Editing Minangkabau people (section)

==Historiography==
[[File:Pariangan.jpg|thumb|right|The village of Pariangan, located on the slopes of [[Mount Marapi]], is in folklore said to be the first Minangkabau village.]]
The traditional [[historiography]]<ref name="OOAL1856" /> of the Minangkabau tells of the development of the Minangkabau World (''alam Minangkabau'') and its ''adat''. These stories are derived from an oral history which was transmitted between generations before the Minangkabau had a written language. The first Minangkabau are said to have arrived by ship and landed on [[Mount Marapi]] when it was no bigger than the size of an egg, which protruded from a surrounding body of water. After the waters receded the Minangkabau proliferated and dispersed to the slopes and valleys surrounding the volcano, a region called the ''darek''. The ''darek'' is composed of three ''luhak'' – [[Tanah Datar]], [[Agam Regency|Agam]] and [[Limapuluh Koto]]. The ''tambo'' claims the ship was sailed by a descendant of [[Alexander the Great]] (''Iskandar Zulkarnain'').<ref name="Summerfield1999Tambo">Summerfield (1999), pages&nbsp;48–49</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een Minangkabau huis met rijstschuren TMnr 60004090.jpg|thumb|Minangkabau house and rice barns]]
A division in Minangkabau ''adat'' into two systems is said to be the result of conflict between two half-brothers Datuak Katumangguangan and Datuak Parpatiah nan Sabatang, who were the leaders who formulated the foundations of Minangkabau ''adat''. The former accepted [[Adityawarman]], a prince from Majapahit, as a king while the latter considered him a minister, and a civil war ensued. The Bodi Caniago/[[Adat perpatih]] system formulated by Datuak Parpatiah nan Sabatang is based upon egalitarian principles with all ''panghulu'' (clan chiefs) being equal while the Koto Piliang /Adat Katumangguangan system is more autocratic with there being a hierarchy of ''panghulu''. Each village (''nagari'') in the ''darek'' was an autonomous "republic", and governed independently of the Minangkabau kings using one of the two ''adat'' systems. After the ''darek'' was settled, new outside settlements were created and ruled using the Koto Piliang system by ''rajo'' who were representatives of the king.<ref name="Summerfield1999Tambo"/>