THE MINANGKABAU - TRULLY OF INDONESIA

I got this information about the Minang Kabau Culture from my friends, I have been read . So , I think this information are very important to us, while we are in the MinangKabau Area .
Because is nice information so I put this information in my blog..
Here the information of The Minang Kabau. :

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 and Malay peninsula cities

and towns.

The Minangkabau are strongly Islamic, but also follow their ethnic traditions, or

adat. The Minangkabau adat was derived from animistic beliefs before the arrival

of Islam, and remnants of animistic beliefs still exist even among some practicing

Muslims. The present relationship between Islam and adat is described in the

saying "tradition [adat] 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

Total population

circa 6 million

Regions with significant populations

Indonesia (2000 census) 5,475,000 [1]

West Sumatra 3,747,000

Riau 535,000

North Sumatra 307,000

Jakarta 265,000

West Java 169,000

Jambi 132,000

Malaysia (1981 est.) 300,000

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. 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.

People who spoke Austronesian languages first arrived in Sumatra around 500 BCE,

as part of the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. The

Minangkabau language is a member of the Austronesian language family, and 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.[4]

Adityawarman, a follower of Tantric Buddhism with ties to the Singhasari and

Majapahit kingdoms of Java, is believed to have founded a 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.[5] 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).[6] 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.[

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.[5] 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, Tuanku Imam Bonjol was captured and exiled soon after, 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. Later 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, and 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, dissatisfaction with the centralist and communist-leaning

policies of the Sukarno administration triggered a revolt which was centered in

the Minangkabau region of Sumatra, with rebels proclaiming the Revolutionary
Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) in Bukittinggi. The Indonesian

military invaded West Sumatra in April 1958 and had recaptured major towns within

the next month. A period of guerrilla warfare ensued, but most rebels had

surrendered by August 1961. In the years following, West Sumatra was like an

occupied territory with Javanese officials occupying most senior civilian,

military and police positions.[8] The policies of centralization continued under

the Suharto regime. The national government legislated to apply the Javanese desa

village system throughout Indonesia, and in 1983 the traditional Minangkabau

nagari village units were split into smaller jorong units, thereby destroying the

traditional village social and cultural institutions.[9] In the years following

the downfall of the Suharo regime decentralization policies were implemented,

giving more autonomy to provinces, thereby allowing West Sumatra to reinstitute

the nagari system.[10]

The traditional historiography or tambo of the Minangkabau tells of the

development of the Minangkabau World (alam Minangkabau) and its adat. These

stories are derived from an oral history which was transmitted between generations

before the Minangkabau had a written language. The first Minangkabau are said to

have arrived by ship and landed on Mount Marapi when it was no bigger than the

size of an egg, which protruded from a surrounding body of water. After the waters

receded the Minangkabau proliferated and dispersed to the slopes and valleys

surrounding the volcano, a region called the darek. The darek is comprised of

three luhak - Limapuluh Koto, Tanah Datar and Agam. The tambo claims the ship was

sailed by a descendant of Alexander the Great (Iskandar Zulkarnain).[11]

A division in Minangkabau adat into two systems is said to be the result of

conflict between two half-brothers Datuk Ketemanggungan and Datuk Perpatih nan

Sabatang, who were the leaders who formulated the foundations of Minangkabau adat.

The former accepted Adityawarman, a prince from Majapahit, as a king while the

latter considered him a minister, and a civil war ensued. The Bodi Caniago system

formulated by Datuk Perpatih nan Sabatang is based upon egalitarian principles

with all panghulu (clan chiefs) being equal while the Koto Piliang system is more

autocratic with there being a hierarchy of panghulu. Each village (nagari) in the

darek was an autonomous "republic", and governed independently of the Minangkabau

kings using one of the two adat systems. After the darek was settled, new outside

settlements were created and ruled using the Koto Piliang system by rajas who were

representatives of the king

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 educated professions in Indonesia, with many ministers

from Minang. 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.

Today both natural and cultural tourism have become considerable economic

activities in West Sumatra

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 cer
Wild boar hunt ceremon

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
in the pass 10 or 50 years and even more, must do the Batagak PanguluTraditional Minangkabau music includes saluang jo dendang which consists of

singing to the accompaniment of a saluang bamboo flute, and talempong gong-chime

music. Dances include the tari piring (plate dance), tari payung (umbrella dance)

and tari indang. Demonstrations of the silat martial art are performed. Pidato

adat are ceremonial orations performed at formal occasions.

