lrburdak
February 27th, 2005, 02:36 PM
Sunda are one of the largest groups of people yet unreached for Christ. Population of these people is 3065000. They live in the western portion of the Indonesian island, Java. This tropical island lies just northwest of Australia.
Although the Sundanese speak their own language, called Sunda (part of the Malayo-Polynesian family), many also speak Javanese. They are culturally similar to the Javanese, but set themselves apart by personality. They claim to be more open and informal than the Javanese.
Historically, the Sundanese culture has remained somewhat isolated. While the cultural influences of India were spreading across Southeast Asia in earlier times, they had little effect on the orang gunung (mountain people) of Java.
To be Sundanese is, ideally, to be a rice farmer. Unfortunately, many of the villagers do not own enough rice land to provide for their daily needs. Because of this, nearly all of the villagers engage in small trade, crafts, seasonal farming, or service occupations. Besides rice, other crops grown on dry land include corn, root crops, chili peppers, and tobacco. Coastal areas tend to have mixed economies of rice, fishing, and/or fish farming.
Sundanese villages contain between 1,000 and 7,000 people, and the houses lie clustered together. Homes are often built up on poles or stilts. The villages are separated by small agricultural fields.
Traditional values are still strong in the villages and represent a behavior code known as adat, (guidelines that were laid down by their ancestors). The purpose of adat is to maintain peace and unity inside the village, between people, and within the "cosmic whole," of which they are a part. Change is slowly coming to the villages, with new ideas being introduced to those attending work or schools in the cities. The power of adat tries to slow down these new influences. However, recent developments, such as television and improvement of countryside roads, are bringing changes that even adat cannot stop.
Though not much is known about the kinship system of the Sundanese, we do know that the line of descent is through both of the parents. There are also evidences that ancestor worship (worshipping the spirits of deceased ancestors) was practiced. While many people may be recognized as relatives, the nuclear family remains the primary unit. Homes are basically matrilocal, meaning that the married daughters' homes are located near the parents' house, if available land permits. The parents' home is usually inherited by the youngest daughter, who stays at home after she is married to care for her parents.
Social etiquette is taught by the mother; whereas, the father is responsible for the physical needs of the child. Perhaps this is the reason Sundanese children seem to have a spiritual connection with their mothers rather than with their fathers.
In the past, marriages were arranged by the parents. Today, however, young people make their own choices with parental approval. Wedding ceremonies consist of traditional rituals that represent a settled life founded by the rice goddess, Dewi Sri.
I have taken the above matter about SUNDA community from website with URL address-
http://www.joshuaproject.net/
History of Java
Indian scholars wrote about the Dvipantara or Jawa Dwipa Hindu kingdom in Java and Sumatra around 200 BC.
The Taruma kingdom occupied West Java around 400. Buddhist influence about 425.
The Singhasari kingdom fell to the Majapahit who allied with Mongols 1293 to defeat the Singhasari. The Majapahit then turned on the Kublai Khan's forces and drove them out. This established Majapahit hegemony over Java. There remain Hindu communities in Java. Today, the Tenggerese, some Osings, and to some extent the Baduis are still Hindus.
Under the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and Java from the 7th to 14th century. The arrival of Arab traders from Gujarat, India later brought Islam, which became the dominant religion after the collapse of Hindu and Buddhist Kingdoms.
When the Europeans came in the early 16th century, they found a multitude of small states. These were vulnerable to the Europeans, who were in pursuit of dominating the spice trade. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the most powerful of the Europeans, ousting the British and Portuguese (except for their colony Portuguese Timor on the island of Timor). The Netherlands ruled Indonesia as a colony until World War II, first under the control of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and then beginning in the nineteenth century directly by the Dutch government.
Central element in the nineteenth century of Dutch colonial rule, was the so-called Cultivation System, or Cultuurstelsel. This system of forced cultivations brought the Dutch and their Indonesian counter parts on Java enormous wealth. In a more liberal period of colonial rule after 1870 the cultivation system was abolished.
After 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, directed to democratic reforms and economic improvements. Under governor-general J.B. van Heutsz the Dutch established direct colonial rule throughout the Indonesian archipelago, thereby laying the foundations of today's Indonesian state.
Are SUNDA people jats from India ?
We know that SUNDA is a well-known gotra of Jats in India. I was interested to know if these people of Indonesia have any relation with India. Have jats ever moved to Indonesia? The period of history given above pertains to that of the great Mauryan king Ashoka. Mauryas are considered by Jat historians as Jat rulers. Jats had adopted Buddhism during Mauryan Empire. My view is that the Sunda people of Java are Sunda jats of India.
I have one record of movement of Jats from India to far off islands is from a book written by Cap. Bhagwan Singh who was High commissioner of Fiji. He has been President of all India Jat Maha Sabha also. In his book MY FATHER’S LAND-FIJI he has written that-
“ It was sheer fate which took my grandfather, Ram Chander Singh, and grandmother, Padam Kaur, to the shores of Fiji Islands in 1885. It was a move, which broke with the strict conservative traditions of north-India family.
…. Emigrant ships had been sailing to Natal, British Guyana, Trinidad, the West Indies, and Dutch, Spanish and French colonies for the past 60 years when the first emigrant ship to Fiji, “Lewidas”, arrived on the 15th of May, 1879. It added 498 more Indians to the nearly 340000 already living in other far-flung British colonies.
…..It was the same route that any traveler takes today, crossing almost 1300 kms across the Gangetic plain, passing through Kanpur, Allahabad, Varansi and Patna. It was this area, east of Agra, where the majority of their fellow labours in Fiji would come from…..”
From the above version given by Cap. Bhagwan Singh it is clear that Jat families have been moving from India to Fiji through Indonesia taking a round of Australia. It is quite possible that Jats have moved to Indonesia in large number.
