Ikatan Diangkatan
An Ikatan Diangkatan, or Society of the Appointed (sometimes also translated as Society of the Adopted), was a voluntary association of young men in Terangauni society which emerged in the Ramatrah Era and developed into an important facet of imperial court culture during the second empire. These societies were often composed of the sons of merchants and other men who had social standing, but lacked either inheritance or other commission. They often formed mercenary companies, purchases trade ships, and otherwise sought fortune or adventure. At the time, some commentators viewed them in an unfavorable light as disruptions to the natural family order and they were variously restricted, banned, or shunned in many localities. There are several records of societies attempting to overthrow family members from their positions of authority, which likely contributed to a general distrust for this form of fraternity.
In subsequent years, the behaviors and members of these organizations were more favorably reevaluated because of their relationship to certain Ramatr who advocated for social reforms. At this point, the social bond between young men became more formal and institutional, especially in the form of the virtue of persaudaraan or brotherhood. Laws supported the formation of Ikatan Diangkatan by protecting the emancipation of unmarried, liveried men from their parents, arranged marriage, and conscription separate from their society (which often formed independent units). As a result of this greater enfranchisement, some societies amassed large fortunes, which initially was inherited by the king when the company was dissolved or when its last member died.
Development
While families around the Perlindungan traditionally formed tribal units of three to four interrelated families who lived together in a village, increasing urbanization and wealth both enlarged the number of people who lived in the same political units and the stratification of specific lineages. Kings in the Bhaareesir Period tended to favor particular individuals who could be invited to a court, which emphasized the success or failure of a person alone rather than the prosperity of a local community. These pressures resulted in a more and more formalized society in which younger men would often find themselves in direct competition with members of their own tribe for prestige and wealth. At the same time, during the Menaikkan there was a demand for professional soldiers and it is likely that the first Ikatan was explicitly a mercenary company rather than a fraternity.
Protracted siege warfare during the Bhaareesir Period transplanted thousands of military-age men all around the Perlindungan rim where they often remained after a war concluded without any connections. The first historical reference to an Ikatan of young men was in Tanakiri where a carved wooden post warns boys to beware foreign men seeking apprentices for their societies. Later evidence indicates that the general distrust for these organization did not dissuade wayward men from seeking them out to learn the arts of warfare, but the supply of exotic old men recruiting young proteges was less than many feared and boys began to form their own Ikatan to enjoy more mundane arts such as singing and hunting.
Much later, the Ikatan Diangkatan in its fullest sense emerged when Ikatan were created and composed entirely of aristocratic scions.
Structure
Ikatan Diangkatan were most often formed within the first five years after initiation into manhood by a group of men who had little or few prospects in managing their family assets. They tended to keep a relatively close age range: men who were much older than the mean age being considered undesirable for having been passed over by other societies; and men who were too close to the time of their initiation too undependable and vulnerable to other prospects. One exception to this rule was that men who excelled at cooking were actively sought after and competed for, so they were sometimes much older or younger than the group at large. The members would take an oath to their new brothers as a second family and typically rejected the possibility of marriage. After this, whatever assets or incomes the members had would be pooled and, if they were not planning on immediately embarking on travel, would purchase or build a communal home for themselves.
If they were engaged in an activity that required it, such as forming a military regiment or engaging in a contract, they would appoint a spokesman who would act as officer or signee for the group. Such elected positions were generally temporary and, even in war, there was an expectation for decisions to be made collegially.
Elements & Activities
Livery
Almost all groups used some kind of token to distinguish themselves from bachelors or other unbonded men. Jewelry was common, especially carved earrings, but it depended heavily on the resourced available. The most sophisticated (and wealthy) societies would use a full uniform of distinctly patterned cloth to indicate their membership. These uniforms would become especially important later on as a component of legal codes for distinguishing real Ikatan Diangkatan from runaway boys and criminal gangs.
Architecture
The Ikatan were forced, by a lack of female members and other considerations, to ignore such architectural rules of thumb such as the Rumah Ibu and built large, extravagant homes for themselves. Their communal homes would have an unusually large number of private cells for members as well as separate guest rooms. Some homes also contained a workshop for the society's commercial endeavors or, for wealthier groups, a leisure room.