Minangkabau:From Ethnic Identity To National Identity

There are more than 10,000 islands and hundreds of ethnic groups in Indonesia.From only having ethnic identity then to have also national identity,the ethnic groups formed the Republic of Indonesia.These groups went from having only ethnic identity to producing Indonesian national identity and eventually forming the Republic of Indonesia together.This paper takes the Minangkabau in Sumatra as an example to illustrate the ethnic identity of the Minangkabau and the changing process from ethnic identity to national identity.Ethnic origin legends,ethnic name legends and matrilineal cultural legends are the ethnic memory and symbol of the Minangkabau people."Minangkabau world"is the expression of the region and spiritual world of the Minangkabau ethnic group.The longterm existence of the unique matrilineal culture of the Minangkabau and the contrast with the patrilineal culture of the surrounding ethnic groups have naturally become the cultural boundary of the ethnic group.The clear structure of customary law is the key to its longterm implementation.Minangkabau customary law is the collection of oral history and proverbs that serve as guiding principles and regulations for rituals,behaviors,and matrilineal kinship.It is the collection of Minangkabau culture and the place of Minangkabau identity.The Minangkabau experienced changes in ethnic identity brought about by the introduction of Islam.Islam was implanted into Minangkabau culture,and after the Padri War,Islam entered the Minangkabau ethnic identity,which has been developed.Modern education in Minangkabau developed very early.Their leadership position in education determined their contribution in modern literature.Minangkabau writers and Minangkabau literature promoted the development of Malay language and literature.In the face of the exclusive Javanese youth organizations,the Minangkabau youth who studied in Java formed the Jong Sumatra Bond with the common language and cultural background,and expressed "Sumatran identity" through literary works.In the early 20th century,another Islamic reform movement in Minangkabau had a great impact on local development,modern Islamic education and political parties.A large number of social organizations based on the federation of Madrasas emerged,breaking the nagari divide in Minangkabau society and forming a broad mass base linked to the vast Indonesian archipelago in an evolving anti-colonial consciousness.After the 1930s,the activities of the Minangkabau in Java promoted the birth of the "Youth Pledge",promoted the development of secular nationalism in Indonesia,and eventually led the ethnic groups of Indonesia,including the Minangkabau,into the Republic of Indonesia.The Conclusion of this paper points out that Islam always has a stronger cultural character in Minangkabau.Customary law is the collection of Minangkabau culture and the ethnic identity of the Minangkabau.Islam entered the spiritual world of the Minangkabau through the implantation of Minangkabau culture.Islam and customary law became the Minangkabau ethnic identity.The mechanism of Minangkabau's transition from ethnic identity to national identity is a combination of cultural preparation,path change,and political integration with the rest of the Indonesian archipelago,as well as the leading role of the ethnic group's elite in Java.Minangkabau's efforts in modern education and contributions to modern literature are cultural preparations for national identity."Sumatran identity" actually represents the prior integration of ethnic groups within the island.The path mechanism from Minangkabau ethnic identity to Indonesian national identity can be summarized as:first,integration within the large island or islands group,and then closer to Java as the main island.Islam is the key to the extension of Minangkabau culture and the formation of Indonesian national identity.Politically,the anti-colonial struggle of Islamic parties was linked to the rest of the Indonesian archipelago.Culturally,Islam is defined as a common cultural feature of the Indonesian archipelago.The Minangkabau elite who held the leadership of the Indonesian nationalist movement led the Minangkabau people to identify with secular nationalist politics.