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Sylhetis
Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Sylheti (English: /sɪˈlɛti/) or Sylhetis are an Indo-Aryan ethnocultural group,[4] that are associated with the Sylhet region (Sylhet Division of Bangladesh and the Karimganj district of south Assam, India). There are strong diasporic communities in Barak Valley of Assam, India,[5][1][6][7][8] North Tripura,[1] Shillong, Meghalaya,[9] and Hojai, Central Assam.[10] Outside South Asia, there are significant numbers in the United Kingdom,[11] the United States,[12][13] and Canada.[14]
They speak Sylheti, an eastern Indo-Aryan language that is considered "a distinct language by many and a dialect of Bengali by some others".[15] Sylheti identity is associated primarily with its regional culture and language, alongside a broader cultural and ethnic Bengali identity.[16][10]
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History
Culture
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Sylheti culture, while considered a subculture of Bengali culture,[17][18] is distinguished by unique linguistic, historical, and regional characteristics.[19] The Sylheti language, which some consider as a dialect of Bengali,[20] while many linguists consider it as a distinct language,[21] is central to Sylheti identity.[22][23] Its unique phonetic qualities and vocabulary often make it unintelligible to standard Bengali speakers, which contributes to a sense of separateness among Sylhetis.[24][25] In addition, Sylhetis have a strong regional identity that was strengthened by the historical shifts of the Sylhet region between Assam and Bengal during British rule.[26][19] These transitions were pivotal in developing a distinct Sylheti identity, due to the region’s geographical isolation and its historical and cultural ties with Bengal.[27][28] Many Sylhetis today continue to identify with both the broader Bengali and their distinct Sylheti ethnocultural identities.[29][30][31]
Sylheti folklore is unique to the region, it is influenced by Hindu, Sufi, Turco-Persian and native ideas. Chandra Kumar De of Mymensingh is known to be the first researcher of Sylheti folklore.[32] Archives of old works are kept in Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Sangsad in Sylhet (also known as the Sylhet Central Muslim Literary Society) – the oldest literary organisation in Bengal and one of the oldest in the subcontinent.
Literature
Sylheti Nagri
A distinct linguistic register emerged in the Sylhet region through the development of the Sylheti Nagri script. Though having similar features to the more prevalent Dobhashi literary register of Middle Bengali, the Sylheti Nagri script fostered a unique literary culture of the Sylhet region.[33] Its distinction is marked with its simpler script which is related to the Kaithi script, and its phonology being deeply influenced by the Sylheti vernacular.[34] Its most renowned writer was Sadeq Ali whose Halatunnabi was famed as household item among rural Muslim communities.[35][36] Manuscripts have been found of works such as Rag Namah by Fazil Nasim Muhammad, Shonabhaner Puthi by Abdul Karim, and the earliest known work Talib Huson (1549) by Gholam Huson.[37] Late Nagri writers include Muhammad Haidar Chaudhuri who wrote Ahwal-i-Zamana in 1907 and Muhammad Abdul Latif who wrote Pohela Kitab o Doikhurar Rag in 1930.[38] From around the middle of 20th century, Sylheti Nagri had faced near-extinction as most Sylheti Nagri printing presses fell out of use or were destroyed during the Bangladeshi Liberation War in 1971.[39] Recently there have been efforts in reviving the script, including from the British Bangladeshi diaspora, as the script is viewed as a unique cultural marker that distinguishes Sylhetis from Bengali identity.[40]
Bengali
It has been argued that the first Bengali translation of the Mahabharata was written by Sri Sanjay of Sylhet in the 17th century.[41][42] The 18th-century Hattanather Panchali (Hattanath chronicles) written by Ganesh Ram Shiromani was a Bengali ballad of 36,000 lines which detail the early history of Sylhet though its authenticity is questionable.[35] When Sylhet was under the rule of the Twipra Kingdom, medieval Sylheti writers using the Bengali script included the likes of Dwija Pashupati, the author of Chandravali – considered one of the earliest Sylheti works.[43] Nasiruddin Haydar of Sylhet town wrote the Tawarikh-e-Jalali, the first Bengali biography of Shah Jalal. Gobind Gosai of Masulia wrote Nirbban Shongit, Gopinath Dutta wrote Dronporbbo, Dotto Bongshaboli and Nariporbbo and Nur Ali Khan of Syedpur wrote Marifoti Geet. Songwriters and poets such as Radharaman Dutta, Hason Raja and Shah Abdul Karim, significantly contributed to Bengali literature and their works remain popular across Bengal in present-times.[44] Numerous Bengali writers emerged in Ita, such as Kobi Muzaffar Khan, Gauri Shankar Bhatta and Golok Chand Ghosh. Muslim literature was based upon historical affairs and biographies of prominent Islamic figures.
