West Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Barat) is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. It is located on the west coast of the island of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
and includes the
Mentawai Islands Mentawai may refer to:
* Mentawai Islands
* Mentawai Strait
* Mentawai people
* Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
Acco ...
off that coast. The province has an area of , with a population of 5,534,472 at the
2020 census.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] The official estimate at mid 2021 was 5,580,232.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022.] West Sumatra borders the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
to the west, as well as the provinces of
North Sumatra
North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
to the north,
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
to the northeast,
Jambi
Jambi is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the east coast of central Sumatra and spans to the Barisan Mountains in the west. Its capital and largest city is Jambi. The province has a land area of 50,160.05 km2, and a sea area of 3, ...
to the southeast, and
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
to the south. The province is
subdivided into twelve
regencies and seven
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
. It has relatively more cities than other provinces outside of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
, although several of them are relatively low in population compared with cities elsewhere in Indonesia. ' is the province's
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and
largest city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
.
West Sumatra is home to the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
, although the traditional Minangkabau region is actually wider than the province's boundaries, covering up to the southern region of North Sumatra, the western region of Riau, the western region of Jambi, the northern region of Bengkulu, and in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Another native ethnic group is the
Mentawai people
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunt ...
, who inhabit the western islands of the same name.
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is a predominant religion in the province, with about 97.4% of the total population.
West Sumatra was the centre of the
Pagaruyung Kingdom
Pagaruyung (ڤاڬارويوڠ; also Pagarruyung, Pagar Ruyung and, Malayapura or Malayupura) was the seat of the Minangkabau kings of Western Sumatra, though little is known about it. Modern Pagaruyung is a village in ''Tanjung Emas'' subdist ...
, founded by
Adityawarman
Adityawarman (formal regnal name Maharajadiraja Srīmat Srī Udayādityawarma Pratāpaparākrama Rājendra Maulimāli Warmadewa. ) was a king of Malayapura Suvarnabhumi, and is the successor of the Mauli dynasty based on central Sumatra. He was ...
in 1347. The first European to come to the region was a
French traveler named
Jean Parmentier who arrived around 1523. The region was later colonised by the
Dutch Empire and became a
residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
named Sumatra's West Coast ( nl, Sumatra's Westkust), whose administrative area included the present-day
Kampar Regency
Kampar is a regency (''kabupaten'') of Riau, Indonesia. It has an area of 11,289.28 km2 and had a population of 686,204 at the 2010 Census, 793,005 at the 2015 Intermediate Census and 841,332 at the 2020 Census. The administrative centre of t ...
in Riau and
Kerinci Regency
Kerinci is a regency (''kabupaten'') in Jambi province, on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The regency has an area of . Kerinci Regency had a population of 229,495 at the 2010 Census, 234,912 at the 2015 Census and 250,259 at the 2020 Census; t ...
in Jambi. Before becoming a province in 1957, West Sumatra was a part of the province of Central Sumatra (1948–1957), alongside Riau, Jambi, and the
Riau Islands
The Riau Islands ( id, Kepulauan Riau) is a province of Indonesia. It comprises a total of 1,796 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping la ...
.
Etymology
West Sumatra is known by the name ''Bumi Minangkabau'' (Land of Minangkabau), as it is the home and origin of the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
. The ''Minangkabau'' name comes from two words namely, ''Minang'' (win) and ''Kabau'' (cattle). The name is associated with a Minangkabau legend known as ''Tambo''. From the ''Tambo'', it is said that at one time there was a foreign kingdom (usually interpreted as the
Majapahit Empire
Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was based on the island of Java (in modern-day Indonesia ...
) which came from the sea and would conquer what is now West Sumatra. To prevent fighting in the region, the local people propose a cattle race competition with the foreign forces. The foreign forces agreed and sent a large and aggressive cattle to the competition, while the local community sent a cattle calf who was still breastfeeding to the competition. In the competition, the cattle calf who was still breastfeeding thought the large and aggressive cattle was the mother. So the calf immediately ran towards the large and aggressive cattle to find milk until he tore apart the big cattle's stomach. The victory inspired the local people to use the name ''Minangkabau,'' which comes from the phrase "''Manang kabau''" (winning cattle).
The story of the Tambo is also found in the which also mentions that the victory made the country that was previously named ''Pariangan'' changed to the name ''Minangkabau''. Furthermore, the use of the name ''Minangkabau'' is also used to refer to a
''nagari'' (village), namely the ''Nagari Minangkabau'', which is located in Sungayang District,
Tanah Datar Regency
Tanah Datar Regency is a landlocked regency (''kabupaten'') in West Sumatra province, Indonesia. The regency has an area of 1,336 km2, and had a population of 338,484 at the 2010 Census, which rose to 371,704 at the 2020 Census. The regency seat ...
.
In the historical record of the Majapahit Empire, which dated from 1365, also mentioned the name ''Minangkabwa'' as one of the Malay countries that has been conquered by the Majapahit. Likewise in the
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
Chronicles from 1405, there was the royal name of ''Mi-nang-ge-bu'' of the six kingdoms who sent messengers facing
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...
in
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
. On the other hand, the name ''Minang'' (Minanga kingdom) itself has also been mentioned in the
Kedukan Bukit inscription
The Kedukan Bukit inscription is an inscription discovered by the Dutchman C.J. Batenburg on 29 November 1920 at Kedukan Bukit, South Sumatra, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), on the banks of Tatang River, a tributary of Musi River. It is the ...
dated from 682 which is written in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
. In the inscription, it was stated that the founder of the
Srivijaya Empire named
Dapunta Hyang
Dapunta Hyang Sri Jayanasa () was the first Maharaja (Emperor) of Srivijaya and thought to be the dynastic founder of Kadatuan Srivijaya. His name was mentioned in the series of Srivijayan inscriptions dated from late 7th century CE dubbed as the ...
departed from a place called ''Minānga''. Some experts who refer to the source of the inscription suspects that the 4th line words (... ''minānga'') and the 5th line words (''tāmvan'' ...) are actually incorporated, so that they become ''mināngatāmvan'' and are translated as the meeting point of twin rivers. The twin river is supposed to refer to the meeting of two sources of the
Kampar River
The Kampar River is on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, about 800 km northwest of the capital Jakarta. It is a well-known river surfing destination because of its tidal bore, known as Bono.
Course
The river originates in the Barisan Mounta ...
, namely the
Kampar Kiri River and the
Kampar Kanan River
The Kampar Kanan River is a river in Riau province, Sumatra island, Indonesia. It is a tributary of the Kampar River.
Hydrology
The river springs out of Mount Gadang. It flows first to the north, then turning to east, meeting the tributaries Bata ...
. But this hypothesis is denied by the Dutch indologist
Johannes Gijsbertus de Casparis, which proves that ''tāmvan'' has nothing to do with "meeting point", because these can also be found in other Srivijaya relics.
History
Prehistoric era
![Masjid Pariangan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Masjid_Pariangan.jpg)
From the ''tambo'' received from generation to generation, their ancestors were from the descendants of
Iskandar
Iskandar, Iskander, Askander, Eskinder, or Scandar ( ar, إسكندر ( fa, اسکندر ''Eskandar'' or سکندر ''Skandar''), is a variant of the given name Alexander in cultures such as Iran (Persia), Arabia and others throughout the Middle Ea ...
Zulkarnain (
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
). Even though the ''tambo'' is not systematically arranged and is more legendary than the facts and tends to a literary work that has become the property of many people.
However, this tambo story is more or less comparable to the
Malay Annals who also tells how the Minangkabau people sent their representatives to ask
Sang Sapurba Sri Maharaja Sang Sapurba Paduka Sri Trimurti Tri Buana, (1245–1316) also known as Sri Nila Pahlawan, is a figure in the Malay Annals, highly revered as the legendary great ancestor of some of the major dynasties of the Malay world: Singapura, Ma ...
, one of the descendants of Iskandar Zulkarnain, to become their king.
The Minang community is part of the Deutro-Malay community who migrated from the mainland of
Southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
to the island of Sumatra around 2,500-2,000 years ago. It is estimated that this community group entered from the east of the island of Sumatra, along the
Kampar river
The Kampar River is on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, about 800 km northwest of the capital Jakarta. It is a well-known river surfing destination because of its tidal bore, known as Bono.
Course
The river originates in the Barisan Mounta ...
to the highlands called ''darek'' and became the home of the Minangkabau people. Some of these ''darek'' areas then form a kind of confederation known as ''luhak'', which is then referred to as ''Luhak Nan Tigo'', which consists of ''Luhak Limo Puluah'', ''Luhak Agam'', and ''Luhak Tanah Data''. During the era of the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
, the ''luhak'' area became a territorial government area called ''afdeling'', headed by a resident who by the Minangkabau community was called the name ''Tuan Luhak.''
Initially, The Minangkabau people were included as a sub-group of the
Malays, but since the 19th century, the mention of the Minangkabau and the Malays began to be distinguished from seeing matrilineal culture that persisted compared to the patrilineal adopted by Malay society in general.
Precolonial era
According to the Minangkabau ''Tambo'', in the period between the 1st century to the 16th century, many small kingdoms stood on what is now West Sumatra. These kingdoms included the Kuntu, Kandis, Siguntur, Pasumayan Koto Batu, Batu Patah, Sungai Pagu, Inderapura, Jambu Lipo, Taraguang, Dusun Tuo, Bungo Setangkai, Talu, Kinali, Parit Batu, Pulau Punjungand
Pagaruyung
Pagaruyung (ڤاڬارويوڠ; also Pagarruyung, Pagar Ruyung and, Malayapura or Malayupura) was the seat of the Minangkabau kings of Western Sumatra, though little is known about it. Modern Pagaruyung is a village in ''Tanjung Emas'' subdist ...
