Batek of Malaysia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Batek of Malaysia - Research Paper Example Each of the groups has their own way of living, their own culture to follow, their own language and even unique modes of sustenance. But, as the urban development spreads its roots, the advancements in technologies and science have pushed the boundaries of these unique life styles and have merged most of the culture together, desperately done by the original people in order to sustain these tremors of modern life. Yet, the Bateks are still an exception to all these changing scenarios. They have gripped onto their culture and tradition and have sustained their living through their own traditional ways. The thesis, thus taken up here focuses on exploring the culture of Batek, identifying the unique characteristics of this tribal group of people and to divulge more about their way of living and sustenance. A background According to census taken in the year 1995, there are approximately 700 to 800 people of Batek, who are currently living. With the emergence of urbanization, the numbers may have been reduced more. During the years of 1970, the Bateks lived in the Malaysian states called as Kelantan and Pahang. Their physical appearance is similar to those tribes of Africa and hence former European researchers came to a conclusion that they are remnants of those African tribes. Their tribe name came from the Austronesian speakers who settled in those regions. Their basic language for communication is the Mon-Khmer language. Primary mode of sustenance The Bateks have their connections with the Hoabinhians, from 8000 BC. The Hoabinhians are basically foragers and hence foraging as a means of existence became one of the primary mode of subsistence for the Bateks. As years progressed, horticulture came into picture during 2000 BC. Later, the Batek started to trade with outsiders and it remained as one of important business aspect of the Bateks during the period between 6th and 13th centuries. Slavery crept into the tribe when Malays started invading the Bateks. With the government intervening, the Bateks were freed from slavery in 1920 and came under the direct supervision of them in 1954. (Endicott 1978) With the population dwindling and with the urban growth expediting at a rapid pace, the Bateks settled in the valleys and at the groundside of hills because, higher the altitude, difficult it becomes to forage. Irrespective of the fact that the Bateks have explored several numbers of options to gather food, foraging remains to be their primary and best option. The reason for such a trend is due to two reasons. Firstly, the advantages of foraging allowed them to gain access to food wherever they went as there was no permanent place of living for the Bateks. The second reason, actually being the source of the first reason, is that, foraging allowed them to maintain their life as well as integrity even in the most precarious situations they had faced during the time of immigration of the Malay people - when they started restricting the boundaries of the Bateks. Slavery and intrusion endangered the lives of the Bateks and always kept them on the move, thus denying them of harboring any notions of existence except foraging. (Endicott 1978) Impact on Social and Political Organization Although life among the Bateks is a closely knit one, individual, nuclear families form the basic building blocks of the entire