Malayali in Myanmar (Burma)


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Additional PDF Profile

Identity

The home of Malayali people is Kerala in the southern tip of India. Malayali is their ethnic name, but their language is called Malayalam, from the Dravidian words mala (mountain) and alam (land), signifying “the land of mountains.” Despite their similar names, the Malayali are completely unrelated to the Malay people and language of Malaysia.

Location: An estimated 23,000 Malayali people live in Myanmar today, although little is known about their precise locations except that they are found in the nation’s two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay. The 1931 census of Burma returned just 3,205 "Malabari" people, or those from the Malabar Coast in south India. Their numbers increased to 5,000 by 1966. Today 35 million Malayali live in India, with several million more scattered throughout the Middle East and in at least 20 other countries around the globe.

Language: Malayalam, which is part of the Dravidian language family, is distinct from Tamil. The two languages have different orthographies. Malayalam, which has been officially designated one of the six “classical languages” of India, is not spoken by a single ethnic group but is a regional language spoken as a first language by over 100 different people groups, and as a second language by another 300 groups.


History

Malayali history dates back thousands of years, with the Malabar Coast being a major center of the international spice trade since ancient times. The Roman scholar Claudius Ptolemy documented it his book Geographia in AD 150. Having been brought to Myanmar to fill jobs for the British who wished to subdue and develop the land in the 19th century, many Malayali families found it tough, with one report noting: “Having left in search of greener pastures from their native villages…the working classes braved the seas, provided the much-needed labor to clear the swamps in Lower Burma and malaria-infested jungles, and in that process also became the most exploited and vulnerable section of the population.” Anti-Indian sentiment rose up between the 1930s and 1960s, causing thousands of families to return to India if they had the means to do so. For many, the dream of a better existence in Myanmar failed miserably, and they returned home destitute. Tragically, nearly half of them never reached their destination but died during the arduous journey.


Customs

In Myanmar, “the Burmese perception of Indians depended upon which strata of society various Indian groups occupied in the Burmese society. The Burmese had contempt for the poor Indians, who monopolized jobs such as scavenging, rickshaw pulling, and other menial jobs that the Burmans themselves were reluctant to do.” After decades of hardship, “the biggest blow to the position of Indians in Myanmar came after the military takeover of the country by General Ne Win in 1962. From largely composing the upper middle class of Burmese society, the Indian community was reduced to becoming one of the most impoverished sections in the country.”


Religion

The majority of Malayali people in Myanmar are Hindus, with a small number of Muslims among them. Approximately one-third of Malayali are Christians, with many belonging to the Mar Thoma (Disciples of Thomas) movement, who are also known as Syrian Christians. Several major festivals are observed among the Malayali each year, including Christmas because of their ancient Christian heritage.


Christianity

The 1931 census returned 206 (6.4%) of Malayali people as Christians. The Mar Thoma denomination is indigenous to South India, where the Apostle Thomas is believed to have gone to preach the Gospel soon after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He reportedly performed miracles and led thousands of Hindus to faith in Christ before he was put to death by enraged religious leaders outside today’s city of Chennai. Today, approximately one-third of Malayali people in Myanmar are professing Christians.


Prayer Items

Scripture Prayers for the Malayali in Myanmar (Burma).


Profile Source:   Asia Harvest  

Additional PDF Profile


People Name General Malayali
People Name in Country Malayali
Pronunciation mah-lah-YAH-lee
Alternate Names Cochin Jew; Malai Gounden; Malai Jati; Malaikaran; Male Gounder; Moplah; मलयाली; Alealum; Keralite; Malabari; Malayalam; Malayalani; Malean; Maliyad; Mallealle; Mopla
Population this Country 23,000
Population all Countries 1,748,000
Total Countries 12
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 4
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 17433
ROP3 Code 112836
Country Myanmar (Burma)
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 13  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Yangon Region; Mandalay Region   Source:  Asia Harvest prayer profile 2024
Country Myanmar (Burma)
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 13  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Yangon Region; Mandalay Region.   Source:  Asia Harvest prayer profile 2024
Primary Religion: Hinduism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 7.00 %)
34.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
61.00 %
Islam
5.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Malayalam (23,000 speakers)
Language Code mal   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect South Kerala
Dialect Code 13477   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Malayalam (23,000 speakers)
Language Code mal   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect South Kerala
Dialect Code 13477   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Malayalam

Primary Language:  Malayalam

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1811-1968)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1829-1995)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1841-2022)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Love letter to you from scripture Father's Love Letter
Audio Recordings Online Audio Scripture Talking Bibles
Film / Video Following Jesus video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Malayalam Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible and Resources in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video Internet Publishing Sevice
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Bible in text or audio or video South Asia Bibles
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Gospel website in this language General / Other
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
General Zume Resources Zume Project
General Zume Training Zume Project
Mobile App Android Bible app direct APK download SIL
Mobile App Android Bible app: Binoy Chacko Audio Bible (Malayalam) General / Other
Mobile App Android Bible app: Malayalam YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible App: Malayalam Bible (മലയാളം ബൈബിള്‍) Indian Revised Version (IRV) Operation Agape
Mobile App Android Bible app: Malayalam Bible (മലയാളം ബൈബിൾ) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Bible app: Malayalam Contemporary Bible Biblica
Mobile App Android Bible app: Malayalam Gospel Films (മലയാളം ഗോസ്പൽ ഫിലിംസ്) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Bible app: Malayalam Study Bible Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible app: Mar Thoma Church Great Lenten Lectionary Internet Publishing Sevice
Mobile App Android Bible app: Pastors Study Bible Malayalam Grace Ministries and Dusty Sandals
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Malayalam Bible Radio Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Bible Radio app: Rafa Bible Radio Malayalam General / Other
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Anish Thankachan Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Avan Krupa (അവന്‍ കൃപ) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Binu Vadakkencherry Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: J P Vennikulam (ജെ പി വെണ്ണിക്കുളം) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Open Bible Stories (Malayalam) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: RSV (Visawasa Ganangal) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: Shyju Mathew Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Android Book Reading app: വി. നാഗൽ കീർത്തനങ്ങൾ (V Nagal Songs) Shalom Design S2dio
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App Download audio Bible app from Google Play Store Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Binoy Chacko Audio Bible (Malayalam) General / Other
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Malayalam YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sathyavedapusthakam (Malayalam) Kalaam Media Ltd
Text / Printed Matter Bible Gateway scripture Bible Gateway
Text / Printed Matter Children and youth resources One Hope
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Malayalam Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter tools for gospel conversations Cru
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Asia Harvest-Operation Myanmar  
Profile Source Asia Harvest 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.