By Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala written on 14-Jul-2003
National Library Board Singapore

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The Jawi Peranakan community was were an elite group among the Malay community in the mid-19th century but declined in the early decades of the 20th century. The term Jawi Peranakan applied to Straits-born Muslims of mixed Indian (especially Tamil) and Malay parentage. Their publication, the Jawi Peranakkan, was the first Malay language newspaper of the region. Their illustrious era came to an end when they were caught in political troubles that led to their alienation from mainstream Malays.

History
After Singapore's founding in 1819, the population of Indian immigrants grew so rapidly (from 756 Indians in 1824 to 13,000 in 1860) that by 1860, they formed the second-largest community. The numbers decreased by the late 19th century as many of them preferred to settle down in other Malayan states. Most of the Indian immigrants were men from southern India. Indian women travelled to Singapore only from the 1860s onwards, and even then, they were still few in numbers. This led to a shortage of brides, and resulted in marriages between Indian Muslim men and Malay women. Their children made up a new group known as the Jawi Peranakan. Jawi is an Arabic word to denote this part of the world including Malaysia and Indonesia, and Peranakan is a Malay word meaning "born of". Loosely defined, however, Indian Muslims not of mixed parentage but born in the Straits were also referred to as Jawi Peranakan, as were children of Arab-Malay parentage. Other terms that point to peoples of Malay-Indian fusion were "Jawi Pekan" (mostly used in Penang) and "Peranakan Kling" (mostly used in Malacca), the latter made popular by the great early Malay chronicler, Abdullah Munshi. In Singapore, however, Jawi Peranakan was the widely-used term. Jawi Peranakan families were found throughout Malaysia, especially Penang, and Singapore.

Description
The Jawi Peranakan chose their spouses carefully, screening prospective matches for ties of wealth and status rather than their ethnic origins, hence permitting intermarriages between Jawi Peranakan and prosperous members of other Muslim communities like the Arabs, Indians and Malay royalty. Despite their eagerness to adopt Malay culture and be accepted as Malays, the Jawi Peranakan maintained a distinct identity that was captured in their architecture, clothing, jewellery and cuisine. Culturally, they also contributed to the art scene of the region, especially in music and dance.

By the late 19th century, they had accumulated considerable wealth and status and were contributing to the country's economy largely as merchants and land dealers. The Jawi Peranakan were also literate and English-educated, easily qualifying for government jobs. A group of Jawi Peranakans consisting of prominent members of the South Indian Muslim and Indian-Malay communities financed the first Malay language newspaper, the Jawi Peranakkan. Its first editor was Munsyi Mohamed Said Bin Dada Mohiddin, a South Indian Muslim who was editor from 1876 to 1888. Being the first Malay language newspaper in the region, it was received with pride by all Malays.

Decline of the community
There are still a few Jawi Peranakan families left in the region, especially in Penang, which was home to their largest settlement. However, most of them today register themselves as Malays. The loss of their identity could be attributed to various causes. Economically, other groups were emerging, notably the Chinese. By the 1930s, the Jawi Peranakan grew increasingly dependent on government and clerical jobs, and the political climate favoured the Malay race by the turn of the 20th century. Projecting an identity that was distinct from the Malays was not expedient. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Jawi Peranakan were criticised for their brand of religious belief that did not conform to the widely practised Shafi Islam. Furthermore, the Jawi Peranakan tended to be reformist and challenged the authority of Malay royalty in religious matters. Most Jawi Peranakan, having been born and bred in the Straits Settlements, had never been subjects of the Sultan, and hence lacked this political and cultural tie that defined true Malays.

In addition, the affiliations of Jawi Peranakans with the India-inspired religious Tabligh movement came under fire from some religious and public figures because this association was not considered "patriotic". The Jemaat Tabligh movement was founded in Delhi, India in 1925 with the aim of renewing the spirit of Islam. Missionaries and volunteers of the movement spread to other countries and set up bases in mosques or prayer houses where they recruited young men between the ages of 12 and 25 as members. These recruits distinguished themselves with their Arab-styled clothes, and they indulged in extended religious discussions. Such activities were favoured by some older Muslims as they reduced delinquency and waywardness among the youth while heightening their personal integrity. The local mosque that became the base owed allegiance to a counterpart back in India or Pakistan. The religious discourses were rarely conducted in Malay. Urdu, Tamil, Arabic or English were the languages used, further contributing to the alienation of Jawi Peranakans and Indian Muslims from the Malay community.



Variant names
Malay: Jawi Peranakkan.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References
Nagata, J. A. (1984). The reflowering of Malaysian Islam: Modern religious radicals and their roots (pp. 14, 118-122, 186, 249). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
(Call no.: R 297.09595 NAG)

Tan, Y. S., & Soh, Y. P. (1994). The development of Singapore's modern media industry media industry (pp. 8-9). Singapore: Times Academic Press.
(Call no.: RSING 338.4730223 TAN) 

Urban Redevelopment Authority, Preservation of Monuments Board. (1991). Jamae Mosque preservation guidelines (pp. 7-9). Singapore: Author.
(Call no.: RSING 363.96095957 JAM)

Jeman Sulaiman. (1988, November 7). The rise of Malay newspaper. The Straits Times, p. 6.

Khoo, S. N. (2001, August 30). A rich legacy. The Star (Malaysia), Lifestyle. 

Mohani Musa. (2001, October 25). The Penang story: Flags of conflict. The Star (Malaysia), Lifestyle. 



The information in this article is valid as at 2003 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.