Who are the Banjar?

The southern and eastern coast of Kalimantan is home to the Banjar people, who live up and down the rivers from the interior rainforest to the coastal cities. Banjar culture dominates the province of South Kalimantan, and there are also significant Banjar populations in East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and Malaysia.

The Banjar trace their origins to a legendary Hindu kingdom, the Negara Dipa. Contemporary ethnic identity developed from a combination of Jawa (Java), Melayu (Malay), and Dayak cultures. Through the Jawa people, Buddhism, Hinduism and finally Islam were introduced into South Kalimantan. In 1526, Banjar Prince Samudera accepted Islam and took the name of Sultan Suriansyah as a condition of receiving help from a Jawa army in overthrowing his uncle.

What are their lives like?

Banjarmasin, the capital city of South Kalimantan, is located 22 kilometers from the Jawa Sea, and since portions of the city are below sea level, the city rises and falls with the tides. Lanting (houses on stilts) line the multiple waterways, which crisscross the city. Taking a small klotok (motorized boat) around the rivers and canals shows a wide variety of activity: people bathing, washing laundry, gossiping, and buying fruit, vegetables and fish from women vendors in tiny canoes.

The Banjar people seldom move to other areas of Indonesia. They tend to marry and settle near their parents or other relatives in Kalimantan. Most seek their livelihood through farming and plantation work near the rivers. Trade, transport and mining are also prominent occupational fields. Many Banjar work in traditional manual sawmills, but are reluctant to work in the plywood factories and commercial sawmills because of the unhealthy conditions.

What do they believe?

The all-pervasiveness of Islam in Banjar society has a great influence on every aspect of individual and family life. Religion is the primary force in controlling crime, including thievery and gambling. Banjar ethnic identity is inseparable from the Islamic religion. At the same time, traditional animistic beliefs prevail that teach that certain supernatural powers reside in natural objects such as stones, trees, and mountains, as well as certain creatures.

The traditional Islamic religious feasts and month-long fast of Ramadan are rigorously observed. One of the most imposing buildings in Banjarmasin is the Grand Mosque Sabilal Muthadin, located in the center of the city. Since the period of Dutch colonialism, government schools have been looked on suspiciously by the Banjar as attempts to secularize their children. Modern Islamic schools have been developed claiming identity as government schools.

What are their needs?

The Banjar people traditionally do not look positively upon modern methods and technologies nor do they mix much with other people groups. This isolation has limited the development of education, health care, sanitation, and water purification. In the interior, villages have a limited infrastructure for distribution of crops and goods. The proliferation of coal, diamond and gold mines has also created environmental tension throughout Kalimantan.