From Islamic Purification to Anti-Colonial Solidarity: Reframing the Padri War as the Early Expression of Nationalism through the Tandikek Agreement

Abstract

The Padri War (1803–1837) in Minangkabau represented a multidimensional conflict involving social, political, and religious dynamics. The global problem addressed in this research is the reductionism of historical narratives that only view the Padri War as a binary conflict between religious and traditional groups, without accommodating the role of Dutch colonialism and the transformation of religious movements into an early expression of nationalism in Minangkabau. The objective of this study is to analyze the transformation of the Islamic movement into an early expression of nationalism in a colonial context. The method used is qualitative with historical discourse analysis based on primary and secondary sources, including the notes from Tuanku Imam Bonjol and colonial records. The findings reveal that colonial domination functioned as a catalyst that redefined the Padri’s theological mission into a broader vision of communal liberation. The Tandikek Agreement emerges as a symbolic synthesis of faith and nationhood, transforming Islamic purification into anti-colonial solidarity, which at the end shaped the early expression on nationalism in Minangkabau. By examining the Padri War through this perspective, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between Islamic reform, colonialism, and collective political solidarity, and nationalism in nineteenth-century Minangkabau.