Kingdoms. These kingdoms are never long living, and are usually under the influence of larger kingdoms, such as
Malayu and Pagaruyung.
The
Malayu Kingdom is estimated to have appeared in 645 which is estimated to be located in the upper reaches of the
Batang Hari river
The Batang Hari ( Indonesian: ''Sungai Batanghari'') is the longest river in Jambi province, Sumatra island, Indonesia, about northwest of the capital Jakarta.
Hydrology
The river originates in the Minangkabau Highlands, home of the Minangkab ...
. Based on the
Kedukan Bukit Inscription
The Kedukan Bukit inscription is an inscription discovered by the Dutchman C.J. Batenburg on 29 November 1920 at Kedukan Bukit, South Sumatra, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), on the banks of Tatang River, a tributary of Musi River. It is the ...
, this kingdom was conquered by
Srivijaya
Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
in 682. And then in 1183 it appeared again based on the
Grahi Inscription Grahi inscription is an inscription found in Chaiya, southern Thailand, written in Old Khmer language with Old Sumatran script, and dated to 1183 CE. This inscription is written on the pedestal of a bronze Buddha statue, that is stored at Wat Hua Wi ...
in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, and then the ''
Negarakertagama
The ''Nagarakretagama'' or ''Nagarakṛtāgama'', also known as ''Desawarnana'' or ''Deśavarṇana'', is an Old Javanese eulogy to Hayam Wuruk, a Javanese king of the Majapahit Empire. It was written on lontar as a '' kakawin'' by Mpu Pra ...
'' and ''
Pararaton
The Pararaton (''Book of Kings''), also known as the Katuturanira Ken Angrok (''Story of Ken Angrok''), is a Javanese historical chronicle written in Kawi (Old Javanese). The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages (1126 lines) contains ...
'' recorded the existence of the Malay Kingdom which had its capital in
Dharmasraya
Dharmasraya, is the capital of the 11th century Buddhist polity known as Melayu Kingdom, based on the Batanghari river system in modern-day West Sumatra and Jambi, on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.J.L.A. Brandes, 1902, ''Nāgarakrětāgama; ...
. A military expedition to West Sumatra called the
Pamalayu
The Pamalayu campaign was a diplomatic and military expeditionary force sent by the Javanese King Kertanegara of Singhasari to conquer the Sumatran Melayu Kingdom. It was decreed in 1275, though perhaps not undertaken until later.
Little is kno ...
emerged in 1275-1293 under the leadership of Kebo Anabrang of the
Singasari Kingdom. After the submission of the
''Amoghapasa'' carved on the
Padang Roco Inscription
The Padang Roco Inscription, in Indonesian Prasasti Padang Roco, is an inscription dated 1286 CE, discovered near the source of Batanghari river, Padangroco temple complex, Nagari Siguntur, Sitiung, Dharmasraya Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
E ...
, the Pamalayu team returned to Java with the daughters of King Dharmasraya,
Dara Petak {{Short description, Consort of Raden Wijaya
Dara Petak or Dara Pethak, also known in her formal name as Indreswari, was the consort of King Kertarajasa Jayawardhana, the founder of Majapahit kingdom. She was a Dharmasraya princess from Sumatra and ...
and
Dara Jingga
Dara Jingga, was one of the ethnic Malay, Malay Dharmasraya princess who was intended to be betrothed to Javanese King Kertanegara of Singasari after the Pamalayu expedition 1275–1293.
Dara Jingga was the older sister of Dara Petak, the consort ...
. Dara Petak was married to
Raden Wijaya
Raden Wijaya or Raden Vijaya (also known as Nararya Sangramawijaya, regnal name Kertarajasa Jayawardhana) (reigned 1293–1309) was a Javanese emperor, and the founder and first monarch of the Majapahit Empire.Slamet Muljana, 2005, ''Runtuhny ...
, the king of
Majapahit
Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...
, as well as the heir of the Singasari kingdom, while Dara Jingga was married to
Adwayawarman Adwayawarman was the father of King Adityawarman of Malayapura kingdom (now in West Sumatra province, Indonesia) as mentioned in the Kuburajo I Inscription. His alias name was Adwayadwaja, as he was called in the Bukit Gombak Inscription.
Histori ...
. Jayanagara was born from the marriage of Raden Wijaya and Dara Petak, who would become the second king of Majapahit, while
Adityawarman
Adityawarman (formal regnal name Maharajadiraja Srīmat Srī Udayādityawarma Pratāpaparākrama Rājendra Maulimāli Warmadewa. ) was a king of Malayapura Suvarnabhumi, and is the successor of the Mauli dynasty based on central Sumatra. He was ...
was born from the marriage of Dara Jingga and Adwayawarman; he later to become King of the Pagaruyung Kingdom.
The
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
-
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
influence in western Sumatra emerged around the 13th century, and began during the Pamalayu Expedition by
Kertanagara
Sri Maharajadiraja Sri Kertanegara Wikrama Dharmatunggadewa, Kritanagara, or Sivabuddha (died 1292), was the last and most important ruler of the Singhasari kingdom of Java, reigning from 1268 to 1292. Under his rule Javanese trade and power devel ...
, and later during the reign of Adityawarman and his son
Ananggawarman.
The power of Adityawarman is estimated to be strong enough to dominate the central and the surrounding Sumatra region.
This can be proven by the title ''Maharajadiraja'' which is carried by Adityawarman as it is carved on the back of the Amoghapasa Statue, which is found in the upper reaches of the
Batang Hari river
The Batang Hari ( Indonesian: ''Sungai Batanghari'') is the longest river in Jambi province, Sumatra island, Indonesia, about northwest of the capital Jakarta.
Hydrology
The river originates in the Minangkabau Highlands, home of the Minangkab ...
(now part of the
Dharmasraya Regency). The
Batusangkar inscription mentioned Ananggawarman as a
yuvaraja
Yuv(a)raj(a) (Sanskrit: युवराज) is an Indian title for the crown prince, and the heir apparent to the throne of an Indian (notably Hindu) kingdom or (notably in the Mughal Empire or British Raj) princely state. It is usually applied t ...
performing the
Tantris
Tantris is a restaurant in Munich, Germany. Opened in 1971, it is regarded as one of the best restaurants in Germany. It was voted 44th best in the world in the Restaurant (magazine) Top 50 2009. Chefs have included Eckart Witzigmann and Heinz ...
teaching ritual from Buddhism called
hevajra
Hevajra (Tibetan: kye'i rdo rje / kye rdo rje; Chinese: 喜金剛 Xǐ jīngāng /
呼金剛 Hū jīngāng;) is one of the main yidams (enlightened beings) in Tantric, or Vajrayana Buddhism. Hevajra's consort is Nairātmyā (Tibetan: bdag med ...
which is the ceremony of the transfer of power from Adityawarman to his crown prince, this can be attributed to the Chinese chronicle of 1377 about the ''San-fo-ts'i'' messenger to the
Emperor of China
''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...
requested a request for recognition as a ruler in the ''San-fo-ts'i'' region. Some inland areas of central Sumatra are still influenced by Buddhism, among others, the Padangroco temple, the
Padanglawas temple and
Muara Takus
Muara Takus ( id, Candi Muara Takus) is a Buddhist temple complex, thought to belong to the Srivijaya empire. It is situated in Kampar Regency in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Its surviving temples and other archaeological remains are thought ...
temple. Most likely the area was formerly part of Adityawarman's conquered area.
Whereas the recorded devout adherents besides Adityawarman in the previous period were
Kublai Khan
Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of th ...
and king
Kertanegara of Singhasari
Sri Maharajadiraja Sri Kertanegara Wikrama Dharmatunggadewa, Kritanagara, or Sivabuddha (died 1292), was the last and most important ruler of the Singhasari kingdom of Java, reigning from 1268 to 1292. Under his rule Javanese trade and power devel ...
.
![Minangkabau royal seal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Minangkabau_royal_seal.jpg)
The
spread of Islam
The spread of Islam spans about 1,400 years. Muslim conquests following Muhammad's death led to the creation of the caliphates, occupying a vast geographical area; conversion to Islam was boosted by Arab Muslim forces conquering vast territorie ...
after the end of the 14th century had little effect, especially relating to the patrilineal system, and gave a relatively new phenomenon to the people in the interior of Minangkabau. At the beginning of the 16th century, the ''
Suma Oriental
Suma may refer to:
Places
* Suma, Azerbaijan, a village
* Suma, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran
* Sowmaeh, Ardabil, also known as Şūmā, a village in Iran
* Suma-ku, Kobe, one of nine wards of Kobe City in Japan
** Suma Station, a rai ...
'', written between 1513 and 1515, recorded from the three Minangkabau kings, only one of whom had been a Muslim convert from 15 years before.
[Cortesão, Armando, (1944), ''The Suma Oriental of Tomé Pires'', London: Hakluyt Society, 2 vols.] The influence of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in Pagaruyung developed around the 16th century, namely through travelers and religious teachers who stopped or came from
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
and
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
. One of the famous ulama of Aceh,
Abd al-Rauf al-Sinkili
Abd al-Rauf ibn Ali al-Fansuri al-Sinkili (spelling variation ''Abdurrauf Singkil'', 1615–1693 CE) was a well-known Islamic scholar, spiritual leader of the Shattariyya tariqa and the mufti of Aceh Sultanate. He was the confidant of Sultana Safi ...
, was a cleric who was thought to first spread Islam in Pagaruyung. By the 17th century, the Kingdom of Pagaruyung finally transformed itself into an Islamic
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
ate. The first Islamic king in the Minangkabau traditional culture was named Sultan Alif.
[Batuah, A. Dt. & Madjoindo, A. Dt., (1959), ''Tambo Minangkabau dan Adatnya'', Jakarta: Balai Pustaka.]
