MANDAILING PEOPLES

The Mandailing is a traditional cultural group in Southeast Asia. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They came under the influence of the Kaum Padri who ruled the Minangkabau of Tanah Datar. As a result, the Mandailing were influenced by Muslim culture and converted to Islam. Previous to their conversion, they practised Hinduism and Parmalim (Batak native religion). There are also a group of Mandailing in Malaysia, especially in the states of Selangor and Perak. They are closely related to the Angkola, who are mixed between Muslim and Christian adherents.
[edit] Etymology
The etymology of 'Mandailing' is said to be a coupounding of the words mande, meaning 'mother', and hilang, meaning 'lost'. Thus, the name is said to mean "lost mother". Some research has suggested that the Mandailing are the descendants of the Batak, who migrated to the south before the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch colonisation of Sumatra. There they converted to Islam and intermarried with Minangkabau and the Malay peoples. Mandailing society is patriarchal, employing family names, or marga, in the same manner as the Batak, Simalungun, and Karo. The same marga can be found, such as Lubis, Nasution, Siregar, Hasibuan, Harahap, Dalimunthe (originally from Munthe), Matondang, Rangkuti, Parinduri, Pulungan, Rambe, Daulae(y), Pohan, Batubara (not to be confused with the Batu Bara people from the east coast of Sumatra), Barus and Hutajulu.

[edit] Region

Mandailing is the name of region Luat Mandailing, which is now almost in Mandailing Natal Regency in North Sumatra. The first group who came to this region were the Lubis, later followed by the Nasution,  Siregar, Harahap and so forth. These groups migrated from the northern region, which now belongs to North Tapanuli Regency and Toba Samosir Regency. One of these groups, the Harahap, left, which makes their identification to the region difficult. Matondang, Rangkuti and Parinduri are the local groups s of Luat Mandailing. Harahap and Siregar dwell almost in Luat Angkola, which now belongs to South Tapanuli Regency, situated between Regency and North Tapanuli Regency.

[edit] Clarification

Some of Mandailing people refused to be considered as a part of Batak people. Even in 1930 and 2000 national census, the Indonesian government considered the Mandailings as a part of the Batak people.^[1] This may be because their languages are different from the Batak's. Also, it is reported that 98% of the Mandailing ethnic group are Muslim.