Birth History of Tarigan Clan

By: Masrul Purba Dasuha, S.Pd

Tarigan clan is one of clan of Karo tribe, this clan inhabit in Simalungun area border of Karo land. One elder of customary in Bage intersection from Girsang clan tells that Tarigan clan was once started from a young man surnamed Purba requested by the Nagur king of Damanik clan to resolve territorial disputes in Dolog Silou that involving Naga Saribu. By king commanded to pull the rattan (hotang) to measure the area, incidentally when the shortage of people to pull the rattan and when it's a young man who came from the area Tingkos (Cingkes) surnamed Purba are going to Saribu Dolog passing the dispute area. Then he was asked to pull the ratta to the across, then divide border village into two regions, that the village Paribuan Jahean and Paribuan Juluan now. Since then he is better known by Tarikan, naming it after a long time turn into Tarigan. So in the future more people that know him call as Tarigan, its Purba clan became faint and disappeared. The initially village after becoming Tarigan is Cingkes, from which his descendants spread to other areas in the Karo.

Figure 1: A village in Dolog Silou

He was married to a Karo woman, since then he and his family became part of the Karo tribe. In later generation Tarigan become containers of Purba Simalungun clan in Karo land. Purba clan residing around border Simalungun and Karo ranging from Bangun Purba, Gunung Mariah, Sinombah up to Cingkes generally are turning into Tarigan clans and bringing each branch as they are still in Simalungun. Their offspring is growing, Purba Tambak becomes Tarigan Tambak, then the descendant divided again into Tarigan Tambak Pekan and Cingkes, Purba Silangit becomes Tarigan Silangit, Purba Sigumondrong into Tarigan Gerneng who then broke into Tarigan Tegur, Purba Tua became Tarin Tua, Purba Tambun Saribu into Tarin Tambun, and Purba Sihala of Hinalang into Tarigan Purba or often called the Tarigan Purba Cikala.

Girsang is an accomplished wanderer, he began venturing from their homeland in Girsang near Parapat as invited by the Sinaga clan to treat a member of his family. There, he established a village called Girsang. From there he then invited by one of Sihombing family clan in Siborongborong. In this village he founded the Naga Saribu and Sitampurung. Having dwelt for some time he was married with one Toba daughter and spawned a number of descendants surnamed Girsang. He then ventured again to see his brother in Bakkara, Humbang area near Dolok Sanggul. In place of the existing Purba descendants of the shaman who also came from Simalungun to treat one of the families in that place. Purba clan has been appointed as the child adopted by a Simamora family clan. After some time in that place, the Girsang wander again to the land of Pegagan Pakpak, he was received by King Mandida Manik and married with a daughter. He was then given a land to live on mount Lehu. The offspring then there are errant to Singkil and one of them ventured into the Naga Saribu, Silimakuta and accepted by the Sinaga clan, initial community inhabiting Silimakuta. He also married the daughter of the village chief surnamed Sinaga. And after it was handed control of her hometown because he has been very helpful in-law against enemies that come from the Kingdom Siantar.  In the Karo, Girsang clan spawned a new branch that is Tarigan Sahing who later founded the Sinaman village. His brother is Siboro living in Tungtung Batu, Pakpak land, one of his offspring moved to the Juhar, Karo land and accepted by Tarigan Tua then they are becoming Tarigan Sibero. And who migrated to the Gayo land known Ceberou.

Figure 2: Dolog Silou king, Tuan Ragaim Purba with Siantar king, Tuan Sawadim Damanik 

Tarigan clan division:

