Padri War
Encyclopedia
The Padri War was fought from 1803 until 1837 in West Sumatra
between two rival muslim
factions. The Dutch intervened from 1821 and helped the Adats defeat the Padri faction.
and padri
religious factions. But after occupation of the Pagaruyung kingdom by Tuanku Pasaman, one of Padri leaders in 1815, on February 21, 1821, the Adat faction made a deal with Dutch in Padang
to help them to fight Padri factions.
The Adats were Minangkabau traditionalists who wanted to continue to include indigenous pre-Islamic religious practices and social traditions in local custom (Islam Abangan
). The Padris, like contemporaneous jihadists in the Sokoto Caliphate of West Africa), were Islamist reformers who had made the hajj
to Mecca and returned inspired to bring the Qur'an and shariah to a position of greater influence in Sumatra. The Padri movement had formed during the early nineteenth century and sought to purify the culture of traditions and beliefs its partisans viewed as un-Islamic, including syncretic folk beliefs, cockfighting and Minangkabau matrilineal traditions.
In the 1820s, the Dutch had yet to consolidate their possessions in some parts of the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia) after re-acquiring it from the British
. This was especially true on the island of Sumatra, where some areas would not come under Dutch rule until the 20th century.
.
, the conflict died out.
ic law, Islamic law founded upon the Qur'an
").
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
between two rival muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
factions. The Dutch intervened from 1821 and helped the Adats defeat the Padri faction.
Background
The Padri War began in 1803, prior to Dutch intervention, and was a conflict that had broken out in Minangkabau state between the so called adatAdat
Adat in Indonesian-Malay culture is the set of cultural norms, values, customs and practices found among specific ethnic groups in Indonesia, the southern Philippines and Malaysia...
and padri
Padri
Padri may refer to:* Padri , Konkani language film* Faredoon Driver, one of Meher Baba's close mandali* Islamist reformists who fought against Minangkabau traditionalists in the Padri War...
religious factions. But after occupation of the Pagaruyung kingdom by Tuanku Pasaman, one of Padri leaders in 1815, on February 21, 1821, the Adat faction made a deal with Dutch in Padang
Padang, Indonesia
Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...
to help them to fight Padri factions.
The Adats were Minangkabau traditionalists who wanted to continue to include indigenous pre-Islamic religious practices and social traditions in local custom (Islam Abangan
Abangan
Abangan refers to the population of Javanese Muslims who practice a more syncretic version of Islam than the more orthodox santri. The term, apparently derived from the Javanese word for red, was first developed by Clifford Geertz but the meaning has since shifted. Abangan are more inclined to...
). The Padris, like contemporaneous jihadists in the Sokoto Caliphate of West Africa), were Islamist reformers who had made the hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
to Mecca and returned inspired to bring the Qur'an and shariah to a position of greater influence in Sumatra. The Padri movement had formed during the early nineteenth century and sought to purify the culture of traditions and beliefs its partisans viewed as un-Islamic, including syncretic folk beliefs, cockfighting and Minangkabau matrilineal traditions.
In the 1820s, the Dutch had yet to consolidate their possessions in some parts of the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia) after re-acquiring it from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This was especially true on the island of Sumatra, where some areas would not come under Dutch rule until the 20th century.
Skirmishes and the Masang Treaty
Dutch involvement in the war because it "invited" by the Adat fiction, and on April 1821, Dutch troops attack Simawang and Sulit Air by Captain Goffinet and Captain Dienema on the orders of James du Puy the Dutch Resident in Padang. Between 1821-1824, skirmishes broke out throughout the region, ended only by the Masang Treaty. The war cooled down during the next six years, as the Dutch faced larger-scale uprisings in JavaJava War
The Java War or Diponegoro War was fought in Java between 1825 and 1830. It started as a rebellion led by Prince Diponegoro. The proximate cause was the Dutch decision to build a road across a piece of his property that contained his parents' tomb...
.
Dutch advances
The conflict broke out again in the 1830s with the Dutch gaining early victories. Soon after, the war centered on Bonjol, the fortified last stronghold of the Padris. It finally fell in 1837 after being besieged for three years, and along with the exile of Padri leader Tuanku Imam BonjolTuanku Imam Bonjol
Tuanku Imam Bonjol , also known as Muhammad Syahab, Peto Syarif, and Malim Basa, was a hero in the Indonesian struggle against Dutch rule. He was born in the village of Tanjung Bunga in the Pasaman regency of West Sumatra. His father's name was Buya Nudin...
, the conflict died out.
Impact
With the victory, the Dutch tightened their hold on West Sumatra. Yet there was a positive legacy for the native Minangs: after the war, the tribal and religious leaders increasingly reconciled their visions. This helped promulgating the new view of "adat basandi syara', syara' basandi Kitabullah" ("tradition founded upon IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic law, Islamic law founded upon the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
").
Further reading
- Ricklefs, M. C. (1993) A History of Modern Indonesia since c. 1300. 2d ed. (London: Macmillan), 1993.
- Tarling, Nicholas, (ed.) The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia,, vol. II " The Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries" (Cambridge University Press) 1992.