Haroi also known as : “Haroi” “H’roi” and “H’rời”. Most English language scholarship does not use the term ‘Cham H’roi’”, “Bahna Cham”

Contemporary Haroi traditional religion involves the practice polytheistic and animistic beliefs. The origins of the Haroi have been highly debated. One position argues that they were a distinct Bahnaric ethnolinguistic group from the Champā civilization (2nd – 19th centuries). Another argues they were a group of former Cham people that fled into the uplands after a war with Đại Việt (15th century) and then resettled into uplands, midlands, and eventually, some lowland areas. The second argument is more pervasive in Vietnamese language academia and within the contemporary H’roi community. Oral histories still circulate, tying the H’roi to the refugees of the royal court of Vijaya, the Champā polity that was conquered in 1471 CE by Đại Việt. The also state H’roi had to adopt practices from neighboring ethnic groups to blend in and not be pursued by Đại Việt militaries. Therefore, their spiritual activities became quite similar to the Bahnaric groups, while retaining some Chamic (Ede, Churu, etc.) beliefs. Their language is also classified as a Bahnaric language by recent studies in historical linguistics. Regardless of the origins hypothesis, their roots seem to be in the Champā civilization, followed by a period of becoming a distinct group (15th – 17th century), while assimilating into greater Bahnaric communities [perhaps “again,” likely “for the first time”] from the 15th – 20th century.Non UBCUnreviewedFacult