Generations from Banten : a wandering spiritual leader and his followers in West Java

Abstract

This is a descriptive study of forms of leadership among a population in West Java whose social world is considered to be still almost completely based on traditional manners and customs or adat. This particular social form is called kasepuhan. Kasepuhan comes from the word sepuh meaning kolots i.e. "old". Kasepuhan thus refers to a community in which all the members of the group base their social activities on adat. This kasepuhan community is led by a sesepuh or an elder called Ki Ardjo. The word ki is short for aki meaning "grandfather". All his followers call him Ahah ("father") Ardjo.