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Contents : : The Mandailings in the Homeland |
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The Mandailing in the Homeland The Homeland The Mandailing homeland is situated to the south of the famed lake Toba and to the north of Minangkabau country. The homeland can be accessed from Padang, capital of West Sumatra (Minangkabau) and Medan, capital of North Sumatra. The Mandailing country is traversed by two important historic rivers namely the Aek Batang Gadis and Aek Batal Natal that converge and drain into the Indian Ocean on the west coast of North Sumatra. Aek Batang Gadis, the largest river in Mandailing, has its origin in Upper Mandailing and enters Lower Mandailing flowing from south to north. The Mandailing sphere of influence once extended to Kota Pinang in the north, Dalu-Dalu to the east, Pasaman to the south and Indian Ocean to the west. In today's term, this geographical area would cover most of South Tapanuli and part of Labuhan Batu, up to the border with Riau and Pasaman in Minangkabau. Archaeological evidence in the form of candi ruins found in Lubuk Layang near Rao in the district of Pasaman, in Pidoli near Panyabungan and in Portibi, Padang Lawas and in the Baruman area, seems to support this claim.
The Mandailing homeland borders with Angkola, to the north, at a place called Simarongit near Sihepeng. Its borders with Padang Bolak (Padang Lawas) at a place called Rudang Sinabur. The Mandailing themselves divide their homeland into two distinct domains. The area to the north and a little to the west is called Mandailing Godang (Lower Mandailing). The area to the south is called Mandailing Julu (Upper Mandailing). Customary rulers (raja) from the Nasution clan traditionally preside over Mandailing Godang whilst customary rulers from the Lubis clan preside over Mandailing Julu. Both the Nasution and the Lubis clans are major clans of the Mandailing people. (see Marga/Clans) MANDAILING GODANG / LOWER MANDAILING
The famed Mandailing poet, Willem Iskander (1840-1876), in one of his poems entitled "Mandailing" sketched the geographical features of Lower Mandailing, where he was born. The active volcanic mountain Sorik Marapi, is found in Lower Mandailing, near the boundary with Upper Mandailing. Lower Mandailing, as the name indicates, is a low land that is straddled by the mountains to the east, west and south. Due to its landscape of marshes (rawa-rawa) were formed as a result of the uninterrupted flow of the Aek Batang Gadis in the past. With its hot and humid weather, this landscape is unhealthy and malarial. However, through the ingenuity of its people, Mandailing Godang has been turned into profitable paddy fields, irrigated by the tributaries of Aek Batang Gadis, Aek Mata and Aek Pohon. Up till today, paddy cultivation is the mainstay of Mandailing Godang. Apart from being known as the rice bowl of Mandailing, Lower Mandailing is also known the main producer of coconuts in Mandailing. Settlement (huta) land and the surroundings are normally employed for coconut plantations. Land not utilised for coconut or padi cultivation, such as the foothills, is used for rubber production.
While waiting for the next padi planting season, the men spend their days in coffee shops (jambur) or at the traditional Mandailing council-houses (sopo) which are also used for recreational purposes. The women rest in their homes or get together to pick fleas from each others' hair while chatting away as if there were no tomorrow. They enjoy a slow pace of life, knowing that there is enough in their paddy store to provide for their daily needs. PANYABUNGAN TONGA-TONGA
The most important place in the small town of Panyabungan is Panyabungan Tonga-Tonga (Middle Panyabungan). Mandailing folklore has it that this was the first place where Si Baroar, the progenitor of the Nasution clan, settled. After he was installed as the raja (ruler), he was named Sutan Diaru. From here, the Mandailing rulers' lineage spread. To this day, the historic raja's residence, the Bagas Godang (literally, 'big house') and the Sopo Godang (council house) are found here. To the south, a short distance away, lies the Si Baroar mausoleum. MANDAILING JULU / UPPER MANDAILING As the name implies, Upper Mandailing is the highlands, with some mountains attaining a height of over 1,000 m above sea-level. Most of Upper Mandailing enjoys a temperate climate. The famed Mandailing coffee, introduced through the kultur system by the Dutch colonialists, was grown here. Other cash crops cultivated here are rubber and cinnamon. The quality of its palm sugar is renowned in the whole of Mandailing. Because of the rugged landscape, the rice fields in Mandailing Julu are terraced and watered with an extensive irrigation system.
Upper Mandailing has been famous since time immemorial for gold-mining. It was gold which attracted the Agam (Minangkabau people) fossickers. To this day, former gold-mining areas around Pakantan, Huta Godang and Huta Pungkut are known to the locals as "garabak ni Agom" (the mines of the Agam). The Dutch mined gold here during the colonial period and the Japanese also did so during the Japanese Occupation. Gold is still being panned in Batang Gadis and Batang Pungkut rivers, especially when the prices of coffee, rubber and cinnamon are low. KOTA NOPAN & SINGENGU
The important town in Mandailing Julu is Kotanopan. It is located at the point where Aek Singengu and Aek Singangir, flowing from opposite directions, converge and flow into the Aek Batang Gadis. According to Mandailing folklore, Si Langkitang and Si Baitang, the sons of Namora Pande Bosi, founder of the Lubis clan, set up home not far from here, as instructed by their father. They named the place 'Huta Panopaan' which eventually became known Kotanopan. Si Langkitang then went north to a place called Singengu while his brother moved south. Their descendants became rajas in Mandailing Julu. When Dutch forces entered Mandailing Julu in the middle of the 19th century, they built a fort in Singengu and Kotanopan, with a Dutch Controller stationed in the latter up to the Japanese Occupation.
Old Huta Habitats (Manambin, Huta Godang, etc.). Most of the traditional habitats (huta or banua) are located far from the main trunk road that cuts through Mandailing today. The old huta are therefore isolated compared to the new huta that have sprung up next to the trunk road. In the past, the old hutas were connected by pathways. This network of pathways can still be seen today.
MANAMBIN is the mother village of many of the settlements founded by the Lubis clan. It is a very scenic highland village with lush greenery, rushing streams and ijok-roofed houses. Rice, coffee and cinnamon are planted in the surrounding fields. HUTA GODANG, set in a dramatic valley, is one of the most historic villages in Mandailing Julu. It was the village of Raja Gadombang, who fought against the Dutch. It has one of the oldest surviving Sopo Godang and Bagas Godang in Mandailing, dating from the 19th century. It was also the home village of Raja Junjungan Lubis, the first Governor of North Sumatra after Indonesian Independence, and the teacher of Drs. Z. Pangaduan Lubis. The contents of this site is the reponsability of the respective contributors |
update september 2006