Bugis are a people of Indonesia. The Bugis, also known as the Buginese, are one of two major ethnic groups inhabiting the southern peninsula of the island of Sulawesi. The other group is the Makasarese. There are about 5 million Bugis today. They speak a language that belongs to the Austronesian family. The written form of the language uses a script of Indian origin. The Bugis are a highly cultured people with a rich literary heritage. They have a class-based society similar to the Indian caste system. Although once Buddhists, they have been followers of Islam since the 1600’s.
The Bugis are rice farmers and live in village communities of about 100 people each. But they have a long tradition of seafaring activities, and many are active in trade between the islands of Indonesia.
Like the Makasarese, the Bugis originated in Makasar, in southwestern Sulawesi. They became skilled sailors and traders. Some also became pirates. They helped make Makasar a prosperous area. In the 1600’s, the Bugis began to come into conflict with the Dutch East India Company, a trading company based in the Netherlands. In 1667, the Dutch captured Makasar. The Bugis left Makasar and established themselves in Selangor and Riau. In the late 1700’s, the Bugis went to war against the Dutch and later had conflicts with the Malay states.
