(CenRaPS Journal of Social Sciences, 2020) Sıddıq, Abu Bakar
Bengal Delta has been a favorable land for dense vegetation and diverse fauna, which were vital for the survival of prehistoric human groups. Although there is a lack of large-scale archaeological exploration, records of stone tools from a series of locations including Sitakunda hill of Chittagong, Chhagalnaiya of Feni, Lalmai-Mainamati region of Comilla, Wari-Bateshwar area of Narsingdi, and Chaklapunji of Habiganj indicate the movements of prehistoric people along the elevated topographic lands of Bangladesh. There are also records of a large number of prehistoric locations in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal of India, some of them are very close to and often share equal palaeo-geographical settings with Bangladesh. Particularly over forty prehistoric locations in the neighboring Garo Hills and Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, and over two hundred Palaeolithic locations in Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia and Midnapur districts of West Bengal signify the busy movements of archaic human groups across Bengal Delta. Besides, the prehistoric tools of east and southeastern Bangladesh demonstrate strong techno-typological resemblances with prehistoric assemblages of the Irrawaddy valley of Myanmar. Presenting some vital palaeo-environmental and archaeological records, this study primarily aims to present the hypothesis that, during the sea level fluctuations in the Pleistocene, the deltaic arcs of Bengal Basin were parts of a possible route for archaic human groups’ dispersal across South and Southeast Asia. It also highlights the importance of large-scale systematic explorations and recording of prehistoric locations in Bangladesh, particularly to understand its potentials in world prehistory.
Importance of Studying Society and Culture in Medieval Bengal
(CenRaPS Journal of Social Sciences, 2020) Sıddıq, Abu Bakar
Due to the scope of comfortable human habitation and easy access to the rich natural resources Bengal Delta attracted many people groups of different ethnic and religious backgrounds since prehistoric period. Like many other ancient migratory groups, a large number of Central and West Asian people groups also settled down and established new political rules in medieval Bengal. Although they brought new cultures and religious trends, because the common trend in the Delta, medieval Bengal experienced momentous cultural adoptions and admixtures, providing the scope of multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies living side by side for centuries and eventually helped formation of the final stage of Bengali Civilization. However, the legacy was systematically diminished through the propaganda history produced by Anglocentric colonial scholarship. The excessive success of the colonial ‘divide and rule’ policy further destroyed socio-cultural harmony in the region and ultimately ended up creating severe social fractions, cultural complexities, and ethno-religious conflicts. So much so that Bengali Hindus started to see Bengali Muslims to be some unwelcomed foreigners while the Bengali Muslims continue blaming the Brahmanical tradition to be a devil migratory force that vanquished the long lasting Buddhist tradition. Consequently the socio-cultural divisions reached at its worst condition possible and often encouraging religious extremism today. In this context, this study proposes that intensive studies of the medieval socio-cultural traditions following a well-planned academic framework beyond the Anglocentric tradition can help wane the veritable pain of social divisions and religious detestations Bengal experiencing today.
New Insights on the Ethno-religious Diversity in Bangladesh
(CenRaPS Journal of Social Sciences, 2020) Habib, Ahsan; Sıddıq, Abu Bakar
Bangladesh has been a favorable land of human habitation because of the abundance and easy access of natural resource. People groups of diverse ethnicity and religious background migrated into Bengal since prehistoric period. Several waves of force migrations also occurred during colonial time, particularly to supply a large number of indentured laborers (bonded slaves) in newly developed tea estates. Consequently, Bangladesh has a population diverse in color, morphological trait, ethnicity and religious practice. However, while the majority of them are recognized as Bengali, some unique people groups are living with their distinct ethnic identities and religious beliefs, officially known as tribal people. In most of the cases these distinct people groups live side by side with the mainstream Bengali people and repeatedly presented to be the witnesses of ethno-religious harmony. Till date, about 30 of such isolated tribal groups were official reported and narrated in academic literature. However, a total of about 50 other people groups of distinct ethno-religious identities were recently documented as part of ongoing ethnographic explorations across Bangladesh. This research aims to introduce some of these people groups including Malpahari, Lohar, Paharia, Turia, Kol, Pahan in the north; Kowl, Shobor, Sinteng, Retra, Kanu, Bhar, Kharia, Koch, Pashi, Bindi, Turia, Rawtia, Lalong, Bagdi, and Ghashi in the northeast; and Pankho, Khushi, and Usheyi in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. Discussing some new aspects, it also aims to bring some new sheds of lights in the study of ethno-religious diversity of Bangladesh.

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