Sasak people

In today's world, Sasak people has become an increasingly relevant topic of general interest. With the advancement of technology and changes in society, Sasak people has not only captured the attention of specialists in the field, but also of the general public. This is why it is crucial to delve into the most relevant aspects of Sasak people, so that its impact can be understood in different areas and contexts. In this article, we will delve into the analysis of Sasak people, exploring its different dimensions and its implications today. From its origins to its current evolution, we'll take a look at how Sasak people has shaped the way we understand the world around us.

"Bodha" redirects here. For the 2018 Tamil-language film, see Bodha (film).
Sasak people
Sasak Boda
ᬲᬸᬓᬸ​ᬲᬲᬓ᭄
Sasak women making traditional cloth
Total population
3,173,127 (2010 census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Indonesia (West Nusa Tenggara: 3,033,631)
Languages
Native
Sasak
Also
Indonesian
Religion
Majority: Sunni Islam (Orthodox Waktu Lima)
Minorities: Traditional syncretist Islam/ Folk Islam (Wetu Telu)[2][3]
Related ethnic groups
Balinese and Sumbawa people

The Sasak (Balinese script: ᬲᬸᬓᬸ​ᬲᬲᬓ᭄, Wång Sâsak) people live mainly on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, numbering around 3.6 million (85% of Lombok's population). They are related to the Balinese in language and in ancestry, although the Sasak are predominantly Muslim while the Balinese are predominantly Hindu. Sasak people who practice pre-Islamic beliefs are also known as Sasak Boda in reference to the name of the Sasak people's original religion, Bodha.[4][5]

Etymology

There is a possibility that the origin of the name Sasak came from the word sak-sak, which means "boat". In the Nagarakretagama, the word Sasak is mentioned together as one with Lombok Island, namely Lombok Sasak Mirah Adhi. According to local tradition, it is believed that the word Sasak came from sa'-saq which means "the one". Followed by the word Lombok which originates from the word Lomboq, meaning "straight". Hence by combining the words together Sa'-saq Lombok, it means "something that's straight". Other translations also includes "a straight road".[6] Lombok Sasak Mirah Adhi is taken from the Nagarakretagama (Desawarnana) literature, a scripture written by Mpu Prapanca that records the power and rule of the Majapahit kingdom. The word Lombok in Kawi means "straight" or "honest", Mirah means "gem", Sasak means "statement", and Adhi means "something that's good" or "utmost". Therefore Lombok Sasak Mirah Adhi means "honesty is the gem that states out goodness".

History

Sasak dancers.

Little is known about Sasak history except that Lombok was placed under direct rule of the Majapahit prime Minister, patih Gajah Mada. Islam arrived into the area around the 15th century.[7] The Sasaks converted to Islam between the late 16th century to early 17th century under the influence of Pangeran Prapen (Sunan Prapen), the son of Raden Paku (Sunan Giri)[8][9] or Sunan Giri himself and the Muslim Makassarese, frequently mixing basic Islamic beliefs with Hindu-Buddhist beliefs, thus creating the Wetu Telu religion.[10][11] Lombok was conquered by the Gelgel Balinese kingdom in the early 16th century,[12] thus bringing a large population of Balinese to Lombok. The Balinese population of Lombok today is about 300,000, 10–15% of Lombok's population. The Balinese have also strongly influenced the Wetu Telu religion of Lombok.[13]

Language

Peresean, a traditional sport conducted by the Sasak Tribe people in the province of West Southeast Nusa

The Sasak language is an Austronesian language that belongs to the group of Indonesian type language. Specifically, Sasak belongs to the languages of Western Indonesia which also means it is closely related to the languages of Java and Bali. There are also a number of Sasak dialects in various regions such as Kuto-Kute (North Sasak), Meno-Mene (Central Sasak), Meriak-Meriku (Central South Sasak), Ngeno-Ngene (Central East Sasak, Central West Sasak), Ngeto-Ngete (Northeast Sasak) and so on.[14]

Religion

Sasak children in a Sasak village (ca. 1997).

Most of the Sasaks today are adherents of the Lima Waktu version of Islam. Lima Waktu or Five Times signifies the five daily prayers which Muslims are required to do.[15] The term Lima Waktu is used to distinguish them from the Sasaks who are practitioners of Wetu Telu or Three Symbols who only pray three times a day. Orthodox Islamic teachers generally instruct adherents to pray five times a day.[15]

Large numbers of people adhering to the Wetu Telu faith can be still found throughout the island, especially in the village of Bayan, where the religion originated. Large Wetu Telu communities can be still found in Mataram, Pujung, Sengkol, Rambitan, Sade, Tetebatu, Bumbung, Sembalun, Senaru, Loyok and Pasugulan.[citation needed]

Art performances

Gendang beleq performance on a road.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kewarganegaraan, Suku Bangsa, Agama, Dan Bahasa Sehari-Hari Penduduk Indonesia". Badan Pusat Statistik. 2010. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  2. ^ From Ancestor Worship to Monotheism–Politics of Religion in Lombok Archived 2001-12-01 at the Library of Congress Web Archives
  3. ^ "Sasak | people".
  4. ^ Olaerts, Anja (2023-02-01). "Sasak Culture in Lombok I A Rich and Unique Heritage". The Lombok Lodge I Exclusive Luxury in Lombok. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  5. ^ Erni Budiwanti (2000). Islam Sasak: Wetu Telu versus Waktu Lima. PT LKiS Pelangi Aksara. p. 8. ISBN 97-989-6651-1.
  6. ^ "Perang Topat, Perang Damai". Liputan6. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  7. ^ Cederroth, Sven (1999). A Sacred Cloth Religion?: Ceremonies of the Big Feast Among the Wetu Telu Sasak (Lombok, Indonesia). NIAS Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-87-87062-54-1.
  8. ^ Martijn Theodoor Houtsma, ed. (1993). E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936, Volume 5. BRILL. ISBN 90-04-09791-0.
  9. ^ David Harnish & Anne Rasmussen (2011). Divine Inspirations: Music and Islam in Indonesia. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-979309-9.
  10. ^ Kaj Arhem & Guido Sprenger (2015). Animism in Southeast Asia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-33662-4.
  11. ^ Na, Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im; Naʻīm, ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad (2009-06-30). Islam and the Secular State. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03376-4.
  12. ^ Robert Cribb (2013). Historical Atlas of Indonesia. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-78057-8.
  13. ^ a b c Kal Müller (1997). David Pickell (ed.). East of Bali: From Lombok to Timor. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 962-593-178-3.
  14. ^ "Sasak". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
  15. ^ a b Bennett, Linda Rae (2005). Women, Islam and Modernity: Single Women, Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Contemporary Indonesia. Routledge. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-1-134-33156-7.
  16. ^ Akil Yunus (11 June 2016). "Lombok, the island that God smiles upon". Star2. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
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