Journal Articles

The meaning of dukun and allure of Sufi healers: How Persian cosmopolitans transformed Malay–Indonesian history

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For contemporary Malay/Indonesian speakers, dukun signifies an indigenous healer. Etymologically, however, the word dukun is not native to Malay/Indonesian. Some say dukun is Arabic, but this article claims it is more Persian than Arabic. When fifteenth-century Persian settlers brought the proto-form of the word dukun to the Malay Archipelago, they also brought cosmopolitan notions of Sufism, faith and healing. Eventually orthodox Arab immigrants and Europeans denigrated Sufi healers as ‘indigenous’. Dukun became a rhetorical foil demonstrating how superb Western physicians or orthodox Arabs were by comparison. Gradually, the dukun's reputation became intertwined with negative attitudes about ‘indigenous’ practices.

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Series Title

Journal of SOutheast Asian Studies

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: ., 0

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Language

English

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Edition

Vol. 44, Number 3, October 2013, p.400 - 422

Subject(s)

indigenous healer

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