1. Tambak, according to the Partingkian Bandar Hanopan codex ever translated by Dutch Taalambtenaar (linguists) Dr. Petrus Voorhoeve, their ancestors named Jigou who came from Pagaruyung then migrated to Simalungun become Pangulu Tambak Bawang. The offspring named Tuan Sindar Lela then won a place at Silou kingdom and served as Raja Goraha Silou the assistance of Puteri Hijau. He has two sons namely Tuan Toriti who moved to Silou Buntu and establish Partuanon there, the offspring is called the Purba Tambak Tualang. While his brother Tuan Timbangan Raja founded the Partuanon Silou Dunia. Two sons of Tuan Timbangan Raja disputing, Rubun king moved to Dolog Masihol, where after the collapse of the Silou kingdom by civil war, his descendants later founded the kingdom of Dolog Silou using Purba Tambak Lombang clan. His young brother Tuan Suha Bolag moved to around Tiga Runggu and establish Huta Suha Bolag which later became the forerunner of the Panei kingdom and wear Purba Sidasuha clan. Descendants of the Purba Tambak that spread to the Karo became Tarigan Tambak that later subdivided into Tarigan Tambak Pekan and Cingkes. In the Karo, this clan inhabit the Kebayaken and Sukanalu area.
2. Tua, comes from Purba Tua in Silimakuta, Simalungun. This clan is the brother of the Purba Tanjung in Sipinggan, Haranggaol intersection. Most of his descendants believe that their ancestors is Purba Tambak. Most of his descendants moved to the Karo into Tarigan Tua.
3. Silangit, derived from the Purba Silangit that founder of Sinembah and Gunung Mariah villlage. According to the oral stories in Simalungun, ancestral of this clan originally dwelt around Dolog Tinggi Raja. As a result of the natural disaster that ravaged the region resulted in their offspring spread to a number of areas such as Gunung Mariah, Sinombah, Dolog Silou, Silou Kahean, Raya, and the Karo. On the Karo land they become Tarigan Silangit.
4. Tendang, derived from the Purba Tondang in Huta Tanoh, Simalungun and brother of the Purba Tambun Saribu. Most of his descendants believe their ancestors came from Purba Parhorbo in Humbang (Toba).
5. Tambun, derived from the Purba Tambun Saribu in Harangan Silombu and Binangara, Simalungun. This clan is related to the Purba Tondang according to some descendants believe that their ancestors came from Purba Parhorbo in Humbang (Toba).
6. Gerneng, derived from the Purba Sigumondrong in Lokkung which then spread to Marubun, Togur, Cingkes, and Raya, Simalungun. This clan is a descendant of the Purba Tambak was born from Boru Simarmata.
7. Cekala or Tarigan Purba Cekala, derived from the Purba Sihala in Purba Hinalang, Simalungun fraction of the Purba Pakpak. This clan inhabits Cingkes and Tanjung Purba.
8. Sibero, this clan came from Cibero clan in Tungtung Batu and then descendants migrated to Juhar into Tarigan Sibero and in Simalungun into Purba Siboro and on the Gayo land become Ceberou. In Juhar, the clan split into Tarigan Sibayak and Tarigan Jambor Lateng. Tarigan Sebayak have rurun name Batu (male) and Pagit (female). While rurun name of Tarigan Jambor Lateng was Lumbung (male) and Tarik (female). Then came also the Tarigan Rumah Jahe with rurun name Kawas (men) and Dombat ( female). This clan inhabits spread Juhar area, Kuta Raja, Keriahen, Munte, Tanjung Beringen, Selakar, and Linga.
10. Gersang clan, from the results of the investigation the author some time ago, where the author interviewed one indigenous elder of the Cibero clan of Pakpak tribe. He explained that Girsang is a descendant of the Cibero clan. The ancestors of this clan lived on a hill in Lehu, settlement was granted by Mandida Manik king for marrying his daughter. One of the descendants have the skills mixing of drugs that is also known as Datu Parulas and menyumpit bird so he is also known as Parultop. The name of the first ancestor of the Girsang that comes directly from Pakpak are two brothers that named is Girsang Girsang and Sondar Girsang, they are the eleventh descendants of Ghaib king, the first ancestor of the Cibero clan. Both are doing the hunt for a bird, because of chasing the bird one of them up to Simalungun and entered the Naga Mariah village communal land of Sinaga clan. At that time Tuan Naga Mariah middle of enemy threats that come from the Siantar kingdom, thanks to the assistance of Girsang enemy from Siantar can be overcome. For his services, Tuan Naga Mariah then married him to his daughter and handed power to him. As a native of that place namely clan Sinaga, after the power switch to the hands of the Girsang, they eventually many displaced into the Batu Karang and up into Peranginangin clan. In that place, Girsang establish Naga Saribu village then set as the capital of the Silima Huta kingdom by combining five villages namely Rakut Besi, Dolog Panribuan, Saribu Jandi, Mardingding, and Nagamariah. This clan is divided into Girsang Jabu Bolon, Girsang Na Godang, Girsang Parhara, Girsang Rumah Parik, and Girsang Rumah Bolon. Most of his descendants moved to the Karo become Tarigan Gersang, Sinaman in district Tiga Panah is one of village that established by Girsang descent who moved to the Karoland. As there is also a descendant of the Purba Silangit who joined to this clan called Girsang Silangit.
11. Tegur, Purba Sigumondrong fractions derived from Huta Togur in Dolog Silou. This clan inhabit the Suka area.
12. Cingkes, Tarigan Tambak fractions in Cingkes (Tingkos), Dolog Silou.
13. Sahing, Tarigan Girsang fraction of Huta Saing in Dolog Silou. This clan then establish Sinaman village in Karo land.
14. Pekan, Tarigan Tambak fractions. In the Karo, this clan inhabit the Sukanalu and Namo Enggang.
15. Ganagana, in Batu Karang.
16. Bondong, in lingga.
17. Jampang. in Pergendangen .
18. Kerendam, Kuala Pulo Berayan and partially moved to Siak and become Sultan there.