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Prologue -- Historical background of Burma-Bengal cultural relations -- Describing Burma Muluk: Burma in Bangla literary discourses (1886-1937) -- Distrust and riots (1937-1948) -- World War II and Burma: heroism, violence and exodus (1938-48) -- Epilogue.

The 20th century evidenced how both the Sinhalese & Bengalis switched emphases between their religio-linguistic identities, utilizing them as primary & secondary ethnic markers, to pursue their respective goals. By first emphasizing religion as a primary identity marker, the Sinhalese energized the quest for Sri Lankan independence, while the Muslim Bengalis helped legitimate Mohammed Ali Jinnah's claim regarding a "two nation theory" & seceded from India to become a part of Pakistan; but by switching to emphasizing language as the identity marker defining nationhood in the immediate postindependence era, the Sinhalese marginalized Sri Lanka's minorities to achieve relative political & economic ascendance while the Bengalis successfully seceded from Pakistan to create Bangladesh. The two religio-linguistic movements, when compared, consequently show that despite both groups' different historical trajectories, their socioeconomic status influenced them to pursue similar strategies. Today, according to the situation at hand, both the Sinhalese & Bengalis conveniently pick one or the other identity or resort to "multi-symbol congruence." A theoretical foundation is proposed & the two cases accordingly evaluated to analyze both groups' manipulation of religio-linguistic identities. 1 Figure, 12 References. D. Bajo

The 20th century evidenced how both the Sinhalese & Bengalis switched emphases between their religio-linguistic identities, utilizing them as primary & secondary ethnic markers, to pursue their respective goals. By first emphasizing religion as a primary identity marker, the Sinhalese energized the quest for Sri Lankan independence, while the Muslim Bengalis helped legitimate Mohammed Ali Jinnah's claim regarding a "two nation theory" & seceded from India to become a part of Pakistan; but by switching to emphasizing language as the identity marker defining nationhood in the immediate postindependence era, the Sinhalese marginalized Sri Lanka's minorities to achieve relative political & economic ascendance while the Bengalis successfully seceded from Pakistan to create Bangladesh. The two religio-linguistic movements, when compared, consequently show that despite both groups' different historical trajectories, their socioeconomic status influenced them to pursue similar strategies. Today, according to the situation at hand, both the Sinhalese & Bengalis conveniently pick one or the other identity or resort to "multi-symbol congruence." A theoretical foundation is proposed & the two cases accordingly evaluated to analyze both groups' manipulation of religio-linguistic identities. 1 Figure, 12 References. D. Bajo

Using secondary & statistical data, theoretical & empirical aspects of the secessionist movement that led to the creation of Bangladesh are explored here, beginning with the merger of East Bengal with Pakistan in 1947. Various theoretical models of nationalism & assimilation are described & measured against the evidence of the case. It is argued that the relative deprivation hypothesis is applicable to the progressive deprivation of middle class East Pakistanis, especially the political & intellectual elite, but also a vernacular elite composed of a cultural group of lower middle class origins that provided the movement with leadership & mobilizational skills. A combination of progressive deprivation & power balance models of conflict best explain the successful secessionist movement. 1 Appendix. A. Waters

Cultural history of Bengalis from Bangladesh from 19th century onwards; contributed articles

"Bengalis have been great travellers for centuries and are famous for recreating their way of life wherever they go. This book critically analyses skilled Bengali migration within and beyond India and looks at landscapes created by the Bengali diaspora beyond the terrain of their homeland, ranging from those of nostalgia and imagination (Durga Puja/Saraswati Puja) to those of subjugation and loss of identity. This book demonstrates the relationship between landscape and diaspora in terms of perception, imagination, space and place, ethnicity, race, caste, and class. With case studies from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dehra Dun, Oxford, Aberdeen, New York, and the Bay Area (USA), it brings together themes like evolution of the Bengali diaspora, transnationalism and identity, stratification and segregation, urban social space, adaptation and assimilation, and questions of discrimination from other communities. Drawing on ethnographic accounts of over 300 skilled Bengalis, the book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of diaspora studies, urban studies, ethnic studies, migration studies, geography, sociology, history, and political studies"--