Sundanese
Sundanese are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Indonesian province of West Java, which is located at the western part of the Indonesian island of Java.
Etymology
The name Sunda derives from the Sanskrit prefix su- which means "goodness" or "possessing good quality". An example is suvarna (lit:"good color") used to describe gold. Sunda is also another name for Hindu God Vishnu. In Sanskrit, the term Sundara (masculine) or Sundari (feminine) means "beautiful" or "excellence".[1] The term Sunda also means bright, light, purity, cleanness and white.[2]
Jat clans
Distribution
The Sundanese have traditionally been concentrated in the provinces of West Java, Banten, Jakarta, and the western part of Central Java. Sundanese migrants can also be found in Lampung and South Sumatra, and to lesser extent in Central Java and East Java.
Migration theories
The Sundanese are of Austronesian origins who are thought to have originated in Taiwan, migrated through the Philippines, and reached Java between 1,500 BC and 1,000 BC.[3] Nevertheless, there is also a hypothesis that argues that the Austronesian ancestors of contemporary Sundanese people originally came from Sundaland, a sunken massive peninsula that today forms the Java Sea, the Malacca and Sunda straits, and the islands between them.[4] According to recent genetic study, Sundanese, together with Javanese and Balinese has almost equal ratio of genetic marker shared between Austronesian and Austroasiatic heritages.[5]
Origin myth
The Sunda Wiwitan belief contains the mythical origin of Sundanese people; Sang Hyang Kersa, the supreme divine being in ancient Sundanese belief created seven bataras (deities) in Sasaka Pusaka Buana (The Sacred Place on Earth). The oldest of these bataras is called Batara Cikal and is considered the ancestor of the Kanekes people. Other six bataras ruled various locations in Sunda lands in Western Java. A Sundanese legend of Sangkuriang contain the memory of the prehistoric ancient lake in Bandung basin highland, which suggest that Sundanese already inhabit the region since Mesolithic era, at least 20,000 years ago. Another popular Sundanese proverb and legend mentioned about the creation of Parahyangan (Priangan) highlands, the heartland of Sundanese realm; "When the hyangs (gods) were smiling, the land of Parahyangan was created". This legend suggested the Parahyangan highland as the playland or the abode of gods, as well as suggesting its natural beauty.
Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms era
The earliest historical polity which appeared in the Sundanese realm in the Western part of Java was the kingdom of Tarumanagara, which flourished between the 4th and 7th century. Hindu influences reached the Sundanese people as early as the 4th century CE as is evident in Tarumanagara inscriptions. The adoption of this dharmic faith in Sundanese way of life was, however, never as intense as their Javanese counterparts. It seems that despite the central court beginning to adopt Hindu-Buddhist culture and institution, the majority of common Sundanese still retained their native natural and ancestral worship. By the 4th century, the older megalithic culture was probably still alive and well next to the penetrating Hindu influences. Court cultures flourished in ancient times, for example, during the era of Sunda Kingdom, however the Sundanese appear not to have had the resources nor desire to construct large religious monuments similar to those built by Javanese in Central and East Java.[6] The traditional rural Sundanese method of rice farming, by ladang or huma (dry rice farming), in contrast to Javanese irrigated sawah wet rice cultivation (that require complex administration, coordination, and a lot of labor forces), also contributed to small populations of sparsely inhabited Sundanese villages.
Geographic constraints that isolate each region also led Sundanese villages to enjoy their simple way of life and their independence even more. That was probably the factor that would contribute to the carefree nature, egalitarian, conservative, independent and somewhat individualistic social outlook of Sundanese people. The Sundanese seem to love and revere their nature in spiritual ways, leading to them adopting some taboos in order to conserve the nature and maintain the ecosystem. The conservative tendency and their somewhat opposition to foreign influences, is demonstrated in extreme isolationist measures adopted keenly by Kanekes or Baduy people. They have rules against interacting with outsiders and adopting foreign ideas, technology, and ways of life. They have also set some taboos, such as not cutting trees nor harming forest creatures, in order to conserve their natural ecosystem.
One of the earliest historical records that mentions the name "Sunda" appears in the Sanghyang Tapak inscription dated 952 saka (1030 CE) discovered in Cibadak, near Sukabumi. In 1225, a Chinese writer named Chou Ju-kua, in his book Chu-fan-chi, describes the port of Sin-t'o (Sunda), which probably refers to the port of Banten or Kalapa. By examining these records, it seems that the name "Sunda" started to appear in the early 11th century as a Javanese term used to designate their western neighbours. A Chinese source more specifically refers to it as the port of Banten or Sunda Kelapa. After the formation and consolidation of the Sunda Kingdom's unity and identity during the Pajajaran era under the rule of Sri Baduga Maharaja (popularly known as King Siliwangi), the shared common identity of Sundanese people was more firmly established. They adopted the name "Sunda" to identify their kingdom, their people and their language.
Under Dutch rule
Inland Pasundan is mountainous and hilly, and until the 19th century, was thickly forested and sparsely populated. The Sundanese traditionally live in small and isolated hamlets, rendering control by indigenous courts difficult. The Sundanese, in contrast to the Javanese, traditionally engage in dry-field farming. These factors resulted in the Sundanese having a less rigid social hierarchy and more independent social manners. In the 19th century, Dutch colonial exploitation opened much of the interior for coffee, tea, and quinine production, and the highland society took on a frontier aspect, further strengthening the individualistic Sundanese mindset.[7]
Contemporary era
There is popular belief among Indonesian ethnicities that Sundanese are famous for their beauty, in his report "Summa Oriental" on early 16th century Sunda Kingdom, Tomé Pires mentioned: "The (Sundanese) women are beautiful, and those of the nobles chaste, which is not the case with those of the lower classes". It was said that Sundanese women are — in estimation of Indonesians — one of the most beautiful in the country. In Indonesian popular beliefs, it was said that because of the climate, they have lighter complexion than other Indonesians, and because the Sundanese diet features raw vegetables, they reputedly possess especially soft skin. Bandungite ladies, popularly known as Mojang Priangan are reputedly pretty, fashion smart and forward looking.[8] Probably because of this, many Sundanese people today pursue careers in the Indonesian entertainment industry.
External links
References
- ↑ "Sunda in Sanskrit Dictionary".
- ↑ Kurnia, Iwan (14 August 2007). "Watak Budaya Sunda" (in Indonesian). Kasundaan.org.
- ↑ Taylor, Jean Gelman. Indonesia. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10518-5.p.7
- ↑ Oppenheimer, Stephen (1998). Eden in the east: the drowned continent. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-81816-3.
- ↑ "Pemetaan Genetika Manusia Indonesia". Kompas.com (in Indonesian).
- ↑ Hefner, Robert (1997), Java's Five Regional Cultures. taken from Oey, Eric (editor) (1997). Java. Singapore: Periplus Editions. pp. 58–61. ISBN 962-593-244-5.
- ↑ Hefner, Robert (1997), Java's Five Regional Cultures. taken from Oey, Eric (editor) (1997). Java. Singapore: Periplus Editions. pp. 58–61. ISBN 962-593-244-5.
- ↑ Cale, Roggie; Eric Oey; Gottfried Roelcke (1997). Java, West Java. Periplus. p. 128. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
