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Minangkabau businesspeople refers to merchants from the Minangkabau Highlands in central Sumatra, Indonesia. Minangkabau are the ethnic majority in West Sumatra and Negeri Sembilan. Minangkabau are also a recognised minority in other parts of Indonesia as well as Malaysia, Singapore and the Netherlands.
For centuries, the Minangkabau trade in mining and agriculture products has been a major source of the dynamic progress of the Indian Ocean economy.
Minangkabau traders have been trading since the 7th century. They became influential traders operating on the west and east coast of Sumatra. The gold trade was originally the main trade of the Minangkabau people. The Tanah Datar Valley was an important place as gold producer for the Minangkabau economy. [1] : 69 The pursuit of gold sometimes encourages migration of Minang people. The arrival of the Minangkabau people in the northwest of Jambi, was caused by the search for gold. [2] : 79 Invited by King Regale and his predecessors, many Minang people crossed the Malacca strait to Johor to collect gold chunks. The Minangkabau gold traders were often the leading mining entrepreneurs, who relied on the Tanah Datar political system to protect them as they led their caravan of one hundred or more men on foot down the rugged slopes of Bukit Barisan to the harbor in the west coast. By the late 18th century, gold mines were running out and their fortunes had reached a nadir. [1]
After gold reserves declined, trade of agriculture commodities became the main business of the Minang people. The pepper, acacia and gambier trade flourished in the 15th-18th century, [3] as well as the coffee trade in the 18th to 19th century. The commodities brought from the Minangkabau Highlands to the Malacca strait or the Indian Ocean to be sold to foreign traders. Most of trade to the east coast was carried out via major rivers such as the Kampar, Siak, Indragiri and Batang Hari. Because of the trading activity, many Minang traders migrated and established colonies along the west and east coast of Sumatra, even to the Malay peninsula. On the west coast, they established trading posts in Meulaboh, Barus, Natal, Pariaman, Padang up to Bengkulu. [4] In the east coast, Minang traders colonies stretched from Batubara, Pelalawan, Siak up to Jambi.
Since the emergence of Srivijaya Kingdom and continued to Malacca Sultanate, many Minangkabau traders worked for the kings. The role of Minangkabau traders began to decline since the Dutch control of the west coast of Sumatra. [5] The establishment of Penang and Singapore in the Malacca strait, revived trade between Minangkabau and the outside world. Consequently, many villages in the Minangkabau highland immediately became prosperous. Besides being intermediary traders, many Minang merchants as cross-strait traders. These traders transport various commodities that came from the interior of Sumatra to be sold to foreign ships in the Straits Settlements. [1] In addition to trading in the Malacca strait, the cross-strait businessmen also operate in the west coast of Sumatra, the Karimata Islands, the Sunda Strait, the Java Sea, the Sulu Sea up to the Maluku Islands. Besides three brothers: Nakhoda Bayan, Nakhoda Intan, and Nakhoda Kecil; Nakhoda Mangkuto, who was later succeeded by his son Nakhoda Muda, were some of the successful cross-strait traders. [6]
In the second half 18th century, new crops and industries flourished in Minangkabau. Cotton cultivation was progress rapidly and provides material for cotton weaving in Agam. Gambier tree was planted and used as medicine, which later became an export commodity in Limapuluh Kota. Furthermore in the west coast, growing salt ponds. [7] : 106 It was stimulate some of entrepreneurs to achieve more wealth, and then laid the path for the development of the Padri movement, a religious reform movement pioneered by Tuanku Nan Tuo and Tuanku Nan Renceh.
At the beginning 19th century, European traders especially the Dutch, began to dominate the Minangkabau economy. The Padri War which lasted for more than 30 years, tried to expel the Dutch merchants who tried to monopolize all Minangkabau trade goods. The defeat of the Padri troops destroyed the Minangkabau economy, and the Minangkabau world under the rule of the Dutch East Indies. [1] Despite being under colonial control, the Minang realm also gave birth to several influential businessmen, including Abdul Gani Rajo Mangkuto and Muhammad Saleh. In 1914, several Minang traders, headed by Taher Marah Soetan, founded the Sarikat Usaha. In addition to strengthening Minang business, this union also aims to promote education and the struggle for independence. [8] In 1930s, two prominent Minangs enterprises : Bank Nasional and Djohan Djohor were established in Bukittinggi and Jakarta respectively. [9] At that time, Djohan Djohor was one of the leading textile importer who managed by three Minang entrepreneurs, namely Ayub Rais and the brothers Djohan Sutan Sulaiman and Djohor Sutan Perpatih. [10]
The revival of Minang traders occurred again after Indonesian independence. Between 1950 and 1965, many Minangkabaus business standing strengthened after being limited to small businesses in the colonial period. Hasyim Ning, Rahman Tamin, Sidi Tando and Rukmini Zainal Abidin were the top conglomerates in Indonesia during the liberal democracy period. [11] At that time, Minangkabau was among the most wealthy groups in Indonesia. [7] : 107 In the New Order era, the government's policy in favor of Chinese traders was detrimental to Minangkabau traders. Chinese capitalists, called the cukong, were supported by the military, which emerged as the dominant political force after 1965. [11] : 272 At that time, the Minang merchants were experiencing difficult in bank loans and obtaining business permits. On the other hand, in Malaysia they actually get convenience because of government policies that prioritize indigenous traders. As a result, many Minang entrepreneurs have succeeded in Malaysia, such as Nasimuddin Amin, Kamarudin Meranun, and also the royal family of Negeri Sembilan who owned some of companies. At the end of 1990s, several Minang businessmen led by Abdul Latief, Aminuzal Amin, Nasroel Chas, and Fahmi Idris established a joint venture company Nagari Development Corporation (NDC), which aims to improve the Minangkabau community.
