SUNDANESE OF INDONESIA

 SUNDANESE POEPLE

The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim. During the 2010 Census the government identified 1,128 ethnic backgrounds in the country, though total figures are not yet released for Sundanese. In their own language, Sundanese, the group is referred to as Urang Sunda, and Suku Sunda or Orang Sunda in the national language, Indonesian.

The Sundanese have traditionally been concentrated in the provinces of West Java, Banten and Jakarta, and the western part of Central Java. Sundanese migrants can also be found in Lampung and South Sumatra. The provinces of Central Java and East Java are home to the Javanese, Indonesia's largest ethnic group.

Sundanese culture has a number of similarities with Javanese culture, however it differs by being more overtly Islamic, and has a less rigid system of social hierarchy.

ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF SUNDANESE

The Sunda Wiwitan belief contains the legend of origin of Sundanese people; Sang Hyang Kersa, the supreme divine being in ancient Sundanese belief created seven bataras (deities) in Sasaka Pusaka Buana (The Sacred Place on Earth). The oldest of these bataras is called Batara Cikal and is considered the ancestor of the Kanekes people. Other six bataras ruled various locations in Sunda lands in Western Java. A Sundanese legend of Sangkuriang contain the memory of the prehistoric ancient lake in Bandung basin highland, which suggest that Sundanese already inhabit the region since Stone Age era. Another popular Sundanese proverb and legend mentioned about the creation of Parahyangan (Priangan) highlands, the heartland of Sundanese realm; "When the hyangs (gods) were smiling, the land of Parahyangan was created". This legend suggested the Parahyangan highland as the playland or the abode of gods, as well as suggesting its natural beauty.

Hindu influences has reached Sundanese people as early as 4th century CE as evident in Tarumanagara inscriptions. Court cultures flourished in ancient times, for example, the Sunda Kingdom, however, the Sundanese appear not to have had the resources nor desire to construct large religious monuments similar to those in Central and East Java.

Inland Sunda is mountainous and hilly, and until the 19th century, was thickly forested and sparsely populated. The Sundanese traditionally live in small and isolated hamlets, rendering control by indigenous courts difficult. The Sundanese, in contrast to the Javanese, traditionally engage in dry-field farming. These factors resulted in the Sundanese having a less rigid social hierarchy and more independent social manners. In the 19th century, Dutch colonial exploitation opened much of the interior for coffee, tea, and quinine production, and the highland society took on a frontier aspect, further strengthening the individualistic Sundanese mindset.

There is popular belief among Indonesian ethnicities that Sundanese are famous for their beauty, in his report "Summa Oriental" on early 16th century Sunda Kingdom, Tomé Pires mentioned: "The (Sundanese) women are handsome, and those of the nobles chaste, which is not the case with those of the lower classes". It was said that Sundanese women are — in estimation of Indonesians — one of the most beautiful in the country. In Indonesian popular beliefs, it was said that because of the climate, they have lighter complexion than other Indonesians, and because the Sundanese diet features raw vegetables, they reputedly possess especially soft skin. Bandung ladies, popularly known as Mojang Priangan are reputedly pretty, fashion smart and forward looking. Probably because of this, many Sundanese people today pursue careers in the Indonesian entertainment industry.

Family and social relations

Sundanese culture has borrowed much from Javanese culture, however it differs by being more overtly Islamic, and has a much less rigid system of social hierarchy. The Sundanese, in their mentality and behavior, their greater egalitarianism and antipathy to yawning class distinctions, their community-based material culture, of feudal hierarchy, apparent among the people of the Javanese Principality. Central Javanese court culture nurtured in atmosphere conducive to elite, stylized, impeccably-polished forms of art and literature. In a pure sense, Sundanese culture bore few traces of these traditions.

