Where the vast char lands of Bengal's southern coast meet salt water, a large, black, long-horned and powerful animal once reigned: the buffalo. It was a quiet but strong companion of coastal life. In rural communities the buffalo was not just a domestic animal but a symbol of power, wealth and royal influence, an inescapable sign of coastal rule in history, folk culture and the economy. So deep was its importance that it was called "the king of the char lands". With time and modernisation, however, that tradition is ebbing.

Buffalo rearing in the coastal areas of Bhola, Noakhali, Patuakhali, Barguna, Satkhira and the fringes of the Sundarbans is centuries old. On the coastal chars of Bhola's Charfashion, Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Sandwip, the more buffalo a person had, the more influential and wealthy he was considered. Even in British times, local zamindars, talukdars and powerful families were known by the size of their herds: the bigger the herd, the greater the power and prestige.

According to folk tales, rulers regarded the buffalo as a royal animal. In some areas there is evidence of buffalo horns or images being used as symbols of state power, and in some places rent was paid in buffalo. The buffalo thus became a kind of "living currency" in coastal governance.

The buffalo also appears in folklore as a symbol of coastal rule, and in folk religion as part of the retinue of Dakshin Rai or Bonbibi. Many zamindars and jotedars of old Bengal staged buffalo fights to show off their status, and displays of buffalo strength were popular entertainment at village fairs and festivals. The huge animal's patience, and its fury in a fight, stood for valour.

In many families a buffalo was an important dowry or gift when a daughter married, showing how important it was in the social structure. Buffalo still feature in coastal folk songs, proverbs and dialect. Elders still say, "A herd of buffalo means the household rules", a saying that reflects the spiritual bond between coastal people and the animal, passed down the generations.

In the salty soil, waterlogged chars and harsh tidal environment of the coast, where cattle struggled to survive, the buffalo was indomitable, thriving on salt water and grass. Used to moving through mud and brackish water, it gave farming uninterrupted help. Before power tillers arrived, it was the only means of pulling ploughs on muddy chars, crossing wetlands or hauling large logs. This natural ability made the buffalo the foundation of the coastal economy.

Buffalo once made up a large part of the economic structure of coastal communities. Milk, ghee, meat and labour made them a profitable asset in every respect. Ghee and dairy products from buffalo milk went far beyond local markets, and curd made from buffalo milk was famous far and wide. Bhola's curd made from raw buffalo milk is still a mark of prestige. In many families buffalo were an alternative to savings, and there are countless examples of families surviving disasters or famine by selling them. At weddings a buffalo was a prestigious gift.

The struggles of coastal people and their buffalo are bound together. Countless buffalo died in the devastating 1970 cyclone and in later storm surges such as Sidr and Aila. Yet the surviving buffalo were the only means for coastal people to get back on their feet after disaster.

Unfortunately, the buffalo's royal heritage is now heading for extinction because of a shortage of grazing land. Afforestation and industrialisation are shrinking the open grazing grounds, or bathan. High feed prices and the lack of proper breeding are making farmers lose interest. Modern farm machinery, road links and other livelihoods have also greatly reduced the buffalo's role, while climate change, spreading salinity and shrinking chars are major challenges to buffalo rearing.

In Charfashion, Bhola, elderly farmer Abu Taher Mia said: "Once, buffalo meant the strength to rule. The buffalo was one of the driving forces of the rural economy. But because of natural disasters, farming families on the coast have reduced livestock rearing. It is hard to look after animals during storms and floods, and buffalo rearing has been hit a bit harder. In some families buffalo survive as keepers of tradition."

Analysts believe that if government and private bodies take steps to improve buffalo breeds and protect grazing land, the royal sight of buffalo herds on the char horizon will return. Suman Sikdar, chief coordinator of the Social Development Worker Forum, a voluntary organisation working on coastal development, said: "Keeping this symbol of coastal rule alive is urgent not just for the economy but for our cultural heritage. The buffalo is not just an animal; it is part of our coastal DNA. The sound of its hooves is mixed into every grain of dust on the chars and in the salty wind."

The idea of the buffalo as a symbol of coastal rule is not just a story from history but a reflection of coastal people's struggle, culture and economy. Under the pressure of modernisation the symbol may have faded, but in the memory and folk history of the coast the buffalo still holds a royal place.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.