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|---|---|
 Three Banjarese couples wearing traditional Banjarese attire (from left to right:Bagajah Gamuling Baular Lulut,Babaju Kun Galuh Pasinan, andBaamar Galung Pancar Surya) inSouth Kalimantan,Indonesia | |
| Total population | |
| 5.7 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia | 4,127,124 (2010)[1] |
 South Kalimantan | 2,686,627 |
 Central Kalimantan | 464,260 |
 East Kalimantan | 440,453 |
 Riau | 227,239 |
 North Sumatra | 125,707 |
 Jambi | 102,237 |
 West Kalimantan | 14,430 |
 East Java | 12,405 |
 West Sumatra | 11,811 |
 West Java | 9,383 |
 Jakarta | 8,572 |
| Diaspora | 221,000+ |
 Malaysia | 221,000[2] |
 Brunei | unknown |
 Singapore | unknown |
 United States | unknown |
| Languages | |
| |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Austronesian peoples | |
TheBanjarese[a] (Banjar:Urang Banjar,Jawi script: اورڠ بنجر;Indonesian:Orang Banjar) or simplyBanjar, are anAustronesianethnic group native to theBanjar regions (notablyBanjarmasin,Banjarbaru,Banjar Regency, etc.) in thesoutheastern Kalimantan regions ofIndonesia.[1] Nowadays, Banjarese diaspora can be found in neighbouring Banjar regions as well; includingKotabaru Regency, the southeastern regions ofCentral Kalimantan, southernmost regions ofEast Kalimantan, andsome provinces of Indonesia in general. The Banjarese diaspora community also can be found in neighbouring countries of Indonesia, such asBrunei,Malaysia (notably inPerak,Selangor,Kedah andJohor with significant minorities inSabah), andSingapore.[3]
Etymologically, the wordBanjar is derived from terminology in the Janyawai dialect ofMa'anyan language, which rooted fromOld Javanese language. It is initially used to identified theMa'anyan,Meratus Dayak, andNgaju people who are already "Javanized" when theJavanese people arrived in thesoutheastern Kalimantan regions to establish their civilization. The termbanjar (ꦧꦚ꧀ꦗꦂ) itself in Javanese language is a short form of a verbmbanjarke (ꦩ꧀ꦧꦚ꧀ꦗꦂꦏꦺ), which means "to separate and rearrange" literally. It is 'common knowledge' within the communities of South Kalimantan that the Banjarese people were formerly part of largerDayak community.
Austronesian people migrated to Borneo around 2500 BC. Later circa 400 AD,Sumatran brought their culture to Borneo. This cultural fusion led to the birth of the Upper Banjar language (Bahasa Banjar Hulu). In 520 AD, Sumatran immigrants formed theBuddhist Kingdom of Tanjungpuri in the present-day region ofTanjung,Tabalong.[4][5]
In the 14th century, Empu Jatmika migrating from Keling,Kediri built theHindu Kingdom ofNegara Dipa by the river of Tapin.[6] Which later came to be ruled underMajapahit'sRajasa dynasty. This was the start of theJavanese-style courts in South Kalimantan. ThisHindu era in South Kalimantan remained influential period in South Kalimantan's history.Negara Dipa was succeeded by the Hindu Kingdom ofNegara Daha in the 15th century.[7]
According to history, Prince Samudera, the rightful heir to the kingdom of Negara Daha, was forced to flee the court of because of his uncle's revolt against him.[8] He was accepted by the people of Bandar Masih (Bandar: port, Masih: Malay people). Supported by theSultanate of Demak inJava, he formed a new IslamicBanjar Kingdom in 1526 with Bandar Masih as its capital.[9] The name of Bandar Masih was later changed to its present nameBanjarmasin.
Since the 19th century, migration of the Banjarese people went as far as the east coast ofSumatra andMalaysia. In Malaysia and Singapore, Banjarnese people are classified as part of theEthnic Malay.
The Banjar people can be divided into three ethnicities based on the locations of the assimilation between the Malays, the local Dayaks (Dayak Bukit,Dayak Ma'anyan,Dayak Lawangan,Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Barangas, andBakumpai), and theJavanese people.
The native language of Banjarese people is Banjarese language (Basa Banjar;Jaku Banjar), it is anAustronesian language of theMalayic branch predominantly spoken in thesoutheastern Kalimantan regions. The Banjarese language is thede factolingua franca for various indigenous community especially in South Kalimantan, as well asCentral Kalimantan (notably inSeruyan Regency andSukamara Regency) andEast Kalimantan in general.
The following texts are theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights in Banjarese language along with the original declaration in English.
| English[10] | Banjarese |
|---|---|
| Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Parnyatan Hak Urang Barataan |
| Article 1 | Ujah 1 |
| All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. | Sagala urang hiput babar lik sapala awak barataan. Urang sanyaan dibari nugaraha baakal maigungakan, handak bakawalan nang mambawa sumangat sapaadingan. |
Here are examples of simple conversation in Banjarese language:
| Banjarese | sapa ngaran pian? |
|---|---|
| English | what is your name? |
| Banjarese | ngaran ulun ... |
|---|---|
| English | my name is ... |
| Banjarese | ulun handak bailang kasidin |
|---|---|
| English | I want to visit there |
Most Banjarese are adherents ofIslam. Islam first arrived in the South Kalimantan region around the 15th century.[5]
Generally, Banjar cultural customs are rooted in theKaharingan religious rituals, which, after mass conversion to Islam, were modified to align with their new faith, Islam.