Culturally Sundanese people adopt a bilateral kinship system, with male and female descent are of equal importance. In Sundanese family the important rituals revolved around their life cycle, from the birth to the death. Adopting many of previous Animism and Hindu-Buddhist, and mainly Islamic traditions. For example during seventh month of pregnancy there is a prenatal ritual called "Nujuh Bulanan" the very same as Naloni Mitoni in Javanese tradition, which can trace its origin to Hindu ritual. Shortly after the birth of a baby the ritual called "Akekahan" (from Arabic word: Aqiqah) an Islamic tradition where the parents slaughtering a goat for baby girl or two goats for baby boy, the meat later cooked and distributed to relatives and neighbours. The circumcision ceremony is performed on pre-pubescent boy and might celebrated with Sisingaan (lion) dance. Wedding ceremony is the highlight of Sundanese family celebration with complex rituals from "naroskeun" and "neundeun omong" (marriage proposal and agreement conducted by parents and family elders), "siraman" (bridal shower), "seserahan" (presenting wedding gift for the bride), "akad nikah" (wedding vows), "saweran" (throwing coins, mixed with flower petals and sometimes also candies for the unmaried guest to collect and believed to bring better luck in romance), "huap lingkung" (bride and groom feed each other with their hand around to symbolize love and affection), "bakakak hayam" (bride and groom ripping a grilled chicken through holding each of its leg, a traditional way to determine which one will dominate the family which is the one that get the larger or head part), and the wedding feast inviting whole family and business relatives, neighbours, and friends as guests. The death in a Sundanese family usually performed through serries of rituals in accordance of traditional Islam, such as the "pengajian" (reciting Al Quran) including providing "berkat" (rice box with side dishes) for guests. The Quran recitation performed in the day of the death and everyday through seventh day; later performed again in 40th day, a year, and 1,000th days after the death. However today this traditions is not always closely and faithfully followed since the growing numbers of Sundanese adopt a less traditional Islam which often discard many of old traditions.

Profession

The traditional profession of Sundanese people is agricultural, especially rice. Sundanese culture and tradition are usually centred around the agricultural cycle. Festivities such as Seren Taun harvest ceremony is held in such high importance, especially in the traditional Sundanese community in Cipta Gelar village, Cisolok, Sukabumi; Sindang Barang, Pasir Eurih village, Taman Sari, Bogor; and the traditional Sundanese community in Cigugur Kuningan^.   Since early times, Sundanese have predominantly been farmers. They tend to be reluctant to be government officer and legislators.  The typical Sundanese leuit (rice barn) is the important part of traditional Sundanese villages, it held in high esteem as the symbol of wealth and welfare.

Next to agriculture, Sundanese people often choose business and trade to make a living although mostly are traditional entrepreneurships, such as a travelling food or drink vendors, establishing modest "warung" (food stall) or restaurant, as the vendor of daily consumer's goods or open a modest barber shop. Several traditional traveling food vendors and food stalls such as Siomay, Gado-gado and Karedok, Nasi Goreng, Cendol, Bubur Ayam, Roti Bakar (grilled bread), Bubur Kacang Hijau (green beans congee) and Indomie instant noodle stall are notably runs by Sundanese.

Today, there is quite a lot of Sundanese people turn to music and entertainment industry, some of them become famous Indonesia's singers, musicians and actors in Indonesian Sinetrons. 

Artforms

Sundanese literature was basically oral; their arts (architecture, music, dance, textiles, ceremonies, etc.) substantially preserved traditions from an earlier phase of civilization, stretching back even to the Neolithic, and never overwhelmed (as eastward, in Java) by aristocratic Hindu-Buddhist ideas.  The art and culture of Sundanese people reflect historical influences by various cultures that include pre-historic native animism and shamanism traditions, ancient Hindu-Buddhist heritage, and Islamic culture. The Sundanese have very vivid, orally-transmitted memories of grand era of the Sunda Kingdom. The oral tradition of Sundanese people is called Pantun Sunda, the chant of poetic verses employed for story-telling. It is the counterpart of Javanese tembang, similar but quite different with Malay pantun. The Pantun Sunda often tell the Sundanese folklores and legends such as Sangkuriang, Lutung Kasarung, Ciung Wanara, Mundinglaya Dikusumah, the tales of King Siliwangi, and popular children folklore such as Si Leungli.

Traditional artforms include various of musics, dances, and martial arts. The notable Sundanese musics are angklung bamboo music, kecapi suling music, gamelan degung, reyog Sunda and rampak gendang. Angklung bamboo music instrument is one of world heritages of intangible culture.

The most well known and distinctive Sundanese dance are Jaipongan, a traditional social dance which usually but mistakenly associated with eroticism. Other popular dances such as Merak dance describing colorful dancing peafowls. Sisingaan dance is performed especially in Subang area to celebrate circumcision ritual where the boy to be circumcised is seated upon a lion figure carried by four men. Another dance such as Peafowl dance, Dewi dance and Ratu Graeni dance shows Javanese courtly Mataram influences.

Wayang golek puppetry is the most popular wayang performance for Sundanese people. Many forms of kejawen dance, literature, gamelan music and shadow puppetry (wayang kulit) derive from the Javanese. Sundanese puppetry is more influenced by Islamic folklore than the influence of Indian epics present in Javanese versions.

The Pencak silat martial art in Sundanese tradition can be traced to the historical figure King Siliwangi of Sunda Pajajaran kingdom, with Cimande is one of the most prominent school. The recently developed Tarung Derajat is also a popular martial art in West Java.