Tamil Indonesians

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Tamil Indonesians
இந்தோனேசியத் தமிழர்
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Vrouwen in de Hindoe tempel Sri Mariamman TMnr 20018360.jpg
Tamil devotees in Mariamman Temple, Medan.
Total population
75,000 (1996)
Regions with significant populations
North Sumatra
Languages
Religion
Predominantly
Hinduism
Minorities
Christianity  · Islam  · Buddhism
Related ethnic groups

Tamil Indonesians are persons from Indian Tamil ancestry living in Indonesia. Majority of them live in Medan in North Sumatra while there are small community in other parts of the country such as Jakarta, Aceh, Riau and Riau Islands. [1] It is estimated that there are around 25,000 PIOs/NRIs living in Indonesia of which the Indian expatriate community registered with the Embassy and Consulate in Medan numbers around 30,000.

Contents

History

Pre-colonial era

A group of Tamil workers were brought from India by the Dutch for working on plantation sectors in Medan, 1920s. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Tamil-arbeiders uit India in Medan Deli Sumatra TMnr 10001396.jpg
A group of Tamil workers were brought from India by the Dutch for working on plantation sectors in Medan, 1920s.
Indian settlement in Padang, the settlers mainly are Tamil descent, circa 1900s Straat in de Klingalese Kamp in Padang, RP-F-F01149-EW.jpg
Indian settlement in Padang, the settlers mainly are Tamil descent, circa 1900s

Tamils have a long history in Indonesia. After Rajendra Chola I's attack on Srivijaya Empire in 1024–1025, there was a noticeable increase in Tamil economic activity in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. One of direct consequence of Chola invasion was the emergence of Kota Cina, an ancient trading town currently located in northern Medan.

Their presence has been recorded in Lobu Tua Inscription dating from 1088 about Five Hundred Lords of Ayyanuruwar, a Tamil merchant guild in Barus, an ancient port town currently located in Central Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra. The inscription itself is written in Tamil, and Barus was called Varocu by them. The Tamils residing permanently or temporarily in Barus were mainly traders or craftsmen by profession. Some of them were migrated to Karoland and Kota Cina, and assimilated with local Karo people. The clan (merga) Sembiring is believed to have a connection with the Tamils. Many of its sub-mergas, like Colia, Berahmana, Pandia, Meliala, Depari, Muham, Pelawi and Tekan, are clearly of South Indian origin. Some scholars cited that some aspects of Karo tradition are believed to have been influenced from Tamil culture, such as disposing of the dead and urung (village federation, thought to be influenced from medieval Tamil society). [2]

Another evidence of Tamil presence is the Suruaso Inscription, dating from the 14th century. The inscription was found in Tanah Datar Regency (West Sumatra), and written in two languages, Old Malay and Tamil. The Tamils were also assimilated with Acehnese people, and many of them has physical resemblance to that of Tamils. However, they do not practice Tamil culture or speak Tamil language anymore.[ citation needed ]

Dutch colonial period

Tamils from India were brought to Indonesia by the Dutch in the early build-up of the plantation industry in the 1830s. [1] Agents visited villages in South India and tempted poor uneducated Tamils to come to "Tanah Deli" (Sumatra) and were promised easy work with good pay.

After they arrived in Indonesia, they were used for hard labor and housed in simple huts. Most of them worked for the Dutch company, Deli Maatschappij under harsh conditions. A small number of Tamils returned to India after their contract expires. At the end of the 1940s, many Tamils got an opportunity to return and left, but about 5,000 to 10,000 Tamils remained in North Sumatra, mainly in Medan, but also in Lubuk Pakam (Deli Serdang Regency), Tebing Tinggi, and Binjai.

World War II and Independence

After World War II and the country's independence from the Dutch, many Tamils left the plantations and they often used cow carts as transport. These vehicles became their tools for making a living. Some even bought abandoned Japanese military vehicles, which they used to transport sand and building material for building projects. Other Tamils have specialized in spice trading at the markets and a few become contractors and government officials.

Many Tamil Indonesians have remained in North Sumatra except for a few hundred families in Jakarta and the Tamils who went to Sigli in Pidie Regency, Aceh in an early stage.

Relations with other groups

Tamil Indonesians always had a harmonious relationship with other ethnic groups in North Sumatra, as the cultural and economic background do not differ too much. As for interracial marriages, not until the last two generations did Tamil Indonesians began to intermarry with other ethnic groups.

Organizations

Thaipusam celebration in Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia, 2016. The devotee piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with Vel as symbol of honoring to the Tamil God of Murugan Tusuk Tubuh Thaipusam.jpg
Thaipusam celebration in Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia, 2016. The devotee piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with Vel as symbol of honoring to the Tamil God of Murugan

In August 2011, more than 400 Tamil Indonesians gathered in Jakarta to form a new association, the Indonesia Tamil Sangam (ITS). [3] The ITS is a nonprofit, social and cultural organization dedicated to the welfare of the Tamil-speaking community living in Indonesia and it will organize Tamil language classes and establish a Tamil library in Jakarta.

Other than Indonesian Tamil Sangam, there are some religious-based Tamil organizations, such as:

Population

It is not known for exactly how many Tamils in Indonesia are, as post-1930 censuses do not include ethnical category. According to A. Mani (1980), there were 18,000 Tamils in North Sumatra in 1930. It is estimated that there were 75,000 Tamils in 1996 with religion percentage are 78% Hindus, 11% Buddhists, 5.5% Muslims and 4.5% Christians.

