Bundo Kanduang: a Powerful Or Powerless Ruler? Literary Analysis of Kaba Cindua Mato (Hikayat Nan Muda Tuanku Pagaruyung)
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MAKARA, SOSIAL HUMANIORA, VOL. 11, NO. 1, JUNI 2007: 30-36 BUNDO KANDUANG: A POWERFUL OR POWERLESS RULER? LITERARY ANALYSIS OF KABA CINDUA MATO (HIKAYAT NAN MUDA TUANKU PAGARUYUNG) Mina Elfira Departemen Susastra, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] Abstrak Kaba Cinduo Mato tidak dapat dipisahkan dari kehidupan masyarakat Minangkabau baik dalam ranah publik maupun privat. Kaba ini menampilkan figur Bundo Kanduang yang dipercaya oleh masyarakat Minangkabau sebagai raja pertama kerajaan Pagaruyung. Bundo Kanduang diakui sebagai figur yang meletakkan dasar-dasar sistem pemerintahan Minangkabau yang berlandaskan agama Islam dan adat matrilineal. Legenda Bundo Kanduang, yang citranya masih mendominasi kehidupan sehari-hari perempuan Minangkabau dalam masyarakat kontemporer Minangkabau, telah menjadi fokus penelitian beberapa peneliti yang tertarik untuk melakukan analisa politik gender dalam masyarakat Minangkabau. Citra Bundo Kanduang dalam Kaba Cinduo Mato digunakan untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan: “Siapakah yang sesungguhnya memegang kekuasaan dalam masyarakat Minangkabau?” Apakah mungkin seorang perempuan menjadi seorang pemimpin, dalam ranah publik dan privat, dalam Minangkabau?”. Artikel ini menganalisa citra Bundo Kanduang yang dideskripsikan dalam Kaba Cinduo Mato. Argumen utama dari artikel ini adalah Bundo Kanduang dicitrakan dalam Kaba Cinduo Mato sebagai seorang raja yang berkuasa penuh dalam mengendalikan pemerintahannya di kerajaan pagaruyung, serta seorang ibu yang kuat dan bijak. Selain itu, kaba ini memperkuat deskripsi Minangkabau sebagai suatu masyarakat matrilineal dimana kaum perempuannya memiliki beberapa hak istimewa dan turut memegang peranan penting dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat. Abstract Kaba Cinduo Mato cannot be separated from Minangkabau social life, both in public and private spaces. This kaba describes the life of’ Bundo Kanduang Bundo Kanduang, believed by most of Minangkabau people as the first queen of Pagaruyung. It is believed that Bundo Kanduang established the foundation of Minangkabau government system which was based on Islamic and matrilineal principles. The legend of Bundo Kanduang, whose image has still dominated the daily life of Minangkabau women in contemporary Minangkabau society, has become the research focus of some researches who are interested in analysing gender politics within Minangkabau society. The image of Bundo Kanduang in Kaba Cinduo Mato is used in order to answer some questions such as “Who holds the power within Minangkabau society?” and “Is it possible for a woman to be a leader, both in public and private spaces, in Minangkabau adat society?”. This article analyses the image of Bundo Kanduang as described in Kaba Cinduo Mato. The main argument of this article is that Bundo Kanduang is described in Kaba Cinduo Mato as a ruler, who has a full authority in leading her government in Pagaruyuang kingdom, and a mother, who is strong and wise. Moreover, this kaba strengthens the description of Minangkabau as a matrilineal society where its women have some privileged rights and play significant roles in their community. Keywords : Bundo Kanduang, Minangkabau adat, matrilineal, gender Introduction social life because the story reflects the values of adat and Islam as its nucleus which was the foundation of Kaba Cindua Mato has a special position in the Minangkabau’s way of life at that time (Manan, Minangkabau traditional literature (Yusuf, 1994:1). 1967:81). Moreover, P.E. de Josselin de Jong, a pioneer According to Manan, a Minangkabau scholars, Kaba of Minangkabau studies, also used Kaba Cinduo Mato Cindua Mato cannot be separated from Minangkabau of Van der Toorn’s version, as his analysis basis on 30 MAKARA, SOSIAL HUMANIORA, VOL. 11, NO. 1, JUNI 2007: 30-36 31 Minangkabau political organisation system, and (ibid,9). It is undoubtedly that many Minangkabau from matrilineal and patrilineal positions. De Jong argues different generations have been familiar with this Kaba that within Minangkabau political and social life, the Cindua Mato. For example, referring to Taufik matrilineal and patrilineal concepts are inter-related (De Abdullah’s accord, during 1924 this Kaba was Jong, 1980:97-115). Minangkabau people use this kaba frequently referred to by the Minangkabau intellectual in order to answer some questions such as “Who holds migrants in Java for their campaign to establish the power within Minangkabau society?” and “Is it Minangkabau regional council (Abdullah, 1970:1). possible for a woman to be a leader in Minangkabau Despite the fact that most Minangkabau people were adat society?”