4. Islamic Expansionism and Myanmar colonialism.  Moghul Islamic Empire  annexed  Bengal in  1576, when the Emperor Akbar The Great conquered the region.  Bengal is a derivative of Vanga, probably a Mongolian word. (Now, please do not get confused with the anthropological term Mongolian or  Mongoloid with the Moghul or Mogul dynasty). Advancement of the Muslims and the Islamic expansionists left behind a trail of atrocities and disasters in Taxilla, Nalanda, Purharpur and Mainamati in a span of 500 years of their invasion into India subcontinent.  Our western territory, Chittagong and its Hill Tracts,  was seized by the Moghuls in 1660. Since then the threat of the Islamic Expansionism  remains real and present. Recent revival of Pan-Islam in Bangladesh after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 is a great concern to our existence.  How  many of the Pan-Islamists have infiltrated into our land is hard to figure. Taking the advantage of the threat posed by the Islamic Expansionism the Myanmar Colonialists have taken an upper hand as the savior of Buddhism in our land. Our freedom is compromised more than ever before.  Just don't you forget that Myanmarese in 1784 seized our Kingdom Rakkhapura at the time we were  weakened by occupation and constant threat posed by the Islamic Expansionist since 1660.  Remember 1784, our Rakkhapura and our Maha Mrat Muni Rakhaing Buddha.

Our Maha Mrat Muni Rakhaing Buddha was looted by their Bama King  Bodawpaya in 1784. These Bama colonialist Bamanized our 'Mrohaung' to 'Myohaung'. Our Rakkhapura Rakhaing Capital Mrauk-U (which means Apex of the North) was colonized and reduced to Myohaung meaning old city.  Whoever visits The Old City cannot miss the 'The Mountain of the Bones'. In that brutal and savage invasion the Bama Nation killed 250,000 or a quarter of our total population. Another 100,000 including our King Maha Thamada, learned monks, artisans, were chained and driven to  Mandalay. The most painful event was that they have to carry Maha Mrat Muni Rakhaing Buddha, the greatest booty of the Bama. Since then  Rakhaing Buddha has been kept as the Prisoner of Mandalay. It will be 218 years on the 31st December 2002.

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