The Rawa people, also known as Rao or Rau in the Minangkabau language,[1] are an ethnic group originating in Southeast Asia.
[3] Possible origins of the Rawa people include the district of Rao in Pasaman,[2][4] Champa in Mainland Southeast Asia,[2] and west of Lake Toba in North Sumatra.
[2][5] C. W. Watson speculated that the Rawa who settled the Peninsular Malaysia in the 19th century were an admixture of the Indigenous people of the upper Rokan River and Kerinci settlers originally from Rawang, North Sumatra.
[2] After being absorbed into the Pagaruyung Kingdom, the various Rawa clans continued to be ruled by lesser kings until the 19th century.
[10] Following the Dutch victory in the Padri War in the mid-1830s, many Rawas migrated to East Sumatra[11] and Peninsular Malaysia to escape persecution.
In Selangor, many Rawas settled in Kalumpang due to large tin deposits and proximity to the states they were migrating from.
[23] Many young men practice adat merantau, the tradition of leaving one's home village to gain life experience and new opportunities.