Minangkabau Beginnings - William Jack

Proattin

History of Sumatra - William Marsden - ed.3 1811

p.210 Their Government [chap.11] -:: The inhabitants live in villages, called dusun, each under the government of a headman or magistrate, styled dupati, whose dependants are termed his ana-buah, and in number seldom exceed one hundred. The dupatis belonging to each river (for here, the villages being almost always situated by the waterside, the names we are used to apply to countries or districts are properly those of the rivers) meet in a judicial capacity at the kwalo, where the European factory is established, and are then distinguished by the name of proattin.::-

p.213 Succession of Dupatis [chap.11] -:: On every river there is at least one superior proattin, termed a pambarab, who is chosen by the rest and has the right or duty of presiding at those suits and festivals in which two or more villages are concerned, with a larger allotment of the fines, and (like Homer's distinguished heroes) of the provisions also. If more tribes than one are settled on the same river each has usually its pambarab. Not only the rivers or districts but indeed each dusun is independent of, though not unconnected with, its neighbours, acting in concert with them by specific consent.::-

p.354 Kingdom of Anak Sungai [chap. 19] -:: From the ruins of Indrapura has sprung the kingdom of Anak-sungei, extending along the sea-coast from Manjuta River to that of Urei. Its chief bears the title of sultan, and his capital, if such places deserve the appellation, is Moco-moco. A description of it will be found above. Although the government is Malayan, and the ministers of the sultan are termed mantri (a title borrowed from the Hindus) the greatest part of the country dependent on it is inhabited by the original dusun people, and accordingly their proper chiefs are styled proattin, who are obliged to attend their prince at stated periods, and to carry to him their contribution or tax. His power over them however is very limited.::-

Investigator, Volumes 5-6 - T & G Underwood, 1822

p.285 -:: The people are dispersed through the country in small dusuns, or villages, consisting of from 10 to 40 families. In each village of any size is a Proattin, a Pamangkoo or deputy, and the Orang Tuah, or Elders. The Proattin is elected by the inhabitants of the village, but his authority is very trifling. He receives no contributions or payments from the people, and the sole advantage he derives from his office is a share of the fines which may happen to be imposed, and of the duties on pepper during the time of the Company's monopoly. There is no community of agricultural labour in the village, nor are any trades separately exercised. Every man, from the Proattin to the lowest individual, raises his own rice by his own labour and that of his family.::-

History of the Indian Archipelago - John Crawfurd, 1820 - Vol 3

p.112 -:: One of the most remarkable and instructive characteristics in the laws of the islanders, is the allotment of punishment according to the rank of the offender. The three great classes of society which may be said generally to exist throughout the Indian islands, in a legal point of view, are the nobles, freemen, (Mardika,) and slaves, (Hamba.) In their laws the rights of these classes are constantly referred to. The authority of rank, it need hardly be insisted, is constantly dwelt upon, and its immunity from the severities of the law impudently proclaimed. "The Bangun, or compensation for the murder of a Pambarab" (superior chief,) say the laws of the Rejangs, " is five hundred dollars; for that of a Proattin, (inferior chief,) two hundred and fifty dollars; for that of a common person, man or boy, eighty dollars; for that of a common person, woman or girl, one hundred and fifty dollars; for the legitimate child or wife of a Pambarab, two hundred and fifty dollars."::-