With the entry of Islam, the customary rules that are contrary to the teachings of Islam began to be replaced with the Islamic-based law. There is a famous Minangkabau custom proverb, "''Adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi Kitabullah''", which means that the Minangkabau adat is based on Islam, while Islam is based on the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
. But in some cases, several systems and methods of adat are still maintained and this is what drove the outbreak of civil war known as the
Padri War
The Padri War (also called the Minangkabau War) was fought from 1803 until 1837 in West Sumatra, Indonesia between the Padri and the Adat. The Padri were Muslim clerics from Sumatra who wanted to impose Sharia in Minangkabau country in West Su ...
. That was initially between the
ulama
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
s and the ''Adats'', who were the Minangkabau nobility and traditional chiefs; later, the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
involved themselves in the war.
[Kepper, G., (1900), ''Wapenfeiten van het Nederlands Indische Leger; 1816-1900'', M.M. Cuvee, Den Haag.]
Islam also had an influence on Pagaruyung's kingdom government system with the addition of government elements such as ''Tuan Kadi'' and several other terms related to Islam. The naming of the Sumpur Kudus District, which contains the words derived from the word ''Quduus'' (holy) as the seat of ''Rajo Ibadat'' and ''Limo Kaum'' which contains the word ''qaum'' is clearly an influence from
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
or Islam. In addition, in the adat apparatus, the term ''Imam'', ''Katik'' (
Khatib
In Islam, a khatib, khateeb or hatib ( ar, خطيب ''khaṭīb'') is a person who delivers the sermon (''khuṭbah'') (literally "narration"), during the Friday prayer and Eid prayers.
The ''khateeb'' is usually the prayer leader (''imam''), ...
), ''Bila'' (Bilal), ''Malin'' (Mu'alim), which is a substitute for Hindu and Buddhist terms used previously, such as the term ''Pandito'' (priest), also appears.
Colonial era
![Imam Bonjol in 5000 IDR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Imam_Bonjol_in_5000_IDR.jpg)
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Pagaruyung Kingdom was forced to recognize the sovereignty of the
Aceh Sultanate
The Sultanate of Aceh, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam ( ace, Keurajeuën Acèh Darussalam; Jawoë: كاورجاون اچيه دارالسلام), was a sultanate centered in the modern-day Indonesian province of Aceh. It was a major ...
, and to recognize the designated Aceh governors for the west coast of Sumatra. But around 1665, the Minangkabau people on the west coast rose and rebelled against the Aceh governor. From the letter of the Minangkabau ruler who called himself Raja Pagaruyung submitted a request to the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
(VOC), and the VOC at that time took the opportunity at once to stop the Aceh monopoly on gold and pepper. Furthermore, the VOC through its regent in
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
, Jacob Pits whose territory included from Kotawan in the south to Barus in the north of Padang sent a letter dated October 9, 1668 addressed to the Ahmadsyah Sultan, Iskandar Zur-Karnain, the Minangkabau ruler who was rich in gold and told the VOC has controlled the west coast coastal area so that the gold trade can be re-flowed on the coast. According to Dutch records, the Ahmadsyah Sultan died in 1674 and was replaced by his son Sultan Indermasyah.
When the VOC succeeded in expelling the Aceh Sultanate from the coast of West Sumatra in 1666, Aceh's influence weakened on Pagaruyung.
The relationship between the overseas regions and the coast with the center of the Kingdom of Pagaruyung becomes closer. At that time Pagaruyung was one of the trading centers on the island of Sumatra, due to the production of gold there. Thus it attracted the attention of the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
to establish relations with Pagaruyung. There is a record that in 1684, a Portuguese named Tomas Dias paid a visit to Pagaruyung at the behest of the Dutch governor general in
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
.
Around 1750 the Pagaruyung kingdom began to dislike the presence of the VOC in Padang and once tried to persuade the British who were in
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
to expel the Dutch from the region even though the British did not respond.
But in 1781, the British managed to control Padang for a while, and at that time came messengers from Pagaruyung to congratulate him on the success of the British expelling the Dutch from Padang.
According to Marsden, Minangkabau land has long been considered rich in gold, and at that time the power of the Minangkabau king was said to have been divided into king ''Suruaso'' and the king of ''Sungai Tarab'' with the same power.
Previously in 1732, the VOC regent in Padang had noted that there was a queen named ''Yang Dipertuan Puti Jamilan'' who had sent spears and swords made from gold, as a sign of her inauguration as the ruler of the golden land.
While the Dutch and British succeeded in reaching the interior of the Minangkabau region, they had never found significant gold reserves in the area.
As a result of the conflict between the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
French in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
where the Dutch were on the French side, the British fought the Dutch and again succeeded in taking control of the west coast of West Sumatra between 1795 and 1819. The British governor
Thomas Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
visited Pagaruyung in 1818, when the
Padri War
The Padri War (also called the Minangkabau War) was fought from 1803 until 1837 in West Sumatra, Indonesia between the Padri and the Adat. The Padri were Muslim clerics from Sumatra who wanted to impose Sharia in Minangkabau country in West Su ...
began. At that time Raffles discovered that the capital city of the kingdom had been burned by the war that had taken place.
After the peace between England and the Netherlands occurred in 1814, the Dutch re-entered Padang in May 1819. The Dutch reaffirmed their influence on the island of Sumatra and Pagaruyung, with the signing of the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-D ...
with Britain. The power of the King of Pagaruyung was very weak in the days leading up to the Padri war, although the king was still respected by his subject. The areas on the west erncoast fell into the influence of Aceh, while
Inderapura
Inderapura was the capital city of the medieval kingdom of Pahang that existed from 5th to 15th century. The city was mentioned several times in the Malay Annals in narrating the conquest of Pahang in 1454. The word Inderapura means "Town of Indra ...
on the southern coast practically became an independent kingdom even though officially still under the rule of the king of Pagaruyung.
In the early 19th century a conflict broke out between the ''Padri'' and the ''Adat''. In several negotiations there was no agreement between them. Along with that in some countries Pagaruyung's kingdom was in turmoil, and the peak of the war was when the ''Padri'' under the leadership of
Tuanku Pasaman Tuanku Pasaman was an Islamic cleric ( ulama) and leader. He was known as a prominent padri, a group of Islamic reformists who advocated for the puritanical approach in Islam inspired by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the early 18th century West Suma ...
attacked Pagaruyung in 1815. Sultan Arifin Muningsyah was forced to abdicate and escape from the royal capital to Lubuk Jambi. Under pressure by the ''Padri'', the Pagaruyung royal family requested assistance from the Dutch, and before that they had conducted diplomacy with the British when Raffles visited Pagaruyung and promised them assistance.
On February 10, 1821, Sultan Tangkal Alam Bagagarsyah who was the nephew of Sultan Arifin Muningsyah who was in Padang along with 19 other traditional leaders signed an agreement with the Dutch to cooperate in fighting the ''Padri'', even though he was considered not entitled to make an agreement with on behalf of the kingdom of Pagaruyung.
As a result of this agreement,
the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
made it a sign of the surrender of the kingdom of Pagaruyung to the Dutch government.
After the Dutch captured Pagaruyung from the ''Padri'', in 1824 at the request of Lieutenant Colonel Raaff, Sultan Arifin Muningsyah returned to Pagaruyung, but in 1825, Sultan Arifin Muningsyah, the last king in Minangkabau, died and was later buried in Pagaruyung.
While SultanTangkal Alam Bagagarsyah on the other hand wanted to be recognized as the King of Pagaruyung, but the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
government from the beginning had limited its authority and only appointed him the Regent of Tanah Datar.
Probably because the policy gave rise to encouragement to Sultan Tangkal Alam Bagagar to start thinking about how to expel the Dutch from the region.
After emerging victorious from the
Diponegoro War in Java, the Dutch then tried to conquer the ''Padri'' with shipments of soldiers from
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
,
Madura
Madura Island is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively 5,379.33 km2 including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administrati ...
,
Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
and the
Moluccas
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...
. But the Dutch colonial ambitions seemed to make the ''Adat'' and the ''Padri'' try to forget their differences in secret to drive the Dutch away. On 2 May 1833 Sultan Tangkal Alam Bagagar was arrested by Lieutenant Colonel Elout in
Batusangkar Batusangkar (''batu'': stone, rock, ''sangkar'': cage) is the capital of the Tanah Datar regency of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is known as "the city of culture".
History
The town is near the former seat of the Minangkabau royalty established by Ad ...
on charges of treason. He was exiled to
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
(present-day Jakarta) until his death, and was buried in the Mangga Dua cemetery. After the fall, the influence and prestige of the kingdom of Pagaruyung remained high, especially among Minangkabau people who were overseas. One of Pagaruyung's royal heirs was invited to become a ruler in
Kuantan
Kuantan ( Jawi: ) is a city and the state capital of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located near the mouth of the Kuantan River. Kuantan is the 18th largest city in Malaysia based on 2010 population, and the largest city in the East Coast of Penin ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Likewise when Raffles was still on duty in the
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
, he met Pagaruyung's relatives who were in
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
, and Raffles intended to appoint Yang Dipertuan Ali Alamsyah who he considered to be the direct descendant of the Minangkabau king as a king under British protection.
After the end of the Padri War, Tuan Gadang of Batipuh asked the Dutch East Indies government to give a higher position than just the Tanah Datar Regent he held after replacing Sultan Tangkal Alam Bagagar, but this request was rejected by the Dutch, this later included one of the drivers of the outbreak of the 1841 rebellion in Batipuh in addition to the ''
cultuurstelsel
The Cultivation System ( nl, cultuurstelsel) was a Dutch government policy from 1830–1870 for its Dutch East Indies colony (now Indonesia). Requiring a portion of agricultural production to be devoted to export crops, it is referred to by Indon ...