Randai is a folk theater tradition which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama

and the silat martial art. Randai is usually performed for traditional ceremonies

and festivals, and complex stories may span a number of nights.[12] It is

performed as a theatre-in-the-round to achieve an equality and unity between

audience members and the performers.[13] Randai performances are a synthesis of

alternating martial arts dances, songs, and acted scenes. Stories are delivered by

both the acting and the singing and are mostly based upon Minangkabau legends and

folktales.[12] Randai originated early in the 20th century out of fusion of local

martial arts, story-telling and other performance traditions.[14] Men originally

played both the male and female characters in the story, but since the 1960s women

have also participated

Particular Minangkabau villages specialize in cottage industries producing

handicrafts such as woven sugarcane and reed purses, gold and silver jewellery

using filigree and granulation techniques, woven songket textiles, wood carving,

embroidery, pottery, and metallurgy

The staple ingredients of the Minangkabau diet are rice, fish, coconut, green

leafy vegetables and chili. The usage of meat is mainly limited to special

occasions, and beef and chicken are most commonly used. Pork is not halal and

therefore not consumed, while lamb, goat and game are rarely consumed for reasons

of taste and availability. Spiciness is a characteristic of Minangkabau food, and

the most commonly used herbs and spices are chili, turmeric, ginger and galangal.

Vegetables are consumed two or three times a day. Fruits are mainly seasonal,

although fruits such as banana, papaya and citrus are continually available.[15]

Three meals a day are typical with lunch being the most important meal, except

during the fasting month of Ramadan where lunch is not eaten. Meals commonly

consist of steamed rice, a hot fried dish and a coconut milk dish, with a little

variation from breakfast to dinner.[15] Meals are generally eaten from a plate

using the fingers of the right hand.[citation needed] Snacks are more frequently

eaten by people in urban areas than in villages. Western food has had little

impact upon Minangkabau consumption and preference to date.[15]

Rendang is a dish which is considered to be a characteristic of Minangkabau

culture, and is cooked 4-5 times a year.[15] Other characteristic dishes include

Asem Padeh, Soto Padang, Sate Padang, Dendeng Balado (beef with chili sauce).

Food has a central role in the Minangkabau ceremonies which honor religious and

life cycle rites.

Minangkabau food is popular among Indonesians and restaurants are present

throughout Indonesia. Nasi Padang restaurants, named after the capital of West

Sumatra, are known for placing a variety of Minangkabau dishes on a customer's

table along with rice and billing only for what is taken.[16] Nasi Kapau is

another restaurant variant which specializes in dishes using offal and the use of

tamarind to add a sourness to the spicy flavor

Rumah gadang (Minangkabau: 'big house') are the traditional homes (Indonesian:

rumah adat) of the Minangkabau. The architecture, construction, internal and

external decoration, and the functions of the house reflect the culture and values

of the Minangkabau. A rumah gadang serves as a residence, a hall for family

meetings, and for ceremonial activities. With the Minangkabau society being

matrilineal, the rumah gadang is owned by the women of the family who live there -

ownership is passed from mother to daughter.

The houses have dramatic curved roof structure with multi-tiered, upswept gables.

Shuttered windows are built into walls incised with profuse painted floral

carvings. The term rumah gadang usually refers to the larger communal homes,

however, smaller single residences share many of its architectural elements

Minangkabau culture has a long history of oral traditions. One oral tradition is

the pidato adat (ceremonial orations) which are performed by panghulu (clan

chiefs) at formal occasions such as weddings, funerals, adoption ceremonies, and

panghulu inaugurations. These ceremonial orations consist of many forms including

pantun, aphorisms (papatah-patiti), proverbs (pameo), religious advice (petuah),

parables (tamsia), two-line aphorisms (gurindam), and similes (ibarat).

Minangkabau traditional folktales (kaba) consist of narratives which present the

social and personal consequences of either ignoring or observing the ethical

teachings and the norms embedded in the adat. The storyteller (tukang kaba)

recites the story in poetic or lyrical prose while accompanying himself on a

rebab.

A theme in Minangkabau folktales is the central role mothers and motherhood has in

Minangkabau society, with the folktales Rancak diLabueh and Malin Kundang being

two examples. Rancak diLabueh is about a mother who acts as teacher and adviser to

her two growing children. Initially her son is vain and headstrong and only after

her perseverance does he become a good son who listens to his mother.[18] Malin

Kundang is about the dangers of treating your mother badly. A sailor from a poor

family voyages to seek his fortune, becoming rich and marrying. After refusing to

recognize his elderly mother on his return home, being ashamed of his humble

origins, he is cursed and dies when his ship is flung against rocks by a

storm.[18]

Other popular folktales also relate to the important role of the woman in

Minangkabau society. In the Cindua Mato epic the woman is the source of wisdom,

while in whereas in the Sabai nan Aluih she is more a doer than a thinker. Cindua

Mato (Staring Eye) is about the traditions of Minangkabau royalty. The story

involves a mythical Minangkabau queen, Bundo Kanduang, who embodies the behaviors

prescribed by adat. Cindua Mato, a servant of the queen, uses magic to defeat

hostile outside forces and save the kingdom.[19] Sabai nan Aluih (The genteel
Sabai) is about a young girl named Sabai, the hero of the story, who avenges he

murder of her father by a powerful and evil ruler from a neighboring village.