Can any member throw more light on relation between SUNDA people of Indonesia and SUNDA jats of India?
regards,
Although the Sundanese speak their own language, called Sunda (part of the Malayo-Polynesian family), many also speak Javanese. They are culturally similar to the Javanese, but set themselves apart by personality. They claim to be more open and informal than the Javanese.
Historically, the Sundanese culture has remained somewhat isolated. While the cultural influences of India were spreading across Southeast Asia in earlier times, they had little effect on the orang gunung (mountain people) of Java.
To be Sundanese is, ideally, to be a rice farmer. Unfortunately, many of the villagers do not own enough rice land to provide for their daily needs. Because of this, nearly all of the villagers engage in small trade, crafts, seasonal farming, or service occupations. Besides rice, other crops grown on dry land include corn, root crops, chili peppers, and tobacco. Coastal areas tend to have mixed economies of rice, fishing, and/or fish farming.
Sundanese villages contain between 1,000 and 7,000 people, and the houses lie clustered together. Homes are often built up on poles or stilts. The villages are separated by small agricultural fields.
Traditional values are still strong in the villages and represent a behavior code known as adat, (guidelines that were laid down by their ancestors). The purpose of adat is to maintain peace and unity inside the village, between people, and within the "cosmic whole," of which they are a part. Change is slowly coming to the villages, with new ideas being introduced to those attending work or schools in the cities. The power of adat tries to slow down these new influences. However, recent developments, such as television and improvement of countryside roads, are bringing changes that even adat cannot stop.
Though not much is known about the kinship system of the Sundanese, we do know that the line of descent is through both of the parents. There are also evidences that ancestor worship (worshipping the spirits of deceased ancestors) was practiced. While many people may be recognized as relatives, the nuclear family remains the primary unit. Homes are basically matrilocal, meaning that the married daughters' homes are located near the parents' house, if available land permits. The parents' home is usually inherited by the youngest daughter, who stays at home after she is married to care for her parents.
Social etiquette is taught by the mother; whereas, the father is responsible for the physical needs of the child. Perhaps this is the reason Sundanese children seem to have a spiritual connection with their mothers rather than with their fathers.
In the past, marriages were arranged by the parents. Today, however, young people make their own choices with parental approval. Wedding ceremonies consist of traditional rituals that represent a settled life founded by the rice goddess, Dewi Sri.
I have taken the above matter about SUNDA community from website with URL address-
http://www.joshuaproject.net/
History of Java
Indian scholars wrote about the Dvipantara or Jawa Dwipa Hindu kingdom in Java and Sumatra around 200 BC.
The Taruma kingdom occupied West Java around 400. Buddhist influence about 425.
The Singhasari kingdom fell to the Majapahit who allied with Mongols 1293 to defeat the Singhasari. The Majapahit then turned on the Kublai Khan's forces and drove them out. This established Majapahit hegemony over Java. There remain Hindu communities in Java. Today, the Tenggerese, some Osings, and to some extent the Baduis are still Hindus.
Under the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and Java from the 7th to 14th century. The arrival of Arab traders from Gujarat, India later brought Islam, which became the dominant religion after the collapse of Hindu and Buddhist Kingdoms.
When the Europeans came in the early 16th century, they found a multitude of small states. These were vulnerable to the Europeans, who were in pursuit of dominating the spice trade. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the most powerful of the Europeans, ousting the British and Portuguese (except for their colony Portuguese Timor on the island of Timor). The Netherlands ruled Indonesia as a colony until World War II, first under the control of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and then beginning in the nineteenth century directly by the Dutch government.
Central element in the nineteenth century of Dutch colonial rule, was the so-called Cultivation System, or Cultuurstelsel. This system of forced cultivations brought the Dutch and their Indonesian counter parts on Java enormous wealth. In a more liberal period of colonial rule after 1870 the cultivation system was abolished.
After 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, directed to democratic reforms and economic improvements. Under governor-general J.B. van Heutsz the Dutch established direct colonial rule throughout the Indonesian archipelago, thereby laying the foundations of today's Indonesian state.
Are SUNDA people jats from India ?
We know that SUNDA is a well-known gotra of Jats in India. I was interested to know if these people of Indonesia have any relation with India. Have jats ever moved to Indonesia? The period of history given above pertains to that of the great Mauryan king Ashoka. Mauryas are considered by Jat historians as Jat rulers. Jats had adopted Buddhism during Mauryan Empire. My view is that the Sunda people of Java are Sunda jats of India.
I have one record of movement of Jats from India to far off islands is from a book written by Cap. Bhagwan Singh who was High commissioner of Fiji. He has been President of all India Jat Maha Sabha also. In his book MY FATHER’S LAND-FIJI he has written that-
“ It was sheer fate which took my grandfather, Ram Chander Singh, and grandmother, Padam Kaur, to the shores of Fiji Islands in 1885. It was a move, which broke with the strict conservative traditions of north-India family.
…. Emigrant ships had been sailing to Natal, British Guyana, Trinidad, the West Indies, and Dutch, Spanish and French colonies for the past 60 years when the first emigrant ship to Fiji, “Lewidas”, arrived on the 15th of May, 1879. It added 498 more Indians to the nearly 340000 already living in other far-flung British colonies.
…..It was the same route that any traveler takes today, crossing almost 1300 kms across the Gangetic plain, passing through Kanpur, Allahabad, Varansi and Patna. It was this area, east of Agra, where the majority of their fellow labours in Fiji would come from…..”
From the above version given by Cap. Bhagwan Singh it is clear that Jat families have been moving from India to Fiji through Indonesia taking a round of Australia. It is quite possible that Jats have moved to Indonesia in large number.
Can any member throw more light on relation between SUNDA people of Indonesia and SUNDA jats of India?
regards,