Javanisation

Javanisation (Indonesian: Jawanisasi or Penjawaan) is the process in which Javanese culture dominates, assimilates, or influences other cultures in general. The term "Javanise" means "to make or to become Javanese in form, idiom, style, or character." This domination could take place in various aspects; such as cultural, language, politics and social.

In its modern sense within Indonesian social, cultural and politics perspective; Javanisation simply means the spreading of rural Javanese population of densely populated Java to less populated parts of the archipelago. While to others it could also mean the conscious or unconscious imposition of Javanese patterns of thought and behaviour throughout Indonesia, in the sense of cultural imperialism. In previous sense it is more focused on thinking and practice of those in power.

The term "Javanise" however, is not only to describe outward process, but also inward; it is also used to describes the adoption and assimilation of foreign social-cultural influences and elements into Javanese culture. These foreign influences are somehow are interpreted and adopted to suit Javanese frame of reference, style, needs and social-cultural conditions. The adoption of Indian Hindu epics and cultural elements in 5th to 15th-century Java and the adoption of Islam introduced by Wali Songo into Javanese culture in 15th-century are the notable examples.

The promotion and expansion of Javanese cultural elements, such as Javanese language, architecture, cuisine, batik, wayang, gamelan and kris are also can be seen as the manifestation of Javanisation process. The Javanese migration to settle in places out of their traditional homeland in Central and East Java to other places in Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, etc.), Malay peninsula (esp. Johor), to Suriname, is also a contributing factor of Javanisation process.

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