The Land
The people of Minangkabau is the Malay who reside current West Sumatra
Province with the capital city of
Padang. A city with around 300.000 residents located on the west coast
of West Sumatra, facing Indian ocean
Other big city in West Sumatra is Bukit Tinggi located on highland with
nice temperature which is considered the capital city of
Minangkabau land. Historical researches revealed that the first kingdom
on the country was located around
60 kms away from Bukit Tinggi city, a place called Pagaruyung. Here was
found stone inscription in old Malay
language and old Javanese writing. The inscription mentioned that king
Adityawarman was ruling the country
who was assigned by the kingdom of Pajajaran from West Java in 14th
century. During the time West Java
was under the control of the Great Kingdom of Majapahit.
To reach the country one can fly directly to Padang from any big cities
in Indonesia. Fly from Jakarta need only 2 hours, and from
Medan the capital city of North Sumatra is only 1 hour. Yet one who wish
to travel with visit to some
great places along the land of North and West Sumatra will take car from
Medan to Padang, a distance of
800 kms and can be completed within 7 days with overnight stop at some
places such as Mountain resort of
Berastagi, 2 night at Lake Toba and Samosir Island the land of Batak
Tribe, the city of Padang Sidempuan the
border between the land of Batak and Minangkabau, then continue to Bukit
Tinggi and Padang by crossing
the equator line at the town of Bonjol, between Bukit Tinggi and Padang.
One thing that is well known
from West Sumatra is the cuisine called "Masakan Padang"
Kinship Tradition
The only ethnic of Indonesia using mother line or mother genealogy as the main lineage of family heir in
Indonesia. In relation to the family genealogy and heritages the Minangkabau has typical tradition
called matrilineal or matriarchart system. Children are considered belong to the mother and her sister(s),
not belong to father and his sister(s) or brother(s). A father seems to be out of the family, out of his wife
and his children. He has no right to claim the heritage(s) of the family and acts as the guard only for
the whole heritages and heirlooms of the family to be safe, or just like a security for a company.
The concept of a family in Minangkabau society is different from the rest of Indonesian ethnic group,
the core family ( father, mother and their children ) is not a family, but is only part of a of
a family. The understanding of a family in Minangkabau society is a unit consist of mother's sister(s),
mother's brother(s), son(s) and daughter(s) of mother's sister(s). While father and his son(s) are belong
to other family that is father's sister(s). The core family has no right to the whole management of
family heritages and heirlooms and in the society structure of obligation and rights. Yet the growth and
education of the children sons or daughters is the full responsibility of father and mother apart. A father
or son is not the heir of a family, but it is the daughter(s) of mother and her sister(s) of mother. Husband
has the duty to guard the family heritages, managing, and distributing to the heirs safely, not for the sake
of himself. Wife or wife's sister(s) will not allow him to rent or sell the heritages. Heritages in the
Minangkabau language is called "Pusako", compared to Indonesian "Pusaka" which has almost the same
meaning. Pusako is divided into 2 groups, the high pusako including land of rice field or dry land,
estate or plantations, while low pusako is heirlooms, or gift. All these heritages are owned by the
line of mother from generation to generation. All these heritages will go to mother's daughter(s), and in case
the heir is absent, then based on consensus will be taken the girl from mother's line to be the family
heir. That is the main reason that a man from Minangkabau prefers to leave their land and go
to other country
Core Family
A unit of family in Minangkabau society as mentioned above is consist of big family
which is called pariuk or
perut, kampueng or suku, depending on the area, weather they are on lowland or on the mountain area. But it
shows the smallest unit of a family, reflected in the architecture of their house called " Rumah Gadang"
Kampueng or Suku was formed by Datuk Parpatih Nan Sebatang based on his visit to China. The way the Chinese
identify their family by using family names amazed him and inspired him to manage the people of Minangkabau
with this system. At the beginning it is said only 3 groups were exist those were the group of Suku Koto, Suku
Piliang, Suku Bodi, and Suku Caniago. As the number and area of West Sumatra was to wide, each of these
Suku again divided into smaller units. At some places a Suku had far bigger number of residents, while the Suku
of their neighbors had much fewer members. Since the marriage is regulated between Suku, so it was not
enough for one Suku that had bigger members to merry the Suku with fewer member. Based on this
condition,
again the bigger Suku was divided into smaller unit of Sukus called Paruik or Perut. Here Perut became the
smaller unit of administration. A Suku or Perut is headed by 4 elders: The Penghulu, the Malim, the Manti
and the Dubalang.
Who was Datuk Parpatih? Researches so far disclose that from the turn of Christian era the latest
of 14th century West Sumatra was under the control of Hindu and Buddhist kingdom. Sriwijaya kingdom
believed to have ruled Sumatra from the beginning of Christian era up to 10th century, then taken over
by the great kingdom of Majapahit. The terminology " Parpatih" makes no doubt that it is " Patih ", the prime
minister of the minister of Hindu king, weather Sriwijaya or Majapahit who trusted to rule the country.
The relation between the country with China as mentioned above gives the indication that the person
was a Hindu or Buddhist, not Islam. Other interesting question is why only West Sumatra that use
the tradition of Matriarchart, while the rest of Indonesian ethnic using patriarchart? This is still
un-answered until today.
The country of Minangkabau is the area now called West Sumatera with their capital
is Padang city, located on the beach facing Indian Ocean. The area is divided
into 3 administrative government at the level of 2 under the province. The unit
customary organization of the people similar to a unit of a village which is called
Nagari. Nagari is the total unit that bound their members on customs and life.
It is estimated that the number of population is around 4.000.000. The people
of Minangkabau used to leave their country and live at other areas of Indonesia,
even in Malaysia. If you see a restaurant named "Ruman Makan Padang"
it is a Minangkabau restaurant, and sometimes in short called "Rumah Makan
Minang". Many experts say that matrilineal system of their society that force
Minangkabau men to leave their land. Minangkabau people speak Malay with some
silght different, which can be grouped as dialect /a/ tends to use /a/ as the
first vowel, and dialect /o/ tends to use /o/ as the first vowel.
The original house of Minangkabau is a high house, built on poles with roofs shaped
as horn, almost similar with that of Torajan in south Sulawesi. Thie house is
called "Rumah Gadang"
Basic economic activities are farming, trade, and small part also introduce handicraft
such as weaving and silver works. Most of the trades activities have been handled
by Minangkabau people themselves, and very few outsiders that can participate
in this economic activities. Within the Nagari organization system it is introduced
2 basic systems. Firstly is Body-Caniago, a democratic system, and Koto-Piliang
system, an autocratic system. Today these 2 systems have become more and more
disappeared due to the application of national system. Almost all people of Minangkabau
is Moslem. In the past many rituals that had relation with religion now already
discarded or simply forgotten. Some people are still believe in invisible being
or holy spirits that could effect human life. The famous tourist's object in West
Sumatera are the Canyon ( Sihanok Canyon ), just on the west border of Bukit Tinggi
city, Japanese Militery Defense Cave on the west corner of Bukit Tinggi city,
Rumah Gadang at Pagaruyug, Songket weaving at Pande Sikat village, and natural
sceneries for lakes and mountains and Anai waterfall.
Martial Art or locals said with Silek and in Indonesian with silat/beladiri.In Minangkabau every boys that grow to teen required to have this ability.Because in Minangkabau silek required to survive from enemy attack and land defence,that long time ago while in indonesia have many kingdom.Today silek use just to make you can survive by the enemy.
