Introduction
This article talks about the ethnic origin of Baba-Nyonya in Malaysia and Singapore. The men are called Baba while the women are called Nyonya. They are mostly found in Malacca, Penang and Singapore today.This article will also compare and contrast this ethnicity with the ethnic Han Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore.
Homeland
Baba-Nyonya ethnicity first originated from Malacca when Malacca was an important trading port along the Maritime Silk Road from China to India during the Malacca Sultanate (1400-1511 AD).
When the British colonized and formed the British Straits Settlements (1826-1942 AD) of Malacca, Penang and Singapore; a significant number of Baba-Nyonya moved to live in Penang and Singapore for better work opportunities.
First wave
The Baba-Nyonya forms the first wave of Han Chinese to Malaysia. They are the descendants of the 500 youths and maids of noble birth who accompanied Hang Li Po when she married the local Malaccan king Sultan Mansur Shah around 1460 AD. The entourage settled in Bukit Cina aka Chinese Hill in Malacca.Hang Li Po was most probably a distant relative of the Ming emperor rather than his princess as depicted in the Malay annals because of her different surname. The Ming emperor descendants' surname was Chu (朱) while Hang Li Po's surname was Ang (洪) - a Hokkien surname mispronounced as Hang by the Malays.
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| Bukit Cina aka Chinese hill in Malacca |
Admiral Zheng He aka Cheng Ho also brought along 100 bachelors to Malacca during his voyages from 1405-1433 AD.
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| Zheng He Cultural Museum in Malacca |
Most if not all came from Fujian province by analyzing the descendants' names which are pronounced in Hokkien language, their spoken language and considering the fact that Quanzhou in Fujian province was the largest city in Fujian and one of largest ports during the Ming dynasty.
Second wave
The second wave of Han Chinese came during the British colonization of Malaya and Singapore during the 19th and 20th century. This migration was accelerated after the Opium Wars (1839-1860 AD) in southern China which left many impoverished. The British encouraged the Han Chinese to work in British Malaya especially in tin mining and trading. |
| Chinese and British in British Malaya |
The second wave of Han Chinese came not only from Fujian province but also from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces. They settled mostly in the western coast of British Malaya and Singapore.
This wave established a school in Penang in 1819 AD which was the first Chinese language school in both Malaya and Singapore so that the Chinese can preserve their mother tongue unlike the first wave.
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| First Chinese language school |
The second wave of Han Chinese outnumber the first wave of Baba-Nyonya by a very large percentage in Singapore and Malaysia today.
Comparison
Due to long term disconnection with China, the Baba-Nyonya traditionally speaks Malay with a smattering of Hokkien words. They also developed their own unique Peranakan Chinese culture which is a mixture of Chinese and Malay culture.
Here is a summary of the list of traditional differences and similarities between the first and second wave of Chinese.
Here is a summary of the list of traditional differences and similarities between the first and second wave of Chinese.
First-wave
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Second-wave
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Ethnicity
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Baba-Nyonya
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Chinese
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Language
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Hokkien-Malay creole language
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Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka etc
|
Food
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Chinese mixed Malay food
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Mainly Chinese food with some
Malay spices
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Dressing
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Malay clothing except special
cultural occasions eg. Chinese New Year and weddings
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Qing dynasty and Tang suit clothing
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Religion
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Taoist-Buddhism
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Taoist-Buddhism
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British
colonial
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English education
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Chinese education
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Name
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Hokkien names
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Southern Chinese languages names
|
However, the differences are becoming lesser after the late 20th century due to modernization and rise of Mandarin and English language.
Interracial marriage
A certain percentage of Baba men married local ethnic Malay girls while the richer ones went to China for their brides or marry within the same ethnicity. |
| Baba-Nyonya wedding in traditional Chinese clothing |
There is a common misconception that descendants of all Malay-Chinese interracial marriage in Malaysia and Singapore are called Baba-Nyonya.
After the beginning of 19th century, any ethnic Chinese who marries an ethnic Malay is forced to convert into a Muslim. Due to this reason, only about 1% of second wave of ethnic Chinese marry ethnic Malay.
The descendants of Malay father and Chinese mother are not called Baba-Nyonya but called ethnic Malays.
The descendants of second wave Chinese father and Muslim Malay mother are also not called Baba-Nyonya but identified as Muslim Chinese or 'others'. This group will usually be assimilated into the Muslim Malay ethnicity after a few generations.
The second wave of Han Chinese are not called Baba-Nyonya but called ethnic Chinese. This group retains much more elements of the Chinese culture and language than the Baba-Nyonya.
The Baba-Nyonya ethnicity are also different from other descendants of Malay-Chinese interracial marriages who are Muslims.
The term 'Straits-born Chinese' just means ethnic Chinese who were born in the British Straits-Settlements and were British citizens and need not necessarily be Baba-Nyonya.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/04/228020/search-hang-li-po
https://cilisos.my/omg-phuket-mafia-originally-came-from-malaysia/
http://www.guidesoutheastasia.com/malaysia-melaka-see-chinese-heritage.php
https://kknews.cc/history/e8e65nn.html
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/11/23/li-impressed-with-malaccas-racial-diversity-and-cendol/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/04/23/musical-hang-li-po-to-be-staged-in-china/
https://overseaschineseinthebritishempire.blogspot.com/
Last updated: 15 Apr 2022
After the beginning of 19th century, any ethnic Chinese who marries an ethnic Malay is forced to convert into a Muslim. Due to this reason, only about 1% of second wave of ethnic Chinese marry ethnic Malay.
The descendants of Malay father and Chinese mother are not called Baba-Nyonya but called ethnic Malays.
The descendants of second wave Chinese father and Muslim Malay mother are also not called Baba-Nyonya but identified as Muslim Chinese or 'others'. This group will usually be assimilated into the Muslim Malay ethnicity after a few generations.
Conclusion
The Baba-Nyonya are descendants of the first wave of Han Chinese to Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. A certain percentage are of mixed Chinese-Malay blood but they retain many Chinese customs and culture while adopting some Malay culture.The second wave of Han Chinese are not called Baba-Nyonya but called ethnic Chinese. This group retains much more elements of the Chinese culture and language than the Baba-Nyonya.
The Baba-Nyonya ethnicity are also different from other descendants of Malay-Chinese interracial marriages who are Muslims.
The term 'Straits-born Chinese' just means ethnic Chinese who were born in the British Straits-Settlements and were British citizens and need not necessarily be Baba-Nyonya.
Related links
Origin of Hokkien
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2017/08/origin-of-southern-min-languages-hokkien.html
Ethnic origin of Han Chinese
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2017/06/ethnic-origin-of-han-chinese.html
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2017/08/origin-of-southern-min-languages-hokkien.html
Ethnic origin of Han Chinese
http://eastasiaorigin.blogspot.com/2017/06/ethnic-origin-of-han-chinese.html
Sources
Malaysia-Singapore-6th-Footprint-Travel, Steve Frankham, ISBN 978-1-906098-11-7https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/04/228020/search-hang-li-po
https://cilisos.my/omg-phuket-mafia-originally-came-from-malaysia/
http://www.guidesoutheastasia.com/malaysia-melaka-see-chinese-heritage.php
https://kknews.cc/history/e8e65nn.html
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/11/23/li-impressed-with-malaccas-racial-diversity-and-cendol/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2004/04/23/musical-hang-li-po-to-be-staged-in-china/
https://overseaschineseinthebritishempire.blogspot.com/
Last updated: 15 Apr 2022
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