Introduction: Most of the Tanchangya live on the borders between the Rangamati and Chittagong districts and between the borders of the Rangamati and Bandarban districts. A small number of Tanchangya also live in Cox’s Bazar district. The Tanchangya are in number 19, 221 in the CHT according to the Census of 1991. In Arakanese, the word “Taung” or “Tong” means hill and “Taungya” means hilltop Sweden cultivation know locally as jum. The word Tanchangya or Tanchangya is believed to mean hill swidden farmer. The Tanchangya are traditionally Buddhist.
Culture and Tradition: Despite the fact that the Tanchangya are known traditionally to be swidden farmers, they were in factions of the first of the CHT peoples to take up wet- rice cultivation by the plough in lieu of swidden cultivation. Today, there are many Tanchangya graduates, both men and women, holding private and government jobs.
Status: The Tanchangya are known to be very romantic and artistic. They traditionally attired Tanchangya women will always wear her turban that Chakma women used to a generation or two ago, and the pattern on the border or her homespun skirt will usually be far more intricate than the Chakma script. It is said that in many cases the Tanchangya groom is younger than his bride. This was common until about a few decades ago. The Tanchangya are very musical. Love and romance are therefore never far away.