Notable Tamil Indonesians

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatra</span> Island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands

Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 475,807.63 km2 (182,812 mi.2), including adjacent islands such as the Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai, Enggano, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung and Krakatoa archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medan</span> City and capital of North Sumatra, Indonesia

Medan is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multicultural metropolis, acting as a financial centre for Sumatra and a gateway to the western part of Indonesia. About 60% of the economy in North Sumatra is backed by trading, agriculture, and processing industries, including exports from its 4 million acres of palm oil plantations. The National Development Planning Agency listed Medan as one of the four main central cities in Indonesia, alongside Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Sumatra</span> Province of Indonesia

West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It is on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau to the northeast, Jambi to the southeast, and Bengkulu to the south. The province has an area of 42,119.54 km2 (16,262.45 sq mi), with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 census. The official estimate at mid 2022 was 5,640,629. The province is subdivided into twelve regencies and seven cities. It has relatively more cities than other provinces outside Java, although several of them are relatively low in population compared with cities elsewhere in Indonesia. Padang is the province's capital and largest city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Sumatra</span> Province of Indonesia

North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. It is bordered by Aceh on the northwest and Riau and West Sumatra in the southeast, with two different coastlines located on the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca, and a maritime border with Malaysia to the east. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and Central Java, and the third-largest province on the island of Sumatra after the neighbouring Riau. It covers an area of 72,981 km2. It is approximately the same size of Sierra Leone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deli Serdang Regency</span> Regency in North Sumatra, Indonesia

Deli Serdang is a regency in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. It surrounds the city of Medan, and also borders the city of Binjai, which is effectively a bedroom community for Medan. The entire regency lies within the Medan metropolitan area. It occupies an area of 2,497.72 sq.km. The capital of the district is Lubuk Pakam, which is located approximately 30 km east of Medan. The national census of 2000 recorded 1,573,987 people, but by 2010 the regency's population increased by 13.76% to 1,790,431, and at the 2020 Census the total was 1,931,441. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,953,986. Kualanamu International Airport is located in this regency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Indonesians</span> Ethnic group

Indian Indonesians are Indonesians whose ancestors originally came from the Indians subcontinent. Therefore, this term can be regarded as a blanket term for not only Indonesian Indians but also Indonesians with other South Asian ancestries. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, there were about 120,000 people of Indian origin as well as 9,000 Indian nationals living and working in Indonesia as of January 2012. Most of them were concentrated in the province of North Sumatra and urban areas such as Banda Aceh, Surabaya, Medan, and Jakarta. However, it is quite impossible to get correct statistical figures on the Indian Indonesian population, because some of them have merged and assimilated with the indigenous population to become indistinguishable from native Indonesians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karo people (Indonesia)</span> Indonesian ethnic group

The Karo, or Karonese, are a people of the Tanah Karo and part of the Karo people from North Sumatera, Indonesia. The Karo lands consist of Karo Regency, plus neighboring areas in East Aceh Regency, Langkat Regency, Dairi Regency, Simalungun Regency and Deli Serdang Regency. In addition, the cities of Binjai and Medan, both bordered by Deli Serdang Regency, contain significant Karo populations, particularly in the Padang Bulan area of Medan. The town of Sibolangit, Deli Serdang Regency in the foothills on the road from Medan to Berastagi is also a significant Karo town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandailing people</span>

The Mandailing is an ethnic group in Sumatra, Indonesia that is commonly associated with the Batak people. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They came under the influence of the Kaum Padri who ruled the Minangkabau of Tanah Datar. As a result, the Mandailing were influenced by Muslim culture and converted to Islam. There are also a group of Mandailing in Malaysia, especially in the states of Selangor and Perak. They are closely related to the Angkola and Toba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karo Regency</span> Regency in North Sumatra, Indonesia

Karo Regency is a landlocked regency of North Sumatra, Indonesia, situated in the Barisan Mountains. The regency covers an area of 2,127.25 square kilometres (821.34 sq mi) and according to the 2010 census it had a population of 350,479, increasing to 404,998 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 414,429. 60.99% of the regency is forested. Its regency seat is Kabanjahe. The Batak Karo language is spoken in the regency, as well as the Indonesian language. It borders Southeast Aceh Regency in Aceh to the west, Deli Serdang Regency and Langkat Regency to the north, Dairi Regency and Toba Samosir Regency to the south, and Deli Serdang Regency and Simalungun Regency to the east.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sultanate of Deli</span> Malay state in eastern Sumatra (1632–1946)

The Sultanate of Deli was a 1,820 km² Malay state in east Sumatra founded in 1630. A tributary kingdom from 1630 it was controlled by various Sultanates until 1814, when it became an independent sultanate and broke away from the Sultanate of Siak.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batak cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Batak people of Indonesia

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

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References

  1. 1 2 ""Tamils - a Trans State Nation, Indonesia", Tamilnation.org, 15 August 2011.
  2. Andaya, Leonard Y. (2002). "The Trans-Sumatra Trade and the Ethnicization of the 'Batak'". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 158 (3): 367–409. doi: 10.1163/22134379-90003770 . S2CID   153410250.
  3. "Tamil community forms new cultural association", The Jakarta Post, 15 August 2011.