Minangkabau are an ethnic group of western Sumatra, in the island nation of Indonesia. The Minangkabau make up less than 5 percent of the total population of Indonesia. They live in the province of West Sumatra and the neighboring areas, from the province of Jambi in south-central Sumatra to Aceh, on the island’s northern tip. Many Minangkabau have also migrated to the island of Java since Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands in 1945.
The Minangkabau speak a language similar to the Malay language. At least four dialects of Minangkabau are spoken in Sumatra.
The Minangkabau identify strongly with the religion of Islam. Unlike many Islamic societies, which are patriarchal (controlled by males), Minangkabau society is largely matriarchal, controlled by females. Kinship is considered to be matrilineal—that is, relationships are traced through the mother’s lineage. The traditions of the Minangkabau are undergoing rapid change in response to modernization and the development of an Indonesian national identity.
Minangkabau culture is a unique blend of traditional customs and Islam. Traditionally, extended families lived in a large house called a rumah gadang, owned by adult females. This building served as a family home as well as a meeting place and ceremonial center. Boys’ activities centered in the surau, a small local mosque, where they learned to recite the Qur’ān and prayed, socialized, and slept. When a man married, he was allowed to sleep in his wife’s family house as a guest. This practice has changed with modernization and urbanization. Today, more Minangkabau live in single family homes.
Harmony between traditional customs and Islam has not always held among the Minangkabau. In 1803, an Islamic reformist group, called the Padri, formed. The group demanded that people embrace a purer form of Islam and used violence against those who refused. They even killed members of the Minangkabau royal family. In 1821, the remaining royals asked the Dutch for help. That year, the Dutch made their first attack against the Padri and the Padri War began. Dutch colonials used this opportunity to assert their control in West Sumatra. The Padri were eventually defeated by the Dutch in 1837. The Padri leader, Imam Bonjol, was captured and sent into exile.
