Toraja culture
By:Muhammad rezky
Toraja tribe is a tribe that settled in the mountains of the northern part of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its population is estimated at around 1 million people, with 500,000 of them still living in Tana Toraja, North Toraja Regency, and Regency Mamasa. The majority of the Toraja embraced Christianity, while some embraced Islam and animism known as Aluk To Dolo. The Indonesian government has recognized this belief as part of Hinduism Dharma.
The word comes from the Bugis language Toraja, to Riaja, which means "one who dwells in the land above". The Dutch colonial government named the Toraja tribe in 1909. Toraja is famous for funeral rites, customs house tongkonan and carving wood.Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.Before the 20th century, the Toraja lived in autonomous villages. They still adhered to animism and untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries came and spread Christianity. After more open to the outside world in the 1970s, Tana Toraja district became a symbol of Indonesian tourism. Tana Toraja exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. Toraja society since the 1990s transformed the culture, from traditional belief and agrarian society, became predominantly Christian society and relying on the growing tourism sector.
Toraja clearly have little idea about themselves as an ethnic group before the 20th century. Sebelumpenjajahan Netherlands and Christianization period, Toraja tribe, who live in upland areas, recognizable by their villages, and are not considered as the same group.Although the rituals create a relationship between the villages, there is a lot of diversity in dialects, social hierarchy, and ritual practices in the Sulawesi highland region. "Toraja" (from the coast to the language, which means people, and Riaja, plateau) was first used as the designation of the lowland inhabitants to the highlands population.As a result, at first "Toraja" more trade ties with outsiders -such as the Bugis and Makassar tribes, which inhabit most of the lowland of Sulawesi-than with other tribes in the highlands.
Dutch missionary presence in the highlands gave rise to the Toraja ethnic consciousness Sa'dan Toraja Toraja region, and this shared identity grew with the rise of tourism in Tana Toraja.Since then, South Sulawesi has four main ethnic groups-the Bugis (the majority, include shipbuilders and seafarers), Makassar tribe (merchants and sailors), tribal Mandar (traders and fishermen), and the Toraja (highland farmers).
Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam lies between the northern and southern China, believed to be the origin of the Toraja. There has been a long acculturation between the Malay race in Sulawesi with Chinese immigrants. Initially, the immigrants living in the coastal areas of Sulawesi, but eventually moved to the highlands.
Since the 17th century, the Dutch began making trade and political power in Sulawesi through Oost-Indische Vereenigde Compagnie (VOC). For two centuries, they ignored the central plateau region of Sulawesi (Toraja place to stay) because it is difficult to achieve and only have little productive land. At the end of the 19th century, the Dutch began to worry about the rapid spread of Islam in South Sulawesi, especially between Makassar and Bugis tribes.
Dutch look Toraja tribe who embraced animism as a potential target for Christianized. In the 1920s, the mission of the spread of Christianity began to run with the help of the Dutch colonial government. In addition to spreading the religion, the Dutch abolished slavery and local taxes apply. A line drawn around the area and called Tana Toraja Sa'dan. Tana Toraja was originally a subdivision of the kingdom Luwu which claim the region. In 1946, the Netherlands gave Tana Toraja Regentschap status, and Indonesia recognize as a district in 1957.
Dutch missionaries newly arrived got strong resistance from the Toraja due to removal of lucrative trade routes Toraja. Some people Toraja has been moved to the lowlands by the Dutch forced to be more easily regulated. Tax is set at a high level, with the aim of eroding the wealth of the elite of society. However, these efforts do not damage the Dutch culture Toraja, Toraja and only a few people who was a Christian. In 1950, only 10% of the Toraja who turned to Christianity.
Muslim population in low-lying attacking Toraja in 1930. As a result, many Toraja people who want to ally with the Dutch converts to Christianity to gain political protection, and in order to form a resistance movement against the Bugis and Makassar Muslim. Between 1951 and 1965 after the independence of Indonesia, South Sulawesi experienced the carnage of the Darul Islam rebellion launched, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Sulawesi. Guerrilla war that lasted for 15 years, contributing to more and more people converted to Christianity Toraja.
In 1965, a presidential decree requires that the entire population of Indonesia to adopt one of the five recognized religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Original belief Toraja (aluk) is not legally recognized, and the Toraja attempt against the decree. To make aluk accordance with the law, he should be accepted as part of one of the official religions. In 1969, Aluk To Dolo legalized as part of Hinduism Dharma.