One example is thebaayun anak tradition, which in the past was a child-blessing ritual for Kaharingan followers involving the recitation of Balian mantras. Today, in the Islamic Banjar tradition,baayun anak no longer uses Balian mantras but instead involves the recitation of Quranic verses andsalawat for the ProphetMuhammad.
The Banjar have a cultural practice of puttinginfants to sleep in an upright sling made of tied fabric. The practice is called "bapukung."[11]
Banjar house refers to the traditional house of the Banjar people. Traditional Banjar architecture is characterized by symbolic elements, emphasis on the roof, ornamental and decorative designs, the use of ulin wood as the primary building material, and a symmetrical layout.
Banjar traditional houses have distinct styles and carvings that began to develop before 1871 and continued until 1935. Among the various types of Banjar houses, theBubungan Tinggi type holds the highest status and is the most well-known, as it was once the residence of the king. Today,Bubungan Tinggi remains the iconic traditional house of the Banjar people.
The oral traditions of the Banjar people are significantly influenced by Malay, Arabic, and Chinese cultures. Banjar oral traditions, which later evolved into art forms, began to develop around the 18th century, includingMadihin andLamut.
Madihin is derived from the Arabic wordmadah(ﻤﺪﺡ), meaning praise. It is an anonymous folk poetry form that serves as entertainment, delivered orally or in written form in the Banjar language, adhering to specific physical and mental structures according to the conventions of Banjar folklore in South Kalimantan. Meanwhile,Lamut is a storytelling tradition that conveys messages and values related to Banjar religion, society, and culture.Lamut originated in China and was initially performed in theChinese language. However, after being introduced to the Banjar region by Chinese traders, the language was adapted to the Banjar language.
The only traditional theatrical art that developed on the island of Kalimantan ismamanda. Mamanda is a traditional theater art originating from South Kalimantan. Compared to other performing arts, Mamanda is more similar tolenong in terms of the interaction between the actors and the audience. This interaction encourages the audience to actively share funny comments, which helps make the atmosphere more lively.
The difference is thatlenong has evolved with the times, whereasmamanda tends to follow a monotonous storyline centered around a royal court. In mamanda, the characters are fixed, such as theRaja, Perdana Menteri, Mangkubumi, Wazir, Panglima Perang, Harapan Pertama , Harapan Kedua, Khadam (Clown/Adjutant), Permaisuri, andSandut (Putri). These characters must appear in every performance. To keep things fresh, additional characters are often introduced, such as theRaja dari Negeri Seberang, Perompak, Jin, Kompeni, and other supporting characters to enrich the story.
It is believed that the termmamanda was used because, in the play, the characters such as theWazir,Menteri, andMangkubumi are addressed by theRaja aspamanda ormamanda.Mamanda etymologically comes from the word "mama" (mamarina), meaning uncle in the Banjar language, and “nda”, which meanshonorable. Therefore,mamanda refers to anhonorable uncle, a respectful term used for a family member in the kinship system.
One of the traditional music arts of the Banjar people isMusik Panting. This music is calledpanting because it is dominated by the instrument known aspanting, a type ofgambus (lute) that uses strings (panting), hence the namemusik panting.
Originally, Musik Panting comes from the Tapin region in South Kalimantan. Thepanting itself is a plucked string instrument that resembles the Arabic gambus, but it is smaller in size. In the past,musik panting was played solo, with only one person performing. As time progressed and musical tastes evolved, it was found thatmusik panting could be more captivating when played along with other instruments. Today, it is commonly accompanied by instruments such as thebabun (gendang),agung (gong), andpiul (violin), with several musicians performing together. The person who first gave it the namemusik panting was A. Sarbaini. To this day, this music remains a well-known traditional music form originating from South Kalimantan.
In addition, there is another traditional music art of the Banjar people calledMusik Kentung. This music originates from the Banjar Regency, specifically from Sungai Alat village in Astambul and Bincau village inMartapura. Today,Musik Kentung is becoming increasingly rare. In the past, the instruments were used in competitions. These competitions were not only judged by the sound but also involved magical elements, such as whether the opponent’s instrument would break or fail to produce sound during the contest.
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Banjar dance art is divided into two types: dances developed in the royal palace (keraton) and dances developed by the Banjar people.
Palace dance is characterized by the termbaksa, derived from theJavanese wordbeksan, which signifies the refinement of movements in the choreography. These dances have existed for hundreds of years since the Hindu era, but their movements and costumes have been adjusted to fit the present-day context. For example, certain movements considered inappropriate according to Islamic customs have been slightly modified.
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The relationship between the Banjar people and the neighboring Dayaks have always been good. Some Dayaks who had converted to Islam have also assimilated into the Banjar culture and call themselves Banjar.[12] The Dayaks also think of the Banjars as their brothers and sisters. This is further strengthened by the fact there are many inter-marriages between the Banjars and the Dayaks, even among the members of the royalty. For example, Biang Lawai, a wife of a Banjar king, was of Dayak Ngaju ethnicity. This means that the Banjarese kings and queens have Dayak lineage in their blood.[13]
According to Meratus Dayak legends, Banjarese and Meratus are descendants of related brothers of Datung Ayuh or Sandayuhan who was the ancestor of Meratus Dayak, while Bambang Basiwara or Intingan who was the ancestors of Bajarese. In the legends, Sandayuhan is strong and good at fighting, while Intingan has weaker physique but greater intelligence.[14] This relationship grew strong when both ethnicities faced colonization by the Dutch in the 18th century. Some of the warriors involved inBanjar War are of Dayak ethnicity or have Dayak lineage in their blood.
Media related toBanjar people at Wikimedia Commons
