Sasak people

The Sasak people are an ethnic group of about 2.7 million members, which constitute about 85 percent of the residents on the Indonesian island of Lombok. They are related to the Balinese in ethnic origin and language.

Language

The Sasak language is part of the Bali - Sasak - Sumbawa subgroup of the Western Malayo -Polynesian language branch of the Austronesian language family in. Different levels of language serve to confirm the social differentiation and are strictly adhered to in the traditional culture. In traditional use of the three levels of language jamaq, tengaq and utame spokesman for the respective social class can be assigned. After a usual classification of five regional dialects of Sasak are distinguished: Meno - Mene ngenó - nGene, meriyak - meriku, kuto -Kute and ngettó - ngetté. The transitions are partially flowing, it can be more dialects after the vocabulary delimit.

History and Society

Little is known about the history of the Sasak. Lombok was placed under Gajah Mada directly from the mid 14th century and thus practically belonged to the Hindu Majapahit Empire. Since the 17th century the kingdom of Karangasem from East Bali ruled over Lombok. Prior to Lombok was divided into a number of commonly mutually warring principalities Sasak. Now they were the Balinese tribute. 1891 fought the Sasak together with the Dutch successfully against the Balinese dynasty in the west of the island. Lombok then belonged to the Dutch colonial possession.

From the Hindu Balinese, the Sasak took over the closed hierarchical structures of a class society. Traditionally, the division consists of four classes: Raden were these distinguished nobles, Menak and Perwangse nobles were simple, and Jajarkarang or Bulu ketujur formed the nation. The classification relates to the marriage system and the language level. Raden is also a title for members of the upper class families whose ancestors were kings of small kingdoms. Raden Nune is the suffix for Men, Raden Dende for women. Marriages should be made within the corresponding layer. In the salutation is no distinction between married and unmarried adults; However, they have children, they receive the title Amaq (father ) or Inaq (mother) plus the name of the first child.

Until about 1960, the arranged Kreuzkusinenheirat was common for all walks of life that was practiced within the village ( endogamous ). The marriage among cousins ​​has become rare in the general population, of nobles it is also not expected. If, however, nobles marry outside their social class, they would lose their title and reputation in the family.

Religion

Sasak see themselves as the original inhabitants of the island, which they call gumi Sasak ( "world" ), and distance themselves from the later had moved to the western part of the Balinese people and the minorities Javanese, Arabs and Chinese by it. Between the late 16th century and early 17th century, converted to Islam, the Sasak, with some animist and Hindu religious elements were retained in the dominant until the 19th century wetu - Telu religion. The followers of this syncretic form of Islam, which live mainly in the mountain villages in the north were still estimated in the 1960s to 20 percent and have since declined by persistent Islamic proselytizing to a few percent. There are also a few not Islamized supporters of Sasa Boda ( altmalaiischer ancestral faith and Buddhist elements ).

For orthodox Islamic faith Waktu Lima, which could be distinguished from about 1900 of the wetu - Telu adherents, confesses most of the Sasak. Waktu Lima already offered the opportunity to gain power and social recognition outside of class society in the colonial period. On the other hand joined the traditional nobility, which drew its power from the customary law ( adat ), together with the Dutch. They could not prevent the rapid conversion to Islam in the 1930s. During the riots in 1966 after the military coup of Suharto, the orthodox Muslims were supported by the army and brought wetu - Telu pendant with threats and violence for conversion.

Through a small but loudly making the statement group of devout Muslims who were brought up in conservative Islamic schools ( pesantren ), and by influences from the West, there is a tendency to be leveling society in which class differences are smaller.

Culture

According to the religious distinction, the music of Lombok either the Javanese - Balinese gamelan music, or influenced by Islamic music is assigned. Genggong is accompanied by soft dance moves quiet ( Javanese ) style of singing, the rebab of the two-stringed lute string, a bamboo flute ( suling ) and rattling accompanied. Gandrung similar in performance style Javanese Gandrung Banyuwangi, only that rebab on Lombok as a leading melody instruments suling and the rare oboe instrument preret used. The Serat Menak Sasak, the local form of the Indonesian shadow play ( wayang ) is barely mentioned. Is the most revered of Lingsar Temple on the west coast, where a major annual temple festival is held. In place Lenek in the east of the island of ancient dance traditions are maintained at village festivals.

Cilokaq is a traditional popular music with vocals or instruments belonging to the Islamic world, such as the low pitched one-sided goblet drum Rebana, the Gambus plucked lute, the violin ( biola ) and at least used to be here preret the wind instrument.