After her father's murder her cowardly elder brother refuses to confront the

murderer and so Sabai decides to take matters into her own hands. She seeks out

the murderer and shoots him in revenge

The Minangkabau language (Baso Minangkabau) is an Austronesian language belonging

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.[20] The Padang dialect has become the lingua franca for people of

different language regions.[21]

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.[20] 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 min 6,500,000 (1981) Agam, Pajokumbuh, Tanah, Si Junjung, Batu

Sangkar-Pariangan, Singkarak, Orang Mamak, Ulu, Kerinci-Minangkabau, Aneuk Jamee

(Jamee), Penghulu

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

Animism has been an important component of Minangkabau culture. Even after the

penetration of Islam into Minangkabau society in the 16th century, animistic

beliefs were not extinguished. In this belief system, people were said to have two

souls, a real soul and a soul which can disappear called the semangat. Semangat

represents the vitality of life and it is said to be possessed by all animals and

plants. An illness may be explained as the capture of the semangat by an evil

spirit, and a shaman (pawang) may be consulted to conjure invisible forces and

bring comfort to the family. Sacrificial offerings can be made to placate the

spirits, and certain objects such as amulets are used as protection.[23]

Until the rise of the Padri movement late in the 18th century, Islamic practices

such as prayers, fasting and attendance at mosques had been weakly observed in the

Minangkabau highlands. The Padri were inspired by the Wahhabi movement in Mecca,

and sought to eliminate societal problems such tobacco and opium smoking, gambling

and general anarchy by ensuring the tenets of the Koran were strictly observed.

All Minangkabau customs allegedly in conflict with the Koran were to be abolished.

Although the Padri were eventually defeated by the Dutch, during this period the

relationship between adat and religion was reformulated. Previously adat was said

to be based upon appropriateness and propriety, but this was changed so adat was

more strongly based upon Islamic precepts.[24][3]

With the Minangkabau highlands being the heartland of their culture, and with

Islam likely entering the region from coast it is said that ‘custom descended,

religion ascended’ (adat manurun, syarak mandaki).[

The Minangkabau people activities and achievement is very diverse, many are

politician, writers, ulama, journalist, scientist, film producer, and businessmen.

They are represented success community out of proportion with their small numbers

in Indonesia. Based on Tempo magazine (new year of 2000th special edition), six of

top ten of Indonesian people who had influence in 20th century consists of

Minangkabau people.

Though Minangkabau people had settled outside West Sumatra since 14th century.

They spread out to Java, Sulawesi, Malay peninsula, Thailand, Brunei, and the

Philippines. Raja Bagindo migration to south Philippines and founded the Sultanate

of Sulu in 1390. The Minangkabaus were moved to the state of Negeri Sembilan in

the 14th century and began to control local politics. In 1773 Raja Melewar was

appointed the first head of state of Negeri Sembilan. Late of 16th century, Dato

Ri Bandang and Dato Ri Tiro, taught Islam in Sulawesi, Borneo, and Nusa Tenggara.

They was converted kings of Gowa and Tallo to be moslem.

Moslem reformist from Middle East (Mecca and Cairo) influence the education system

in Minangkabau hinterland. Sumatera Thawalib, Adabiah and Diniyah Putri, borned of

hundreds activist for modern Indonesia, such as Djamaluddin Tamin, A.R Sutan

Mansyur, and Siradjuddin Abbas.

Many Minangkabau people had prominent positions in the Indonesian and Malay

nationalism movement. In 1920-1960, the political leader in Indonesian dominated

by Minangkabau people, such as Mohammad Hatta, a former Indonesian government

prime minister and vice president, Muhammad Yamin, a former Indonesian government

minister, Tan Malaka, international communist leader and founder of PARI and

Murba, Sutan Sjahrir, a former Indonesian government prime minister and founder of

Socialist Party of Indonesia, Muhammad Natsir, a former Indonesian government

prime minister and founder of Masyumi, Assat, a former Indonesian president. While

liberal democracy era, Minangkabau politician had dominated of parliament and

Indonesian cabinet. They were affiliated to all of faction, islamist, nationalist,

socialist and communist.

Minangkabau writers and journalist made significant contributions to modern

Indonesian literature. They are Marah Roesli, Abdul Muis, Sutan Takdir

Alisjahbana, Idrus, Hamka, as authors, Muhammad Yamin, Chairil Anwar, Taufik

Ismail as poets, and Djamaluddin Adinegoro, Rosihan Anwar as journalist. Most of

the prominent Indonesian novels wrote by Minangkabau writer and its influenced

development of modern Indonesian language.

Nowadays, beside Chinese Indonesian, Minangkabau people have significant

contributions in economic activities. Most of Minangkabau businessmen success in

hospitality, media, healthcare, and textile trader. Minangkabau businessmen also

prominent in traditional restaurant chain that settled in many cities of

Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. In medieval century, Minangkabau traders made

large contributions in Malays kingdom, connected among Aceh, Kedah, Siak, Johor,

and Malacca.

People of Minangkabau descent who made significant contributions outside of

Indonesia include Yusof bin Ishak, who was the first President of Singapore, Zubir

Said, who composed the national anthem of Singapore Majulah Singapura, Tan Sri

Abdul Samad Idris, a former Malaysian minister of sports and culture in the 1970s

who was active in the Malaysian independence movement and also a historian who

researched about Minang culture, and Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi who became a hero

in World War II

by Minangkabau group from FB