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The 'Minangkabau' ethnic group (also known as 'Minang' or 'Padang') is indigenous to the highlands of West Sumatra, in Indonesia. Their culture is matrilineal, with property and land passing down from mother to daughter, while religious and political affairs are the province of men (although some women also play important roles in these areas). Today 4 million Minangs live in West Sumatra, while about 3 million more are scattered throughout many Indonesian cities and towns.
The Minangkabau are strongly Islamic, but also follow their ethnic traditions, or adat. The Minangkabau adat was derived from animistic and Hindu beliefs before the arrival of Islam, and remnants of animistic beliefs still exist even among some practicing Muslims. The present relationship between the Islam and adat is described in the saying "tradition founded upon Islamic law, Islamic law founded upon the Qur'an" ("adat basandi syara', syara' basandi Kitabullah").
Their West Sumatran homelands were the location of the Padri War from 1821 to 1837.

Contents

Etymology

History

Culture

Ceremonies and festivals

Arts

Crafts

Food

Language

Religion

Notable Minangkabau people

References

Further reading

See also

External links

Etymology

The name ''Minangkabau'' is thought to be a conjunction of two words, ''minang'' ("victorious") and ''kabau'' ("buffalo"). There is a legend that the name is derived from a territorial dispute between the Minangkabau and a neighbouring prince (from Majapahit). To avoid a battle, the local people proposed a fight to the death between two water buffalo to settle the dispute. The prince agreed and produced the largest, meanest, most aggressive buffalo. The Minangkabau produced a hungry baby buffalo with its small horns ground to be as sharp as knives. Seeing the adult buffalo across the field, the baby ran forward, hoping for milk. The big buffalo saw no threat in the baby buffalo and paid no attention to it, looking around for a worthy opponent. But when the baby thrust his head under the big bull's belly, looking for an udder, the sharpened horns punctured and killed the bull, and the Minangkabau won the contest and the dispute.
The roofline of traditional houses in West Sumatra, called Rumah Gadang (Minangkabau, "big house"), curve upward from the middle and end in points, in imitation of the water buffalo's upward-curving horns.

History

People who spoke Austronesian languages first arrived in Sumatra around 2,500 years ago, as part of the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. The Minangkabau language is closest to the Malay language, though when the two languages split from a common ancestor and the precise historical relationship between Malay and Minangkabau culture is not known. Until the 20th century the majority of the Sumatran population lived in the highlands. The highlands are well suited for human habitation, with plentiful fresh water, fertile soil, a cool climate, and valuable commodities such as gold and ivory. It is probable that wet rice cultivation evolved in the Minangkabau highlands long before it appeared in other parts of Sumatra, and predates significant foreign contact.^[1]
Adityawarman, a follower of Tantric Buddhism with ties to the Singhasari and Majapahit kingdoms of Java, is believed to have founded the first kingdom in the Minangkabau highlands at Pagaruyung and ruled between 1347 and 1375, most likely to control the local gold trade. The establishment of a royal system seems to have involved conflict and violence, eventually leading to a division of villages into one of two systems of tradition, ''Bodi Caniago'' and ''Koto Piliang'', the later having overt allegiances to royalty. By the 16th century, the time of the next report after the reign of Adityawarman, royal power had been split into three recognized reigning kings. They were the ''King of the World'' (Raja Alam), the ''King of Adat'' (Raja Adat), and the ''King of Religion'' (Raja Ibadat), and collectively they were known as the ''Kings of the Three Seats'' (Rajo Tigo Selo).^[2] The Minangkabau kings were charismatic or magical figures who received a percentage of gold mining and trading profits, but did not have much authority over the conduct of village affairs.^[3]

Tuanku Imam Bonjol, a leader in the Padri War.

