Overseas Minangkabau - Waves of Migration

Waves of Migration

The Minangkabau people have a long history of migrating overseas. They would leave their homes and travel in search of knowledge and to seek their fortunes. The first migration in 7th century when the Minangkabau Merchants sold the gold in Jambi and involved in the formation of the Malayu Kingdom. In the 13th century, the Minangkabau people started colonies along the west coast of Sumatra island from Meulaboh to Bengkulu when they were spice traders under the Aceh Sultanate. In Aceh, they were known as Aneuk Jamee. In the 15th century, the overseas Minangkabaus settled in Negeri Sembilan under the protection of the Malacca Sultanate and, later, under the Sultanate of Johor. After Portuguese captured of Malacca in 1511, many Minangkabau family moved to South Sulawesi. Datuk Makotta and his wife Tuan Sitti were pioneer of Minangkabau family in South Sulawesi. They supported kingdom of Gowa, as trader, ulema, and administrator. By the 19th century, most of the Minangkabau people moved to the Kingdom of Siak and the Deli in East Sumatra as traders when the Dutch East Indies colonies opened their tobacco plantations.