The Raja-raja of Pagaruyung - A main reference document is "Istana Pagaruyung (Royal Lineage) Records" - originally compiled by Sutan Taufiq Thaib from the Pagaruyung palace and digitised by Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar (into MS Excel format). The same information exists in several genealogical and biographical websites but this compilation is probably the most complete, accurate and concise. This King List of the Minangkabau was created as a supporting reference document for the main page article. I am sure an official King List exists but I cannot find it on the internet. As such, I have to create this one.

Beyond the Istana Pagaruyung Records, there are many sources of additional information. It appears that this collection of information is missing one King between #22 Muning-4 and #23 Bagagar-3. The missing king is Sultan Arifin MuningSyah [1] [2] [3] born 1745, ruled 1780 to 1821, died Aug 1825. 

But Istana Records show the ruler 1780 - 1789 as Muning Syah III; and then ruler 1789 - 1803 as Muning Syah IV. By this time, the Padri War had started. Was there a Muning Syah V? He is described as Raja Alam and not Yang diPertuan.

Other info sources: During the 1815 Lintau massacre of the royal family, his 2 sons were killed and he escaped with his grandson to Lubuk Jambi. In 1824 he contacted Lt.Colonel Raaff to return him to Tanah Datar where Bagagar-3 had been appointed as regent. Arifin MuningSyah died in 1825.

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For Bagagar-3, the information is: born 1789, died 12 Feb 1849. Bagagar-3 was Regent of Tanah Datar from 1824. 

Also Bagagar-3 signed the treaty with the Dutch which is recognition of Bagagar-3's authority.

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Dobbin p.151 : "It was decided that the leading signatory of the 1821 treaty, the nephew of the last Raja Alam of Minangkabau, Sultan Alam Bagagar Syah, who was a young man of thirty-four in 1823, should be appointed Regent of Tanah Datar. In September 1822 Raja Muning Syah, the Raja Alam, had sent word to Lieutenant-Colonel Raaff of his whereabouts, but when he returned to Tanah Datar in 1824 he was content to see his nephew {as} Regent, preferring retirement on a Dutch pension. He died in August 1825 at the age of about eighty."

Below is the Pagaruyung King List as above but in shorted form - Minangkabau Rulers in order of ascendency to the throne.

Below we are creating an estimated time-line using period-blocks.

Column 1: Minangkabau rulers arranged by generation (which is how the Istana Records are arranged).

Column 2: The years of their death (It's the only date-data available). From Adityawarman's death, there are 16 generations spanning 474 years. This averages each generation to be about 29½ years (which is very reasonable). 

Column 3: From this we can assign blocks of 30 years to create an estimated time-line. For rulers which we do not have information on, this should be a reasonable approximation.

Lineage from Adityavarman to Sati-2

However, P Panjang Rambuik II was married to Hyang Indojati (of Sumaniek). He had a child, RamoWano (Bujang-1) by another wife.

RamoWano was married to P Reno Marak Jalito (and their children became rulers in Sekelawi).

P Reno Marak Jalito and P Reno Kamuniang Mego are sisters; their father being Dewang Bano RajoWano (ruler of Sekelawi; as well as son of Widjayawarman).

RamoWano also had other wives including P Reno (Marak Rindang) RanggoDewi.

Special Note - In the Minangkabau matrilineal society, it is quite common to have a situation as follows:-

King-1 has a son and daughter: His son becomes King-2 while his daughter becomes Matriarch. 

Matriarch has a son and daughter: Her son becomes King-3 while her daughter becomes Matriarch.

King-2 has a son and daughter: His son is sent to rule another part of the empire while his daughter is married to another part of the empire (hopefully to become Matriarch there).

Her sister, Puti Reno Sudah, begins the lineage of the Tuan Bandaro Putieh and Raja Adat (Raja diBuo).

If you think you are seeing the same names again and again, you are not mistaken. Some of the names have to be read carefully because they are different: But some names come up again and again.

