Batak Tribes in Northern Sumatra

Batak is one of the tribes in Indonesia. This name is a collective terms for identifyingsome tribes who live and come from Tapanuli, North Sumatra. Ethnic groups were categorized as Batak Karo, Pakpak, Toba, Simalungun, Mandailing, and Angkola.

Most of the Batak Christian religion and some Muslims. "But others who profess Malim (commonly called the Parmalim followers) and also followers of animist beliefs (called Pelebegu or Parbegu), although now the number of adherents of the two courses has been on the wane.

History

Tapanuli natural topography and lush, has attracted people Old Malay (Malay Proto) to migrate into the region of Lake Toba around 4000-7000 years ago. Language and archaeological evidence suggests that the Austronesian people from Taiwan have moved to Sumatra and the Philippines about 2,500 years ago, and the possibility of Batak people fall into this group.

During the 13th century, the Batak have sex with Pagaruyung in Minangkabau kingdom in which this has inspired the development of Batak script. In the 6th century, Tamil traders from India to establish trade city Barus, on the west coast of North Sumatra. They trade camphor cultivated by farmers in the hinterland Batak . Production of camphor from the Batak land quality good enough, so that camphor become a major agricultural commodity Batak people, as well as incense. In the 10th century, Barus attacked by Srivijaya. This causes the expulsion of Tamil traders from the coast of Sumatra. In subsequent periods, camphor trade many ruled by Minangkabau traders who established a colony in the west and east coast of North Sumatra. Their colonies stretching from Barus, Sorkam, until Natal.

Kinship

Kinship is related to the legal relationships between people in social life. There are two forms of kinship to the Batak tribe, which is based on lineage (genealogy) and based on sosilogis, while there is no territorial kinship.

Forms of kinship based on lineage (genealogy) visible from the start of the King clan genealogy Batak, where all ethnic groups have Batak clan. While kinship based on sociological occur through agreements (inter-clan match only) or by marriage. In Batak traditions, which become Traditional unity is blood ties within clans, and clan. This means for example Harahap, Harahap genealogical unity is customary with other clans. Since that Adat Batak / Traditional Batak dynamic nature that is often adjusted to the time and place affect the tradition of inter-regional differences in style.

The existence of philosophy in the parable of the Toba Batak language, which reads: "Jonok dongan partubu jonokan do dongan parhundul". is a philosophy that we should always maintain good relations with neighbors, because they're the closest friend. But in the implementation of custom, the first look for is the one clan, although basically neighbors should not be forgotten in the implementation of Indigenous Peoples.