Rawa people

TheRawa people, also known asRaoorRauin theMinangkabau language,are an ethnic group originating inSoutheast Asia. Many Rawas migrated toPeninsular Malaysiaduring the 19th century.
It is uncertain whether the Rawas belong to the largerMinangkabau ethnic group. Fathil et al. note controversy but assert that most scholars believe the Rawas are part of the Minangkabau.Genetic analysis indicates a close relationship between the Minangkabau and Rawa peoples.Possible origins of the Rawa people include the district of Rao inPasaman,ChampainMainland Southeast Asia,and west ofLake TobainNorth Sumatra.C. W. Watson speculated that the Rawa who settled thePeninsular Malaysiain the 19th century were an admixture of the Indigenous people of the upperRokan RiverandKerincisettlers originally from Rawang, North Sumatra.A. C. Milner also notes a second group of Rawas in Jambi and Palembang, referring to this people as the 'Orang Rawa' and the West Sumatra people as the 'Orang Rau'.
By the 2nd century CE, the Rawa people were known for miningmining goldandtin.The Rawa people were also known as farmers, traders, and administrators.Amran Dt. Joraho suggests that there was a majority-BuddhistRawa Kingdom in and aroundLubuk Sikapingfrom the 12th century to the 14th century known asNegeri di atas Angin('Country above the Wind').After being absorbed into thePagaruyung Kingdom, the various Rawa clans continued to be ruled by lesser kings until the 19th century.
Some Rawa men immigrated to Peninsular Malaysia in the 5th century to work in the coastal trade. More immigrated to the Malay Peninsula in the 17th century due to an increase in gold mining inRaub, Pahang, and in the 18th century due to an increase in tin mining.
Following the Dutch victory in thePadri Warin the mid-1830s, many Rawas migrated toEast Sumatraand Peninsular Malaysia to escape persecution.Some may have joined Sumatrans who had migrated in previous centuries.The Rawas helped spreadIslamto the Malaysian Peninsula.InPahang, many Rawas settled in Raub. InPerak, many Rawas settled inGopengand along the tin-richTitiwangsa Mountainsafter the Padri War and during the 1870s and 1880s. InSelangor, many Rawas settled inKalumpangdue to large tin deposits and proximity to the states they were migrating from.Many Rawa people shifted from working in tin mines torubber tree plantationswhen tin production declined in the late 1880s.
During the 19th century, Rawa warriors on the Malaysian Peninsula were involved in many wars as mercenaries.After many Raub Rawas supported Ahmed in thePahang Civil War, the Rawa people were viewed unfavorably by other Malay peoples.Many Rawas fought against Ahmed in later wars.Some Rawas fled to Bernam to escape the war.Leaders ofSungai UjongandRembaucomplained to the British about oppression and robbery by Rawas in 1855,and the British viewed the Rawas as a threat to political stability. Because of this negative perception, some chose to conceal their Rawa identity.
In 1978, Milner reported that approximately 40,000 Rawas lived inWest Sumatra.The Rawa community of Malaysia is concentrated inGopeng, Perak,where there are more than 1,000 Rawa people.
In the Rawa community of Gopeng, children who are learning to walk and are at least thirteen months old must complete theadat berjojakceremony before they are allowed to walk outside of their house. This ceremony is intended to prevent illness and poor academic performance.
Many young men practiceadat merantau, the tradition of leaving one's home village to gain life experience and new opportunities.
Lemang kelamai is traditionally eaten duringHari Raya. Lemang kelamai is a variant oflemangthat includespalm sugarand toastedcoconut.