In the mid-16th century, the Aceh Sultanate invaded the Minangkabau coast, occupying port outlets in order to acquire gold. It was also around the 16th century that Islam started to be adopted by the Minangkabau. The first contact between the Minangkabau and western nations occurred with the 1529 voyage of Jean Parmentier to Sumatra. The Dutch East India Company first acquired gold at Pariaman in 1651, but later moved south to Padang to avoid interference from the Acehnese occupiers. In 1663 the Dutch agreed to protect and liberate local villages from the Acehnese in return for a trading monopoly, and as a result setup trading posts at Painan and Padang. Until early in the 19th century the Dutch remained content with their coastal trade of gold and produce, and made no attempt to visit the Minangkabau highlands. As a result of conflict in Europe, the British occupied Padang from 1781 to 1784 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, and again from 1795 to 1819 during the Napoleonic Wars.
Late in the 18th century the gold supply which provided the economic base for Minangkabau royalty began to be exhausted. Around the same time other parts of the Minangkabau economy had a period of unparalleled expansion as new opportunities for the export of agricultural commodities arose, particularly with coffee which was in very high demand. A civil war started in 1803 with the ''Padri'' fundamentalist Islamic group in conflict with the traditional syncretic groups, elite families and Pagaruyung royals. A large part of the Minangkabau royal family were killed by the Padri in 1815. As a result of a treaty with a number of penghulu and representatives of the murdered Minangkabau royal family, Dutch forces made their first attack on a Padri village in April 1821.^[4] The first phase of the war ended in 1825 when the Dutch signed an agreement with the Padri leader Tuanku Imam Bonjol to halt hostilities, allowing them to redeploy their forces to fight the Java War. When fighting resumed in 1832, the reinforced Dutch troops were able to more effectively attack the Padri. The main center of resistance was captured in 1837, and by the end of the next year the war was effectively over.
With the Minangkabau territories now under the control of the Dutch, transportation systems were improved and economic exploitation was intensified. New forms of education were introduced, allowing some Minangkabau to take advantage of a modern education system. The 20th century marked a rise and cultural and political nationalism, culminating in the demand for Indonesian independence. Rebellions against the Dutch occupation occurred such as the 1908 Anti-Tax Rebellion and the 1927 Communist Uprising. During World War II, the Minangkabau territories were occupied by the Japanese. When the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, Indonesia proclaimed independence. The Dutch attempts to regain control of the area were ultimately unsuccessful and in 1949 the Minangkabau territories became part of Indonesia as the province of Central Sumatra.
In February 1958, during a revolt in Sumatra against the Indonesian government, rebels proclaimed the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) in Bukittinggi. The Indonesian government had recaptured the town by May the same year.

Culture

The Minangs are the world's largest matrilineal society, in which properties such as land and houses are inherited through female lineage. Some scholars argue that this might have caused the diaspora (Minangkabau, "merantau") of Minangkabau males throughout the Malay archipelago to become scholars or to seek fortune as merchants. As early as the age of 7, boys traditionally leave their homes and live in a ''surau'' (a prayer house & community centre) to learn religious and cultural (adat) teachings. When they are teenagers, they are encouraged to leave their hometown to learn from schools or from experiences out of their hometown so that when they are adults they can return home wise and 'useful' for the society and can contribute their thinking and experience to run the family or ''nagari'' (hometown) when they sit as the member of 'council of uncles'.
This tradition has created Minang communities in many Indonesian cities and towns, which nevertheless are still tied closely to their homeland; a state in Malaysia named Negeri Sembilan is heavily influenced by Minang culture.
Due to their culture that stresses the importance of learning, Minang people are over-represented in the all walks of life in Indonesia, with many ministers from Minang and the first female minister was a Minang scholar.
In addition to being renowned as merchants, the Minangs have also produced some of Indonesia's most influential poets, writers, statesmen, scholars, and religious scholars. Being fervent Muslims, many of them embraced the idea of incorporating Islamic ideals into modern society. Furthermore, the presence of these intellectuals combined with the people's basically proud character, made the Minangkabau homeland (the province of West Sumatra) one of the powerhouses in the Indonesian struggle for independence.
Despite widespread use of Indonesian, they have their own mother tongue. The Minangkabau language shares many similar words with Malay, yet it has a distinctive pronunciation and some grammatical differences rendering it unintelligible to Malay speakers.
Today both natural and cultural tourism have become considerable economic activities in West Sumatra. Most notable of Minang culture is its culinary tradition, with unique spicy foods such as ''Rendang'', ''Soto Padang'' (a soup), ''Sate Padang'' and ''Dendeng Balado'' (beef with chilli sauce). Minangkabau restaurants, which are often called "Padang" restaurants in reference to the capital of West Sumatra, are present throughout Indonesia and some neighboring countries.