RamoWano (Bujang-1) appears in several charts and is consolidated here:-

D RanggoWani marries Sati-2.

Da RanggoWano marries Gadih-1.

After Sati-2, the Istana Pagaruyung Records show a crossover of marriages into the Srivijaya line; intermarrying with the Bandaro & Rajo diBuo (Adat); which is also a continuation from RamoWano's line.

Note that Tuo & Batu Hitam are shown twice (at both ends). This is because 2 siblings marrying 2 siblings can't be conveniently displayed in this method.

Istana Pagaruyung Records shows the lineage from Alif-1 as follows:-

• Gadih-5 marries R Samik-1 of Sumpur, which we can assume to be R Ibadat (who resides at Sumpur Kudus/ Lintau).

• Similarly, Gadih Saruaso-1 marries D Indomo. 

• We can assume that the women carry the birthright of the Gadih (Pagaruyung) & Gadih Saruaso titles while their husbands are awarded/ rewarded with the R Ibadat and D Indomo titles respectively.

Unresolved Problems with Alif-1:

1. According to Marsden, in 1580 Alif-1 died without any heirs which then led to a division of political power.

2. The Istana Pagaruyung Records show Alif-1 in 3 blocks almost as if it were 3 different persons: (a) Alif-1, (b) R Bakilap Alam (Yt Garo)., and (c) R Bagewang-3 Bandaro-7.

The spread of royal-titles after Alif-1 certainly looks like a "division of political power".

The use of titles before Alif-1.

• R Alam/ Maharajo title can be treated as beginning with Adityavarman.
• T Bandaro title existed around Ananggawarman era.
• R diBuo (ie R Adat) title existed around Panjang Rambuik II era.
• T Bujang title exists beginning with RamoWano.
• T Gadih (Pagaruyung) title exists around Sati II era.

The use of titles after Alif-1.

• R Alam title continues as Sultan.
• T Bandaro title continues.
• R diBuo (ie R Adat) title disappears.
• T Bujang title disappears.
• T Gadih (Pagaruyung) title is syncretised to R Ibadat (of Sumpur Kudus/ Lintau) 
• T Mangkudum (of Sumaniek) appears.
• T Gadih Saruaso appears but is syncretised to a new title T Indomo (of Saruaso).

We need to examine the entire lineage up to Alif-1 to grasp the situation.

What happened next would have been a damage control exercise by the Istana (palace). From the way the Istana Pagaruyung Records are presented, I shall assume the Limbago (Council) acted in the following manner:-

1.  continued business as usual after Alif-1's death, probably not publicising it.

2.  appointed Rajo Balikap (YamTuan Garo) as Raja Alam

3.  appointed Rajo Bagewang-3 as Bandaro-7

4.  setting up of the division of power.

So who are these people? The focus of the matrilineal system is that the royal children of the female line become the Minangkabau rulers. You may remember that most of the royal children of the male line are sent to rule elsewhere to expand the empire. As such, there would have been many eligible contenders to supplement the Minangkabau royal court. Examples of this royal diasporic rule:-

•  Ananggawarman's daughter married into Jambi royal family. 

• DeoWano's 4 children became royalty in Jambi. 

• RaiWano's other children became royalty in Indrapura & Kerinci.

• RamoWano's children (with Pr Marak Jalito) became royalty in Sekelawi

• Tuo's children from a different wife married into royalty in Tigobaleh, Pesisir, Aceh, 

• From the Srivijaya line, there would have been countless lower ranked royal males sent out to merantau (venture).

The title of Rajo Bagewang appears in the Istana Pagaruyung Records as follows:-

1. R Bagewang-1 together with Bandaro-4

2. R Bagewang-2 as part of RanggoWano together with Bandaro-5 & Bujang-2

3. R Bagewang-3 as part of Alif-1 together with Bandaro-7

Bagewang means "armed with sword"