Indonesia 1.5 - 2 million South Sumatra 30,000 | Bengkulu, 1.1 million Others 70,000 | |
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The Rejang people (also Rejangese people / Rejangs) or known by their native term as Tun Jang (alternative: Tun Tɕ) are an Austronesian and the native ethnic group belong to the some parts of Bengkulu Province and South Sumatera Province in the southwestern part of Sumatera Island, Indonesia. They occupied some area in an cool mountain slopes of the Barisan mountain range in both sides of Bengkulu and South Sumatra. With approximately more than 1,3 million people, they form the largest ethnic group in Bengkulu Province. Rejang people predominantly live as a majority in 5 out 10 regencies and city of Bengkulu Province, while the rest of them who lives in South Sumatera resides at 7 villages in the district called as Bermani Ulu Rawas. The Rejang people is predominantly an Islam adherent with very small number of them following branches other than Islam. According to the some research, The Rejang people are the descendants of the Bukar-Sadong people who moved from the Northern Borneo (Sarawak).
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Etymology
The etymology of the name of Rejang or in Rejang language itself as Jang is remains unclear. Some scholars believe that the term Jang or Rejang has a correlation with the possibility of Rejang people in ancient time did not reside in Sumatra. They is believed by some scholars to resided in the northern part of West Borneo (not West Kalimantan, the Indonesian Province), around what is called as Rajang River in Sarawak, Malaysia. The term of Rejang used by Rejang people in Sumatra sounds similar with the name of that river. Here the term Jang or Rejang has its correlation. For somewhat the ancestor of Rejang people now which was resided the Borneo moved to other island, in this case, the island is Sumatera. They moved from Borneo to Sumatra by passing the strait across the two islands with unclear reason. The term Jang or the verb Mɕrɕjang (the archaic form is Mɕghɕjang) means passed or specifically means passed the strait. However, the meaning of Jang word which is the native term used by Rejang people to describe themselves as a single entity remains unclear. The usage of that word also limited just for describing the entity of Jang and uncommon in the daily conversation.
Number of Population
The population is not well measured, with estimates from 250,000 to a million. The 2000 Indonesian census estimated the population at around 350,000.
Location
In Bengkulu Province, the Rejangese are prevalent in Rejang Lebong Regency (districts of Lebong Utara, Lebong Selatan, Curup and Kepahiang), in North Bengkulu Regency (districts of Taba Penanjung, Pondok Kelapa, Kerkap, Arga Makmur and Lais), in Kepahiang Regency, in Lebong Regency and in Central Bengkulu Regency. Majority of them lived in along the slopes of Bukit Barisan mountain range.
Ethnic relations
Neighboring ethnics includes the Serawai people, Bengkulu’s Malay people (Melayu Bengkulu), Kerinci people, Pasemah people, and Lembak people. Rejang people had always sharing some vocabularies with these people because of the proximity between them. In this common era, there are many inter-ethnic marriage between Rejang with its neighboring ethnics.
Suggested relation with ethnics from Borneo includes Bidayuh, Bukar, and Sadong.
Culture
Pencak Silat is one of many kind of Rejangese culture. The Pencak Silat origin from Rejang land well known as Silat Jang Pat Petulai.
Native Language
Rejang language (Alternative term: Rejangese) which is divided to five major dialects including Cu’up dialect (Well known as Curup, the archaic name is Selupu dialect), Kepahyang dialect, Lɕbong dialect (the standard Rejang based on this dialect), Musɕi dialect (Well known as Musi, another name is Rawas dialect), and Utara dialect (Another name is Pɕsisir/Pɕsisia/Coastal dialect).
Other Spoken Languages
In some places, Rejang people communicate with non-Rejang using the form of Malay spoken across the Bengkulu Province (known as Baso Bengkulu / Baso Curup / Baso Kito / Baso Melayu / Baso Tobo Kito). For official purpose like in office or school, Indonesian is widely used. For some reason, mostly Rejang people in Lebong regency choose to using Indonesian for communication purpose with non-Rejang people rather than Malay, which the Malay is favour in another places.
Predominantly
Non-denominational Islam almost 100%. However, Rejang people is generalized as a Sunni Islam and following the Shafi’i school of jurisprudency.
Minorities
By some estimation, Rejang people who embrace another religions besides Islam (especially Christianity) is lower than 100 persons out of 1.2 million total number of population.