Makassarese
- Scope note
- The Makassarese are an Austronesian ethnic group of approximately 2.25 million people indigenous to the southern half of Sulawesi, Indonesia, who speak a South Sulawesi language written in the distinctive Lontara script. Historically a powerful maritime and trading people, they established the state of Gowa in the thirteenth century and converted to Sunni Islam in the sixteenth century before coming under Dutch colonial influence following the Makassar War of 1666–69. Their culture blends Islamic practice with pre-Islamic spiritual traditions and remains centered on both rice cultivation and interisland maritime trade.
- Date of creation: 02-Mar-2026
Accepted term: 02-Mar-2026