'' problem.
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De woning van de gouverneur aan de westkust van Sumatra TMnr 3728-846](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_De_woning_van_de_gouverneur_aan_de_westkust_van_Sumatra_TMnr_3728-846.jpg)
The name West Sumatra originated in the
Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock co ...
(VOC) era, where the designation of the area for the west coast of Sumatra was ''Hoofdcomptoir van Sumatra's Westkust''. Then with the strengthening of the political and economic influence of the VOC, until the 18th century this administrative region included the west coast of Sumatra from
Barus
Barus is a town and ''kecamatan'' (district) in Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra Province, Sumatra,
Indonesia. Historically, Barus was well known as a port town or kingdom on the western coast of Sumatra where it was a regional trade cente ...
to
Inderapura
Inderapura was the capital city of the medieval kingdom of Pahang that existed from 5th to 15th century. The city was mentioned several times in the Malay Annals in narrating the conquest of Pahang in 1454. The word Inderapura means "Town of Indra ...
.
[Asnan, Gusti, (2007), ''Memikir ulang regionalisme: Sumatra Barat tahun 1950-an'', Yayasan Obor Indonesia, .] Along with the fall of the Kingdom of Pagaruyung, and the involvement of the Dutch in the Padri War, the Dutch East Indies government began to make the interior of Minangkabau a part of ''Pax Nederlandica'', an area under Dutch supervision, and the Minangkabau region was divided into the ''Residentie Padangsche Benedenlanden'' and the ''Residentie Padangsche Bovenlanden''.
Furthermore, in the development of the colonial administration of the Dutch East Indies, this area was incorporated in the ''Gouvernement Sumatra's Westkust'', including the ''Residentie
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
'' region which had just been surrendered by the British to the Dutch. Then expanded again by including Tapanuli and
Singkil
Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao depicting one of the episodes in the epic poem ''Darangen'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company.
Description
''S ...
. But in 1905, the status of Tapanuli was upgraded to ''Residentie Tapanuli'', while the Singkil area was given to ''Residentie
Atjeh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
''. Then in 1914, ''Gouvernement Sumatra's Westkust'', was demoted to ''Residentie Sumatra's Westkust'', and added the
Mentawai Islands Mentawai may refer to:
* Mentawai Islands
* Mentawai Strait
* Mentawai people
* Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
Acco ...
region in the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
into ''Residentie Sumatra's Westkust,'' and in 1935 the Kerinci region was also incorporated into ''Residentie Sumatra's Westkust.'' After the breakdown of the ''Gouvernement Sumatra's Oostkust'', the
Rokan Hulu
Rokan Hulu is a regency (''kabupaten'') of Riau, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra. Rokan Hulu Regency was created as a result of the division of Kampar Regency, of which it was previously the western half. The new Regency was est ...
and
Kuantan Singingi regions were given to ''Residentie
Riouw'', and ''Residentie
Djambi
Djambi (also described as "Niccolò Machiavelli, Machiavelli's chessboard") is a board game and a chess variant for four players, invented by Jean Anesto in 1975. The rulebook in French describes the game, the pieces and the rules in a humorous an ...
'' was also formed in almost the same period.
Japanese occupation and Independence
During the
Japanese occupation, ''Residentie Sumatra's Westkust'' changed its name to ''Sumatora Nishi Kaigan Shu''. On the basis of military geo-strategy, the
Kampar area was separated from ''Sumatora Nishi Kaigan Shu'' and incorporated into the territory of ''Rhio Shu''.
At the beginning of the
Indonesian independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of t ...
in 1945, the West Sumatra region was incorporated in the Sumatra province based in
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
. Four years later, Sumatra Province was divided into three provinces, namely
North Sumatra
North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
, Central Sumatra, and
South Sumatra
South Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Selatan) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southeast of the island of Sumatra, The province spans and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census. The capital of the province is Palembang. The pro ...
. West Sumatra, Riau and Jambi were part of the residency within the Province of Central Sumatra. During the
PRRI period, based on emergency law number 19 of 1957, Central Sumatra Province was further divided into three provinces namely West Sumatra Province, Riau Province, and Jambi Province. The Kerinci region which was previously incorporated in the South Sumatra Regency of
Kerinci, was incorporated into Jambi Province as a separate regency. Likewise, the
Kampar,
Rokan Hulu
Rokan Hulu is a regency (''kabupaten'') of Riau, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra. Rokan Hulu Regency was created as a result of the division of Kampar Regency, of which it was previously the western half. The new Regency was est ...
and
Kuantan Singingi areas are designated as part of Riau Province.
Communism in
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
has historically had an influence in the politics and society of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
.
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
,
Pariaman
Pariaman ( Jawi: ), is a coastal city in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman covers an area of , with a coastline. It had a population of 79,043 at the 2010 Census and 94,224 at the 2020 census. "Pariaman" means "safe area".
History
According to th ...
,
Silungkang,
Sawah Lunto,
Alahan Panjang and
Suliki of West Sumatra have been cited as areas which were particularly active in communism.
During the
PRRI rebellion, the insurgents arrested leftist activists and placed them in detention camps in West Sumatra. PKI cadres were detained at Situjuh and Suliki, whilst followers of the
national communist Murba Party
Murba Party ( id, Partai Murba, Partai Musyawarah Rakyat Banyak, Proletarian Party) was a ' national communist' political party in Indonesia. Feith, Herbert. The Wilopo Cabinet, 1952–1953: A Turning Point in Post-Revolutionary Indonesia'. Ithaca ...
and other groups were detained at the Muara Labuh camp. Incidentally,
Hadji Abdullah Ahmad, a noted anti-communist and religious leader was from the
Minangkabau Highlands
The Minangkabau Highlands ( id, Dataran Tinggi Minangkabau, Minang: ''Minang Darek'') is a mountainous area in the province of West Sumatra, located around three mountains— Mount Marapi, Mount Singgalang, and Mount Sago—in west-central Su ...
, where communism was active.
Numerous examples of anti-communist resentment also occurred, for instance during the
Indonesian killings of 1965–1966
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
, PKI-organised squatters' movements and campaigns against foreign businesses in Sumatra's plantations provoked quick reprisals against Communists.
[Stoler, Ann Laura. ]
Capitalism and Confrontation in Sumatra's Plantation Belt, 1870-1979
''. Ann Arbor, Mich: The University of Michigan Press, 1995. pp. 163-164 Repression against alleged PKI members and sympathizers continued for several years. As late as 1976 mass lay-offs of former members of the communist plantation workers' union
Sarbupri members took place in Sumatra, actions motivated by the communist past of these individuals.
Geography
West Sumatra lies in the middle of the western coast of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
, and has an area of 42,130.82 km
2. Geographic features include
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
s, mountainous volcanic highlands formed by the
Barisan mountain range that runs from north-west to south-east, and an offshore island archipelago called the
Mentawai Islands Mentawai may refer to:
* Mentawai Islands
* Mentawai Strait
* Mentawai people
* Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
Acco ...
. The West Sumatran coastline faces the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
and stretches 375 km from
North Sumatra
North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
province in the north-west to
Bengkulu
Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra. It was formed on 18 November 1968 by separating out the former Bencoolen Residency area from the province of South Sumatra under Law No. 9 of 1967 and was fi ...
in the south-east. The lakes of West Sumatra include:
Maninjau
Lake Maninjau ( id, Danau Maninjau, meaning "overlook" or "observation" in the Minangkabau language) is a caldera lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located to the west of Bukittinggi, at .
Formation
The Maninjau caldera was formed by a vol ...
(99.5 km
2),
Singkarak (130.1 km
2),
Diatas (31.5 km
2),
Dibawah (14.0 km
2),
Talang (5.0 km
2). The rivers of West Sumatra include:
Kuranji,
Anai,
Ombilin
The Ombilin Coal Mine (formerly PT Tambang Batubara Ombilin (TBO)) is a coal mine near Sawahlunto, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located in a narrow valley along the Bukit Barisan mountains, among the Polan, Pari, and Mato hills, approximately ...
,
Suliki,
Agam,
Sinamar,
Arau. The mountains & volcanoes of West Sumatra include:
Kerinci (3,805 m),
Marapi
The Marapi (), or Mount Marapi ( min, ڬونوواڠ ماراڤي, Gunuang Marapi) is a complex volcano in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Its name means ''Mountain of Fire'', and it is the most active volcano in Sumatra. Its elevation is . A number of ...
(2,891 m),
Sago
Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is ...
(2,271 m),
Singgalang (2,877 m),
Talakmau (2,912 m),
Talang (2,572 m),
Tandikat (2,438 m).
West Sumatra is one of the earthquake-prone areas in Indonesia, due to its location in the tectonic slab located between the confluence of two major continental plates (the
Eurasian plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate that includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional continents of Europe and Asia), with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent and ...
and
Indo-Australian plate
The Indo-Australian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and the surrounding ocean and extends northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and the adjacent waters. It was formed by the fusion of the Indian an ...
) and
Great Sumatran fault
The Indonesian island of Sumatra is located in a highly seismic area of the world. In addition to the subduction zone off the west coast of the island, Sumatra also has a large strike-slip fault, the Great Sumatran Fault also known as Semangko ...
, plus the activity of the active volcanoes. Large earthquakes that occurred recently in West Sumatra earthquake were the
2009 Sumatra earthquake and the
2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami
The 2010 Mentawai earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.8 on 25 October off the western coast of Sumatra at 21:42 local time (14:42 UTC). The earthquake occurred on the same fault that produced the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It was ...
