Bawean people

Bawean people (Madurese: Orèng Bhâbiyân), Boyanese, or Baweanese, also called Bawean Madurese, are an indigenous Madurese ethnic group native to the island of Bawean, located in the Java Sea off the coast of Java, Indonesia. They are considered a distinct ethnic group within the larger Javanese cultural sphere. The Bawean people have their own unique language, also called Bawean, which belongs to the Austronesian language family.

Historically the Bawean Island was a trading post and a hub for maritime activities, which brought influences from various cultures such as Javanese, Madurese, Banjarese, Makassarese, Chinese, and Arab. As a result, the Bawean people have a rich cultural heritage that blends elements from these diverse influences.^[5]

Most Bawean people are Muslims, and Islamic traditions and values play a significant role in their daily lives. They have a close-knit community structure and maintain strong cultural and social ties. Traditionally, the Bawean people have been involved in various occupations, including agriculture, fishing, and maritime trade.

Migration also plays a significant role in the history and present-day dynamics of the Bawean people. Due to various factors, including economic opportunities, trade networks, and colonial influences, the Bawean people have engaged in migration both within Indonesia and to other countries. They traveled to different parts of the Indonesian archipelago and even ventured further to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore for trade and economic purposes. In the latter two countries, they are known as Boyan (originally an English mispronunciation of Bawean, but now generally used, including as self-designation of the local Bawean community).^[6] These maritime connections allowed them to establish communities and settlements in different regions.^[7]

Although the Bawean people are originally belongs to the Madurese group in general, however, the Bawean people are also officially classified and recognized as a distinct ethnic group by the Indonesian Government due to their multiple inter-connected historical lineage backgrounds; for instance, common intermarriage phenomenon with the Javanese, an ethnic group originally from the Java Island located in southern Bawean Island (blooming intensively since the conquest of Majapahit era over Bawean until present-day).^[8] The official Indonesian dictionary defines the Baweans as "mixed people of Javanese, Madurese, Banjarese, Buginese, and Makassarese which occurred since hundreds of years ago".^[9]

The Bawean people have a presence in the Malay Peninsula, but it is difficult to determine the exact time of the arrival of the Bawean people in Malacca, because there is no evidence and historical documentation regarding their arrival.^[10] Various opinions have been put forward, but they fail to pinpoint a precise date. The first opinion suggests that a man named Tok Ayar arrived in Malacca in 1819.^[11] The second opinion says that the Bawean people came in 1824,^[12] approximately during the British colonial period in Malacca, in the records of the Singapore Colonial Government in 1849,^[13] There are 763 Bawean people and the number continues to increase.^[12] Meanwhile, according to the records of the Malaysian Bawean Association in 1891, there were 3,161 Bawean people spread across Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Malacca, Seremban, and Ipoh. The third opinion says that the Bawean people were already in Malacca before 1900, and in that year, there were already many Bawean people in Malacca.

Bawean people generally live in cities or areas close to cities, such as in Kampung Mata Kuching, Klebang Besar, Limbongan, Tengkera, and areas around Malacca General Hospital. It is rare to find Bawean people living in areas far from the city, and the number of Bawean people in Malacca is estimated to not exceed 1,000 people. Apart from Malacca, Bawean people are also spread in Klang Valley, such as in the areas of Ampang, Gombak, Balakong, and also Shah Alam. They bought land and built houses in groups. In Gelugor, Penang, there are at least 2 large families of Bawean people. They use the Penang Malay dialect to speak with non-Bawean people.

Apart from Malaysia and Singapore, the Bawean people also migrated to Australia and Vietnam.^[14][15] In Vietnam, in 2015, their population was around 400 people, with the younger generation among them no longer speaking Bawean language but speaking Vietnamese language, Only the elderly can still speak Bawean language. They are generally known as the Vietnamese Baweanese.^[16] The Bawean people entered Australia around 1887,^[17] via Singapore and settled on Christmas Island. Most of them are spread across Western Australia. It is estimated that there are no less than 500 descendants of Bawean people, including those from mixed marriages with Malays, Cocos, Javanese, Indian, Arabs, European, and others. Meanwhile, the Bawean people in Vietnam are spread across Ho Chi Minh City. Their arrival in Vietnam is estimated to have been around 1885.^[14][18]