Ceremonies and festivals

Women carrying platters of food to a ceremony

Minangkabau ceremonies and festivals include:

★ ''Turun mandi'' - baby blessing ceremony

★ ''Sunat rasul'' - circumcision ceremony

★ ''Baralek'' - wedding ceremony

★ ''Batagak pangulu'' - clan leader inauguration ceremony. Other clan leaders, all relatives in the same clan and all villagers in the region are invited. The ceremony will last for 7 days or more.

★ ''Turun ka sawah'' - community work ceremony

★ ''Manyabik'' - harvesting ceremony

★ ''Hari Rayo'' - Islamic festivals

★ Adoption ceremony

★ Adat ceremony

★ Funeral ceremony

★ Wild boar hunt ceremony

★ ''Maanta pabukoan'' - sending food to mother-in-law for Ramadhan

★ ''Tabuik'' - Muslim celebration in the coastal village of Pariaman

★ ''Tanah Ta Sirah'', inaugurate a new clan leader (Datuk) when the old one died in the few hours (no need to proceed batagak pangulu, but the clan must invite all clan leader in the region).

★ ''Mambangkik Batang Tarandam'', inaugurate a new leader (Datuk) when the old one died in the pass 10 or 50 years and even more, must do the Batagak Pangulu.

Arts

Saluang performance

Traditional Minangkabau arts include:

★ ''Randai'', folk theater which includes music, dance and drama

★ ''Saluang Jo Dendang'' ("bamboo flute and singing")

★ ''Talempong'' (gong-chime) music

★ ''Tari Piring'' ("Plate dance")

★ ''Tari Payung'' ("Umbrella dance")

★ ''Tari Indang'', traditional dance

★ ''Pidato Adat'' (also known as ''Sambah Manyambah''), ceremonial orations.

★ ''Pencak Silat'', performances based upon the Silat martial art

Crafts

Minangkabau crafts include:

★ Hand weaving of Songket cloth

★ Embroidery

★ Wood carving

★ Goldsmithing and silversmithing of jewelry by filigree and granulation techniques

Food

Rendang

★ Rendang

★ Sambal Balado

★ Gulai Lomak Kuning

★ Sate Padang

★ Asem Padeh

★ Soto Padang

★ Keripik Jangek

★ Keripik Balado

★ Pisang Panggang (Grilled Banana)

Language

Main articles: Minangkabau language

The Minangkabau language (''Baso Minangkabau'') belongs to the Malayic linguistic subgroup, which in turns belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch. The Minangkabau language is closely related to the Negeri Sembilan Malay language used by the people of Negeri Sembilan, many of which are descendants of Minangkabau immigrants.
The language has a number of dialects and sub-dialects, but native Minangkabau speakers generally have no difficultly understanding the variety of dialects. The differences between dialects are mainly at the phonological level, though some lexical differences also exist. Minangkabau dialects are regional, consisting of one or more villages (''nagari''), and usually correspond to differences in customs and traditions. Each sub-village (''jorong'') has its own sub-dialect consisting of subtle differences which can be detected by native speakers.^[5]
The Minangkabau society has a diglossia situation, whereby they use their native language for everyday conversations, while the Indonesian language is used for most formal occasions, in education, and in writing, even to relatives and friends. The Minangkabau language was originally written using the Jawi script, an adapted Arabic alphabet. Romanization of the language dates from the 19th century, and a standardized official orthography of the language was published in 1976.