. The area was also affected by the
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Climate
This region has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
, similar to most other Indonesian provinces. Throughout the year the province is only affected by two seasons, namely the rainy season and the dry season. The air temperature varies from 24.7 to 32.9 degrees Celsius with air humidity levels ranging from 82% to 88%. The relative rainy season falls from October to April. Variation in rainfall ranges from 2,100 mm to 3,264 mm. The month December is the month with the most rainfall. While the dry season usually starts in June to September.
The season in West Sumatra is similar to other regions in Indonesia, only known for two seasons, namely the dry season and the rainy season. From June to September wind flows from
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and do not contain much water vapor, resulting in a dry season. Conversely in December to March many wind currents contain water vapor from
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
during the rainy season. Such conditions occur every half year after passing the transition period in between April - May and October - November.
The city of Padang is one of Indonesia's wettest cities, with frequent rainfall throughout the course of the year.
As in most other province of Indonesia, West Sumatra has a
tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Af'') bordering on a tropical monsoon climate. The climate is very much dictated by the surrounding sea and the prevailing wind system. It has high average temperature and high average rainfall.
Flora and Fauna
The province includes large areas of dense tropical forest, which is home to a host of species including: ''
Rafflesia arnoldii
''Rafflesia arnoldii'', the corpse flower or giant padma, is a species of flowering plant in the parasitic genus ''Rafflesia''. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on Earth. It has a strong and unpleasant odor of decaying f ...
'' (world's largest flower),
Sumatran tiger,
siamang
The siamang (, ; ''Symphalangus syndactylus'') is an arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching in height, a ...
,
Malayan tapir
The Malayan tapir (''Tapirus indicus''), also called Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir and Indian tapir, is the only tapir species native to Southeast Asia from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since ...
,
Sumatran serow
The Sumatran serow (''Capricornis sumatraensis sumatraensis''), also known as the southern serow, is a subspecies of the mainland serow native to mountain forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was previo ...
,
rusa deer
The Javan rusa or Sunda sambar (''Rusa timorensis'') is a deer native to Indonesia and East Timor. Introduced populations exist in a wide variety of locations in the Southern Hemisphere.
Taxonomy
Seven subspecies of the Javan rusa are recognis ...
,
Malayan sun bear
The sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus'') is a species in the family Ursidae (the only species in the genus ''Helarctos'') occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear, standing nearly at the shoulder and weighing ...
,
Bornean clouded leopard, and many birds and butterflies.
The province includes two national parks:
Siberut National Park and
Kerinci Seblat National Park
Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It has a total area of 13,791 km2, and spans four provinces: West Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, and South Sumatra.
Geography
It is located between 1 ...
, as well as a number of nature reserves: Rimbo Panti Nature Reserve, Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve, Lembah Anai Nature Reserve, Lembah Harau Nature Reserve, Bung Hatta Grand Forest Park, and Beringin Sakti Nature Reserve.
Government
The Province of West Sumatra is led by a
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
who is elected directly with his representative for a 5-year term. In addition to being a regional government, the Governor also acts as a representative or extension of the central government in the province, whose authority is regulated in Law No. 32 of 2004 and Government Regulation number 19 of 2010.
While the relationship between the provincial government and the regency and city governments is not a sub-ordinate, each of these regional governments governs and manages government affairs according to the principle of autonomy and co-administration.
Nagari
![Seribu Rumah Gadang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Seribu_Rumah_Gadang.jpg)
Until 1979, the smallest administrative unit in West Sumatra was called a ''
nagari'', which had existed before
Indonesian independence
The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of t ...
. With the enactment of Law No. 5 of 1979 concerning village governance, the status of nagari was eliminated and replaced with villages, and several jorong statuses were upgraded to villages. The position of nagari guardians was also removed and government administration was carried out by village heads. But since the onset of
government reform and regional autonomy, since 2001, the term ''nagari'' has been used again in this province.
The political culture that lived in the West Sumatra village government since the policy of uniformity (Law No.5 of 1979) was applied to the parochial political culture. this condition is seen through the power system, the ruling system, the terms of the ruler, and the role of the ruler in the village government.
The kinship system in developing participant political culture began to shift, in terms of the level of sensitivity, the form of tolerance in kinship, and the role of seniority in kinship. This means that the lack of togetherness in the kinship power system.
Nagari government is an autonomous government structure, has a clear territory and adheres to adat as a regulator of the life of its members. the regency replaced the term village government that was used previously. Whereas for the nagari in the city government system still as a traditional institution, it has not become part of the regional government structure.
Opportunities that occur in village government are the emergence of individualistic economic growth. This condition is a result of dependence on the central government, resulting in lack of independence. This condition can weaken the resilience of the area of the economy itself. However, now the villages of West Sumatra have tried to build efforts to facilitate the political policies of the village government or since exchanging back into nagari, namely changing the structure and process between village government structures made under Law No. 5 of 1979.
''Nagari'' was initially led jointly by the princes or ''
datuk
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.
Origin
The oldest ...
'' in the ''nagari'', then during the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
government one of the princes was chosen to become the guardian of the Nagari. Then in running the government, the nagari guardians are assisted by a number of jorong or jorong guardians, but now assisted by the ''nagari'' secretary and
civil servants
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
depending on the needs of each ''nagari''. This ''nagari'' guardian was chosen by the ''anak nagari'' (nagari residents) democratically in direct elections for 6 years in office.
Administrative divisions
West Sumatra Province is subdivided into twelve
regencies and seven autonomous cities, which lie outside any regency. The regencies and cities are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2021.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022.]
Human Development Index
Cities and Regencies in West Sumatra in order of the
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
(HDI). The figures come from the 2020 Indonesia Human Development Report, published by
Statistics Indonesia
Statistics Indonesia ( id, Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS, ), is a non-departmental government institute of Indonesia that is responsible for conducting statistical surveys. Its main customer is the government, but statistical data is also availabl ...
.
As a new regency, Dharmasraya got the highest score (59.43) from a possible 100 among other new regencies.
Before the reforms of 1999 and the implementation of regional autonomy in 2001, the lowest local government unit under the district administrations was the Javanese model of the village, the ''
desa''. Under regional autonomy, the traditional Minangkabau ''
nagari'', which are larger than villages elsewhere in Indonesia, have been reintroduced in place of the ''desa''.
Demographics
The Census population of West Sumatra was 2.8 million in 1971, 3.4 million in 1980, 4.0 million in 1990, 4.25 million in 2000, 4.85 million in 2010,
and 5.53 million in 2020, of whom 2,786,360 were male and 2,748,112 were female.
In 2014, 88% were recorded by the
Badan Pusat Statistik
Statistics Indonesia ( id, Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS, ), is a non-departmental government institute of Indonesia that is responsible for conducting statistical surveys. Its main customer is the government, but statistical data is also availabl ...
as
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
.
Batak people
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
, mainly from
Mandailing
The Mandailing is an ethnic group in Sumatera, Indonesia that is commonly associated with the Batak people. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They came under the influence of the Kaum Padri who ...
sub-ethnic group, and
Javanese comprised 4% of the population respectively, while
Mentawai people
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunt ...
who live in the Mentawai islands made up 1%.
In 2015, about 44.2% of West Sumatran lived in urban areas. Most of the urban population of West Sumatra is concentrated in the centre-west coast of province and
Minangkabau Highlands
The Minangkabau Highlands ( id, Dataran Tinggi Minangkabau, Minang: ''Minang Darek'') is a mountainous area in the province of West Sumatra, located around three mountains— Mount Marapi, Mount Singgalang, and Mount Sago—in west-central Su ...
. West Sumatra has 3 cities with populations over 100,000.
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
is the major metropolitan areas with the population of 909,040 in 2020. Minangkabau highlands cities of
Payakumbuh
Payakumbuh ( Indonesian: Kota Payakumbuh, Minangkabau: Payokumbuah, Jawi: ) is the second largest city in West Sumatra province, Indonesia, with a population of 116,825 at the 2010 Census and 139,576 at the 2020 Census. It covers an area of 80 ...
and
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
rank as West Sumatra's next most populous cities, with populations of 139,576 and 121,028 respectively in 2020.
Ethnicity
![TARI SIKEREI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/TARI_SIKEREI.jpg)
West Sumatra is the native homeland of Minangkabau people. They speak
Minangkabau language
Minangkabau (Minangkabau: , Pegon script: ; id, Bahasa Minangkabau; ms, Bahasa Minangkabau or , Jawi: ) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of ...
and predominantly
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. West Sumatran have historically played the important role within the Muslim community in Indonesia. Up until today the region is considered one of the strongholds of Islam in Indonesia. They have a reputation as traders, intellectuals as well as politically savvy people who have successfully exported their culture, language, cuisine and beliefs throughout Indonesia.
Mentawaians live on the Mentawai Islands, off the western coast of Sumatra, that are also part of the native people of province. They speak
Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
According to ''Ethnologue'', Mentawai dialects include: Silabu, Sipura – Simalegi, Sakalagan, S ...
s, which are not intelligible with either Indonesian nor Minangkabau. Small minority of the Mentawais are
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
nowadays. In the Mentawai Islands, where the majority of the population is Mentawai, it is rare to find Minangkabau people.
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians ( id, Orang Tionghoa Indonesia) and colloquially Chindo or just Tionghoa are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries.
Chinese people and their Indonesian descendants have ...
are only found in big cities, such as Padang, Bukittinggi, and Payakumbuh. In Padang and Pariaman, there are also small numbers of
Nias
Nias ( id, Pulau Nias, Nias language: ''Tanö Niha'') (sometimes called Little Sumatra in English) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago () of which the island is the centre, ...
and
Tamil people
The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Dravi ...
.
