The Cham Bani of Vietnam

Abstract

Based on 1989 statistics, approximately 131,282 Cham live in Vietnam.
They are the descendents of Champa, an Indian-Hindu kingdom that, centuries
later, was heavily influenced by Arabic-Islamic culture. Buddhism
also made its way into Champa, but was confined to the royal circle during
the reign of King Indravarman II (c. 896-905). Historically, the Cham were
divided along religious lines: Hindu and Muslim. The Muslim population is
subdivided further between the Cham Banis and the mainstream (Sunni)
Cham Islam. The Cham population is concentrated mainly in the lowermiddle
and southern parts of Vietnam. In the middle part, they live scattered
in the Phan Rang and Phan Ri regions. In the southern and southwestern
parts, they live in Tay Ninh, Chau Doc, An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Long
Khanh, and Binh Phuoc cities. The Cham Banis and Cham Hindus only
reside in Phan Rang and Phan Ri. There, the Cham Banis make up about onehalf
of the Cham population, while the remaining half is Cham Hindu. However,
in the south and southwest, all of them follow mainstream Islam ...