. It is because the kaba describes the life educated in this Minangkabau ‘classic’ kaba, it seems of’ Bundo Kanduang (‘the Womb Mother’). Bundo that their knowledge about this kaba is partial. During Kanduang is a mythical female ruler of the my fieldwork, I found that very few Minangkabau Minangkabau. people, especially amongst the younger generations, knew the basic plot of the ‘original’ story. Many of According to Edward Djamaris, within Minangkabau them are only familiar with the title. For the analysis I historiography, tambo1 and kaba2, only in kaba is have chosen one of texts KCM, collection of the explicitly stated the name of Bundo Kanduang, while in University of Leiden library and catalogue number is tambo her name is rarely mentioned. Moreover, in Or. 8539. I decide to choose this version because tambo the central figures are Datuk Katamagungan and according to M.Yusuf, the plot of the story of this text is Datuk Papatih Nan Sabatang. It is believed that they complete, compared with other texts. Beside that it is codified Minangkabau laws (Djamaris, 1991:65). This also still in good condition (Yusuf, 1994:159). This Kaba Cindua Mato is also known among Minangkabau text, written in old Minangkabau language with Arabic- people as Carito Bundo Kanduang jo Cindua Mato (the Malay script, has been transcribed by Yususf into latin story of Bundo Kanduang and Cindua Mato). script. I will use the transcribed text as the source of my analysis. Although my discussion on Kaba Cindua Mato The legend of Bundo Kanduang and Kaba Cindua Mato is mainly based upon the printed edition (written have attracted some researchers who are interested in literature), my approach to it is to consider KCM as analysing gender politics within Minangkabau society. oral literature. Taufik Abdullah’s article ‘Some Notes on the Kaba Tjindua Mato: An Example of Minangkabau Traditional In analysing this text I have one main arguments. The Literature’, published more than 30 years ago, is still argument is that Bundo Kanduang is represented in this one of the classic works on gender politics in text as the female king who is not only wise, but also Minangkabau society. Scholars, of Minangkabau with full authorithy. Her position was, at least, equal studies, continue to refer to it as an authoritative work with other elites within Pagaruyuang kingdom. on power and authority within the traditional Moreover, I argue that the text shows that it is taken for Minangkabau political system. While my analysis on granted that women are well-qualified to assume the Kaba Cindua Mato builds upon his work, I have a highest political positions in their community. In short, I different interpretation regarding Bundo Kanduang’s argue that Bundo Kanduang is, indeed, a powerful ruler; position in traditional Minangkabau power structure. the first ruler of Pagaruyung kingdom. Based on Jacqueline Aquino Siapno’s criticism of patriarchal reading practices on Acehnese literature, it Analysis can be concluded that Abdullah’s reading of Kaba Cindua Mato is quite patriarchal (Siapno, 2002). The printed edition of Kaba Cindua Mato was published under the title of Hikayat Tuanku Nan Muda Kaba Cindua Mato (KCM) has many different versions. Pagaruyung (the Epic of Tuanku nan Muda, Cindua There are thirthy three KCM texts which are kept in Mato’s noble title, of Pagaruyung) or Sejarah Tuanku three libraries outside of West Sumatra. The Indonesian Rang Mudo (the history of Tuanku Rang Mudo, Cindua National Library (eight texts), University of Leiden Mato’s noble title). However, this print title is not well Library (twenty four texts), and Koninklijk Instituut known amongst Minangkabau people. The voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (one text) Minangkabau are more familiar with its oral title Kaba (Yusuf,1994:72). This kaba was also edited into eleven Cindua Mato or Curito Bundo Kanduang jo Cindua editions, published both inside and outside Indonesia Mato (The story of Bundo Kanduang and Cindua Mato) (Yusuf, 1994:1). It is arguably that the dominant role of 1 Bundo Kanduang in the story is the reason why the Tambo, literary means, history, genealogy, is historiography latter title mentions Bundo Kanduang’s name before of traditional Minangkabau. See Djamaris, 1991:7-8. See Cindua Mato’s. It can be seen from the fact that in the also Asnan, 2003, 319-320. first paragraphs of this text depicts the image of Bundo 2 Kaba , literary means news or report, is a genre of Minangkabau traditional oral literature which can be told by Kanduang (the Womb Mother), a prominent legendary tukang kaba/ sijobang (kaba teller). See Junus, 1984:17. 32 MAKARA, SOSIAL HUMANIORA, VOL. 11, NO. 1, JUNI 2007: 30-36 female figure within Alam Minangkabau (Minangkabau nan denai hilang denai timbuakan, nan den habih world). den sis{y}okan, nan den tungkuik tilantangkan, nan den hilia den mudiakkan, nan den hampiang Sadanglah rajo parampuan di dalam ulak picak-picak, nan den giliang bulek-bulek. Tanjuang Bungo, di dalam Alam Minangkabau, Pusako Katemenggungan, lorong sukunya Koto di dalam Koto Pagaruyuang, banamo Parik Koto Piliang dalam hukuman kito juo (Ibid, 68-69) Dalam. Bukanlah rajo dang mambali, bukanlah rajo dang mamintak. Rajo badiri sandirinyo. (…I will explain the book, consists of standard Samo tajadi jan alam ko. Timbalan rajo banua rules. If the old book should be exposed, not a Ruhum, timbalan rajo banua Cino. Timbalan single line has been disappeared, not a single dot rajo di lautan…Nan manjujuang dang mahkota, has been forgotten.