People, Religion and Language

People

Like others area which become economic growing central, Banyumas is not only inhabited by native people of Javanese Banyumasan ethnic group. Concentrations in urban area are ethnic group of Tionghoa, Batak (Sumatera) and amount of others ethnic group in Indonesia also have been staying. Openness basic attitude makes cultural wealth from outside of Banyumas is easy to be received and become part of local uniqueness.

Religion

Banyumas population is only 1, 6 milion people which every 100 female and exist 99 male. 95 % is Javanese ethnic group; either native people (Banyumasan Javanese) or Javanese mixture with majority religion is Moslem. But minority adherent likes Christian, Hindu, Budha, and Kong Hu Cu to live in harmonious life. Some people still follow native religion Javanese, Kejawen which divided into various branches spiritualism

Population density in Banyumas is about 1.169/km in 2006 with household approximately are 4 members every family.

Language

Variety of people in Banyumas still uses Banyumasan Language. Cultural observer and historian deem that Banyumas language is purest relic old Javanese language or Kawi Javanese. Banyumasan Language does not happen stratification process like Kraton Javanese which nowadays becomes most dominant Javanese. Banyumasan Language was born and develops as posses of grass root society who’s expressive, free, frankly (blakasuta) and equal (egaliter) as reflection of people daily life.

Banyumasan language has many various pronunciation and vocabulary in local environment. It contains spelling variation and vocabulary from one district to others. Some experts give opinion that much variation are happened because there is not dominant power to arrange; which one is ‘formal or non formal words’. Nowadays those varieties exactly become a wealth.

Banyumas society commonly uses Indonesian as formal communication. There is something unique that adult people who still live in rural, they cannot speak fluently a language which comes from Melayu language family and has become formal language in Indonesia.

Demographic, Geographic and Climate

Conspicuous area with expressive language style is located between east protractor line 108 degrees 39’ 17’ until 109 degrees 27’ 15’ and south diagonal line 7 degrees 15’ 05’ until 7 degrees 37’ 10’ or in southern half of equator.

So that Banyumas has wet tropical climate. Maximum temperature is 30, 9 degrees of Celsius with minimum temperature is 21, 4 degrees of Celsius. Daily temperature is about 26, 5 degrees of Celsius. All year long have about 116 rain days with capacity 2.527 mm. Natural Tourism Area Baturraden which become mainstay of Banyumas has highest rainfall until 168 days each year with capacity is about 5.320 mm.

Banyumas is connected with various little and big cities in Central Java through traffic highway and railway crossing. Banyumas is border on Tegal and Pemalang Regency in northern and Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Kebumen in eastern; Cilacap Regency in the southern and Brebes and Cilacap Regency in western. Distance of Banyumas from Semarang, capital city of Central Java is 211 kilometres.

Banyumas Today

Banyumas is developed as one of the most progress regency in Central Java. Purwokerto City is as central government, central of education, central of service and central of trading with highest money circulation after Semarang and Solo.

The government is divided into 27 sub district which has 331 villages. All area covers 132.759 hectare and 18.811 hectare only for settlement. Largest area is rice field, agricultural field, and plantation forest. Only 45% area is land which concentrate in central and south area and others are fertile hill.

Tourism is one of economic pillar in Banyumas so new tourism area which has natural beautifulness and culture always develop together with awareness campaign that Banyumas is unique and different. Tourism concept has left classic styles which only show natural beautifulness and nowadays more emphasize how to let sightseer visiting whole of Banyumas itself.

Banyumas is as ex-colony from various powers Javanese Kingdom and Dutch Colonial and nowadays Banyumas is struggling to find again identity area itself. The location of Banyumas is far from seat of Kingdom Government and government of Netherlands Colony, it makes them create identity which is relative more independent. Nowadays culture experts are delving local identity become source of new power for developing Banyumas.

Banyumas, A Brief History

Banyumas Regency exists in the middle of Java between the two big cultural central of Java, East Java (kingdom) and West Java (Sunda). Banyumas location which places far from the power Centrum of old kingdom in Java makes the society more autonomous, so it has created much more unique culture. So that why Banyumas called by “the other of Java” or “the unique of Java”.

There is a legend which became history of the first time opening jungle for village of Java it called “Selarong”. One day, when the village is still surrounded by jungle became lack of water. The day by day people became more and more sorrow, because there was no water. And they couldn’t survive. Event the price of water was very expensive and just like gold.

Than arrived one a bagger that was not being appreciated by the villager. But the bagger went to road of the village and embedded his tick. When the tick was pulled suddenly the water came out from the land. The villagers were very happy, and they were shouting each other, saying that they had got water (Banyu), just like getting gold (emas). The shouting of people kept on and on continuing, till changed the name of Selarong became Banyumas.

That village was started filling by new comer and changed be a bigger village. Entering the monarchy system, Javanese political kingdom trick was being a background of the growing up Banyumas became regency. The last king of Majapahit Kingdom, Sri Prabu Brawijaya V was fear if his region would be taken by his brother Raden Harjo Baribin who loved by the people. The prime minister was ordered to kill Raden Harjo Baribin.

Getting information would be killed; R Harjo Baribin decided to leave and became holly man at the region of Pakuhan Parahiyanagan Kingdom. Sri Prabu Linggawastu the king of Pakuhan Parahyanagan was interested to take R Harjo Baribin as couple of his sister. Than his sister Dewi Ratna Pamekas be married with R Harjo Baribin and they had four children. One of them is R Banyaksosro that dying when he was young and left a baby, the name is R Djoko Kaiman.

That baby was entrusted with blacksmith Kiai Ageng Mranggi and lived as an ordinary people without having right likes noble son when he was adult. He devoted as horse keeper in Adipati Wirasaba Residence which under the might of Pajang Kingdom. The king, Raden Adipati Wargohutomo knew status noble of that new born and he married off his daughter directly, Rara Kartimah. As political slander, King of Pajang Kingdom, Sultan Hadiwijaya killed Raden Adipati Wargo Hutomo.

In XV Century, Raden Djoko Kaiman was appointed Sultan Hadiwijaya from Pajang Kingdom as leader of Wirasaba Area and he has the title of Kiai Adipati Wargo Hutomo II. It means for forgiving his mistake killing Adipati Wargo Hutomo. Raden Djoko Kaiman did not want to dominate alone the power, so in 1582 he divided his area becoming four (4) parts. He led one of them which central of government is in Mangli Forest, Kejawar Village that would be pioneer of Banyumas Regency.