Peranakan
Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya and Straits Chinese are terms used for the descendants of the very early
Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the
British Straits Settlements of
Singapore,
Malacca and
Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of
Java among other places, who have partially adopted
Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities.
The word Peranakan is also used to describe
Indonesian Chinese. In both Malay and Indonesian, 'Peranakan' means 'descendants'.
Encyclopedia
Peranakan,
Baba-Nyonya and
Straits Chinese are terms used for the descendants of the very early
Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the
British Straits Settlements of
Singapore,
Malacca and
Penang and the Dutch-controlled island of
Java among other places, who have partially adopted
Malay customs in an effort to be assimilated into the local communities.
The word Peranakan is also used to describe
Indonesian Chinese. In both Malay and Indonesian, 'Peranakan' means 'descendants'. Babas refer to the male descendants and the Nyonyas the female. The word
nyonya may originate from the Portuguese word
doņa, which means 'lady'.
Most Peranakan are of Hokkien ancestry, although a fair denomination of them are of the
Teochew or Cantonese descent. Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families also commonly imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands. A small group of Indian Peranakans, known as the
Chitty, does exist as well.
Language
The language of the Peranakans, Baba Malay , is a dialect of the Malay language , which contains many Hokkien words. It is a dying language and contemporary use is mainly limited to members of the older generation; this is indicative also of the Peranakan culture at large. However most Peranakans do speak English, Mandarin and their respective Chinese dialects in addition to Baba Malay.
In the 15th century, the city states of the Malay Peninsula often paid tribute to various kingdoms such as the kingdoms of China and
Siam. Close relations with China were established in early 15th century, during the reign of Parameswara, when Admiral
Zheng He visited
Malacca. In return for such tribute, a princess of China,
Hang Li Po was presented as a gift to Sultan Mansur Shah, the Sultan of
Malacca, at that time . The royalty and servants who accompanied the princess initially settled in Bukit Cina and eventually grew into a class of straits-born Chinese known as the Peranakan. The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins , but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. They developed a unique culture and distinct foods. A lot of sources claim that the early Peranakan inter-married with the local Malay population. However, the lack of physical resemblances have also led many experts to believe that the Peranakan Chinese ethnicity has hardly diluted. The Peranakan often sent their sons and daughters to China to look for spouses. Also, the religion of the local Malay population was Islam which forbids inter-marriage with other religions without conversion first. In the early 1800s, new Chinese immigrants to the Straits Settlements bolstered the Peranakan population.
History
Over the centuries the Peranakans have evolved a unique culture that maintains many Chinese traditions while adopting the customs of the land they settled in as well as their successive colonial rulers. There are traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay and Indonesian influences in Baba culture.
By the middle of the Twentieth century, most Peranakan were English educated, as a result of the British colonisation of Malaya, and the natural propensity of these people who were able to easily embrace new cultures. Because the Peranakans readily embraced English culture and education, administrative and civil service posts were often filled by prominent Straits Chinese. The interaction with the British also caused many in the community to convert to Christianity. The Peranakan community thereby became very influential in Malacca and
Singapore and were known also as the
King's Chinese due to their perceived loyalty to the British Crown. Because of the interaction of the different cultures and languages that Peranakans had, up to the mid-1900s, most Peranakans were trilingual, able to converse with Chinese, Malays and the British. Common vocations were as merchants, traders, and general intermediaries between China, Malaya and the West; the latter was especially valued by the British, since the Babas also enjoyed good relations with the Malay community and served as advisors to the royal Malay courts. In fact the term "Baba" is an honorific term in Malay; probably derived from Hindi/Sanskrit [Baba: literally means grandfather or father, and is used as a term of reverence and affection for an elderly gentleman].
Culture
Historical and cultural items from the Baba culture are displayed in cultural establishments on Heeren Street and Jonker Street in
Malacca and in Penang in Malaysia, and at the Peranakan Museum in
Singapore. There one can find museums displaying furnitures, foodwares, and even traditional clothes of the Baba and Nonya. There are also a small number of "Nyonya" restaurants in Singapore, Penang, Malacca, and the West.
The Peranakans were partially assimilated into the Malay culture , while retaining some Chinese traditions , thereby creating a fusion culture of their own. For instance, from their Malay influence, a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using the spices of Malay cuisine . The women have taken to wearing the
baju kebaya . However, most of the Peranakans are not
Muslim, and have retained the ancestral worship tradition of the Chinese; though some converted to
Christianity. The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of the most fascinating wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore.
Peranakan culture is disappearing. Without colonial British support for their perceived racial neutrality, government policies in both countries following independence from the British have resulted in the assimilation of Peranakans back into mainstream Chinese culture. In Singapore, the Peranakans are classified as ethnically Chinese, so they receive formal instruction in Mandarin Chinese as a second language instead of Malay. In Malaysia, the standardization of Malay as Bahasa Melayu - required for all ethnic groups - has led to a disappearance of the unique characteristics of Baba Malay.
See also
Books
- Lee Chin Koon: Mrs. Lee's Cookbook. Nonya Recipes and other favourite recipes.
- Mahmood, Datin Sari Endon: The Nyonya Kebaya: A Century of Straits Chinese Costume, ISBN 0-7946-0273-8
External links