The Minangkabau people are known in Indonesia because they are widely involved in various business activities. Therefore, they are seen as a community that has a high entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurship is one of the ingrained cultures in Minangkabau society. For the Minang people, as a trader is not just for living and pursuing wealth, but also as a form of self-existence to become an independent person. In the egalitarian Minang culture, everyone will try to be a leader. The principle "elok manjadi kapalo samuik daripado manjadi ikua gajah (better to be a leader in small business than a subordinate in large company)" is a common principle of Minang community. [12] Being a trader is one of the ways to fulfilling this principle. As a merchant, the Minang people can achieve their ambitions, make a live according to their wishes, live freely without any party to restrain them. So that, many young Minangkabau migrants prefer to be a trader even they grapple the scorch heat on the roadside.
Furthermore, the development of trading culture in the Minang community is due to the existence of inheritance (pusako tinggi) which guarantees land ownership, and its function like safety net and sustainability for every single person in the community. With owning of the land, the position of the Minang community is not only as cultivators, but also as traders who sell their products to the end users.
The culinary business is the Minangkabau merchants' favored sector. Minangkabau restaurants, known as Padang Restaurant, scattered throughout Indonesia as well as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and the Netherlands. Some merchants develop their own brand for their restaurants. The prominent Minangkabau restaurant chain is Restoran Sederhana managed by Bustamam, which has over 160 outlets across Indonesia and Malaysia. [13] Besides Restoran Sederhana, other Minang restaurant chains that have expanded overseas are Sari Ratu, Garuda and Natrabu. There are also several food stalls owned by Minang merchants that already have hundreds outlets, such as Sabana and D'Besto. Both of brands are Indonesian version of KFC. In addition, there are restaurants that have characteristic and trademark of certain region. Entrepreneurs from Kapau (near Bukittinggi) usually selling Nasi kapau, a kind of Minang version of mixed rice. Some of Pariaman, Payakumbuh, and Padang Panjang food traders selling Sate padang and Soto padang. Meanwhile, traders from Kubang (near Payakumbuh) selling martabak with the trademark "Martabak Kubang". The number of Minang traders who sell food has made Minangkabau cuisine is among the most popular food in Maritime Southeast Asia.
A significant number of Minangkabau merchants were also involved in hotel and hospital industry. In major cities in Java, Sumatra, and Bali, some of Minang businessmen own medium-sized hotels. They also run many general and maternity hospitals. Two of the prominent hotel chains owned by Minangkabau entrepreneurs are Menteng Group Hotel and Hotel Pangeran. Meanwhile, Awal Bros (currently Primaya) hospital and Bunda hospital are the largest hospital chains owned by Minangs.
Besides being well-known as hospitality entrepreneurs, Minang people are famous as textile merchants. Most of the traditional markets in Indonesia's major cities are occupied by Minang textile traders. In Jakarta, much of textile or fashion stores are owned by Minang traders. They are found in textile centers such as Tanah Abang, Senen, Jatinegara and Blok M. The Minang traders are still dominate in textile centers of Medan, Pekanbaru, Batam, Jambi, Palembang and Bandung. They are also occupied some of textile market in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Makassar, as well as Kuala Lumpur. [14] During the 1950-1980s, Rahman Tamin was one of the leading textile entrepreneur in Indonesia. Nowadays, some of Minang textile entrepreneurs have also developing chain of wholesale clothing stores, such as Elzatta of Elidawati Ali Oemar as well as Shafira and Zoya by Fenny Mustafa. [15]
Historically, a number of publishing houses and media companies in Indonesia were founded by Minangkabaus. [16] They include Warta Berita, Soeloeh Melajoe, and Oetoesan Melajoe, founded by Datuk Sutan Maharaja; [17] Panji Masyarakat magazine by Hamka; the Pedoman newspaper founded by Rosihan Anwar; Waspada by Ani Idrus, Kartini magazine by Lukman Umar, Femina magazine by Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana's family, as well as Tiras magazine, Neraca daily newspaper, and Lativi (currently tvOne) by Abdul Latief. [18] In Malaysia, Hussamuddin Yaacub is a Minang tycoon that has a print media business. He founded the Karangkraf Group. [19]
Minangkabau businesspeople also play a role in developing Indonesia and Malaysia economy, ranging from banking, coal mining, oil palm and rubber plantations, pharmacy, automotive, entertainment, groceries, as well as education industry. Currently,[ when? ] they are also developing some of start-up companies as well as being quite active as capital market players at the Indonesia and Malaysia stock exchanges. At the early of Indonesian independence, Sutan Sjahsam, the brother of Sutan Sjahrir, was leading figures in capital market and financial brokerage.
