The Chakma Circle (, ), also known as the Chakma Raj (), is one of three hereditary chiefdoms (or "Circles") in the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...

of modern-day

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. The Chakma Circle encompasses parts of

Rangamati Hill District Rangamati District (), officially Rangamati Hill District, is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is the larg ...

and Dighinala and

Rajasthali Upazila Rajasthali () is an upazila of Rangamati District in the Division of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Geography Rajasthali is located at . It has a total area of 145.03 km2. It is bordered by Kaptai upazila to the north, Belaichhari upazila to the ...

s in neighbouring

Khagrachari District Khagrachhari District (), officially Khagrachhari Hill District, is a district in the Chittagong Division of Southeastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Etymology The zila headquarters is located on the bank of ...

and

Bandarban District Bandarban District (), officially Bandarban Hill District, is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the others ...

respectively. The chiefdom's members are of Chakma descent.

Leadership

The Chakma Circle is led by a hereditary chieftain called a

raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

, whose role encompasses judicial, administrative, ceremonial, legal and social responsibilities. Political power is passed from the father to the first-born son. The incumbent chieftain is Devasish Roy (b. 10 April 1959), according to the ''Chakma Bijok'', a compilation of the Chakma history (1876-1934 CE). The Chakma chieftain also sits on the Advisory Council for the

Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (; ''Pārbatya caṭṭagrāma biṣaẏaka mantraṇālaẏa'') is the government ministry of Bangladesh responsible for Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Chittagong Hill Tracts have been inhabited by var ...

and the

Rangamati Hill District Council Rangamati Hill District Council (Bengali: রাঙ্গামাটি পার্বত্য জেলা পরিষদ) is the autonomous government body responsible for the governance of Rangamati Hill District and nearby areas. Aung Sui ...

. The Chakma chieftain leads a rajpunyah festival.

History

Pre-colonial era

The lineage of Chakma chieftains may date to the 11th century or mid-16th century. Chakma folklore and tradition ascribe the Chakma origins to the warrior castes of

Bhagalpur Bhagalpur, historically known as Champapuri, Champa Nagari, is a city in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the southern bank of the Ganges river. It is the Bihar#Government and administration, third largest city of Bihar by population and ...

in modern-day India. The legendary raja Bijoy Giri (c. 1630), who is believed to have migrated the ancestors of the Chakma people north of the

Naf River The Naf River ( ''Naf Nodi'' ; ; ) is an international river marking part of the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, border of southeastern Bangladesh and northwestern Myanmar. Geography The Naf's average depth is , and maximum depth is . Its width ...

. Through intermarriages with the Rakhine people, the Chakmas eventually converted to Buddhism. Extant historical records date to the 1700s. Following the expansion of the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

into Chakma territory, Chakma chieftains adopted Mughal names and titles (e.g.,

Khan Khan may refer to: * Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by various ethnicities Art and entertainment * Khan (band), an English progressiv ...

) in exchange for tributary payments.

British rule and modern era

During British rule, the Chittagong Hill Tracts were administratively divided into three circles in 1884, namely the Chakma Circle, the

Bohmong Circle The Bohmong Circle () or Bomang Circle () is one of three hereditary chiefdoms (or "circles") in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of modern-day Bangladesh. The jurisdiction of the Bohmong Circle encompasses parts of Bandarban District. The chiefdom's ...

, and the

Mong Circle The Mong Circle (, ) is one of three hereditary chiefdoms (or "circles") in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of modern-day Bangladesh. The jurisdiction of the Mong Circle encompasses parts of Khagrachhari District. The chiefdom's members are of Marma ...

s, each presided over by a hereditary chief from the Chakma and

Marma people The Marma () are the second-largest ethnic community in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts, primarily residing in the Bandarban District, Bandarban, Khagrachhari District, Khagrachari and Rangamati Hill Districts. They belong to the same comm ...

s. The circles were codified into law with the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulations, 1900, which eased revenue collection and administrative burdens on British authorities by delegating tax collection, land administration management and social arbitration responsibilities to the chieftains. In 1901, the Bohmong Circle extended . This administrative structure remained in place until 1964, when the introduction of local self-government abolished the special status of these circles and brought local administration under the control of the central government.

List of Rajas

References