Trah and bani: organizing a large extended-family tree
Updated
In Indonesia many large families organize around a shared ancestor: a trah in Javanese families, a bani (from the Arabic for “children of”) in many Muslim families, such as “Bani Abdullah”. A shared family tree is often the first thing such a group wants, and also the hardest to keep complete. This guide shows how to organize one.
1. What a trah or bani is
A trah or bani is everyone descended from one ancestor couple, often five or more generations and hundreds of people, plus their spouses. Members meet at a yearly reunion, frequently a halal bihalal or syawalan after Eid, and many groups run an arisan or a family committee. Other communities have their own forms, such as the marga among the Batak.
2. Agree on the root and the scope
Start from the founding ancestor couple (or several wives or husbands, if there were remarriages) and their children. Each child of the founder becomes a main branch. Decide early whether spouses' own families are included; usually only the spouse is recorded and their family stays in their own trah.
3. Divide the work by branch
One person cannot know hundreds of relatives. Ask one contact per main branch, often the eldest grandchild or the most organized cousin, to collect and maintain their branch. A shared family tree app makes this easy: branch editors only need to know their own part.
In Sakdulur the tree owner can turn on “Share by branch”, so each editor and viewer only sees and edits the people shared with them. Branch contacts are invited by email or with a link that expires.
4. Record what reunions need
- Who belongs to which branch, and the generation of each person (anak, putu, buyut, and so on; see the kinship terms guide).
- Where people live now, for invitations and to see who is nearby.
- Who has passed away, shown respectfully. Sakdulur can mark deceased relatives as Alm./Almh., with a cross, or with a neutral mark, depending on each person's religion.
- Marriages into the family, remarriages and adopted or fostered children, so nobody is left out.
5. Keep it private
A trah tree is personal data about many people, including minors. Keep it in a private tree that only invited members can see, rather than a public website or an open spreadsheet link. Every tree in Sakdulur is private by default, and the data is never sold.
6. Use it at the reunion
Print the whole tree, or one branch, for the reunion hall, or share it as an image in the family chat group. Sakdulur can print the tree, save it as a PDF or image, and export it as an Excel spreadsheet for the committee's lists.
With the optional AI assistant turned on, members can ask questions such as “How is Rani related to Budi?” in Indonesian or English.
7. Keep one family, many trees
Many people belong to several trah: their father's, their mother's and their spouse's. Keep a separate tree for each and copy a branch from one tree to another instead of typing it twice.
Questions
What is the difference between a trah and a bani?
Both mean everyone descended from one ancestor. Trah is the Javanese word; bani comes from Arabic (“children of”) and is common among Muslim families, usually followed by the ancestor's name, as in “Bani Abdullah”.
How do you manage a family tree with hundreds of people?
Divide it by branch: one contact per child of the founding ancestor maintains their own branch in a shared, private family tree app, and the whole tree is put together automatically.
Can a trah family tree be printed for a reunion?
Yes. Sakdulur can print the whole tree or one branch, save it as a PDF or image, and export the list of members as an Excel spreadsheet.
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