# Gani Markan (1880s – 1950s)

> Pioneer Arakanese Indian legislator

- Also known as: E. G. S. Maracan; Esmail Ghani Shah Maracan; Gani Maracan; Gani Markin
- Known for: Pioneer Arakanese Indian legislator
- Fields: Politics
- Page: https://people.rohingya.ro/people/gani-markan/

## Summary

One of the first elected Arakanese Indian legislators in British Burma, elected in the 1936 Burmese general election from the Maungdaw-Buthidaung constituency in Arakan Division. Though of Indian origin, he won his seat in the Burmese national category, reflecting the claim of Arakanese Indians to be a native community, distinct from other immigrants. His full name was Esmail Ghani Shah Maracan; he was the eldest son of the Sittwe businessman and barrister [E. Kader Marakan](https://people.rohingya.ro/people/marakan/).

## What he did

- **Family** — Eldest son of [E. Kader Marakan](https://people.rohingya.ro/people/marakan/), the leading businessman of colonial-era Sittwe. His younger brother E. D. S. Maracan, known as Tanbi Saheb, also became a prominent figure in Burmese politics.
- **1936** — Elected in the Burmese general election from the Maungdaw-Buthidaung constituency in Arakan Division, in the Burmese national category. (Seats were divided into categories such as Burmese national, Kayin, Anglo-Burman, Indian, Chinese and European; his election in the national category reflected the Arakanese Indians' claim to be a native community. His father's biography describes the seat as northern Sittwe District.)
- **Horse racing** — An enthusiastic horseman, he bred horses and won championships in races.
- **Honours** — He and his brother were awarded medals associated with King George VI.

## Biography: Among the first elected Arakanese Indian legislators

Gani Markan was one of the first elected Arakanese Indian legislators in British Burma. He was elected to the Legislative Council of Burma during the 1936 Burmese general election from the Maungdaw-Buthidaung constituency in Arakan Division. The seats in the council were divided into categories like Burmese national, Kayin, Anglo-Burman, Indian, Chinese, and European. Markan, though of Indian origin, was elected in the Burmese national category, reflecting the claim by Arakanese Indians to be a native community, distinct from other immigrants.

Among the children of E. K. Marakan, two of his sons became prominent figures in Burmese politics: his eldest son, E. G. S. Maracan (Esmail Ghani Shah Maracan), and E. D. S. Maracan (Esmail Dawood Shah Maracan). E. G. S. Maracan was widely known as Gani Maracan (Gani Markin). In 1936, Gani Maracan became a legislative representative for northern Sittwe District. He was also an enthusiastic horseman who bred horses and regularly participated in horse races, in which he also won championships. E. D. S. Maracan, Dawood Shah Maracan, was popularly known as Tanbi Saheb and was one of the leaders who worked to bring an end to the communal violence of 1942. Both brothers were awarded medals associated with King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II.

## Sources

- News and Analysis of the Arakan Rohingya National Organization. Vol. 1, no. 9, Sept. 2009.
- Marakan, the Wealthiest Man in Sittwe (the archive's biography of his father, E. Kader Marakan)

## Photographs

- ![A copy processed with ChatGPT (its file name begins "ChatGPT-Image") of an old portrait photograph. The archive's photo of his father, E. Kader Marakan, is the same portrait.](https://people.rohingya.ro/photos/gani-markan-2.webp) A copy processed with ChatGPT (its file name begins "ChatGPT-Image") of an old portrait photograph. The archive's photo of his father, E. Kader Marakan, is the same portrait. (rohingyaresearch.org)

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From Rohingya Famous People, https://people.rohingya.ro/people/gani-markan/ (updated 2026-11-04)