Their children born in Malaysia have become Malaysian citizens.^[19] Some migrants who arrived in the 1990s have received permanent resident status. The Bawean people are renowned for their building and house-building skills. There are also those who become small entrepreneurs such as building cleaning sub-contractors and traders.^[12] Meanwhile, among their descendants who were born in Singapore, Vietnam, and Christmas Island, some can no longer speak Bawean, even those born on the Australian mainland cannot speak Malay language, even if they understand it.^[17] The Bawean people who live in the country except those who live in Vietnam still maintain relations with their relatives on Bawean Island.^[16]

The homeland of the Bawean people is the island of Bawean in the Java Sea. As a result of migration, nowadays the Bawean people can be found in all regions across Indonesia, especially in western Indonesian region. Some small population (which mostly considered or viewed as ethnic minority group) of Bawean people also can be found in several countries across Southeast Asia and Oceania, such as in Singapore, Australia, Vietnam,^[20] Malaysia, etc.

As part of the wider Javanese cultural sphere, the culture possessed by the Baweans shared quite similar cultural traits to those Javanese people in general. The arts and crafts of Baweans generally are following those in Java, such as the batik-making culture, the martial art of pencak and silat, the prominent usage of kris dagger, etc. However, the Bawean people also quite well-known for their ꦠꦶꦏꦂ (tikar, lit. 'plaited mat') handicraft tradition adorned with intricate Bawean's cultural patterns which symbolize their ethnic identity; these cultural practice is officially recognized by Indonesian government as integral part of national's Intangible Cultural Heritage.^[21]

Dhurung is one of the traditional architectures of the Baweans usually built on the side or in front of the traditional Bawean house, it is not much different to their ancestors architectures, namely the pendhapa of Javanese.^[22] The dhurung commonly functioned as the outdoor meeting point to welcome the non-formal guests (traditionally speaking, non-formal guests means the guests that came only for having a casual talks, not the one who are going to make important deals or agreements), apart from that, the dhurung also traditionally functioned as the barn to store the harvested rice or another crops.^[22]

Following their ancestors whose originally came from Java and Madura islands, the Bawean people usually wore the cultural clothing tradition of ultimate Javanese origin, which may include the prominent usage of kebaya for women as well as the batik loincloth (sarong) for both gender, some Majapahit naval flag's derived clothing may also apparent on the island which exhibits their Madurese and Eastern Javanese kinship. One of the popular Batik-making traditions possessed by the Baweans is called the batik penaber, characterized by its prominent depiction of Bawean's cultural motifs.^[23] Administratively part of Gresik in mainland Java, some Bawean islanders in Bawean Islands also preserved the tenun Gresik tradition, which is part of the larger tenun (Indonesian for 'woven fabric') uniquely native to Gresik.

According to anthropological and linguistic studies, the Baweans speak the Bawean Madurese, a western dialect of Madurese language^[3] closely related to the Bangkalan Madurese spoken natively in Bangkalan (Madura Island) with >80% to 94%^[24] dialectical similarity.^[4] Part of Javanic languages family, some Javanese (especially through Old Javanese) linguistic elements also apparent within the Bawean Madurese (as well as Madurese in general). However, the Baweans in some villages still preserve their spoken language in full Javanese, such as in the Diponggo village.^[4] These language variety is traditionally written in both Javanese (following the Javanese script of Standard Madurese)^[a] and Pegon (Java-Arabic) scripts, but nowadays it has gradually written using the Latin script as well (following the Standard Madurese romanization).

The Baweans traditionally are fishermen, farmers, gardeners, craftsmen, Tenun weavers, and some of them succeed as businessmen. Descended from Javanese and Madurese sailors, back in ancient times, the Baweans also recorded as one of notable 'maritime people' who were socially active dealing with foreign (non-native Indonesians) traders such as with the Arabs, Indians, Chinese, etc and even regarded as one of the 'maritime axis' people of Indonesia;^[25] these can be examined through some archaeological findings in Bawean Island, from ancient harbours sites to the Arabic-carved gravestones which dates back to pre-Islamic era.^[25]

Most of modern-day Baweans are Muslims (the followers of Islam), predominantly adhered to Sunni of Nahdlatul Ulama (Native Indonesian Muslim's religious sect organization). Some religious-based festive traditions also possessed by the Baweans, such as the Molod to commemorate the birthday of Muhammad, etc.^[26][27]

• Bawean – the native island of the Baweans
• Bawean deer – an endemic deer native to Bawean Island
• Bawean Airport – an airport in Bawean Island

• I. Farjon (1980), Madura And Surrounding Islands: An Annotated Bibliography, 1860–1942, Volumes 9–13, M. Nijhoff, ISBN 978-902-472-4109