In 2021, Shuvagoto Chowdhury was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award.[45]
Other languages
Throughout the course of recorded history, Sylhetis have made significant, meaningful, and lasting contributions to the vast and complex corpus of Sanskrit literature, a classical language that had served Sylhetis as a critical medium for religious, philosophical, and scholarly discourse for millennia. These contributions span various periods and demonstrate the enduring intellectual and literary engagement of Sylheti scholars with Sanskritic traditions. During the 15th century, the Naiyayika philosopher Jagadish Tarkalankar emerged as a prominent literary figure in Sylhet, dedicating much of his scholarly life to the composition and compilation of several Sanskrit works. He authored numerous books that were comprehensive in nature and often divided into multiple volumes, indicating the depth and breadth of his scholarly pursuits. Among these works, perhaps the most renowned and influential was the Sanskrit textbook Shabdashaktiprakashika. A contemporary of Tarkalankar was Advaita Acharya (1434–1559) of Laur, a spiritual leader still revered today as a saint. He is best known as a formative figure in the Krishnaite Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement. Acharya contributed two notable works to the corpus of medieval Sanskrit literature: Yogavasishtha-Bhaishta, which explored profound spiritual and philosophical themes, and Geeta Bhaishya, an exegetical commentary on the revered Bhagavad Gita.[46]
In the 16th century, the Sylheti physician Murari Gupta wrote the first Sanskrit biography of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, thereby contributing to both hagiographical literature and the devotional Bhakti movement that was sweeping across Bengal and beyond during this time. Another highly prolific scholar, Raghunath Shiromani, composed 40 distinct works in the Sanskrit language.[47][48]
Some works written by Sylhetis have also been translated into other languages. For example, Ashraf Hussain's Manipurer Ladai was translated into English by Dinesh Chandra Sen and included in the Eastern Bengal Ballads.[49][42]
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Distribution
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Diaspora
Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement Act of Bengal in 1793 and it altered the social, political and economic landscape of the Sylhet region; socioeconomic ramification for former landlords was severe as the land changed hands. On juxtapose, colonial administration opened new windows of opportunities for young men, who sought employment merchant ship companies. Young men from Sylhet boarded ships primarily at Kolkata, Mumbai and Singapore. Many Sylheti people believed that seafaring was a historical and cultural inheritance due to a large proportion of Sylheti Muslims being descended from foreign traders, lascars and businessman from the Middle East and Central Asia who migrated to the Sylhet region before and after the Conquest of Sylhet.[50] Kasa Miah, who was a Sylheti migrant, claimed this was a very encouraging factor for Sylhetis to travel to Calcutta aiming to eventually reach the United States and United Kingdom.[51]
Barak Valley
The Sylheti community in the Barak Valley, contiguous to Sylhet, is the eminent community of this region where they have been able to retain the Sylhet environ in a smaller part of the larger Sylheti state.[5] The Barak Valley consists of three districts in the Indian state of Assam, which are home to a Bengali-speaking majority population as opposed to Assamese.[52] Geographically the region is surrounded by hills from all three sides except its western plain boundary with Bangladesh. Always a part of Sylhet,the Barak Valley hosts the presence of the same Sylheti dialect. Niharranjan Ray, author of Bangalir Itihash, claims that "South Assam / Northeastern Bengal or Barak Valley is the extension of the Greater Surma/Meghna Valley of Bengal in every aspect from culture to geography".[53]
A movement emerged in the 1960s in this Sylheti-majority area of India. Referred to as the Bengali Language Movement of the Barak Valley, Sylhetis protested against the decision of the Government of Assam to make Assamese the only sole official language of the state knowing full well that 80% of the Barak Valley people are Sylhetis. The main incident took place on 19 May 1961 at Silchar railway station in which 11 Sylhetis were killed by the Assamese police. Sachindra Chandra Pal and Kamala Bhattacharya were two notable Sylheti students murdered by the Assam Rifles during the movement.
Outside South Asia
Today, the Sylheti diaspora numbers around one million, mainly concentrated in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Finland and the Middle East and other European countries. However, a 2008 study showed that 95% of Sylheti diaspora live in the UK.[54] In the United States, most Sylhetis live in New York City, though sizeable populations also live in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, and Detroit.
Some argue that remittances sent from Sylheti diaspora around the world back to Bangladesh have negatively affected development in Bangladesh, where a lack of government initiatives has caused economic inertia.[55]
According to neo-classical theory, the poorest would move to the richest countries and those from densely populated areas would move to more sparsely populated regions. This has clearly not been the case. The brain drain was a movement from core to core, purely on economic maximisation, while it was young Sylheti pioneers with access to financial resources that migrated from a severely overpopulated Bangladesh to the overcrowded streets of Spitalfields, poorest from all parts of Bangladesh migrated to Sylhet for a better life, causing a severe overcrowding and scarcity of resources in Sylhet.[56]
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Religion
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Sunni Islam is the largest denomination with majority following the Hanafi school of law.[58] There are significant numbers of people who follow Sufi ideals,[59] although the revivalist Deobandi movement is also popular with many being a part of the Tablighi Jamaat. There is a very small minority of Shia Muslims who gather every year during Ashura for the Mourning of Muharram processions. Places of procession include the Prithimpasha Nawab Bari in Kulaura, home to a Shia family, as well as Balaganj, Osmani Nagar and Rajtila.