Language
The language used in everyday life in West Sumatra is the
Minangkabau language
Minangkabau (Minangkabau: , Pegon script: ; id, Bahasa Minangkabau; ms, Bahasa Minangkabau or , Jawi: ) is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of ...
which has several dialects, such as the Bukittinggi dialect, Pariaman dialect, South Coastal dialect, and Payakumbuh dialect. In the Pasaman and West Pasaman regions bordering North Sumatra, the Batak Mandailing dialect is also spoken. Meanwhile, in the Mentawai archipelago, the
Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
According to ''Ethnologue'', Mentawai dialects include: Silabu, Sipura – Simalegi, Sakalagan, S ...
is widely used.
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
is spoken by Tamils in Padang.
Indonesian
Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to:
* Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia
** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago
** Indonesian ...
is widely understood as a second-language. It is used as the language of education as well as interethnic communication.
Religion
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is the majority religion adopted by 98% of the population of West Sumatra. Christians, concentrated in the
Mentawai Islands Mentawai may refer to:
* Mentawai Islands
* Mentawai Strait
* Mentawai people
* Mentawai language
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawai people of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Dialects
Acco ...
, number around 1.6%, Buddhists are around 0.26%, and Hindus are around 0.01%, the two latter being adopted by immigrant communities.
Various places of worship, which are dominated by mosques and musallas, can be found in every district and city in West Sumatra. The biggest mosque is the Great West Sumatra Mosque in Padang. The oldest mosques include the
Ganting Grand Mosque in
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
and the
Tuo Kayu Jao Mosque
Tuo Kayu Jao Mosque (Indonesian: Old Mosque of Kayu Jao) is an old mosque in Indonesia which is located in Jorong Kayu Jao, Batang Barus Nagari, Gunung Talang District, Solok Regency, West Sumatra. Existence of the mosque was already recorded s ...
in
Solok Regency
Solok Regency is a regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It covers an area of 3,738 km2 and had a population of 348,566 at the 2010 Census and 391,497 at the 2020 Census. The administrative centre of the regency is the town of Aros ...
. The typical Minangkabau architecture dominates both the form of the mosque and the musala. The
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra ( id, Masjid Raya Sumatera Barat) is a mosque in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the largest mosque in West Sumatra, and the second largest mosque in Sumatra. It is located in Padang Utara Subdistrict, Padang, ...
has a gonjong-shaped building, decorated with Minang carvings and calligraphy. There is also a mosque with a roof consisting of several levels, which are getting smaller and more concave.
Masjid Tuo Kayu Jao Indonesia.jpg, Tuo Kayu Jao Mosque in Solok
(BERAS)(Clean, Elegant, Neat, Safe and Prosperous)
, image_shield = Logo Kota Solok.png
, image_map = Lokasi Sumatra Barat Kota Solok.svg
, map_caption = Location within West Sumatra
, pushpin_map =Indon ...
, one of oldest mosques in Indonesia
Masjid Al Hakim Padang.jpg, Al-Hakim Mosque, Padang
Catholic church at Sawahlunto.jpg, Saint Barbara Catholic church in Sawahlunto
See Hin Kiong 2019.jpg, See Hin Kion Chinese temple, Padang
Culture
Traditional Music
The nuances of Minangkabau in every West Sumatra music mixed with any type of music at this time will definitely be seen from every song that circulates in the community. This is because Minang music can be formulated with any kind of music that makes it pleasant to hear and acceptable to the public. The musical elements giving the nuance consist of traditional musical instruments, ''
saluang
The saluang is a traditional musical instrument of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia.
It is similar to the ney in general, in that it is an oblique flute, but made of bamboo. It is related to the suling of other parts of Indones ...
'', ''bansi'', ''
talempong
Talempong is a traditional music of the Minangkabau people of Western Sumatra, Indonesia. The talempong produce a static texture consisting of interlocking rhythms.
A talempong a small kettle gong which gives its name to an ensemble of four o ...
'',
''rabab'', ''pupuik'', ''serunai'', and ''gandang tabuik''.
There is also a ''saluang jo dendang'', which is the delivery of chanting accompanied by ''
saluang
The saluang is a traditional musical instrument of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia.
It is similar to the ney in general, in that it is an oblique flute, but made of bamboo. It is related to the suling of other parts of Indones ...
'', also known as ''sijobang''.
Minangkabau music in the form of instrumental and songs from this area are generally melancholy. This is closely related to the structure of the community which has a sense of brotherhood, kinship relations and love of a high homeland supported by the habit of going abroad.
The music industry in West Sumatra is growing with the emergence of Minangkabau artists who can blend modern music into traditional Minangkabau music. The development of modern Minang music in West Sumatra dates back to the 1950s, marked by the birth of the Gumarang Orchestra. Elly Kasim, Tiar Ramon and Nurseha are well-known West Sumatra singers in the 1970s to the present. At present the singers, songwriters and music stylists in West Sumatra are under the auspices of the PAPPRI organization (Association of Indonesian Singer Music Songwriters) and PARMI (Indonesian Minang Artist Association).
Record companies in West Sumatra that support the Minang music industry include: Tanama Record, Planet Record, Pitunang Record, Sinar Padang Record, Caroline Record located in
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
and Minang Record, Gita Virma Record located in
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
.
Traditional Dance
Broadly speaking, dance from West Sumatra is from the customs of the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
and the
Mentawai people
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunt ...
. The peculiarities of Minangkabau dance are generally influenced by the Islamic religion, the uniqueness of matrilineal customs and the habit of migrating their communities also give a great influence on the soul of a classical dance that is classic, including ''tari pasambah'', ''
tari piring
Piring dance (Minangkabau: ''Piriang''; Jawi: تاري ڤيريڠ) is a traditional Minangkabau plate dance originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia and performed both here and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The dance might be performed by a group of ...
'', ''tari payung'', and the ''tari indang''. Meanwhile, there is also a performance typical of other Minangkabau ethnic groups in the form of a unique blend of martial arts called ''
silek'' with dancing, singing and acting known as ''
Randai
''Randai'' ( Jawi: رنداي) is a folk theater tradition of the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...
''.
As for the typical Mentawai people dance is called ''Turuk Laggai''. This ''Turuk Langai'' dance generally tells about animal behavior, so the title is adjusted to the names of the animals, for example ''tari burung'' (bird), ''tari monyet'' (monkey), ''tari ayam'' (chicken), ''tari ular'' (snake) and so on.
Traditional house
The traditional house of West Sumatra, especially from the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
, is called ''
Rumah Gadang''. The ''
rumah Gadang'' is usually built on a plot of land belonging to the parent family in the tribe and people from generation to generation.
[Graves, Elizabeth E., (2007), ''Asal usul elite Minangkabau modern: respons terhadap kolonial Belanda abad XIX/XX'', Jakarta:Yayasan Obor Indonesia, .] Not far from the ''rumah gadang'' complex is usually also built a ''
surau'' that functions as a place of worship and a place of residence for unmarried adult men. The ''rumah gadang'' is made in the form of a rectangle and is divided into two front and rear parts, generally made of wood, and at first glance it looks like a stilt house with a distinctive roof, prominent like a buffalo horn, the local people call it ''Gonjong'' and the roof was formerly made from palm fiber before changing to a zinc roof. This ''rumag Bagonjong'' according to the local community was inspired by the''Tambo'', which tells of the arrival of their ancestors by boat from the sea. Another distinctive feature of this traditional house is not using iron nails but using wooden pegs, but strong enough as a binder.
While the
Mentawai people
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunt ...
also have a traditional house in the form of a large stilt house with a floor height of up to one meter of land called ''uma.'' ''Uma'' is inhabited jointly by five to ten families. In general, this uma construction was built without the use of nails, but it was cooked with wood and a cross-linking system.
Traditional weapon
![Tari Piring](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Tari_Piring.jpg)
Traditional, West Sumatra weapons are ''
Keris
The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...
'' and
Kerambit
The karambit or kerambit (as used in Indonesian), kurambik or karambiak (both from the Minangkabau language) is a small Indonesian curved knife resembling a claw from Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. The karambit is one of the weapons commonl ...
shaped like tiger nails. Keris are usually used by men and placed on the front, and are generally used by the princes, especially in any official event, especially in the event of a gala or inaugural title, but it is also commonly used by the bridegroom in the community wedding ceremony the local called it ''baralek''. While kerambit is a small sharp weapon that curves like a tiger's nails, because it is inspired by the hooves of the beast. This deadly weapon is used by Minang ''
silat
is the collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts from the Nusantara and surrounding geocultural areas of Southeast Asia. It is traditionally practised in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Southern Phil ...
'' warriors in short-range battles which are usually secret weapons, especially those using tiger martial arts moves. Various other types of weapons have also been used such as spears, long swords, arrows, chopsticks and so on.
Economy
Gradually, the economy of West Sumatra began to move positively after experiencing pressure due to the impact of the
2009 earthquake that hit the region. The impact of this disaster was seen in quarter IV-2009, where economic growth only reached 0.90%. But now the economy of West Sumatra has improved, with growth rates above the national average. In 2012 the West Sumatra economy grew by 6.35%, better than the previous year which was only 6.25%. And in the first quarter of 2013 the economy of West Sumatra has grown to 7.3%. The high economic growth of West Sumatra in the past three years has reduced poverty in the province from 8.99% (2011) to 8% (2012). For the Gross Regional Domestic Revenue (GRDP), in 2012 the province had a GRDP of Rp 110.104 trillion, with a GDP per capita of Rp 22.41 million.
Workforce
Along with the growth of the economy of West Sumatra, the number of workers needed is also increasing. This has led to a decline in unemployment in the province. Between February 2011-February 2012, the number of unemployed people decreased from 162,500 people to 146,970 people. The open
unemployment rate
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the referen ...
declined from 7.14% to 6.25%. This figure is below the national average in the end of 2011 which reached 6.56%. In February 2012, the number of West Sumatra's workforce reached 2,204,218 people, an increase of 90,712 compared to the total workforce in February 2011.