Things to note from Toraja culture, no other determination in carrying out what has been handed down by our ancestors. Either power where and what kind of obedience? So in the modern era of the all the wireless, you can still treated to views of the colossal ceremonial. The ceremony can only be performed by those who hold fast to their cultural heritage.Perfect value for Toraja tribe, has managed to adjust to the onslaught of assimilation and acculturation. Here also packages acculturation through globalization, gadgets, subculture, relentlessly attacking anyone. Scrape into a fairy tale ancestral habits that must be forgotten.The word comes from the Bugis language Toraja, to Riaja, which means "one who dwells in the land above". The Dutch colonial government named the Toraja tribe in 1909. Toraja is famous for funeral rites, customs house tongkonan and carving wood.Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.Before the 20th century, the Toraja lived in autonomous villages. They still adhered to animism and untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries came and spread Christianity. After more open to the outside world in the 1970s, Tana Toraja district became a symbol of Indonesian tourism. Tana Toraja exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. Toraja society since the 1990s transformed the culture, from traditional belief and agrarian society, became predominantly Christian society and relying on the growing tourism sector.
Toraja clearly have little idea about themselves as an ethnic group before the 20th century. Sebelumpenjajahan Netherlands and Christianization period, Toraja tribe, who live in upland areas, recognizable by their villages, and are not considered as the same group.Although the rituals create a relationship between the villages, there is a lot of diversity in dialects, social hierarchy, and ritual practices in the Sulawesi highland region. "Toraja" (from the coast to the language, which means people, and Riaja, plateau) was first used as the designation of the lowland inhabitants to the highlands population.As a result, at first "Toraja" more trade ties with outsiders -such as the Bugis and Makassar tribes, which inhabit most of the lowland of Sulawesi-than with other tribes in the highlands.
Dutch missionary presence in the highlands gave rise to the Toraja ethnic consciousness Sa'dan Toraja Toraja region, and this shared identity grew with the rise of tourism in Tana Toraja.Since then, South Sulawesi has four main ethnic groups-the Bugis (the majority, include shipbuilders and seafarers), Makassar tribe (merchants and sailors), tribal Mandar (traders and fishermen), and the Toraja (highland farmers).
Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam lies between the northern and southern China, believed to be the origin of the Toraja. There has been a long acculturation between the Malay race in Sulawesi with Chinese immigrants. Initially, the immigrants living in the coastal areas of Sulawesi, but eventually moved to the highlands.
Since the 17th century, the Dutch began making trade and political power in Sulawesi through Oost-Indische Vereenigde Compagnie (VOC). For two centuries, they ignored the central plateau region of Sulawesi (Toraja place to stay) because it is difficult to achieve and only have little productive land. At the end of the 19th century, the Dutch began to worry about the rapid spread of Islam in South Sulawesi, especially between Makassar and Bugis tribes.
Dutch look Toraja tribe who embraced animism as a potential target for Christianized. In the 1920s, the mission of the spread of Christianity began to run with the help of the Dutch colonial government. In addition to spreading the religion, the Dutch abolished slavery and local taxes apply. A line drawn around the area and called Tana Toraja Sa'dan. Tana Toraja was originally a subdivision of the kingdom Luwu which claim the region. In 1946, the Netherlands gave Tana Toraja Regentschap status, and Indonesia recognize as a district in 1957.
Dutch missionaries newly arrived got strong resistance from the Toraja due to removal of lucrative trade routes Toraja. Some people Toraja has been moved to the lowlands by the Dutch forced to be more easily regulated. Tax is set at a high level, with the aim of eroding the wealth of the elite of society. However, these efforts do not damage the Dutch culture Toraja, Toraja and only a few people who was a Christian. In 1950, only 10% of the Toraja who turned to Christianity.
Muslim population in low-lying attacking Toraja in 1930. As a result, many Toraja people who want to ally with the Dutch converts to Christianity to gain political protection, and in order to form a resistance movement against the Bugis and Makassar Muslim. Between 1951 and 1965 after the independence of Indonesia, South Sulawesi experienced the carnage of the Darul Islam rebellion launched, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Sulawesi. Guerrilla war that lasted for 15 years, contributing to more and more people converted to Christianity Toraja.
In 1965, a presidential decree requires that the entire population of Indonesia to adopt one of the five recognized religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Original belief Toraja (aluk) is not legally recognized, and the Toraja attempt against the decree. To make aluk accordance with the law, he should be accepted as part of one of the official religions. In 1969, Aluk To Dolo legalized as part of Hinduism Dharma.
Toraja society is different from other tribes. Toraja people still adhere to the tradition handed down from his ancestors. For example ceremonies, death is a colossal Signs Solo, you can still enjoy. In addition to Custom Signs Solo ceremony, Toraja society also has another tradition that is still maintained today.