Although Hinduism today is the second largest religion among Sylhetis, it has a longer and deep-rooted presence in Sylhet and hosts the highest proportion of Hindus in the whole of Bangladesh / East Bengal. Once the religious backbone of Sylhet, they have faced centuries of marginalisation, and targeted violence in a region that was once their undisputed homeland. From the medieval invasions to the anti-Hindu riots during colonial rule, Sylhetis belonging to this faith group have been systematically uprooted, driven into exile, or reduced to a voiceless minority in their ancestral lands. After the Partition of India in 1947, Sylhetis that followed Hinduism were targets of persecution. In August 1949, the Hindus of Beanibazar and Barlekha had their houses looted, destroyed and set on fire and they were then assaulted, murdered and raped.[60] Over 800 Sylheti temples were desecrated in the following year.[61] Leading Sylheti politicians belonging to the Hindu community such as Suresh Chandra Biswas, Zamindar of Kulaura Mohini Mohan Kar and Kripesh Chandra Bhattacharya attempted to protest against these atrocities but were arrested.[62] During the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Krishnapur massacre, Makalkandi massacre, Adityapur massacre, Burunga massacre, Galimpur massacre, Naria massacre were major upsets for the Sylheti community of Hindus. The neck of Satis is believed by Sylhetis who follow Hinduism to have fallen in Jainpur village in Dakshin Surma and is now housed in the Shri Shail, which is one of the main Shakta pithas in Sylhet.[63] Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Krishnaite Gaudiya Vaishnavism and part of the Bhakti movement, was a Sylheti and still has many Sylheti followers who worship him as an incarnation of Krishna.[64]
Other minority religions include Christianity and there was a presence of Sikhism after Guru Nanak's visit to Sylhet in 1508 to spread the religion and build a gurdwara there. This Gurdwara was visited twice by Tegh Bahadur and many hukamnamas were issued to this temple in Sylhet by Guru Gobind Singh. In 1897, the gurdwara collapsed after the earthquake.
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Notables
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Popular modern writers and poets from the region include Abdur Rouf Choudhury, Dilwar Khan and Chowdhury Gulam Akbar. Muhammad Mojlum Khan is a non-fiction writer best known for writing the English biographical dictionary, The Muslim 100. Prominent Bengali language non-fiction writers include Syed Murtaza Ali, Syed Mujtaba Ali, Dewan Mohammad Azraf, Abed Chaudhury, Achyut Charan Choudhury, Arun Kumar Chanda, Asaddor Ali, Ashraf Hussain and Dwijen Sharma.
Reputed artists and media personalities from the region include Salman Shah who is considered one of the greatest actors in Bangladeshi film industry, Runa Laila who is a prominent singer with international acclaim, Hason Raja and Shah Abdul Karim who are the pioneers of folk music in Bangladesh.
Cricket and football are the most popular sports among Sylhetis. Many Sylheti cricketers have played for the Bangladesh national cricket team such as Alok Kapali, Enamul Haque Jr, Nazmul Hossain, Rajin Saleh and Tapash Baisya. Beanibazar SC is the only Sylheti club which as qualified for the Bangladesh League and Alfaz Ahmed was a Sylheti who played for the Bangladesh national football team. Hamza Choudhury is the first Bangladeshi to play in the Premier League and is predicted to be the first British Asian to play for the England national football team.[65] Bulbul Hussain was the first breakthrough Sylheti professional wheelchair rugby player. Rani Hamid is one of the most successful chess players in the world, winning championships in Asia and Europe multiple times. Ramnath Biswas was a revolutionary soldier who embarked on three world tours on a bicycle in the 19th century.
Sundari Mohan Das was a veteran of the Swadeshi movement and founder of Calcutta National Medical College
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, an economist, diplomat, and Bengali Language Movement veteran who served as Bangladesh's second Finance Minister.
Gurusaday Dutt was the founder of the Bratachari movement which advocated for spiritual and social development
Saifur Rahman (Bangladeshi politician), an economist, politician, and who served as Bangladesh's second Finance Minister.
Achyut Charan Choudhury is most well known for his monumental work on the history of the Sylhet
Rawshan Ara Bachchu is a Sylheti activist best known for her role in the Bengali language movement of 1952
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