Most of the population working is absorbed in the agricultural sector. Employment in this sector is able to absorb 42.4% of the existing workforce. However, this absorption percentage declined compared to the previous year which was 44%. Meanwhile, the percentage of working population absorbed in the trade sector again increased, from 18.5% in February 2011 to 19.8% in February 2012. Likewise, absorption in the service sector increased, from 16.7% to 17.4%.
Agriculture
![Sawah di Pariangan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Sawah_di_Pariangan.jpg)
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the agricultural sector experienced relatively high growth, driven by the stretching of the food crops subsector. In this quarter the growth of the agricultural sector reached 4.14%, higher than the previous quarter of 2.05%. The good performance of the plantation sector in 2012 has sustained the growth of the agricultural industry by 4.07%.
Processing industry
![PT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/PT._Semen_Padang.jpg)
The West Sumatra industry is dominated by small scale industries or households. The number of industrial units is 47,819 units, consisting of 47,585 small industrial units and 234 large medium industrial units, with a ratio of 203: 1. In 2001 large medium industry investment reached Rp 3,052 billion, or 95.60% of total investment, while small industries the investment is only Rp. 1,412 billion or 4.40% of the total investment. The value of the production of large medium industries in 2001 reached Rp. 1,623 billion, which is 60% of the total production value, and the value of small industrial production only reaches Rp. 1,090 billion, or 40% of the total value of production.
For the
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mix ...
processing industry, in 2012 West Sumatra produced 6,522,006 tons, higher than last year's 6,151,636 tons. While the sales volume in 2012 was 6,845,070 tons, an increase of 10.20% compared to last year which was 6,211,603 tons.
Services
The return of the economy of West Sumatra in the aftermath of the earthquake and the recovery of the global economy, especially in the central Sumatra zone, was also a driving factor for the re-moving of the service sector (7.38%). The service sectors that are quite important in this province are finance, hotels, restaurants and travel agents. The growth of hotels in West Sumatra in the last three years has been quite rapid. This is in line with the increasing number of tourists who come to this province. During 2012 there were 36,623 foreign tourists visiting West Sumatra, an increase of 8.27% compared to last year which was 33,827 tourists.
Mining
West Sumatra has the potential of group A, B and C mining materials. Group A mining materials, namely
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
, are found in the city of
Sawahlunto
Sawahlunto ( Jawi: ) is a city in Western Sumatra province, Indonesia, and lies 90 kilometres (a 2-hour drive) from Padang, the provincial capital. Sawahlunto is known as the site for the oldest coal mining site in Southeast Asia. Sawahlunto is g ...
. While group B mining materials consisting of
mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
,
sulfur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
,
iron sand
Ironsand, also known as iron-sand or iron sand, is a type of sand with heavy concentrations of iron. It is typically dark grey or blackish in colour.
It is composed mainly of magnetite, Fe3O4, and also contains small amounts of titanium, silic ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
and
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
are spread in
Sijunjung,
Dharmasraya
Dharmasraya, is the capital of the 11th century Buddhist polity known as Melayu Kingdom, based on the Batanghari river system in modern-day West Sumatra and Jambi, on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.J.L.A. Brandes, 1902, ''Nāgarakrětāgama; ...
,
Solok
(BERAS)(Clean, Elegant, Neat, Safe and Prosperous)
, image_shield = Logo Kota Solok.png
, image_map = Lokasi Sumatra Barat Kota Solok.svg
, map_caption = Location within West Sumatra
, pushpin_map =Indon ...
,
South Solok,
Limapuluh Koto,
Pasaman
Pasaman Regency is a regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of and had a population of 252,981 at the 2010 Census and 299,851 at the 2020 Census. The regency seat is the town of Lubuk Sikaping.
Pasaman is located in ...
, and
Tanah Datar Regencies. Group C mining materials spread throughout all districts and cities, mostly consisting of sand, stone and gravel.
Banking
The development of various banking indicators in the fourth quarter of 2012 showed improvement in line with the recovery in the post-earthquake economic conditions. In 2012, the total assets of commercial banks in the province reached Rp. 40.1 trillion with the value of lending by commercial banks amounting to Rp. 33.8 trillion. While the total assets of rural banks in the province reached Rp 1.53 trillion with the value of lending by the bank amounting to Rp 1.03 trillion.
Transport
![KA Padang Panjang (train)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/KA_Padang_Panjang_%28train%29.jpg)
The province is served by
Minangkabau International Airport
Minangkabau International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Minangkabau), is the principal airport serving the province of West Sumatra on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located at Ketaping, Padang Pariaman Regency which is ...
, opened in July 2005, 23 km north-west of
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
in
Ketaping,
Padang Pariaman
Padang Pariaman Regency is a regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of 1,343.09 km2, and it had a population of 390,204 at the 2010 census and 430,626 at the 2020 census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. The reg ...
regency. The airport has direct international services to
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
in Malaysia, as well as servicing most large cities in Indonesia.
Significant roads include the
Trans-Sumatran Highway
The Trans-Sumatra Highway (Indonesian: ''Jalan Raya Trans-Sumatra'') is a primary north–south road in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, 2,508.5 km in length, and connecting the northern island at Banda Aceh to Bandar Lampung in the south ...
which runs the length of the province, heading north-west towards
Medan
Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four main ...
and south-east towards
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, the road between Padang and
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
, and the road between Bukittinggi and
Pekanbaru
Pekanbaru is the capital of Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic center on the eastern part of Sumatra, Sumatra Island. Its name is derived from the Malay language, Malay words for 'new market' ('pekan' is market and 'baru' is new). ...
. The provincial government plans to upgrade the later two roads over the next few years to improve traffic flows.
In January 2012, the
Kelok Sembilan 970-meter long overpass was ready to be opened to the public and was in the trial stage which will be opened for vehicles in April 2012. Kelok Sembilan means 9 sharp turns is an area through which a road with tight bends passes through hilly terrain in the middle of a valley, a nice scenery, but cause congestion. After the overpass opens, the old Kelok Sembilan road is still open together with the new Kelok Sembilan for tourists.
Regular bus services run between Padang and Bukittinggi, and the other major cities of Sumatra. Other public transport options within the province include
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
,
oplet,
taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
and horse cart (''
bendi'').
Teluk Bayur
Teluk Bayur (Minangkabau: ''Taluak Bayua'') formerly known as Emma Haven or Emmahaven is a port located in Bayur Bay of Padang city, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The port, the largest and busiest on the western coast of Sumatra, is operated by the gov ...
port in Padang is the largest and busiest on the western coast of Sumatra. It is used for exporting goods from West Sumatra as well as from some areas of the neighboring provinces.
Railway services run between Padang and Pariaman city on weekends only and make a good day trip.
Tourism
![Surf holiday in the Mentawai islands](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Surf_holiday_in_the_Mentawai_islands.jpg)
The prime tourist attractions of West Sumatra are the natural environment, and the culture and history of the Minangkabau and
Mentawai people
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunt ...
.
Natural attractions of the mainland include the tropical forests, mountains, volcanos, lakes, valleys, rivers & waterfalls in the highlands, the fauna and flora, and the beaches around Padang. Many areas are protected as part of national parks and reserves. The city of
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
is a popular central location in the highlands from which to explore the culture and history of the Minangkabau people, including architecture, crafts, dances, music and food. There are a number of museums and cultural centers. Pariaman has one of the famous festivals,
Tabuik
A Tabuik is the local manifestation of the Remembrance of Muharram among the Minangkabau people in the coastal regions of West Sumatra, Indonesia, particularly in the city of Pariaman.
History
A "''tabuik''" also refers to the towering funeral b ...
. The Mentawai Islands are a popular destination for surfers and those looking to experience the culture and more primitive lifestyle of the Mentawai people. For developing West Sumatra tourism, in 2006 the government opened tourist train railway service run between Padang – Padang Panjang – Sawahlunto. The
Tour de Singkarak
Tour de Singkarak (abbreviated TdS) is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and named after the Lake Singkarak. First staged in 2009, Tour de Singkarak is classified by the Union Cycling Inte ...
international cycling race had boosted the number of the foreign tourists to West Sumatra. The majority of the foreign tourists are Malaysians and Australian.
The favourite tourism places are :
*
Jam Gadang
Jam Gadang ( Minangkabau for "Big Clock") is a clock tower, major landmark, and tourist attraction in the city of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is in the centre of the city, near the main market, Pasar Ateh. It has large clocks on eac ...
– the
clocktower
Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildin ...
in the downtown of Bukittinggi
* Panorama – Viewing to Sianok valley
* Air Manih beach – The beach that stretch from the north to south of Padang coastal
* Padang mountain
* Caroline beach
*
Pagaruyung Palace
Pagaruyung Palace ( min, Istano Basa Pagaruyuang) is the ''istana'' (royal palace) of the former Pagaruyung Kingdom, located in Tanjung Emas subdistrict near Batusangkar town, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was built in the tradi ...
in Batusangkar
* Harau valley
*
Lake Maninjau
Lake Maninjau ( id, Danau Maninjau, meaning "overlook" or "observation" in the Minangkabau language) is a Volcanic crater lake, caldera lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located to the west of Bukittinggi, at .
Formation
The Maninjau caldera ...
*
Lake Singkarak
Lake Singkarak ( id, Danau Singkarak) is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located between the regencies of Tanah Datar and Solok Regency. It has an area of 107.8 km2, being approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide. The natura ...
*
Lake Diatas
Lake Diatas (, means: ''Upper Lake''; Minangnese: ''Danau Diateh'') is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located at . This lake together with Lake Dibawah, are known as the Twin Lakes (''Danau Kembar'').
