ဘုရင်ဂျီ | |
---|---|
Total population | |
At least 3,000, up to 100,000 [1][2][3][4] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Myanmar | |
Sagaing Region | ~3,000+ |
Languages | |
Languages of Myanmar: Burmese Some English | |
Religion | |
| |
Related ethnic groups | |
Bayingyi people (Burmese: ဘရင်ဂျီ) also known as Luso-Burmese, are a subgroup ethnicity of Luso-Asians, and are the descendants of Portuguese mercenaries or adventurers who came to Myanmar (Burma) in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were recruited into the Royal Burmese Armed forces' artillery and musketeers corps, and over centuries of continued settlement in the Mu Valley, particularly the Sagaing Region of Myanmar, have been more or less assimilated into the dominant ethnic group of the region, the Bamar, while keeping their sense of Portuguese identity and Roman Catholic religion.