page_title: Toba Batak people
section_title: Japanese occupation
hierarchical_section_title: Toba Batak people / History / Japanese occupation
caption_attribution_description: English: A group of Toba-Batak people, Sumatra. Nederlands: Negatief. Een groep van Toba-Batak afkomst bij de stenen muur van hun dorp in de Bataklanden, Noord-Sumatra
context_page_description: Toba people are the most numerous of the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia, and often considered the classical 'Batak', most likely to willingly self-identify as Batak. The Toba people are found in Toba Samosir Regency, Humbang Hasundutan Regency, Samosir Regency, North Tapanuli Regency, part of Dairi Regency, Central Tapanuli Regency, Sibolga and its surrounding regions. The Batak Toba people speak in the Toba Batak language and are centered on Lake Toba and Samosir Island within the lake. Batak Toba people frequently build in traditional Batak architecture styles which are common on Samosir. Cultural demonstrations, performances and festivities such as Sigale Gale are often held for tourists.
  Paleontological research done in Humbang region of the west side of Toba Lake suggests that human activity had existed 6,500 years ago, much earlier than the 800 years existence of King of Batak; and therefore the name "King of Toba" was coined for the early settlers of that region. This discovery also led to the theory of the possibility that the King of Toba could have originated from south India, Indochina, South China and so on, even as far as the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
context_section_description: During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the administration of the Tapanuli Residency had little changes.
caption: A group of Toba people, circa 1914-1919.
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