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.

Origin of the name

The name Minangkabau is 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

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.

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 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 live 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 made the Minangkabau homeland (the province of West Sumatra) one of the powerhouses in the Indonesian struggle for independence.

The Minang people belong to the Malay stock. Despite widespread use of Bahasa Indonesia, they have their own mother tongue. The Minangkabau language shares many similar words with Malay,

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.

Why Minangkabau embrace Islam

Most people who learn that the Minangkabau is a matriarchal culture, usually get confused when they learn that the Minangkabau people are among the stronger upholders of Islam, a religion that to most people seems to marginalize women. But the truth is, as there are so many similarities between Minangkabau Law (at least today) and Islamic Law, the Minangkabau people find it impossible to distinguish the two.To illustrate, below are a few examples:

Minangkabau Law: Boys must leave house to stay as an apprentice with his teacher.Islamic Law: Learning is a must.

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

Minangkabau Law: Children belong to their mother. Islamic Law: Upon divorce, children go with their mother.

Minangkabau Law: Mother is the most important human being to a person. Islamic Law: Mother deserves respect 3 times more than father does.

Islam is so deeply rooted in their culture that being un-Islamic is equal to being un-Minang to them.

Ceremonies and festivals

Minangkabau ceremonies and festivals include:

• Turun mandi - baby blessing ceremony
• Sunat rasul - circumcision ceremony
• Pesta parkawinan - 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

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

Traditional Minangkabau crafts include:

• Hand weaving of Songket cloth
• Embroidery
• Wood carving
• Goldsmithing and silversmithing of jewelry by filigree and granulation techniques

Notable Minangkabau people

• Abdul Muis, Indonesian writer, journalist and nationalist
• Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi, World War II hero
• Chaerul Saleh, former Indonesian government minister
• Chairil Anwar, poet
• Buya Hamka, Islamic scholar and author
• Prof Dr Emil Salim, economist and former Indonesian government minister
• Haji Agus Salim, former Indonesian government minister
• Mohammad Hatta, former Indonesian government prime minister and vice president
• Mohammad Natsir, former Indonesian government prime minister
• Mohammad Yamin, former Indonesian government minister
• Rasuna Said, Indonesian nationalist political leader, first female minister of Indonesia
• Rohana Kudus, women's activist and author
• Sutan Sjahrir, former Indonesian government prime minister
• Tan Malaka, Indonesian nationalist activist and communist leader
• Tuanku Imam Bonjol, leader in the Padri movement
• Tuanku Nan Renceh, leader in the Padri War
• Yusof Ishak, half-Minangkabau descent, first President of Singapore
• Zubir Said, Composer of Majulah Singapura, National Anthem of Singapore

Further reading

• Anne Summerfield, John Summerfield: Walk in Splendor: Ceremonial Dress and the Minangkabau. UCLA, Los Angeles 1999 ISBN 0-93074-173-0

See also

• West Sumatra
• Negeri Sembilan

Suku Minang Minangkabaush:Minangkabau