Madurese people

The Madurese (Madurese: Orèng Mâdhurâ, Pegon script: أَوريڠ مادْوراْ; Javanese: ꦠꦾꦁꦩꦼꦝꦸꦤ꧀ꦠꦼꦤ꧀, romanized: Tyang Mêdhuntên; Indonesian: Orang Madura) are one of the Austronesian ethnic groups native to the Indonesian island of Madura and northern part of Eastern salient of Java, off the northeastern coast of Java. They speak their own native Madurese (with diverse varieties), sharing a common history, traditions, and cultural identity. Nationwide, the Madurese are the fifth-largest ethnic group in Indonesia, and one of the well-known Indonesian national dishes, Satay, is associated with the Madurese as part of their rich culinary heritage. They are also known as the largest owners of traditional grocery shops in Indonesia.

About six million native Madurese are living on their ancestral land, Madura Island, and around half a million reside in eastern Java, mainly in the regencies of Jember, Banyuwangi, and others. The Madurese population in Java forms a subgroup called the Pandalungan Madurese, who speak a blend of Javanese and Madurese.

The Madurese are not only known as the inventors of satay but also as the creators of the Karapan sapi bull race. The group have historically been pioneers of classical Islamic religious movements in Indonesia, with the Pondok Pesantren serving as a vital center for Madurese Muslims to study Islam, particularly Indonesian Islam. In addition to being merchants, the Madurese diaspora is traditionally known for farming and practicing the Pencak silat martial art. The Madurese men often work with their cultural Clurit sickles, wearing distinctive cultural clothing characterized by red and white stripes derived from the Majapahit naval flag (a historical eastern Javanese empire that once controlled Madura Island). Other colors like black, red, yellow, white, green, and blue are also considered cultural symbols, as seen in their traditional Madurese-style batik.