2 Chapter 1 Introduction
Sumatra. As is true of many ethnic groups in Indonesia, considerable Madurese
enclaves are also found in Jakarta, Bandung, and other large cities in Central
and West Java.
According to Husson (1997:80), early Madurese migration to East Java
began in the 13th century, serfs that were sent “to colonize agricultural lands
and strengthen the Majapahit kingdom”. Additionally, their reputation as fierce
combatants led to the voluntary enlistment or forced conscription of soldiers,
accounting for other waves of Madurese leaving the island during the period
from the 16th to 19th centuries and eventually settling on Java. Added to this
were the shifting alliances of the different kingdoms or sultanates on Madura
with the Mataram empire and the Dutch colonialists.^3 There were also patterns
of migration to East Java in search of work and a source of income due to li-
mited opportunities on Madura (Husson 1997:86). More recently, attempts by
the Republic of Indonesia government to redistribute the national population to
ease crowding and fuel economic development through a program of transmi-
gration account for the establishment of significant Madurese populations on
the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra (in Riau Province) where the Madurese
have sought additional economic opportunities. There is thus a long history of
the migration from Madura.
However, most previous works on the Madurese language and people
(^3) See Husson (1997) for details of the political situation.