Valley of Agam

Valley of Agam

The third valley of the Minang highlands, Agam, lies west of the Mount Marapi. During the 16th and 17th century, West Sumatra became one of the world's leading pepper growing areas, which started to bring in traders from Europe. In the late 18th century, pepper and gold was traded with the Europeans via Pariaman and Padang on the west coast of Sumatra. The increasing importance of the trade, especially after the gold was depleted, made Bukittinggi and the surrounding Agam valley more prosperous than the Minang court centre at Tanah Datar.

The scenic Lembah Anai valley with its spectacular views, connecting the Minang Highlands with Pariaman on the west coast

As the trade of gold was controlled by the Minang court in Tanah Datar, the trade of the new sources of income like coffee, salt, gambir and textiles was under control of muslim traders. An Islamic reform movement emerged, which was lead by the Paderis, puritanical teachers who enforced strict adherence to Islamic law and opposed the matriarchal Minang adat.

In 1803, violence broke out in the village of Pandai Sikat, south of Bukittinggi, when a Paderi reformer, frustrated in attempts to abolish cock fighting, gambling, opium smoking and the drinking of palm wine, torched down the new village council house. Pandai Sikat is now a peaceful village and centre for traditional weaving and woodcarving. The Paderi ideas took root in the poorer villages and by 1921 the hills around Agam, as well as the Limapuluh Kota area, was mostly under Paderi control. Using Fort de Kock (now Bukittinggi) as basis, the Dutch gained control over the south of Agam and much of Tanah Datar. The war dragged on for years and in ended 1837 in favour of the Dutch, by storming the town of Bonjol, home of the most powerful Paderi leader, Imam Bonjol.

Mosque at Koto Baru, near Pandai Sikat

The Minangkabau area became the principal Dutch stronghold in Sumatra. Forced delivery of coffee at fixed prices should cover the expenses of the garrisons. However, enterprising Minangkabau took advantage of the good communications and expanding markets and started to grow their own products on the land sufficiently available. In the middle of the 19th century, the Dutch took efforts to provide modern secular schools for Indonesians. The Minangkabau responded enthusiastically and started to fund their own district schools.

West Sumatra had an important role in Indonesia's struggle for independence. In 1917, the first generation of Minangkabau, which had enjoyed Dutch education, formed the Youth Sumatran League. In 1926, an armed insurrection broke out, incited by the communist but supported by the muslims of Minangkabau. Mohammad Hatta, one of the fore fighters for independence was and the first vice president of Indonesia, was a Minangkabau. In January 1st 1950, West Sumatra became a province in the newly independent Republic of Indonesia.