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.
Minangkabau people, also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Minangkabau's West Sumatera 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.
Minangkabau is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of Bengkulu and Jambi, also in several cities throughout Indonesia by migrated Minangkabau. The language is also a lingua franca along the western coastal region of the province of North Sumatra, and is even used in parts of Aceh, where the language is called Aneuk Jamee.
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.
Rendang is a Minangkabau dish. It is a rich meat-based dish that is slow-cooked, braised in coconut milk, and seasoned with herb and spice mixture over a period of several hours. As the liquids evaporate, the meat turns dark brown and tender, caramelizing and infusing it with rich flavours.
Pekanbaru is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic centre on the eastern side of Sumatra Island with its name derived from the Malay words for 'new market' . It has an area of 632.26 km2 (244.12 sq mi), with a population of 897,767 at the 2010 Census, and 983,356 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,007,540. It is located on the banks of the Siak River, which flows into the Strait of Malacca, Pekanbaru has direct access to the busy strait and has long been known as a trading port.
Padang is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. It had a population of 833,562 at the 2010 Census and 909,040 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 919,145 - comprising 461,712 males and 457,433 females. It is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. The Padang metropolitan area is the third most populous metropolitan area in Sumatra with a population of over 1.4 million. Padang is widely known for its Minangkabau culture, cuisine, and sunset beaches.
Bukittinggi is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an official estimate as at mid 2022 of 122,311 - comprising 61,198 males and 61,113 females. It covers an area of 25.24 km2. It is located in the Minangkabau Highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. The whole area directly borders to the Agam Regency, making it an enclave, and is located at 0°18′20″S100°22′9″E, near the volcanoes Mount Singgalang (inactive) and Mount Marapi. At 930 m above sea level, the city has a cool climate with temperatures between 16.1° to 24.9 °C.
Pagaruyung, also known as Pagarruyung, Pagar Ruyung and Malayapura or Malayupura, was a kingdom that once stood in the island of Sumatra and the seat of the Minangkabau kings of Western Sumatra. Modern Pagaruyung is a village in Tanjung Emas subdistrict, Tanah Datar regency, located near the town of Batusangkar, Indonesia.
Pariaman, is a coastal city in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Pariaman covers an area of 73.36 km2 (28 sq mi), with a 12 km (7 mi) coastline. It had a population of 79,043 at the 2010 Census and 94,224 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 96,719 - comprising 48,864 males and 47,855 females. "Pariaman" means "safe area".
Padang dish or Minangkabau dish is the cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines in Maritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia as Masakan Padang after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. It is served in restaurants mostly owned by perantauan (migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.
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.
Abdul Karim Amrullah, known as Haji Rasul, was a Muslim reformer who led reformation of Islam in Sumatra, Dutch East Indies.
Asam pedas is a Maritime Southeast Asian sour and spicy fish stew dish. Asam pedas is believed to come from Minangkabau cuisine of West Sumatra, Indonesia and has spread throughout to the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Malay Peninsula.
The Indonesian Malaysians are Malaysian citizens of Indonesian ancestry. Today, there are many Malaysian Malays who have lineage from the Indonesian archipelago and have played an important role in the history and contributed to the development of Malaysia, they have been assimilated with other Malay communities and are grouped as part of the foreign Malays or anak dagang in terms of race. The Malaysian census does not categorize ethnic groups from the Indonesian archipelago as a separate ethnic group, but rather as Malay or Bumiputera.
Islam is the most common religion in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra, embraced by 97.42% of the population. The Muslim population increases to 99.6% if it excludes the Mentawai Islands, where the majority of the non-Muslim (Protestant) West Sumatrans reside. Islam in West Sumatra is predominantly Sunni, though there is a small Shia Islamic pocket within the coastal city of Pariaman. The Minangkabau people, indigenous to West Sumatra, comprise 88% of the West Sumatran population today and have historically played an important role within Indonesia's Muslim community. Up until today, the region is considered one of the strongholds of Islam in Indonesia.
Al-Munir was an Islamic magazine, written in Arabic-Malay, published in Padang from 1911 until 1915. Inaugurated by the initiative of Abdullah Ahmad in early April 1911, Al-Munir was listed as the first Islamic mass media in Indonesia. The magazine was often associated with Al-Imam magazine published under the direction of Sheikh Tahir Jalaluddin in Singapore during 1906-1909. In addition to Abdullah Ahmad, several religious figures such as Abdul Karim Amrullah, Muhammad Thaib Umar and Sutan Muhammad Salim were recorded in the ranks of the editorial board.
Minangkabau culture is the culture of the Minangkabau ethnic group in Indonesia, part of the Indonesian culture. This culture is one of the two major cultures in the Indonesian archipelago which is very prominent and influential.
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.
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