Datuk

Last updated

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. [1]

Contents

The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.

Origin

The oldest historical records mentioning about the title datuk is the 7th century Srivijayan inscriptions such as Telaga Batu from Palembang, Indonesia, to describe lesser kings or vassalized kings. It was called dātu in Old Malay language to describe regional leader or elder, [2] a kind of chieftain that rules of a collection of kampungs (villages) called Kedatuan. The Srivijaya empire was described as a network or mandala [3] that consisted of settlements, villages, and ports each ruled by a datu that vowed their loyalty (persumpahan) to the central administration of Srivijayan Maharaja. Unlike the indianized title of raja and maharaja, the term datuk was also found in the Philippines as datu, which suggests its common native Austronesian origin. The term kadatwan or kedaton refer to the residence of datuk, equivalent with keraton and istana. In later Mataram Javanese culture, the term kedaton shifted to refer the inner private compound of the keraton, the residential complex of king and royal family.

Usage

Title of honours

In Brunei and Malaysia, Datuk or Dato is related to each country's orders (darjah kebesaran). In general, it is a title or the prefix of a title given to a person upon being conferred with certain orders of honour. The power to bestow the order, thus the title, lies with the country's sovereign (Sultan in Brunei, and Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in Malaysia for federal orders) as well as the ceremonial leaders of the states of Malaysia for state orders.

The usage of the variant spelling "Datuk" and "Dato" is differentiated in the following manner: "Datuk" is conferred by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Yang di-Pertua Negeri, the non-hereditary Malaysian state leader which is nominated by the state legislature. Meanwhile, "Dato" is conferred by a Sultan, the royal head of Brunei and some Malaysian states, as well as Yamtuan Besar which is the royal head of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan.

A woman conferred with the order in her own right may be given with the title in which the word "Datuk" or "Dato" is replaced with "Datin". Nevertheless, a woman may still be given the masculine form of the title.

The wife of a man conferred with Datuk or Dato is given the title "Datin". However, the husband of a woman who has been given such a title is not given any Datuk-related title.

Permission will not be given for a UK citizen to use any title associated with a foreign or Commonwealth award in the UK. Meaning that anyone with the title Datuk or Dato can not be referred to as "Sir" and can only be referred to by their given title. [4]

In 1808 a principal advisor of Sultan Tajuddin of Songkhla in present-day Thailand had an advisor/chancellor by name of Datuk Maharaja. This shows the early use of the title. [5]

Minangkabau tradition

In Indonesia, datuk refers to honorific title of traditional community, especially among Malay and Minangkabau people. It is functioned as a title reserved for community leader that deals with traditions and community affairs. Indonesia titles are not recognoised in Malaysia or Brunei.

In Minangkabau tradition, Datuk (or Datuak) is a traditional, honorary title bestowed on a person by the agreement of a people or tribe in the Minangkabau language, spoken by the Minangkabau people. [6] The title of Datuk was agreed upon by local, traditional leaders (Kerapatan Adat Nagari). The title engenders great respect, and is only used for Minangkabau men who have become stakeholders of traditional leaders or penghulu (noblemen) for a particular tribe. When the title is bestowed, it is celebrated with a traditional ceremony (Malewa Gala) and a banquet.

Unlike other Malay traditions, the title of datuk in Minangkabau is inherited according to the matrilineal system. When a datuk dies his title may pass to his brother or nephew, whoever is closest in the maternal line. If there is no maternal relative, it may be given to another tribal member with the agreement of the tribe.

In the tradition of the Toba Batak people, a datu is magician-priest who teach divination and magic via his book the pustaha.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minangkabau people</span> Ethnic group in Indonesia

Minangkabau people, also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Minangkabau's West Sumatran homelands was the seat of the Pagaruyung Kingdom, believed by early historians to have been the cradle of the Malay race, and the location of the Padri War.

The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali</span> Spouse of Prime Minister of Malaysia

Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohamad Ali is the wife of Mahathir Mohamad, the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia and former chancellor of the Multimedia University (MMU). She played the role of Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia from July 1981 to October 2003 and from May 2018 to March 2020 for almost 24 years. She is the oldest-living person of the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endon Mahmood</span>

Tun Endon binti Mahmood Ambak was the first wife of the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. She died from breast cancer on 20 October 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Songkok</span> Traditional Southeast Asian cap

The songkok or peci or kopiah is a cap widely worn in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand, most commonly among Muslim males. It has the shape of a truncated cone, usually made of black or embroidered felt, cotton or velvet. It is also worn by males in formal occasions such as weddings and funerals or festive occasions such as the Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays. In Indonesia, the peci is also associated with the nationalist movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Minangkabau</span> People of Minangkabau ethnicity who has settled elsewhere

The Overseas Minangkabau is a demographic group of Minangkabau people of Minangkabau Highlands origin in Central Sumatra, Indonesia who have settled in other parts of the world. Over half of the Minangkabau people can be considered overseas Minangkabaus. They make up the majority of the population of Negeri Sembilan and Pekanbaru. They also form a significant minority in the populations of Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Batam, Surabaya and Palembang in Indonesia as well as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam in the rest of the Malay world. Minangkabaus have also emigrated as skilled professionals and merchants to the Netherlands, United States, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The matrilineal culture and economic conditions in West Sumatra have made the Minangkabau people one of the most mobile ethnic group in Maritime Southeast Asia.