See also
* List of lakes of Indones ...
and
Lake Dibawah
Lake Dibawah (, means: ''Lower Lake''; Minangnese: ''Danau Dibawah'') is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located at . This lake together with Lake Diatas, are known as the Twin Lakes (''Danau Kembar'').
See also
* List of lakes of Indon ...
*
Sikuai Island
There are 25 islands at Pesisir Selatan Regency potential to be tourist sites. Cubadak Island (9 hectares), Pagang Island (12 hectares) and Pulau Penyu (Turtle Island) have been developed well. At the northern part will be developed Semangki Besar Island, Semangki Kecil Island, Marak Island, Setan Terusan Island, and Karao Island. At the southern part will be developed Kerabak Ketek Island, Kerabak Gadang Island, and Kosong Island.
The traditional dance is "
Tari Piring
Piring dance (Minangkabau: ''Piriang''; Jawi: تاري ڤيريڠ) is a traditional Minangkabau plate dance originated from West Sumatra, Indonesia and performed both here and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The dance might be performed by a group of ...
" or Plate Dance which is originally came from Solok, West Sumatra.
Education
Education is highly valued in the Minangkabau culture, therefore West Sumatra was once a center of education on the island of Sumatra, especially in the education of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
by
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
as the main base place. During the colonial rule Islamic schools of education are so marginalized in comparison with the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
model which is considered more modern. Since Islamic scholars sponsored many village schools, West Sumatra had one of the highest literacy rates in Indonesia.
West Sumatra is home to several universities, the most notable of which is
Andalas University
Andalas University ( id, Universitas Andalas, abbreviated ''Unand'') is a public research university in Padang, West Sumatra. Andalas is one of the major public institution of higher learning in Indonesia, and the oldest outside the island of Jav ...
. It is the oldest university in Indonesia outside Java.
Sport
![Tds lewati danau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Tds_lewati_danau.jpg)
West Sumatra is also home of several professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
clubs. The most popular of them is
Semen Padang
PT Semen Padang is the state-owned company that became oldest cement plant in Indonesia, having been founded in 1910.
The company owns the football club Semen Padang F.C., that competes in the Liga 2 (Indonesia).
History
PT Semen Padang ...
, which regularly plays its matches in
Haji Agus Salim Stadium
Gelora Haji Agus Salim Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is currently used mostly for Football matches and is the home stadium of Semen Padang and PSP Padang. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000. The stad ...
, the biggest stadium in West Sumatra.
Tour de Singkarak
Tour de Singkarak (abbreviated TdS) is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and named after the Lake Singkarak. First staged in 2009, Tour de Singkarak is classified by the Union Cycling Inte ...
, an annual
road cycling race
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most commo ...
since 2009 is an
official tournament series of
Union Cycliste International
The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues racing ...
(UCI). It covers more than 700 kilometers, from Padang passing around
lake Singkarak
Lake Singkarak ( id, Danau Singkarak) is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located between the regencies of Tanah Datar and Solok Regency. It has an area of 107.8 km2, being approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide. The natura ...
and runs through inland West Sumatran cities. This sporting event is also meant to promote West Sumatra tourism
Cuisine
Padang food
Padang food or Minang food is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as ''Masakan Padang'' (Padang cuisine, in English usua ...
is the cuisine of the
Minangkabau people
Minangkabau people ( min, Urang Minang; Indonesian or Malay: ''Orang Minangkabau'' or ''Minangkabo''; Jawi: منڠكبو), also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesi ...
. Padang food is famous for its rich taste of succulent
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
and spicy chili. Minang cuisine put much emphasis in three elements; ''
gulai
''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables suc ...
'' (curry), ''lado'' (
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
) and ''bareh'' (
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
). No traditional Padang meal is complete without the three—spicy chili sauce, thick curry, and perfect steamed rice.
Among the cooking traditions in
Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 popula ...
, Minangkabau cuisine and most of
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
n cuisine, demonstrate
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
and
Middle Eastern influences, with dishes cooked in
curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...
sauce with coconut milk and the heavy use of spices mixture.
Because most Minangkabau people are
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s, Minangkabau cuisine follows
halal
''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with ''haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification kno ...
dietary law rigorously. Protein intake are mostly taken from beef, water buffalo, goat, lamb meat, and poultry and fish. Minangkabau people are known for their fondness of cattle
meat
Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
products including
offal
Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes muscle. Offal may also refe ...
. Almost all the parts of a cattle, such as meat,
ribs,
tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surfa ...
,
tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, r ...
,
liver
The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...
,
tripe
Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep.
Types of tripe
Beef tripe
Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...
,
brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
,
bone marrow
Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...
,
spleen
The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes . ,
intestine
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans ...
,
cartilage
Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...
,
tendon
A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
, and
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other cuticle, animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have diffe ...
are made to be Minangkabau delicacies. Seafood is popular in coastal West Sumatran cities, and most are grilled or fried with spicy chili sauce or in curry gravy. Fish, shrimp, and cuttlefish are cooked in similar fashion. Most of Minangkabau food is eaten with hot steamed rice or compressed rice such as ''katupek'' (
ketupat
''Kupat'' (in Javanese and Sundanese), ''ketupat'' (in Indonesian and Malay), or ''tipat'' (in Balinese) is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, Originating in Indonesia, it is also fou ...
). Vegetables are mostly boiled such as boiled
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...
leaf, or simmered in thin curry as side dishes, such as
gulai
''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables suc ...
of young
jackfruit
The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...
or cabbages.
In Padang food establishments, it is common to eat with one's hands. They usually provide ''kobokan'', a bowl of tap water with a slice of
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
in it to give a fresh scent. This water is used to wash one's hands before and after eating. If a customer does not wish to eat with bare hands, it is acceptable to ask for a
spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...
and
fork
In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from la, furca 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods ei ...
.
![Rendang daging sapi asli Padang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Rendang_daging_sapi_asli_Padang.JPG)
The cuisine is usually cooked once per day. To have ''
Nasi Padang
Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumat ...
'' in restaurants customers choose from those dishes, which are left on display in high-stacked plates in the windows. During a dine-in ''hidang'' (serve) style Padang restaurant, after the customers are seated, they do not have to order. The waiter immediately serves the dishes directly to the table, and the table will quickly be set with dozens of small dishes filled with highly flavored foods such as beef
rendang
Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...
, curried fish, stewed
greens, chili
eggplant
Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
Mos ...
, curried beef
liver
The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...
,
tripe
Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep.
Types of tripe
Beef tripe
Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...
, intestines, or foot
tendons
A tendon or sinew is a tough, high-tensile-strength band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is able to transmit the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system without sacrificing its ability ...
, fried beef
lung
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...
, fried
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
, and of course,
sambal
Sambal is an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients, such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. ''Sambal'' is an Indo ...
, the spicy sauces ubiquitous at Indonesian tables. Customers take—and pay for—only what they want from this array. The best known Padang dish is
rendang
Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...
, a spicy meat stew. ''
Soto Padang
Soto padang is a kind of clear, non coconut milked soto, which usually contains beef, onion, potatoes, and white vermicelli noodles as its main ingredients. This soto is a culinary specialty originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The meat ...
'' (crispy beef in spicy soup) is local residents' breakfast favorite, meanwhile ''sate'' (beef
satay
Satay ( , in USA also , ), or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. The earliest preparations of satay is believed to have originated in Javanese cuisine, but ha ...
in
curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...
sauce served with
ketupat
''Kupat'' (in Javanese and Sundanese), ''ketupat'' (in Indonesian and Malay), or ''tipat'' (in Balinese) is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, Originating in Indonesia, it is also fou ...
) is a treat in the evening.
The serving style is different in ''
Nasi Kapau
''Nasi kapau'' is a Minangkabau steamed rice topped with various choices of dishes originated from Nagari Kapau, Bukittinggi, a tourism and culinary hotspot town in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is often describes as Minang version of ''nasi ram ...
'' food stalls, a Minangkabau
Bukittinggi
Bukittinggi ( min, Bukiktinggi, Jawi: , formerly nl, Fort de Kock) is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands ...
style. After the customer is seated, he or she is asked which dishes they desire. The chosen dishes will be put directly upon the steamed rice or in separate small plates.
There are myriad Padang food establishments throughout Indonesia and the region, according to ''Ikatan Warung Padang Indonesia'' (Iwapin) or Warung Padang Bonds. In greater
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
alone there are at least 20,000 Padang restaurant establishments. Several notable Minangkabau
restaurant chain
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
s are Sederhana, Garuda, Pagi Sore, Simpang Raya, Sari Ratu, Sari Minang, Salero Bagindo and Natrabu.
The importance of Padang food establishments (''
warung
A warung ( old spelling: waroeng or warong) is a type of small family-owned business — a small retail, eatery or café — in Indonesia (and to a lesser extent, Malaysia and Suriname). A ''warung'' is an essential part of daily life in ...
'' or ''rumah makan'' Padang) for Indonesian workers' lunch break in urban areas, was demonstrated in 2016; when Jakarta municipal
civil servants
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
demanded the raise of ''uang lauk pauk'' (food allowance, as a component of civil servant's salary), following the raise of ''
Nasi Padang
Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumat ...
'' price in Greater Jakarta area.
See also
*
List of people from West Sumatra
*
List of governors of West Sumatra
*
List of rivers of West Sumatra
*
Minangkabau businesspeople
Minangkabau businesspeople refers to merchants from the Minangkabau Highlands in central Sumatra, Indonesia. Minangkabau are the ethnic majority in West Sumatra and Negeri Sembilan. Minangkabau are also a recognised minority in other parts of Indo ...
References
External links
Government website
*
{{Authority control
Provinces of Indonesia
West Sumatra culture