Denominations	ISO 639-3	Population (as of)	Dialects
Minangkabau		6,500,000 (1981)	Agam, Pajokumbuh, Tanah, Si Junjung, Batu Sangkar-Pariangan, Singkarak, Orang Mamak, Ulu, Kerinci-Minangkabau, Aneuk Jamee (Jamee), Penghulu.
Source: Gordon (2005).[6]

Religion

Traditional Minangkabau mosque

Some outsiders are confused by the apparent contradiction between the Minangkabau matrilineality and their devout adherence to Islam, a religion that some believe to marginalize women (see women and Islam). In fact, there are so many similarities between Islamic law (sharia) and current Minangkabau law that the Minangkabau people find it impossible to distinguish the two. To illustrate, below are a few examples:
Islamic Law: Learning is a must.

Minangkabau Law: Boys must leave house to stay as an apprentice with his teacher.
Islamic Law: Travelling is a Qur'anic obligation to learn from the ruins of the previous civilizations and to increase faith in God.

Minangkabau Law: Teenagers must leave the country to learn from the life outside and meet people from different places to gain wisdom.
Islamic Law: No woman can be forced to marry a man she doesn't want to marry.

Minangkabau Law: Women decide whom they want to marry.
Islamic Law: Upon divorce, children go with their mother.

Minangkabau Law: Children belong to their mother.
Islamic Law: Mother deserves respect 3 times more than father does.

Minangkabau Law: Mother is the most important human being to a person.
Minangkabau people find Islam as the most supportive and appreciative toward women that they become so attached to it. Islam now is so deeply rooted in their culture that being un-Islamic is equal to being un-Minang to them.

Notable Minangkabau people

Mohammad Hatta, Indonesian nationalist and first vice president of Indonesia

Main articles: List of notable Minangkabaus


★ Abdul Muis, Indonesian writer, famous novels : Salah Asuhan, Azab dan Sengsara

★ Agus Salim, Indonesian diplomat, former Indonesian government minister

★ Mohammad Hatta, former Indonesian government prime minister and vice president

★ Muhammad Yamin, former Indonesian government minister

★ Rasuna Said, Indonesian nationalist political leader, first female minister of Indonesia

★ Sutan Sjahrir, former Indonesian government prime minister, founder of Socialist Party

★ Tan Malaka, Indonesian nationalist activist and communist leader

★ Yusof Ishak, half-Minangkabau descent, first President of Singapore

★ Chairil Anwar, famous poems : Aku, Krawang-Bekasi

★ Tarmizi Taher, former Indonesian government minister

★ Tuanku Imam Bonjol, leader in the Padri movement

★ Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi, World War II hero

★ Zubir Said, Composer of ''Majulah Singapura'', National Anthem of Singapore

References

1. From megaliths to tombstones: the transition from pre-history to early Islamic period in highland West Sumatra., , John, Miksic, Indonesia and the Malay World,
2. Adat and Islam: An Examination of Conflict in Minangkabau, , Taufik, Abdullah, Indonesia,
3. An Indonesian Frontier: Acehnese and Other Histories of Sumatra, , Anthony, Reid, National University of Singapore Press, ,
4. Economic change in Minangkabau as a factor in the rise of the Padri movement, 1784-1830., , Christine, Dobbin, Indonesia,
5. Language use in Minangkabau society, , Khaidir, Anwar, Indonesia and the Malay World,
6. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, , Raymond G., Gordon, Dallas, Tex.: SIL International, ,

Further reading

★ Walk in Splendor: Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau, , Anne, Summerfield, UCLA, , ISBN 0-930741-73-0

★ Constituting the Minangkabau : peasants, culture, and modernity in colonial Indonesia, , Joel S., Kahn, Berg, , ISBN 085-49-6316-2

★ Women at the center : life in a modern matriarchy, , Peggy Reeves, Sanday, Cornell University Press, , ISBN 0-8014-8906-7

See also

★ West Sumatra

★ Negeri Sembilan

★ Rumah gadang

External links

★ On Culture's Loom

★ The Carvers of Bukittinggi