Madurese people facts for kids
The Madurese (pronounced MAD-yuh-reez) are a large group of people from Indonesia. They are native to Madura Island, which is located off the coast of Java. Madurese people speak their own language, called Madurese. They share a rich history, unique traditions, and a strong cultural identity.
The Madurese are the third-largest ethnic group in Indonesia. They are famous for creating Satay, a popular Indonesian dish. They also invented the exciting Karapan sapi bull race. Historically, Madurese people played a big role in spreading Islamic religious movements in Indonesia. Traditional schools called Pondok Pesantren are important centers for studying Islam in their communities.
Many Madurese people are known for farming and practicing the Pencak silat martial art. Madurese men often use a special curved knife called a Clurit sickle. They wear distinctive clothes with red and white stripes. These colors come from the old Majapahit naval flag. Other colors like black, red, yellow, white, green, and blue are also important in their traditional Madurese-style batik.
| Orèng Mâdhurâ أَوريڠ مادْوراْ |
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|---|---|
A portrait of Madurese village head
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| Total population | |
| 7,179,356 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia: |
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 East Java |
6,520,403 |
 West Kalimantan |
274,869 |
 Jakarta |
79,925 |
 South Kalimantan |
53,002 |
 East Kalimantan |
46,823 |
 West Java |
43,001 |
 Central Kalimantan |
42,668 |
 Bali |
29,864 |
| Diaspora | unknown |
 Malaysia |
unknown |
 Singapore |
unknown |
 Australia |
unknown |
 Vietnam |
unknown |
| Languages | |
| Native: Madurese Dialects: Western Madurese (Bangkalan and Sampang) · Eastern Madurese (Pamekasann and Sumenep) · Pendalungan Madurese (Banyuwangi, Bondowoso, Jember, Lumajang, Pasuruan, Probolinggo and Situbondo) · Bawean Madurese (Daun, Kepuhteluk, Bawean Creole and Suwari) · Madurese Islands (Giliraja–Raas Sapudi) Also: Javanese, Indonesian, Arabic (for religious use) |
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| Religion | |
 Sunni Islam |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
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Contents
Where Do Madurese People Live?
The Madurese population is quite large, with over 7 million people recorded in the 2010 Indonesian census. This makes them one of the biggest ethnic groups in Indonesia. They are the fourth-largest group after the Javanese people, Sundanese people, and Batak people.
Most Madurese people live on Madura Island and nearby smaller islands in the Java Sea. About 3.3 million Madurese live there, making up over 90% of the population. Many also live in the eastern part of Java Island. Over 400,000 Madurese reside in different parts of Kalimantan. You can also find smaller Madurese communities in other Indonesian regions. For example, about 80,000 live in the capital city of Jakarta. Around 30,000 live in Bali. There are also Madurese communities in nearby countries like Singapore.
Understanding the Madurese Language
The Madurese people speak the Madurese language. It belongs to the large family of Austronesian languages. This family includes many languages spoken across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Madurese language has several different dialects.
Experts have identified six main dialects. The Sumenep dialect is the most developed and is used for written Madurese. The Bangkalan dialect is very common. It often helps Madurese people from different areas understand each other.
In some parts of East Java, many Madurese people speak a mix of Madurese and Javanese. This mixed language is called Pendalungan. Besides their native language, many Madurese also speak Indonesian. Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia.
Madurese Religious Beliefs
Most Madurese people follow Sunni Islam. They are known for being very dedicated to their faith. Muslim religious leaders play a significant role in their daily and spiritual lives. Many Madurese attend traditional Muslim schools called Pesantren. These schools are important for their spiritual growth and community life.
Daily Life and Work of the Madurese
How Madurese Families Live and Work
Family is very important to the Madurese people. They usually live in villages that are centered around Islamic religious places. Marriage proposals are often made by the groom's parents. They prefer to marry a close cousin. If the proposal is accepted, the bride's family receives a "bride price," usually cattle. The groom's parents then set the wedding date. New couples often live with the bride's family. Islam is a key part of Madurese social and economic life.
The main traditional jobs for Madurese people involve raising animals. They raise cattle, goats, horses, chickens, and fighting cocks. Madurese are famous for herding cattle. Some even call them the "cowboys" of Indonesia! Cattle are very important to their culture. Bull racing is one of their favorite sports.
Farming on Madura Island itself is not very common. This is because the soil is not very fertile. However, Madurese people on other islands, like Java, do farm more. There, they grow crops such as corn, cassava, rice, tobacco, beans, and cloves.
Many Madurese are also skilled craftspeople. They work in tanning (making leather), pottery, batik manufacturing, and blacksmithing. They also build small boats. In coastal areas, Madurese people fish, trade, and extract salt from the sea. They are also known as skilled sailors. Madurese living in big cities, especially in eastern Surabaya, work in modern jobs.
Madurese Village Homes
Traditional Madurese villages are spread out. Their layout often depends on where the roads are. Most villages have special areas for raising cattle. Houses are usually made of bamboo. They are often built on low stilts. These homes have a frame structure and often include a veranda. Roofs were traditionally made of palm leaves or reeds. However, since the late 1900s, roof tiles have become more common.
Moving to New Places: Transmigration
Because the soil on Madura Island was not very good for farming, many Madurese people moved to other islands. This movement was part of government programs called "transmigration." These programs helped people settle in less populated areas of Indonesia. Many Madurese moved to Kalimantan and other islands.
As a result, more than half of all Madurese people now live outside their original homeland. They have formed new communities across Indonesia. In Java, Madurese people have lived for centuries. They often get along well with the Javanese people. They share similar languages, cultures, and ways of life. Mixed marriages between Javanese and Madurese are also common. In some parts of eastern Java, these mixed families have created a unique culture called pendalungan. This culture blends Madurese and Javanese traditions.
However, in some areas of West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, there were challenges. Madurese settlers sometimes faced difficulties with local communities, like the Dayaks. These tensions sometimes arose from differences in culture and way of life. In the late 1990s, some difficult situations occurred. Many Madurese people from Kalimantan had to move to Madura and Java. By the mid-2000s, the situation became more stable. This allowed many Madurese to return to Kalimantan.
Madurese Culture and Traditions
Delicious Madurese Food
Madurese traditional food often uses a lot of meat. One very popular dish is satay. These are small skewers of meat. They are served with a special sweet marinade and a thick, spicy peanut sauce. Madurese satay is famous throughout Indonesia. Madurese cooking also uses a lot of corn. Their dishes are often saltier and spicier compared to other Indonesian foods.
Art, Music, and Clothing
The Madurese people share many cultural similarities with eastern Javanese people. This includes their folklore, music like gamelan, dances, and shadow puppet theater called wayang. However, their traditional clothing is quite unique.
Madurese men wear a long black coat with a wide belt. Underneath, they often wear a shirt with broad red and white stripes. They also wear a checkered sarong. Women wear a dark blue or patterned jacket over a sarong.
Exciting Bull Racing
A very special Madurese tradition is bull racing, known as Karapan sapi. In these races, strong local bulls pull light carts. A young man or teenager, called a charioteer, guides the bulls. These competitions are a major tourist attraction on Madura Island.
Races happen every year in August and October in different towns. The winners then compete in a final race, usually held in Pamekasan. These races are often accompanied by gamelan music and lively festivals. Bull racing became so popular that, by the late 1980s, the winner received a prize from the President of Indonesia. The races were even shown on the back of 100 Indonesian rupiah coins from 1991 to 1998.
