The Mandailing Story

The Mandailing or often called as "The Mandailing Batak" is a traditional cultural group in Southeast Asia. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, the Mandailings are considered as a part of the Batak people.

They came under the influence of the Kaum paderi who ruled the Minangkabau of Tanah Datar. As a result, the Mandailing were influenced by Muslim culture and converted to Islam. Previous to their conversion, they practised Hinduism and Parmalim (Batak native religion).

There are also a group of Mandailing in Malaysia, especially in the states of Selangor and Perak but they refuse to be considered as a part of Batak people.

The etymology of 'Mandailing' is said to be a compounding of the words manda, meaning 'mother', and ilang, meaning 'lost'. Thus, the name is said to mean 'lost mother'.

Some research has suggested that the Mandailing are the descendants of the Toba Batak, who migrated to the south centuries before the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch colonisation of Sumatra.

There they converted to Islam and intermarried with Minangkabau and the Malay peoples. Mandailing society is patriarchal, employing family names, or marga, in the same manner as the Toba Batak.

The same marga can be found, such as Lubis, Nasution, Siregar, Hasibuan, Harahap, Dalimunthe (originally from Munthe), Matondang, Rangkuti, Parinduri, Pulungan, Rambe, Daulae(y), Pohan, Batubara (not to be confused with the Batu Bara people from the east coast of Sumatra), Barus and Hutajulu. They are closely related to the Angkola, who are mixed between Muslim and Christian adherents.

'Mandailing' is the name of region (Luat Mandailing) which is now almost in Mandailing Natal Regency in North Sumatra Province. The first group who came to this region were the Lubis and Nasution later followed by the Siregar, Harahap and so forth. These groups migrated from the northern region, which now belongs to North Tapanuli Regency and Tobasa Regency. One of these groups, the Harahap, left, which makes their identification to the region difficult.

Matondang, Rangkuti and Parinduri are the local groups of Luat Mandailing. Harahap and Siregar dwell almost in Luat Angkola, which now belongs to South Tapanuli Regency, situated between Mandailing-Natal Regency and North Tapanuli Regency.