Datuk is a traditional, honorary title bestowed on a person by the agreement of a people or tribe in the Minangkabau language, spoken by the Minangkabau people of Indonesia and Malaysia. The title of Datuk was agreed upon by local, traditional leaders. The title engenders great respect, and is only used for Minangkabau men who have become stakeholders of traditional leaders or penghulu (noblemen) for a particular tribe. When the title is bestowed, it is celebrated with a traditional ceremony and a banquet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchies of Malaysia</span> Constitutional monarchy

The monarchies of Malaysia refer to the constitutional monarchy system as practised in Malaysia. The political system of Malaysia is based on the Westminster parliamentary system in combination with features of a federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zulkifeli Mohd Zin</span> Malaysian general

Zulkifeli bin Mohd. Zin is the 18th and the former Chief of Defence Forces of Malaysia.

Kedatuan were historical semi-independent city-states or principalities throughout ancient Maritime Southeast Asia in the present-day Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In a modern Indonesian/Malay sense, they could be described as kingdoms or polities. The earliest written record mentioning the term kadatuan was the 7th-century Srivijayan Telaga Batu and Kota Kapur inscription from Sumatra, Indonesia.

Aishah binti Ghani was a Malaysian politician who served as Minister of Social Welfare from 1973 to 1984 and Head of Wanita UMNO women's Malaysia from 1972 to 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tengkolok</span> Malay or Indonesian headgear

Tengkolok, also known as Tanjak, Destar is a traditional Malay or Indonesian and male headgear. It is made from long songket cloth folded and tied in a particular style (solek). Nowadays, it is usually worn in ceremonial functions, such as royal ceremonies by royalties, and wedding ceremonies by grooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Datu Sadja</span>

Datu Sadja is a senior titled nobility in the Royal Sultanate of Sulu. It is subordinate to the Datu or Su-sultanun which is acquired purely by inherited lineage or formal relationship to the Sultan. The title of Datu is roughly comparable to European sovereign princes or dukes while the title Datu Sadja can be analogous to a marquess or count. The rights of the present day customary titles are protected by a special law in the Philippines known as "The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997". This law allows traditional leadership titles to be conferred, including the title Datu, in a manner specified under the law's implementing rules and regulations which was issued as Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 1998, by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and written specifically under Page 11, Rule IV, Part I, Section 2, Paragraph A-C.

In the Philippine languages, a complex system of titles and honorifics was used extensively during the pre-colonial era, mostly by the Tagalogs and Visayans. These were borrowed from the Malay system of honorifics obtained from the Moro peoples of Mindanao, which in turn was based on the Indianized Sanskritized honorifics system in addition to the Chinese system of honorifics used in areas like Ma-i (Mindoro) and Pangasinan. The titles of historical figures such as Rajah Sulayman, Lakandula and Dayang Kalangitan evidence Indian influence. Malay titles are still used by the royal houses of Sulu, Maguindanao, Maranao and Iranun on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. However, these are retained on a traditional basis as the 1987 Constitution explicitly reaffirms the abolition of royal and noble titles in the republic.

Mohamad Fuzi bin Harun is a retired Malaysian police officer who served as the 11th Inspector-General of Police of Malaysia (IGP). He was also former acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police of Malaysia and director of the Special Branch (SB) of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

The Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK" or "DK I" as well as the title "Dato Laila Utama".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei</span> Order of Brunei

The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei is an order of Brunei. It was established on 15 August 1982 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DKMB".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Installation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI</span> Installation of Malaysias sovereign

The installation of Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as the sixteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia took place in a Malay Royal Ceremony at the Balairong Seri, Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 30 July 2019 at 10 a.m. He was elected earlier by the Malay Rulers in the 251st Special Meeting of Conference of Rulers which was held at Istana Negara on 24 January 2019. The meeting was held upon the resignation of the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Muhammad V of Kelantan who stepped down from his post on 6 January 2019. Abdullah will hold the position for a period of 5 years beginning on 31 January 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minangkabau Malaysians</span>

The Minangkabau Malaysians are citizens of the Malaysia whose ancestral roots are from Minangkabau of central Sumatra. This includes people born in the Malaysia who are of Minangkabau origin as well as Minangkabau who have migrated to Malaysia. Today, Minangkabau comprise about 989,000 people in Malaysia, and Malaysian law considers most of them to be Malays. They are majority in urban areas, which has traditionally had the highest education and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The history of the Minangkabau migration to Malay peninsula has been recorded to have lasted a very long time. When the means of transportation were still using the ships by down the rivers and crossing the strait, many Minang people migrated to various regions such as Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Penang, Kedah, Perak, and Pahang. Some scholars noted that the arrival of the Minangkabau to the Malay Peninsula occurred in the 12th century. This ethnic group moved in to peninsula at the height of the Sultanate of Malacca, and maintains the Adat Perpatih of matrilineal kinships system in Negeri Sembilan and north Malacca.

References

  1. "ASAL USUL DAN MAKNA NAMA GELAR DATUAK DI NAGARI NAN TUJUAH KECAMATAN PALUPUH KABUPATEN AGAM", Wacanaetnik.fib.unand
  2. Casparis, J.G., (1956), Prasasti Indonesia II: Selected Inscriptions from the 7th to the 9th Century A.D., Dinas Purbakala Republik Indonesia, Bandung: Masa Baru.
  3. "mandal meaning in Hindi | mandal translation in Hindi". SHABDKOSH. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  4. "Rules governing the acceptance and wearing of foreign and Commonwealth orders, decorations and medals by citizens of the United Kingdom and her Overseas Territories". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  5. "The Battle for Junk Ceylon" (present-day Phuket), C.Skinner, Dordrecht 1985, p.7
  6. Navis A.A., (1984), Layar Terkembang Jadi Guru: Adat dan Kebudayaan Minangkabau, Jakarta: PT. Grafiti Pers (in Indonesian).