Sundanese People - Religion

Religion

The initial religious system of the Sundanese was animism and dynamism with reverence to ancestral (karuhun) and natural spirits identified as hyang, yet bears some traits of monotheism. The best indications are found in the oldest epic poems (wawacan) and among the remote Baduy tribe. This religion is called Sunda Wiwitan ("early Sundanese"). The rice agriculture had shaped the culture, beliefs and ritual system of traditional Sundanese people, among other the reverence to Nyai Pohaci Sanghyang Asri as the goddess of rice and fertility. The land of Sundanese people in Western Java is among the earliest place in Indonesian archipelago that being exposed to Indian Hindu-Buddhist influences. Tarumanagara followed by Sunda Kingdom adopted Hinduism as early as 4th century. The Batujaya stupa complex in Karawang shows Buddhist influences in West Java. The 16th century sacred text Sanghyang siksakanda ng karesian contain the religious and moral rules, guidance, prescriptions and lessons for ancient Sundanese people.

Around 15th to 16th century Islam began to spread among Sundanese people, accelerated after the fall of Hindu Sunda Kingdom and the establishment of Islamic Sultanate of Banten and Cirebon in coastal West Java. Numerous ulama (locally known as "kyai") penetrated villages in mountainous region of Parahyangan and established mosques and schools (pesantren) and spread Islamic faith into Sundanese people. Small traditional Sundanese communities had decided to retain their indigenous social and beliefs system, adopt self-imposed isolation, and refuse foreign influences, proselytism and modernization altogether, such as those of Baduy (Kanekes) people of inland Lebak Regency. Some of Sundanese villages such as those in Cigugur Kuningan retained their Sunda Wiwitan belief, while some villages such as Kampung Naga in Tasikmalaya, and Sindang Barang Pasir Eurih in Bogor, although admittedly identify themself as Muslim, still uphold pre-Islamic traditions and taboos and venerated the karuhun (ancestral spirits). Today, most of Sundanese are sunni Muslims.

After Western Java fell under Dutch East India Company in early 18th century, and later under colonial Dutch East Indies control, the christian evangelism upon Sundanese people started by Christian missionaries of Genootschap voor Inen Uitwendige Zending te Batavia (GIUZ). This organization founded by Mr. F.L. Anthing and Pastor E.W. King in 1851. However, it was Nederlandsche Zendelings Vereeniging (NZV) which sent their missionaries to Sundanese people. They started the mission in Batavia, and then to several town in West Java such as Bandung, Cianjur, Cirebon, Bogor and Sukabumi. They built schools, churches and hospital for native people in West Java. Compared to large Sundanese Muslims, the numbers of christian Sundanese is scarce, today the christian in West Java are mostly Chinese Indonesian resided in West Java with only small numbers of native Sundanese.