Congklak as Traditional Games of Indonesia

Name: Putri Fitriani Khairunnisa

NPM: 1910631060042

Class: 3D

Congklak as The Traditional Games of Indonesia

One of the most fascinating things about living in Indonesia is the discovery of bits of Indonesian culture which are actually not Indonesian at all, but originate in other lands. For centuries, the Indonesian archipelago has been visited by traders from many corners of the world who sell and buy spices. Together with the items they brought to sell, these traders brought bits of their culture along with them as well.

Congklak has its origins in either Africa or the Arab world, depending on which scholar's theory you choose to believe. Some of the oldest evidence was found in National Geographic-sponsored archaeological diggings dating back to 7,000 to 5,000 BC in present- day Jordan. Excavations of a house uncovered a limestone slab with two parallel rows of circular depressions. The layout was easily recognizable to an archaeologist on the dig as the Congklak playing board.

The earliest recorded writings describing the game were found in references to Mancala in Arab religious texts dating to the Middle Ages. Some scholars believe that the game originated in the Middle East and spread from there to Africa. Then, the game spread to Asia with Arab traders and came to the Caribbean around 1640 via the African slave trade. Other experts place the origins in Central Africa.

In Indonesia, Congklak is known by different names from region to region. The most common name, Congklak, is taken from the cowrie shell, which is commonly used to play the game. In Malaysia, the game is known as congkak, a name that is used in many Sumatran provinces as well due to the Malay’s culture. In Java, the game is known as Congklak, dakon, dhakon or dhakonan. In Lampung, the game is called, dentuman lamban. In Sulawesi, the game is referred to as Mokaotan, Maggaleceng, Aggalacang and Nogarata.

Historical references to Congklak refer to the game played by young girls of Javanese nobility. It is most likely that foreign traders, due to their close contact with the upper classes, introduced Congklak to them. With the passage of time, Congkla' s popularity grew until its now widely played by the common people as well. In most regions, Congklak play is limited to young girls, teens and women in their leisure time and its seen as a 'girl's game'. In only a few regions is Congklak played by men and boys as well.

In Sulawesi, historically, the game was reserved for play only during grieving periods, after the death of a loved one. It was considered taboo to play the game at any other time. In Central Java, in pre-historic times, Congklak was used by farmers to calculate the seasons, to know when to plant and harvest, as well as to predict the future.

The Congklak playing board is made from wood, with variations from island to island in the number of holes on each side, either 5, 6, 7 or 9 holes. All the boards have two 'store house' holes, one on each end. The design varies from simple, unadorned woods, to boat- shaped boards, to highly decorated playing boards. Most, however, are made of relatively plain wood.

In Lampung, village children often play without a board, but instead create their own playing area by scooping out holes in the ground and collecting stones or seeds each time they want to play. Congklak can be played using seeds, shells, stones, smooth pebblers, etc. Seeds which is often used for playing congklak is tamarind, kemiri, and sawo’s seeds. 

The widespread popularity of Congklak around the world can undoubtedly be attributed in part to the simplicity of the materials used to play the game. Congklak, in all its variations, continues to attract dedicated players as well as craftsmen, mathematicians, programmers and collectors of regional art and handicrafts. These prove that Congklak is a challenging game of patience and skill.

Responses to this text:

     In my opinion, traditional games should be played more because this is safe for anyone to play. Technological developments have succeeded in reducing children's interest in playing traditional games. In most areas, the game of Congklak is limited to girls, teenagers and women in their spare time and is seen as a 'girl game'. In some areas, Congklak is played by men and men as well especially we have to introduce children to traditional games. We want to show the unique features of Indonesia, that it has a rich culture. And also congklak can be played at home, it is fun and can help to teach mental arithmetic. 

    This congklak game can prevent children or adults from always playing with cellphones or online games. However, the game of Congklak is in fact almost forgotten. In different regions, this game has different names. In Sumatra, congklak is known as congkak, while in Java, it is known as congklak, dakon, or dhakonan. In Lampung, this game has the name slow boom and in Sulawesi it is known as Makaotan, aggalacang, and nogarata. In several other areas in Indonesia Congklak is also called Dakonan. This traditional game is easy to play. However, must have a strategy to solve it. 

    This traditional game is a type of game that playing congklak is not difficul. As long as there is a board and congklak seeds, as well as a playmate because playing it cannot be alone. How to play it is easy in turns. There are 16 holes in the congklak board and requires 98 gravel seeds to fill the 14 holes facing each other. Each hole must be filled with 7 gravel. So we have 49 pebbles ready to go. This game is played by two people and is considered finished if one of them has no more pebbles to run. The person who gets the most pebbles will be the winner. 

    The game starts when one of the players picks the congklak seeds that are found in one of the 7 holes in their section. Then, he had to divide it into each hole. Do not forget, players must fill in the main hole they have. Other players, will have a turn when the previous player has run out of seeds to share. The game is over when all the pawns in the small hole run out. The player who wins is the player with the highest number of prone seeds in the parent hole.

    When playing congklak, children will be trained to be honest, patient, count and strategize. The activity of taking congklak seeds and inserting them into each hole trains children to cultivate physical abilities or movement. In addition, these activities can make children's hands more flexible and children will be better prepared to learn to write. Playing congklak is also able to hone left brain intelligence. In the game, the player must collect more pawns than his opponent in order to win. This allows children to set strategies and make calculations in the playing process.

Sources:

https://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/back-basics-making-play-return-traditional-games-indonesia

https://www.scribd.com/document/105308839/Congklak